What do you think?
Rate this book
Hot & Hammered #2
Love Her or Lose Her
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 emote 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 - yet 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.
Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to emote 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 - yet 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.
336 pages, ebook
First published January 14, 2020
About the author
Tessa Bailey
77 books34.8k followersNew York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,568 reviews
December 14, 2019
Argh this book started out so strong but really irritated me by the end
Rosie and Dominic Vega are high school sweethearts. They used to be madly in love. Now they don't talk at all really. Dom is faithful and works hard, but he isn't man she fell in love with ten years ago. When Rosie decides to look for more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too.
As a married woman, I was really excited to read a book about a couple fighting to save their marriage, rather than a love story about a couple finding each other, so I requested and received an ARC. However, I did not really enjoy this book. I'm definitely in the minority, but this book irritated me! I wanted to see a couple finding their way back to each other, using a therapist, but this fell so short.
Firstly, if you, like me do not like the ridiculously over protective and dominant man, then this book isn't for you. Dominic was such a caveman, and had little character development. His whole life and personality was about giving Rosie what she needed, but without actually asking her if that was what she wanted. I'm so tired about reading about these kind of guys who say they trust their woman, but not other men, who just want to throw their wives or girlfriends over their shoulders and carry them home. I don't know any men like that, and I'm so glad! In one scene
Then there is the fact that there is way too many sex scenes. I like some good sexy times in a book, don't get me wrong, but this one had so much, and it was really unrealistic and cringey too. This couple just couldn't keep it in their pants, they couldn't even make eye contact without him becoming hard and almost busting out of his jeans, or her panting and becoming wet. In fact all of the characters were like this! I mean how do any of them get anything done?! I get that its like that a bit at first, I remember it (barely) but they couldn't be in the same room or have a conversation without having sex. I found it very unrealistic that their marriage had been so rocky for years, but yet they were still so attracted to each other. They barely speak to each other all week, and don't know what's going on in each other's very separate lives, don't hug, kiss or show any affection, but on Tuesdays have a random marathon sex session every week...And don't get me started with this obsession authors have about literally ripping clothes to have sex. Rip my clothes and you can buy me a replacement!
What was with the pet names? I don't think Dom called Rosie by her actual name in the whole book, it was honey girl this honey girl that, and it annoyed me. I know that some people use pet names, but it was in every interaction 🙄
Unfortunately, I didn't think this couple had anything deeper than an intense physical attraction. If you want me to root for a couple, then there needs to be a connection beyond the physical. There was no depth to their relationship, or to the story either. There was an opportunity to go deeper and look at Dominic's past, his relationship with his father, and his time in Afghanistan, and he was clearly suffering with some sort of PSTD, but this wasn't really looked into. I believe that he needed some counselling on his own first before he attempted to fix his marriage. I think if you're going to introduce a topic like a deployment in a war torn country, then you have to delve into it properly, and it just wasn't...
The therapist/counsellor..I don't even now what to say about this! I would have loved to see them have some actual therapy and work on their marriage, but instead, this author chose to make a joke of it by making the therapist a pot smoking weirdo with strange methods. He was deceitful to the couple, messing in their relationship, and did odd things like ask them to set up a camping trip as a task, then showing up with two women to have a threesome in the tent that Rosie and Dom put up?!
The whole thing was icky and very unbelievable.
I did like the diversity in this book, as both Rosie and Dominic were Latinx. I liked the friendships, and the female empowerment that the women felt in the 'just us' club. I liked that Rosie decided to follow her career dreams by starting her own restaurant, and the food mentioned made me very hungry! I liked that the blame for the marriage breakdown wasn't put on just one of the characters, that they both admitted to failures, and tried to work on it. I also liked that they acknowledged that the marriage wasn't magically fixed, and that it would need to be worked on more.
But...ultimately, this book tackled it all wrong for me, the silly therapist, the over sexualisation, the over possessiveness of Dom. It was too cliché and I just expected more.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review!
-------------------------------------
Self care is leaving the dishes and the tidying, to have a long bath with a face mask and this book.
Rosie and Dominic Vega are high school sweethearts. They used to be madly in love. Now they don't talk at all really. Dom is faithful and works hard, but he isn't man she fell in love with ten years ago. When Rosie decides to look for more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too.
As a married woman, I was really excited to read a book about a couple fighting to save their marriage, rather than a love story about a couple finding each other, so I requested and received an ARC. However, I did not really enjoy this book. I'm definitely in the minority, but this book irritated me! I wanted to see a couple finding their way back to each other, using a therapist, but this fell so short.
Firstly, if you, like me do not like the ridiculously over protective and dominant man, then this book isn't for you. Dominic was such a caveman, and had little character development. His whole life and personality was about giving Rosie what she needed, but without actually asking her if that was what she wanted. I'm so tired about reading about these kind of guys who say they trust their woman, but not other men, who just want to throw their wives or girlfriends over their shoulders and carry them home. I don't know any men like that, and I'm so glad! In one scene
Then there is the fact that there is way too many sex scenes. I like some good sexy times in a book, don't get me wrong, but this one had so much, and it was really unrealistic and cringey too. This couple just couldn't keep it in their pants, they couldn't even make eye contact without him becoming hard and almost busting out of his jeans, or her panting and becoming wet. In fact all of the characters were like this! I mean how do any of them get anything done?! I get that its like that a bit at first, I remember it (barely) but they couldn't be in the same room or have a conversation without having sex. I found it very unrealistic that their marriage had been so rocky for years, but yet they were still so attracted to each other. They barely speak to each other all week, and don't know what's going on in each other's very separate lives, don't hug, kiss or show any affection, but on Tuesdays have a random marathon sex session every week...And don't get me started with this obsession authors have about literally ripping clothes to have sex. Rip my clothes and you can buy me a replacement!
What was with the pet names? I don't think Dom called Rosie by her actual name in the whole book, it was honey girl this honey girl that, and it annoyed me. I know that some people use pet names, but it was in every interaction 🙄
Unfortunately, I didn't think this couple had anything deeper than an intense physical attraction. If you want me to root for a couple, then there needs to be a connection beyond the physical. There was no depth to their relationship, or to the story either. There was an opportunity to go deeper and look at Dominic's past, his relationship with his father, and his time in Afghanistan, and he was clearly suffering with some sort of PSTD, but this wasn't really looked into. I believe that he needed some counselling on his own first before he attempted to fix his marriage. I think if you're going to introduce a topic like a deployment in a war torn country, then you have to delve into it properly, and it just wasn't...
The therapist/counsellor..I don't even now what to say about this! I would have loved to see them have some actual therapy and work on their marriage, but instead, this author chose to make a joke of it by making the therapist a pot smoking weirdo with strange methods. He was deceitful to the couple, messing in their relationship, and did odd things like ask them to set up a camping trip as a task, then showing up with two women to have a threesome in the tent that Rosie and Dom put up?!
The whole thing was icky and very unbelievable.
I did like the diversity in this book, as both Rosie and Dominic were Latinx. I liked the friendships, and the female empowerment that the women felt in the 'just us' club. I liked that Rosie decided to follow her career dreams by starting her own restaurant, and the food mentioned made me very hungry! I liked that the blame for the marriage breakdown wasn't put on just one of the characters, that they both admitted to failures, and tried to work on it. I also liked that they acknowledged that the marriage wasn't magically fixed, and that it would need to be worked on more.
