Book Review: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

Title: My Killer Vacation

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult Fiction, Mystery

Pages: 295

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2022

Format: Paperback (Own It)

"A brash bounty hunter and an energetic elementary school teacher is the murder-solving team no one asked for, but they're stuck together, come hell or high tide, until a killer is found in this spicy rom-com with a brand new bonus novella from Tessa Bailey, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer. It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in sweet, sunny Cape Cod- just Taylor Bassey and her beloved brother- but discovering a corpse in their rental house has really thrown a wrench into their tanning schedule. Now a rude, crude bounty hunter has arrived on the back of his motorcycle to catch the killer and refuses to believe Taylor can be helpful, despite the countless hours she's spent listening to true crime podcasts. Not to mention her fulfilling teaching career of wrangling second graders. Myles Summer is only there to do a job, not babysit an amateur sleuth. Although... it is becoming less and less of a hardship to have Taylor around. Sure, she's stubborn, distracting and can't stay out of harm's way. She's also brave and beautiful and reminds him of home. In other words, the insatiable hunger and protectiveness she's awakening is a threat to his peace of mind. Before Myles sinks any deeper into this dangerous attraction, he needs to solve the murder and get back on the road. Only now there are two threats- and the biggest one is to his heart."

My Rating: 4/5

I finished this read quite a while ago. I liked that the author wasn't just focused on the romance in this book; the mystery played an equal role in the book. In some ways, it reminded me of parts of Finlay Donovan series (the cozy romance aspects). The spicy scenes were well written, and the characters were fun. My only complaint was how long it took the spice to get rolling.

Sidny

Book Review: Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

Title: Dream Girl Drama

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Big Shots Series (Book #3)

Genre: Sports Romance, Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 320

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2025

Format: Audiobook

"When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier's car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can't wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad's new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe's mother. Oh, and they're engaged.

Sig's dream girl is his future stepsister.

Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston- but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more..."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book! This story follows Sig and Chloe, who meet, have a magical experience together and very quickly realise that they have more in common than their interest in each other. I loved the taboo aspect of this book, but also the yearning. The spice, as always, was really good, other than one aspect that Tessa Bailey has started to add to most of her spice scenes, which isn't for me. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. 

Sidny

Book Review: The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

Title: The Au Pair Affair

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Big Shots Series (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Adult Fiction 

Pages: 384

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2024

Format: Audiobook

"A sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny...

Tallulah is smart, vivacious and studying to be a marine biologist. She's also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn't the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to... well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the "right" thing- breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it's for the best- he's too jaded, with too much baggage- a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah."

My Rating: 5/5

I found this second book in the series far more to my liking than the first one. Could that be because it was hockey rather than golf? Maybe. Could it be because it was a single dad? Definitely. While there was one instance I wasn't a huge fan of, overall I loved the book. The smut was well written, the characters were dynamic and interesting and the plot had stakes.

Sidny

Book Review: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fangirl Down

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Big Shots Series (Book #1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 380    

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2024

Format: Audiobook (Library Copy)

"Wells Whitaker was once golf's hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his 'promising' career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life. 

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn't believe in himself. Yet after her throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine's professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash. 

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in the neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they're inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss, and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous.. right?"

My Rating: 4/5

This book follows Josephine Doyle, who is a diabetic golf expert, which no one would expect. A self-proclaimed fangirl, and sunshine trope personified. Wells Whittaker is a grumpy trope character who fell from an all-time high in their career to rock bottom in the blink of an eye. He's also a jerk. For more than half of the book, I couldn't stand his tone, his narration, etc. The spice was good; it was surprising, but I don't think I like the narrator on these. We'll try the next one in the series and see how it's going.

Sidny

Book Review: Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

Title: Unfortunately Yours

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: A Vine Mess Duology (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can't stand... only to discover there's a fine line between love and hate.

After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she's sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she's ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him--and kiss him, in equal measure.

August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn't know jack about making wine. He's determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy's legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around... and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.

Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways--assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There's just one thing they didn't account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction."

My Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed this second book in the series. While something I didn't enjoy the idea of a marriage of convenience trope in current times is so entertaining to me. The plot was fantastic. The characters were fun and the setting itself brings me so much joy. But during the spicy scenes, there were certain phrases that I didn't love. And the audiobook wasn't as fun as the ones I'd read in the past. I do plan on continuing to read Tessa Bailey's books as they come out, but I will keep in mind that the vocabulary she uses to describe certain body parts might not be my favourite. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

Title: Secretly Yours

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: A Vine Mess Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Pages: 384

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn...