But...ultimately, this book tackled it all wrong for me, the silly therapist, the over sexualisation, the over possessiveness of Dom. It was too cliché and I just expected more.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review!
-------------------------------------
Self care is leaving the dishes and the tidying, to have a long bath with a face mask and this book.
March 12, 2022
For so long I haven’t read so sweet, meaningful, poignant, emotional, romantic book pushed me make so much” awwww” sounds, fill my eyes with happy, smiley tears, warm my heart, ring into my ears a lyrical, hopeful love song and give me the biggest reason to do my happy dance (as a change I mixed my Travolta-Beyonce moves with Swayze, Despicable me minions-Rosie’s imitation with her mouth fulled with marshmallows inspired me- and walk like Egyptian moves by creating weirdest dance type on the earth!)
My final decision giving this book 5 stars (4.5 rounded up) I unhappily cut my half star because at some parts stubbornness, blindness to see her husband’s affection levels of Rosie made me pissed off and earned her small and quick slaps, strong shakes on her shoulders!
It was one of my quickest read. As soon as I saw my email and check out my NetGalley shelf, I saw this shiny, beautiful book winks at me and calls my name and I was drawn into it mumbling: “Your ppppreeeciousss!” like Gollum finally found her ring! So I started to read and cut my connection with the outer world, hired private chief to cook for us and waiters to serve my Chardonnay and send the bill to my sister in law who is banging on the door now as I pretend not to hear that by listening death metal at maximum volume! So my isolation and focusing on book problem are automatically solved.
I loved this couple and Dominic is everyone’s dream husband. He’s loyal, devoted, sexy, passionate, trustable, hard worker and he’s pushing so hard to make his wife happy. Rosie is also adorable and their undeniable, hot, pant melting chemistry as a couple is amazing. They grew up together. As Dominic left love of his life for serving for his country, their love endured against the war, traumas, long distance, emotional suffering and harsh realities of the world.
But slowly they drifted apart, they lost their dreams, they lost themselves and as they were about to lose each other completely, Rosie felt like she fell out of love with her husband. As soon as she left him, Dominic opened his eyes and realized one more time he made wrong decisions about his priorities in his life and after that he was determined to take his wife back even it meant too much groveling or something worst like: ACCEPTING TO SEE A HIPPY MARRIAGE COUNSELOR AND APPLYING HIS UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS TO TEST THEIR MARRIAGE!
So they took a journey to their past to realize how they fell in love at the first place, how they meant for each other and they started to know each other from the beginning. Now Dominic is falling in love with his wife over and over again! ( Dominic’s letter to his wife so breathtaking and tearjerking, even a robot could start to cry or tear up his metallic pieces to show his sorrow after reading it!)
They danced again. They skated again… They became the high school lovers who fell for each other again…Going back helped them to going forward and planning a proper future for their relationship!
I love those kind of dysfunctional marriage stories as the couples begin to question what they did wrong and slowly when they found out their faults, wrongdoings, they got back together stronger by discovering new truths about themselves and their relationship. So as long as I read the blurb, I knew I will love this book so compassionately.
I didn’t read Georgie and Travis’ book but Bethany and Wes already took my attention because of their witty dialogues and frenemies to friends story theme. So I think I am not gonna wait for 2020 fall to take a piece from their stories. I should read it ASAP!
I already start to add other books of this author on my tbr list. I am specially thankful to her because this year so many good authors so far disappointed me with the romance releases. Even though this book is going to be released on 2020, it still gave me hope next year is going to be so much better and this author put a big smile on my face with her heartwarming story which I fully appreciate it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers to send me this entertaining, swoony, amazing ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.
My final decision giving this book 5 stars (4.5 rounded up) I unhappily cut my half star because at some parts stubbornness, blindness to see her husband’s affection levels of Rosie made me pissed off and earned her small and quick slaps, strong shakes on her shoulders!
It was one of my quickest read. As soon as I saw my email and check out my NetGalley shelf, I saw this shiny, beautiful book winks at me and calls my name and I was drawn into it mumbling: “Your ppppreeeciousss!” like Gollum finally found her ring! So I started to read and cut my connection with the outer world, hired private chief to cook for us and waiters to serve my Chardonnay and send the bill to my sister in law who is banging on the door now as I pretend not to hear that by listening death metal at maximum volume! So my isolation and focusing on book problem are automatically solved.
I loved this couple and Dominic is everyone’s dream husband. He’s loyal, devoted, sexy, passionate, trustable, hard worker and he’s pushing so hard to make his wife happy. Rosie is also adorable and their undeniable, hot, pant melting chemistry as a couple is amazing. They grew up together. As Dominic left love of his life for serving for his country, their love endured against the war, traumas, long distance, emotional suffering and harsh realities of the world.
But slowly they drifted apart, they lost their dreams, they lost themselves and as they were about to lose each other completely, Rosie felt like she fell out of love with her husband. As soon as she left him, Dominic opened his eyes and realized one more time he made wrong decisions about his priorities in his life and after that he was determined to take his wife back even it meant too much groveling or something worst like: ACCEPTING TO SEE A HIPPY MARRIAGE COUNSELOR AND APPLYING HIS UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS TO TEST THEIR MARRIAGE!
So they took a journey to their past to realize how they fell in love at the first place, how they meant for each other and they started to know each other from the beginning. Now Dominic is falling in love with his wife over and over again! ( Dominic’s letter to his wife so breathtaking and tearjerking, even a robot could start to cry or tear up his metallic pieces to show his sorrow after reading it!)
They danced again. They skated again… They became the high school lovers who fell for each other again…Going back helped them to going forward and planning a proper future for their relationship!
I love those kind of dysfunctional marriage stories as the couples begin to question what they did wrong and slowly when they found out their faults, wrongdoings, they got back together stronger by discovering new truths about themselves and their relationship. So as long as I read the blurb, I knew I will love this book so compassionately.
I didn’t read Georgie and Travis’ book but Bethany and Wes already took my attention because of their witty dialogues and frenemies to friends story theme. So I think I am not gonna wait for 2020 fall to take a piece from their stories. I should read it ASAP!
I already start to add other books of this author on my tbr list. I am specially thankful to her because this year so many good authors so far disappointed me with the romance releases. Even though this book is going to be released on 2020, it still gave me hope next year is going to be so much better and this author put a big smile on my face with her heartwarming story which I fully appreciate it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers to send me this entertaining, swoony, amazing ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.
August 27, 2020
Re-read 8/27/20: I re-read this in preparation for book 3 and I don't really have much to add to my previous review. Dominic was an alpha male to the max and that just.. doesn't work for me. I still love Tessa Bailey's writing and I'm excited to carry on with the series, but this book is mostly a miss for me. Meh
Original read 11/22/19: 2.5 stars, I think. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't more than a little disappointing. Fix Her Up was one of my favorite romances of the year and unfortunately this one didn't even come close to hitting the same mark for me. I didn't feel the chemistry between Rosie and Dominic that I was hoping to feel based off of the snippets of tension we see between them in Fix Her Up. Also, if you disliked Travis (the love interest from Fix Her Up) for being too hyper-masculine, you will definitely not like Dominic. His entire personality revolved around ~*being the man Rosie needed*~ and it just.. really didn't work for me. Overall, this book was entertaining and I didn't hate it, but it definitely had more strikes against it than positives for me and I am sad. Womp x1000000
Original read 11/22/19: 2.5 stars, I think. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't more than a little disappointing. Fix Her Up was one of my favorite romances of the year and unfortunately this one didn't even come close to hitting the same mark for me. I didn't feel the chemistry between Rosie and Dominic that I was hoping to feel based off of the snippets of tension we see between them in Fix Her Up. Also, if you disliked Travis (the love interest from Fix Her Up) for being too hyper-masculine, you will definitely not like Dominic. His entire personality revolved around ~*being the man Rosie needed*~ and it just.. really didn't work for me. Overall, this book was entertaining and I didn't hate it, but it definitely had more strikes against it than positives for me and I am sad. Womp x1000000
March 16, 2020
This couple most certainly should have divorced each other. And Honey girl is a weird ass nickname.
arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
On so many levels this book failed to engage me in any sort of way. I went into this book really excited because I'm actually a big fan of the marriage on the rocks trope and I think reading about rekindled love can be very sweet and heartfelt. To me this didn't feel like love, this felt like obsession, it felt like absurd levels of codependence and I can't believe that any of this was meant to feel romantic. Dominic is an annoying, emotionally underdeveloped alpha male who is rewarded for every bit of his overbearing and posssesive behaviors.
I feel like there was a commentary in there somewhere about hypermasculinity but not really because every time he does something unhealthy he is rewarded for it. The couple talks about how they isolated themselves so wrapped up in each other partly because Dominic hated to "share her" to the point that she had to rebuild her entire support system from the ground up, which finally gave her the courage to leave a toxic situation. The way Rosie would see his behaviors, know they make her unhappy, try to distance herself and then be pulled back in by him showing up and invading every bit of space she carved out for herself because of whatever "physical pull" existed between them felt so gross and not emotionally rewarding at all to me. There was nothing romantic about any of it in my opinion.
Additionally I hated this author's writing style, moments that I could tell were meant to be comical made me cringe. The sexy dirty talk made me cringe. The "emotional" therapy sessions made me cringe. They would talk for five seconds and suddenly the session is over and they've apparently reached some pivotally emotional turning point and then just as suddenly they're immediately back to square one. The therapist himself was one big joke of a character and not even a funny one. Him strangely conducting couple exercises just so he could have random threesomes in the woods??? what even???? This story was absurd, repetitive and boring. No amount of rock hard penises and wet vaginas make up for the lack of genuine emotional or physical chemistry on the page. I'm not even a prudish kind of person when it comes to sex in books, I love it actually. But the sexual overtones destroyed this book for me. These two people can't even look each other in the eyes without the woman's thighs becoming sopping wet and the man shifting uncomfortably in his jeans. Every conversation they had was completely unremarkable to me and they all devolved into long winded descriptions of how "sex was never the problem in their marriage". It got to the point where every few pages I had to set the book down because I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes or inwardly cringing at one thing or another.
In short, I did not find this couple engaging, I was not rooting for them at all. I found both characters uninspired, and Dominic outright annoying and his possesive "she's my wife she should be home" monologue gross. I felt that there were way too many cringy sex scenes which took away from the relationship development and personal development I woud have liked to see here. The dialogue was completely uninspired, and unfunny to me as well which made it difficult to even find enjoyment in the "comedy" aspect of the novel and made the dirty talk excruciating to get through. This whole book took me 38 painful days to finish and I honestly cannot imagine myself reading from this author again.
arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
On so many levels this book failed to engage me in any sort of way. I went into this book really excited because I'm actually a big fan of the marriage on the rocks trope and I think reading about rekindled love can be very sweet and heartfelt. To me this didn't feel like love, this felt like obsession, it felt like absurd levels of codependence and I can't believe that any of this was meant to feel romantic. Dominic is an annoying, emotionally underdeveloped alpha male who is rewarded for every bit of his overbearing and posssesive behaviors.
I feel like there was a commentary in there somewhere about hypermasculinity but not really because every time he does something unhealthy he is rewarded for it. The couple talks about how they isolated themselves so wrapped up in each other partly because Dominic hated to "share her" to the point that she had to rebuild her entire support system from the ground up, which finally gave her the courage to leave a toxic situation. The way Rosie would see his behaviors, know they make her unhappy, try to distance herself and then be pulled back in by him showing up and invading every bit of space she carved out for herself because of whatever "physical pull" existed between them felt so gross and not emotionally rewarding at all to me. There was nothing romantic about any of it in my opinion.
Additionally I hated this author's writing style, moments that I could tell were meant to be comical made me cringe. The sexy dirty talk made me cringe. The "emotional" therapy sessions made me cringe. They would talk for five seconds and suddenly the session is over and they've apparently reached some pivotally emotional turning point and then just as suddenly they're immediately back to square one. The therapist himself was one big joke of a character and not even a funny one. Him strangely conducting couple exercises just so he could have random threesomes in the woods??? what even???? This story was absurd, repetitive and boring. No amount of rock hard penises and wet vaginas make up for the lack of genuine emotional or physical chemistry on the page. I'm not even a prudish kind of person when it comes to sex in books, I love it actually. But the sexual overtones destroyed this book for me. These two people can't even look each other in the eyes without the woman's thighs becoming sopping wet and the man shifting uncomfortably in his jeans. Every conversation they had was completely unremarkable to me and they all devolved into long winded descriptions of how "sex was never the problem in their marriage". It got to the point where every few pages I had to set the book down because I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes or inwardly cringing at one thing or another.
In short, I did not find this couple engaging, I was not rooting for them at all. I found both characters uninspired, and Dominic outright annoying and his possesive "she's my wife she should be home" monologue gross. I felt that there were way too many cringy sex scenes which took away from the relationship development and personal development I woud have liked to see here. The dialogue was completely uninspired, and unfunny to me as well which made it difficult to even find enjoyment in the "comedy" aspect of the novel and made the dirty talk excruciating to get through. This whole book took me 38 painful days to finish and I honestly cannot imagine myself reading from this author again.
July 27, 2021
not my favorite tessa bailey but the hot ass sex scenes bump this up a star.
i like the idea of a married couple romance but i’ve yet to find one that executes well. i think the issue with this one is lack of context. i get that rosie and dominic love each other and their chemistry is there but it didn’t have that signature tessa bailey puzzle piece thing going on. i didn’t understand how their personalities really worked together. i think some of that could have been helped with some flashbacks honestly, but i know most trad published authors steer clear of those so alas.
i like the idea of a married couple romance but i’ve yet to find one that executes well. i think the issue with this one is lack of context. i get that rosie and dominic love each other and their chemistry is there but it didn’t have that signature tessa bailey puzzle piece thing going on. i didn’t understand how their personalities really worked together. i think some of that could have been helped with some flashbacks honestly, but i know most trad published authors steer clear of those so alas.
December 23, 2020
A second chance romance that portrays characters that fall in love once again with their soul mate, alongside finding yourself as a whole without each other...
If you have been following my reviews for a while, you all bet your sweet cheeks that you know that my obsession for Tessa Bailey is kind of a concerning matter... Ever since I sat with her in August at a book signing that we both attended, I have been "patiently" waiting for her next release. I wish I could easily get inside her head and read more of her masterpiece writings because there is no denying that this obsession keeps growing and growing every time she writes a new novel! Now, if I am honest. I was not really hyped about this book because of the story plot. An already married couple who have marriage issues? Hmmmm, I had to stop and process whether I really wanted to risk liking it or not. But hey, I should not be surprised because I popped my MM cherry this year as well when reading Heat Stroke, and this beauty has landed its place in my favorites list!
Dominic and Rosie have this special place in my heart now because of the second journey that they both go throw and learn more about each other, things that through out the past ten years they both missed about each other. Most of the romance novels that I have read involving married couples, usually basis on the emotional and physical conflict they have together through out the years of their marriage. Though Dominic and Rosie have that semi-emotional conflict happening through out this novel, the physical connection is one that one hundred and fifty percent is not missing! Dominic's possessive alpha male of a character, is one that had me drooling for a papi like him for myself ;)
After crying for the whole process of the novel because yet again, this is an emotional novel that totally dragged my dark soul into falling in love with Rosie and Dominic, I learned that Tessa can write basically ANYTHING and I will bow down to the novel, to the story, and to her. Because she is not only a goddess of the romance genre, but she is also genuinely a sweet heart! You will not regret reading this novel, and after coming across the character that Bethany will be ending up with... AND MY GOSH I AM SO READY! It will be based on my favorite romance trope!
ARC galley kindly provided by Avon and Tessa in exchange for an honest review...
Follow Me On:
Instagram ♕ Facebook ♕ Twitter
If you have been following my reviews for a while, you all bet your sweet cheeks that you know that my obsession for Tessa Bailey is kind of a concerning matter... Ever since I sat with her in August at a book signing that we both attended, I have been "patiently" waiting for her next release. I wish I could easily get inside her head and read more of her masterpiece writings because there is no denying that this obsession keeps growing and growing every time she writes a new novel! Now, if I am honest. I was not really hyped about this book because of the story plot. An already married couple who have marriage issues? Hmmmm, I had to stop and process whether I really wanted to risk liking it or not. But hey, I should not be surprised because I popped my MM cherry this year as well when reading Heat Stroke, and this beauty has landed its place in my favorites list!
Dominic and Rosie have this special place in my heart now because of the second journey that they both go throw and learn more about each other, things that through out the past ten years they both missed about each other. Most of the romance novels that I have read involving married couples, usually basis on the emotional and physical conflict they have together through out the years of their marriage. Though Dominic and Rosie have that semi-emotional conflict happening through out this novel, the physical connection is one that one hundred and fifty percent is not missing! Dominic's possessive alpha male of a character, is one that had me drooling for a papi like him for myself ;)
After crying for the whole process of the novel because yet again, this is an emotional novel that totally dragged my dark soul into falling in love with Rosie and Dominic, I learned that Tessa can write basically ANYTHING and I will bow down to the novel, to the story, and to her. Because she is not only a goddess of the romance genre, but she is also genuinely a sweet heart! You will not regret reading this novel, and after coming across the character that Bethany will be ending up with... AND MY GOSH I AM SO READY! It will be based on my favorite romance trope!
ARC galley kindly provided by Avon and Tessa in exchange for an honest review...
Follow Me On:
Instagram ♕ Facebook ♕ Twitter
May 18, 2020
rosie and dominic werent my favourite characters in the first book of this series. i tried to convince myself that it was only because they had minor roles and that this installment would give them their chance to shine, but im still feeling indifferent towards them.
what really pushed me towards picking this up was wanting to see how they attempted to save their failing marriage and reconnect. ever since reading ‘you deserve each other’ last month, im all for this romance trope. but the therapy scenes were so short and i felt like so much page time was spent on them exploring their physical chemistry. there are so many aspects to a marriage, i guess i just wanted more diversity rather than the overwhelming focus on the physical attraction.
but the story is still cute, so not all was lost. also, i fell in love with wes and bethany - they are absolutely hilarious and steal every scene they are in. the next book is about them, so im super excited to read it!
↠ 3.5 stars
what really pushed me towards picking this up was wanting to see how they attempted to save their failing marriage and reconnect. ever since reading ‘you deserve each other’ last month, im all for this romance trope. but the therapy scenes were so short and i felt like so much page time was spent on them exploring their physical chemistry. there are so many aspects to a marriage, i guess i just wanted more diversity rather than the overwhelming focus on the physical attraction.
but the story is still cute, so not all was lost. also, i fell in love with wes and bethany - they are absolutely hilarious and steal every scene they are in. the next book is about them, so im super excited to read it!
↠ 3.5 stars
December 9, 2019
1.) Fix Her Up ★★★★★
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch
Buddy read with Romie from books & coffee with romie! ❤
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch
Buddy read with Romie from books & coffee with romie! ❤
January 12, 2020
4 stars
Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in Tessa Bailey's 'Hot and Hammered' series. After reading and loving 'Fix Her Up' I was so excited for this one. It wasn't as fun or endearing, but I actually loved the romance more. Maybe it's the old married person in me, but sometimes I love reading about already established/married couples and this hit the spot for me.
Dominic and Rosie were high school sweethearts who married one another. They've always been so in love and had a great relationship, but lately things have changed. I wouldn't say they've lost their spark... their chemistry is still there. But that seems like that's all that's there. They don't talk anymore, they don't spend time together (outside of their Tuesday night bedroom date) and Rosie has had enough. She decides they need some real help if they're going to make it work, so she moves out while they undergo some 'extreme marriage therapy', which is unconventional but a hoot.
Dom is a great guy. He loves Rosie something fierce and always provides for her, but with their sessions they both realize they aren't doing the right things for one another. Some people show love in different ways, and some people need love shown to them in different ways. It was the breakthrough they needed. I think this will be so relatable for some people. If you've been in a long-term relationship/and or are married especially.
Dominic is the type of hero Tessa Bailey loves to write. Alpha, stoic, sexy, and protective. This would have maybe been a 4.5 or 5 star read for me if I felt more connected to him. I feel like the biggest part of his character was his proving himself and providing for Rosie. Rosie had all these dreams and all he wanted was to be there for her and help her succeed. I guess I wanted a little more of what he wanted, and to be in his head a bit more. I think my favorite part of the book was watching Rosie come to terms with the fact that she had some blame in this and trying to do for Dom what he'd always done for her. I loved watching them love each other in the way they both needed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional, steamy, and made me laugh more than once. I enjoy Tessa Bailey's writing and characters and I'm loving this series. I have a feeling Bethany and Wes's book is next and I'm so here for it!
If there was anything in this world worth fighting for, it was his wife.
Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in Tessa Bailey's 'Hot and Hammered' series. After reading and loving 'Fix Her Up' I was so excited for this one. It wasn't as fun or endearing, but I actually loved the romance more. Maybe it's the old married person in me, but sometimes I love reading about already established/married couples and this hit the spot for me.
Dominic and Rosie were high school sweethearts who married one another. They've always been so in love and had a great relationship, but lately things have changed. I wouldn't say they've lost their spark... their chemistry is still there. But that seems like that's all that's there. They don't talk anymore, they don't spend time together (outside of their Tuesday night bedroom date) and Rosie has had enough. She decides they need some real help if they're going to make it work, so she moves out while they undergo some 'extreme marriage therapy', which is unconventional but a hoot.
Dom is a great guy. He loves Rosie something fierce and always provides for her, but with their sessions they both realize they aren't doing the right things for one another. Some people show love in different ways, and some people need love shown to them in different ways. It was the breakthrough they needed. I think this will be so relatable for some people. If you've been in a long-term relationship/and or are married especially.
Dominic is the type of hero Tessa Bailey loves to write. Alpha, stoic, sexy, and protective. This would have maybe been a 4.5 or 5 star read for me if I felt more connected to him. I feel like the biggest part of his character was his proving himself and providing for Rosie. Rosie had all these dreams and all he wanted was to be there for her and help her succeed. I guess I wanted a little more of what he wanted, and to be in his head a bit more. I think my favorite part of the book was watching Rosie come to terms with the fact that she had some blame in this and trying to do for Dom what he'd always done for her. I loved watching them love each other in the way they both needed.
“You love me fiercely and quietly—you always have—and you’ve started loving me out loud these last few weeks."
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional, steamy, and made me laugh more than once. I enjoy Tessa Bailey's writing and characters and I'm loving this series. I have a feeling Bethany and Wes's book is next and I'm so here for it!
December 17, 2019
*sobs uncontrollably*
Friends, I hate that I didn't love this more, as Fix Her Up was one of my favorite romances released in the past year, but here we are. It's still deliciously steamy, but I just didn't connect with Rosie and Dominic the way that I thought I would based on our brief introduction in the first book of the series. If you enjoy the "overbearing man" type of romance, you'll enjoy this much more than I did. Please give this one a try for yourself, as I'm clearly in the minority for this one!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
Friends, I hate that I didn't love this more, as Fix Her Up was one of my favorite romances released in the past year, but here we are. It's still deliciously steamy, but I just didn't connect with Rosie and Dominic the way that I thought I would based on our brief introduction in the first book of the series. If you enjoy the "overbearing man" type of romance, you'll enjoy this much more than I did. Please give this one a try for yourself, as I'm clearly in the minority for this one!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
April 18, 2020
Holy "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" Steaminess!
I loved this sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs an intervention. Maybe it's because as a married woman I could relate to so many aspects of their issues. It's so easy to fall into a daily rut and lose sight of not only who you were and are but your spouse as well.
Dominic and Rosie are are on the brink of divorce after being married for 10 years. They are unhappy, lack communication and living in a marriage of silence. The only thing still working between them is their sex life and boy was it steamy, hot & heavy!!! But are the sparks in the bedroom enough of a reason to stay together?
As the couple drifted apart, they lost sight of their dreams and themselves. Dominic knows he can not live without Rosies and is willing to do anything to bring her home - even seeing an unconventional therapist. I loved their journey to finding each other again and discovering that they both played a part in the unhappy state of their marriage. Bailey did an amazing job of having them wrestle with their feelings of inadequacy and love.
This was my favorite book in this series so far. I binged this and was up way past my bedtime - with flushed cheeks! 😉
Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Harper Collins Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book.
I loved this sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs an intervention. Maybe it's because as a married woman I could relate to so many aspects of their issues. It's so easy to fall into a daily rut and lose sight of not only who you were and are but your spouse as well.
Dominic and Rosie are are on the brink of divorce after being married for 10 years. They are unhappy, lack communication and living in a marriage of silence. The only thing still working between them is their sex life and boy was it steamy, hot & heavy!!! But are the sparks in the bedroom enough of a reason to stay together?
As the couple drifted apart, they lost sight of their dreams and themselves. Dominic knows he can not live without Rosies and is willing to do anything to bring her home - even seeing an unconventional therapist. I loved their journey to finding each other again and discovering that they both played a part in the unhappy state of their marriage. Bailey did an amazing job of having them wrestle with their feelings of inadequacy and love.
This was my favorite book in this series so far. I binged this and was up way past my bedtime - with flushed cheeks! 😉
Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Harper Collins Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book.
September 7, 2021
4.85 ⭐️
ahhhhh this was so good!!
not without its faults—pacing was stagnant in some parts and quite a bit where dialogue was lacking, but spoken and in the writing. Ending kind of lost momentum for me there
BUT
the way this book made me feel? The excitement, the ache, rooting for them? 5/5
it’s a second chance romance & they’re married and they’re trying to see if their love can survive the fact that they’ve lived in silence together and no longer know each other
it’s a journey of discovering themselves again and while I do I have some issues with their personalities as individuals, mannnnn my heart soared for them so great job
ahhhhh this was so good!!
not without its faults—pacing was stagnant in some parts and quite a bit where dialogue was lacking, but spoken and in the writing. Ending kind of lost momentum for me there
BUT
the way this book made me feel? The excitement, the ache, rooting for them? 5/5
it’s a second chance romance & they’re married and they’re trying to see if their love can survive the fact that they’ve lived in silence together and no longer know each other
it’s a journey of discovering themselves again and while I do I have some issues with their personalities as individuals, mannnnn my heart soared for them so great job
January 4, 2020
5 STARS
*Flails happily*
Y'all. This book. I can't even right now.
I think this may be my favorite Tessa Bailey book to date. And that's something something considering I've devoured the woman's entire backlist.
The second Rosie and Dom appeared on the pages of Fix Her Up as secondary characters, I could practically taste the tension between them. I was dying to get my hands on their book, so the very second this landed in my grabby little hands, I devoured it in one delicious sitting. I couldn't bear to put it down for even a second.
This was...I don't even have words. Perfection! Swoony, sexy, and brimming with feels. It was everything I wanted in their story and yet so much more.
Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts. They fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers. But as adults, that love is no longer enough to hold the pieces of their marriage together. Lack of communication, too many things left unsaid, too many assumption have all come together to leave Rosie feeling empty. She misses the man her husband used to be. Their marriage is crumbling around them and she has no idea how to hold it together.
All Dom ever wanted was Rosie. This is an inevitable fact and something that's a constant in his life that will never change. So when his beloved wife tells him he's leaving, he knows that he'll do absolutely anything to save their marriage, and he's not above fighting dirty. Withhold their physical connection until she agrees to come back to him? Check! Agree to see a quirky and borderline crazy marriage counselor? Check! Take every opportunity to remind her just why the fell in love? Check and CHECK.
GOD. You guys. I don't even know how to begin to describe this to you. Dom was easily one of my favorite Bailey heroes. He's a little troubled and a lot obsessed with his wife. He's a dirty talking god, even if he doesn't have much to say in his day to day. He's quite, broody and intense. But the man is captivating and practically sizzling with sexual chemistry.
Rosie was perfection, too. This is not a woman that blames their crumbling marriage on her husband only. She takes full accountability for her faults as they fight to work through their issues. Add into this a kooky counselor, favorites from the previous book, and a brand new hero introduced to drive Bethany insane and I was HOOKED. Line and sinker. I was glued to the pages. Riveted. Captivated. And utterly charmed. I loved this story from beginning to finish. With the glimpses of the hate lust between Wes and Bethany, I'm already gagging for the next book. But if you're looking for a swoony, sexy, and totally charming second chance romance, look no further. SO GOOD.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”
*Flails happily*
Y'all. This book. I can't even right now.
I think this may be my favorite Tessa Bailey book to date. And that's something something considering I've devoured the woman's entire backlist.
The second Rosie and Dom appeared on the pages of Fix Her Up as secondary characters, I could practically taste the tension between them. I was dying to get my hands on their book, so the very second this landed in my grabby little hands, I devoured it in one delicious sitting. I couldn't bear to put it down for even a second.
This was...I don't even have words. Perfection! Swoony, sexy, and brimming with feels. It was everything I wanted in their story and yet so much more.
Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts. They fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers. But as adults, that love is no longer enough to hold the pieces of their marriage together. Lack of communication, too many things left unsaid, too many assumption have all come together to leave Rosie feeling empty. She misses the man her husband used to be. Their marriage is crumbling around them and she has no idea how to hold it together.
All Dom ever wanted was Rosie. This is an inevitable fact and something that's a constant in his life that will never change. So when his beloved wife tells him he's leaving, he knows that he'll do absolutely anything to save their marriage, and he's not above fighting dirty. Withhold their physical connection until she agrees to come back to him? Check! Agree to see a quirky and borderline crazy marriage counselor? Check! Take every opportunity to remind her just why the fell in love? Check and CHECK.
GOD. You guys. I don't even know how to begin to describe this to you. Dom was easily one of my favorite Bailey heroes. He's a little troubled and a lot obsessed with his wife. He's a dirty talking god, even if he doesn't have much to say in his day to day. He's quite, broody and intense. But the man is captivating and practically sizzling with sexual chemistry.
Rosie was perfection, too. This is not a woman that blames their crumbling marriage on her husband only. She takes full accountability for her faults as they fight to work through their issues. Add into this a kooky counselor, favorites from the previous book, and a brand new hero introduced to drive Bethany insane and I was HOOKED. Line and sinker. I was glued to the pages. Riveted. Captivated. And utterly charmed. I loved this story from beginning to finish. With the glimpses of the hate lust between Wes and Bethany, I'm already gagging for the next book. But if you're looking for a swoony, sexy, and totally charming second chance romance, look no further. SO GOOD.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
April 18, 2020
It’s all about the fine art of communication!
This is book two of the Hot and Hammered series. And yes, I was fully prepared this time.🙈 I was poised to hit the fast forward button on my audio as the (shall we just say highly descriptive) spicy scenes lit up the airwaves!
After all, it’s a safety issue. I couldn’t have the narration steaming up my windshield while I was driving. Or even driving right off the road, right!?💁🏻♀️
This book focuses primarily on Rosie and Dominic. Their marriage is in big trouble and there may be no saving it! Even the marriage counselor admitted he wasn’t sure they could work it out! Rosie and Dom have been in love since they were teens. Truth is, they’re still hot for one another. But the communication between them has broken down completely. Can they discover how to speak each other’s love language? Or is it time to move on?
I listened to the audio version of this book, as with book one of the series. Once again the narrators did a fabulous job of capturing the essence of their characters, bringing you on a private journey into their failing marriage!
Can't wait for the next installment of the series!
This is book two of the Hot and Hammered series. And yes, I was fully prepared this time.🙈 I was poised to hit the fast forward button on my audio as the (shall we just say highly descriptive) spicy scenes lit up the airwaves!
After all, it’s a safety issue. I couldn’t have the narration steaming up my windshield while I was driving. Or even driving right off the road, right!?💁🏻♀️
This book focuses primarily on Rosie and Dominic. Their marriage is in big trouble and there may be no saving it! Even the marriage counselor admitted he wasn’t sure they could work it out! Rosie and Dom have been in love since they were teens. Truth is, they’re still hot for one another. But the communication between them has broken down completely. Can they discover how to speak each other’s love language? Or is it time to move on?
I listened to the audio version of this book, as with book one of the series. Once again the narrators did a fabulous job of capturing the essence of their characters, bringing you on a private journey into their failing marriage!
Can't wait for the next installment of the series!
August 28, 2022
This is a Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit/Romance, and this is the second book in the Hot and Hammered series. This is a second chance romance. The two main characters, Dominic and Rosie are in the middle of getting divorce after being married for 10 years. They both still loves each other, but Rosie does not think Dominic can change and give her what she needs for him. I really loves the characters in this book and the storyline/plot was really good. This was a fun and cute read.
March 13, 2020
Love Her or Lose Her is the story of Rosie and Dominic. They were high school sweethearts who were madly in love, but somehow in the ten years they've been married, their connection has faded. Now Rosie realizes that if she ever wants to salvage their love for each other, they must fight hard to rediscover what made them fall in love in the first place.
I've been eagerly anticipating this release ever since I read and adored the first book in the series last year. And boy, does it deliver! Most romances focus on the initial honeymoon phase, when couples meet and fall in love and everything's perfect. Yet everyone can relate to a long relationship slowly losing its vitality as the years pile on and the drudgery of real life takes its toll. That's why I found this story to be particularly appealing.
I adore Tessa Bailey's writing because her couples are always so passionate and fun, and there's so much heart in their love stories. Of course, she delivers her trademark steamy sex scenes, so just be warned, as they can be a bit shocking if you haven't read anything by her before and thought this was an innocent rom-com from the cover.
If I had to settle on a minor quib, it would be that the ending felt drawn out. It seems like the couple had resolved everything, but Dominic was holding back one more thing and there was no reason for it. He could've told the truth much earlier. As a result, my attention waned a bit, and I kept being surprised that I hadn't reached the end yet.
So far I'm two for two with this series, and I can't wait to read more. It looks like the next book will be out in the fall, and I'm already counting down the days.
I've been eagerly anticipating this release ever since I read and adored the first book in the series last year. And boy, does it deliver! Most romances focus on the initial honeymoon phase, when couples meet and fall in love and everything's perfect. Yet everyone can relate to a long relationship slowly losing its vitality as the years pile on and the drudgery of real life takes its toll. That's why I found this story to be particularly appealing.
I adore Tessa Bailey's writing because her couples are always so passionate and fun, and there's so much heart in their love stories. Of course, she delivers her trademark steamy sex scenes, so just be warned, as they can be a bit shocking if you haven't read anything by her before and thought this was an innocent rom-com from the cover.
If I had to settle on a minor quib, it would be that the ending felt drawn out. It seems like the couple had resolved everything, but Dominic was holding back one more thing and there was no reason for it. He could've told the truth much earlier. As a result, my attention waned a bit, and I kept being surprised that I hadn't reached the end yet.
So far I'm two for two with this series, and I can't wait to read more. It looks like the next book will be out in the fall, and I'm already counting down the days.
October 28, 2020
2020 has been all about reading romance for me.
I was flipping through my kindle pages whilst at work, neglected my paid duties, but we're just gonna let that one slide. Because books!
I was sceptical going into this. Fix Her up was meh, average and not that memorable. But this couple stood out to me in that book (and interestingly, I much preferred Georgie and Travis in this book, oops!).
Stories exploring what makes relationship tick, what makes couples choose to stay together and if they do decide to stay together, seeing how they get past their hurdles, are my favourite kind of romances to read.
I adored Dominic and Rosie. Seeing them work through their shit felt so good to read! I was weak half the time. I also loved that we got the added element of a couple going to therapy and what benefit that had on their relationship, even though it was just the start. There was a lot more of them to work through and I was rooting for them all the way.
Not to mention seeing Rosie get her individuality back and going after her dreams. I enjoyed that balance of seeing her work for her dream but also her marriage. They're flawed but they acknowledged those flaws and they both realised they played a part in neglecting their marriage.
All in all, I adored this!
I was sceptical going into this. Fix Her up was meh, average and not that memorable. But this couple stood out to me in that book (and interestingly, I much preferred Georgie and Travis in this book, oops!).
Stories exploring what makes relationship tick, what makes couples choose to stay together and if they do decide to stay together, seeing how they get past their hurdles, are my favourite kind of romances to read.
I adored Dominic and Rosie. Seeing them work through their shit felt so good to read! I was weak half the time. I also loved that we got the added element of a couple going to therapy and what benefit that had on their relationship, even though it was just the start. There was a lot more of them to work through and I was rooting for them all the way.
Not to mention seeing Rosie get her individuality back and going after her dreams. I enjoyed that balance of seeing her work for her dream but also her marriage. They're flawed but they acknowledged those flaws and they both realised they played a part in neglecting their marriage.
All in all, I adored this!
October 27, 2019
5 Team Vega Stars ⭐
I can't express how touched I felt while reading this book. This was a second chance romance at its best. It was poignant, it was funny, heart-warming and so so sexy. It was simply magic.
It's very easy for long term relationships to become stagnant. We can become complacent with our partner's wants and needs; we get too comfortable. And this is the situation we find Rosie and Dominic Vega in when we first meet them in 'Love Her or Lose Her'.
Rosie is done; her dreams have dissolved and she can no longer bear just existing in a loveless marriage. So she finds the courage to leave.
"She wanted to comb through the last handful of years and hurl every nuance of her pain at him."
Shattered and confused as to why Rosie would leave, Dominic had thought he was being a good husband. He'd provided for his wife by working hard, ensuring that their weekly session of sex had kept her satisfied, so what had he missed?
Unfortunately along the way they had forgotten the basic fundamentals; communication and affection. Now doubt and discontentment clouds their love.
"You really thought I wouldn't take a chance - any chance - to get you back?"
His voice roughened.
"Fuck, Rosie. You can't be serious."
With the help of a hippie, weed smoking marriage counsellor, he puts them back on course. A new path in reconnecting and rediscovering why they actually fell in love in the first place. I will say that these sessions were the highlight for me. Oh lord the feels and laughs.... and I appreciated the time and effort it took for these two find their way back to each other.
Tessa Bailey created this amazing couple who were relatable, flawed like so many of us, yet pure in their love. It was a lovely reminder that there's always hope ❤️
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I can't express how touched I felt while reading this book. This was a second chance romance at its best. It was poignant, it was funny, heart-warming and so so sexy. It was simply magic.
It's very easy for long term relationships to become stagnant. We can become complacent with our partner's wants and needs; we get too comfortable. And this is the situation we find Rosie and Dominic Vega in when we first meet them in 'Love Her or Lose Her'.
Rosie is done; her dreams have dissolved and she can no longer bear just existing in a loveless marriage. So she finds the courage to leave.
"She wanted to comb through the last handful of years and hurl every nuance of her pain at him."
Shattered and confused as to why Rosie would leave, Dominic had thought he was being a good husband. He'd provided for his wife by working hard, ensuring that their weekly session of sex had kept her satisfied, so what had he missed?
Unfortunately along the way they had forgotten the basic fundamentals; communication and affection. Now doubt and discontentment clouds their love.
"You really thought I wouldn't take a chance - any chance - to get you back?"
His voice roughened.
"Fuck, Rosie. You can't be serious."
With the help of a hippie, weed smoking marriage counsellor, he puts them back on course. A new path in reconnecting and rediscovering why they actually fell in love in the first place. I will say that these sessions were the highlight for me. Oh lord the feels and laughs.... and I appreciated the time and effort it took for these two find their way back to each other.
Tessa Bailey created this amazing couple who were relatable, flawed like so many of us, yet pure in their love. It was a lovely reminder that there's always hope ❤️
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 10, 2020
5 STARS
I’m crying from happiness this is the best sigh!! All the feelings with this one, my new favorite from Tessa Bailey. Tessa takes the reader to an emotional and intense roller coaster!Rosie and Dominic's relationship is not perfect , they have issues .
I loved how Rosie and Dominic trying to fix their marriage.They have some super hot,sexy,funny,sweet and emotional moments.Both characters felt realistic and their problems too.I felt so connected with them!
Overall,this is one of the best books I read this year!
I’m crying from happiness this is the best sigh!! All the feelings with this one, my new favorite from Tessa Bailey. Tessa takes the reader to an emotional and intense roller coaster!Rosie and Dominic's relationship is not perfect , they have issues .
I loved how Rosie and Dominic trying to fix their marriage.They have some super hot,sexy,funny,sweet and emotional moments.Both characters felt realistic and their problems too.I felt so connected with them!
Overall,this is one of the best books I read this year!
January 1, 2020
Phew.... talk about STEAMY and HOT my friends!!
I LOVED this book! This was the perfect book to take on my honeymoon to Mexico.
What more can you ask for? Steam, spice, emotions, romance, and relatable characters! The fact that she wrote about a married couple?! I loved it even more!
The romance between these two characters was sweet, sexy, and oh my INTENSE! This is what a romance is all about my friends. You can't turn away from the chemistry between these two.
Dominic and Rosie are are on the brink of a separation after being married for 10 years. They both are unhappy with lack of communication and misunderstood desires that has led to a marriage of silence. They both are scared to talk to one another.... will their marriage last?
I've heard mixed reviews for her first book which I haven't read but this is ONE that you cannot miss!
4.5 stars!
Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 1/14/20
Published to GR: 11/24/19
I LOVED this book! This was the perfect book to take on my honeymoon to Mexico.
What more can you ask for? Steam, spice, emotions, romance, and relatable characters! The fact that she wrote about a married couple?! I loved it even more!
The romance between these two characters was sweet, sexy, and oh my INTENSE! This is what a romance is all about my friends. You can't turn away from the chemistry between these two.
Dominic and Rosie are are on the brink of a separation after being married for 10 years. They both are unhappy with lack of communication and misunderstood desires that has led to a marriage of silence. They both are scared to talk to one another.... will their marriage last?
I've heard mixed reviews for her first book which I haven't read but this is ONE that you cannot miss!
4.5 stars!
Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 1/14/20
Published to GR: 11/24/19
May 5, 2021
This book just got on my nerves. At first, it was not the most interesting story, but not that bad either, but as the story went on it got more and more frustrating. In my opinion, this book had really interesting themes and ideas, but the exploration of them was surface level. Also, it didn’t help that the romance itself and interactions between main characters have often been really cringy.
December 1, 2020
1.) Fix Her Up ★★★★.5
2.) Love Her or Lose Her ★★
3.) Tools of Engagement ★★★★.5
-----------------------------------------------
yeah, nah.
2.) Love Her or Lose Her ★★
3.) Tools of Engagement ★★★★.5
-----------------------------------------------
yeah, nah.
December 27, 2019
This is a spin-off of Fix Her Up, which was a book I dnf-ed.
I liked that this book was about a couple already married for several years who are trying to repair their relationship. I think we need more books like it in New Adult romance. It was interesting seeing them try to fix what was once whole.
As it is a second chance romance, it had sad parts but it had very funny parts as well.
The male mc in this book was really cute sometimes, but then there were moments he behaved like a complete caveman and it ruined it for me.
What I can definitely say is that our main characters are very different to the ones in Fix Her Up. And we get lots of cameos from the previous book.
Yes, this review is ridiculously short. Sorry.
« ARC received from publishers via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review »
I liked that this book was about a couple already married for several years who are trying to repair their relationship. I think we need more books like it in New Adult romance. It was interesting seeing them try to fix what was once whole.
As it is a second chance romance, it had sad parts but it had very funny parts as well.
The male mc in this book was really cute sometimes, but then there were moments he behaved like a complete caveman and it ruined it for me.
What I can definitely say is that our main characters are very different to the ones in Fix Her Up. And we get lots of cameos from the previous book.
Yes, this review is ridiculously short. Sorry.
« ARC received from publishers via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review »
January 1, 2023
A couple trying to save their marriage? A Latinx couple? Ex-military? Hot chef? Let me get in there now!!!
Well, I did... And boy, did it disappoint. I mean, Bailey writes hotness like nobody's business, so yeah, their sexual tension was hot. The writing in general was great, but FML, the story was superficial, unrealistic and so over the top, I can't even!!!
Rosie wanted to be a restaurant owner, cooked like a pro, yet did nothing to at least learn anything about running a restaurant or work in one. How did her working as a perfume girl make any sense?! She was planing on investing TONS of money in something she's NEVER DONE BEFORE and somehow all she needed for it was her husband's encouragement.
Yeah, right. Because RUNNING a freaking restaurant is a piece of cake, ladies and gents.
Dominic had obviously some sort of PTSD and couldn't properly talk about his feelings; but hey, the couple did 3,5 therapy sessions (wich a guy who interrupted them all the time) - and boom!! - they were back on track and love was stronger than ever!! At the end Rosie even refered to it like "the therapy we did to start trusting each other again", buahaha!!
Now let's talk about their hot hot sex life after almost 4 (!!!) years of NOT FREAKING TALKING to each other. How the hell was there any chemistry, when they TALKED about NOTHING, DID NOTHING together and KNEW fucking NOTHING about each other at that point?! They coexisted in a house like flatmates, and yet somehow the sex was off the charts and they melted underwear by only looking at each other. Seriously?!? How does this shit work?!
The love languages. I'm glad the author read about this concept and it's good she decided to put it in the story, but jeeez, the implementation was so clumsy, it wasn't even funny!! Endless explanations - from Dominic, from the therapist, from Rosie - felt like just putting lots of theoretical examples in the characters' mouths; thus the emotions felt artificial and flat.
Side characters became worst nightmares ever. Stephen and his freak of a wife who thought she needed drama in her marriage to be exciting for her husband... Travis and Georgie became some sort of loons. But Bethany was fun. She was the only one who delivered some fun lines here!! So I'm definitely reading the third book about her and Wes.
What really rocked though? The Just Us League. It was an absolutely amazing idea!! Women supporting and encouraging each other?! Damn, every woman needs such awesome shit in her life!!! I was also super happy to see two Latinx characters, because diversity is hot and I'm tired of reading about only white people most of the time.
All in all. If it's your first book by this author, do yourself a favour, skip it an go read ANYTHING else by her, except for this series. Literally, pick ANY of her previous books and have fun.
Well, I did... And boy, did it disappoint. I mean, Bailey writes hotness like nobody's business, so yeah, their sexual tension was hot. The writing in general was great, but FML, the story was superficial, unrealistic and so over the top, I can't even!!!
Rosie wanted to be a restaurant owner, cooked like a pro, yet did nothing to at least learn anything about running a restaurant or work in one. How did her working as a perfume girl make any sense?! She was planing on investing TONS of money in something she's NEVER DONE BEFORE and somehow all she needed for it was her husband's encouragement.
Yeah, right. Because RUNNING a freaking restaurant is a piece of cake, ladies and gents.
Dominic had obviously some sort of PTSD and couldn't properly talk about his feelings; but hey, the couple did 3,5 therapy sessions (wich a guy who interrupted them all the time) - and boom!! - they were back on track and love was stronger than ever!! At the end Rosie even refered to it like "the therapy we did to start trusting each other again", buahaha!!
Now let's talk about their hot hot sex life after almost 4 (!!!) years of NOT FREAKING TALKING to each other. How the hell was there any chemistry, when they TALKED about NOTHING, DID NOTHING together and KNEW fucking NOTHING about each other at that point?! They coexisted in a house like flatmates, and yet somehow the sex was off the charts and they melted underwear by only looking at each other. Seriously?!? How does this shit work?!
The love languages. I'm glad the author read about this concept and it's good she decided to put it in the story, but jeeez, the implementation was so clumsy, it wasn't even funny!! Endless explanations - from Dominic, from the therapist, from Rosie - felt like just putting lots of theoretical examples in the characters' mouths; thus the emotions felt artificial and flat.
Side characters became worst nightmares ever. Stephen and his freak of a wife who thought she needed drama in her marriage to be exciting for her husband... Travis and Georgie became some sort of loons. But Bethany was fun. She was the only one who delivered some fun lines here!! So I'm definitely reading the third book about her and Wes.
What really rocked though? The Just Us League. It was an absolutely amazing idea!! Women supporting and encouraging each other?! Damn, every woman needs such awesome shit in her life!!! I was also super happy to see two Latinx characters, because diversity is hot and I'm tired of reading about only white people most of the time.
All in all. If it's your first book by this author, do yourself a favour, skip it an go read ANYTHING else by her, except for this series. Literally, pick ANY of her previous books and have fun.
August 18, 2022
I just wish that there was actual chemistry and not just sexual tension.
Maybe it’s just me but I was super excited for this book. The entire idea of a failed marriage and then going to therapy to fix it, is realistic and I was very excited to see how they would solve their trust issues and overall problems in their marriage and get back together.
Now here’s where my problems start. I loved LOVED Rosie. I think she’s amazing with her own goals in life and I liked how she decided to stop bowing down to Dom and finally put her foot down. Since it was her decision to go to the therapy I was already more on her side since I just didn’t like Dom.
And sadly, I never started liking Dom.
I have to put a slight spoiler into here now so:
There was this giant important part of this book where they were both told to rekindle their chemistry without sex. Aka just kissing is allowed. Ngl that never really happened. It always led to one of them having an orgasm and then also sex so I didn’t really see how they were successful in that area and since this was a giant issue Rosie had with her marriage in the first place, I didn’t see how this was solved.
Overall I still liked Rosie and since I liked the idea of the book it gets 3 stars but Dom is just not for me.
Maybe it’s just me but I was super excited for this book. The entire idea of a failed marriage and then going to therapy to fix it, is realistic and I was very excited to see how they would solve their trust issues and overall problems in their marriage and get back together.
Now here’s where