Hallie Wlech fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless- and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. 

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt- and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I think this is a really fun contemporary read with fantastic steamy scenes. Tessa Bailey does an excellent job of making unique characters that you can visualize with their own unique voice. I also appreciate that they have struggles that are relatable. The steamy scenes in this one were perfect, and I look forward to reading the next one! How can a marriage of convenience go wrong?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

Title: Tools of Engagement

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Hot & Hammered Series (Book #3)

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 368

Published: Avon

Year Published: 2020

Format:  Audiobook

"Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they're invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovations. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way. 

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster."

My Rating: 3.75/5

I liked this one, but it wasn't my favourite out of the whole series. The characters were relatable, their issues were real and sincere and the setting was fun. The overall arc of the story was good, but a lot was crammed into the book. The separate plots, the epilogue and the other characters' story arcs fall into this making it hard to believe that everyone got their happily ever after. It was fun and would recommend it if you're looking to round out the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

Title: Love Her or Lose Her

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Hot & Hammered Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 336

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now, Rosie's lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with 10 years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emot husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he's all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous- year surprisingly helpful- assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they're getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything."

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely flew right through this book. The characters are great to follow and distinct in who they are (sometimes in contemporary romance I feel like the main characters can become very bland). The chemistry between these characters was off the charts! I love the trope of a married couple reconnecting and finding each other. I will say I thought this would have more to do with Dom's time in the military and while it touched on it, it did very lightly. I would strongly recommend if you are looking for a super smutty but not dark romance. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Title: Hook, Line and Sinker

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Bellinger Sisters Duology (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Pages: 353

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he's a guaranteed good time- in bed and out- that's exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She's immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his... personality? And want to be friends? But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a  few tips from Westport's resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker's eye... yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. 

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she's walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and.... and.... man overboard! He's fallen for her, hook, line and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he's all in, she'll choose him instead?"

My Rating: 3.75/5

This book was exactly what I needed from a summer romance. It had a great atmosphere, follows characters we've already met and a great trope for the reason the characters can't be together. I do love a fake dating trope. The smut was phenomenal as always, but I did find the flashbacks to what the characters had said in previous scenes frustrating. It's one thing to be thinking about what the hero or heroine had said and another to have it seem to loop so frequently that I was taken out of the current storyline. Not my favourite, but the epilogue made up for it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fix Her Up

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Hot & Hammered Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Smut

Pages: 400

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"A brand new romantic comedy from New York Times bestseller Tessa Bailey!

Georgette Castle's family runs the best home renovations business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven't taken her seriously since. Frankly, she's over it. Georgie loves planning children's birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She's determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (FYI, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn't been on a date since, well ever. Nobody's asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that's for sure. Maybe if people think she's having a steamy love affair, they'll acknowledge she's not just the 'little sister' who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball's hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he's flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can't even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his.... bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend's sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme- that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job- he agrees. What's the harm? It's not like it's real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there's nothing fake about how much he wants her...."

My Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed this story. I think the whole small town and best friend's younger sister trope was perfect. I have loved the two things that I have read from Tessa Bailey so far and I'm on a roll. I love how unique her characters are and the tropes that she is writing with. So far so good. The smut in this was pretty good as well. If you're looking for a hot summer read, and haven't read this (I don't know if you exist because I'm late to the party) pick it up.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Title: It Happened One Summer

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Bellinger Sisters Series (Book #1)

Genre: Contemporary, Adult, Romance

Pages: 385

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father's dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn't even been to Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won't last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can't do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She's determined to show her stepfather- and the hot, grumpy local- that she's more than a pretty face.

Except it's a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there's an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn't want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan- and this town full of memories- may have already daughter her heart."

My Rating: 5/5

I had heard a lot of hype about this book and I thought that there was no possible way it would live up to the hype. And yet, here I am giving this book 5 stars. The character were excellent, the environment was fantastic, and the plot was perfect. I loved the way the author set up the romance and the tropes were exactly what I needed. The smut was also exactly what I needed. I can't wait to read more of her books, and if I keep seeing her pop up on my TikTok she'll be unstoppable. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny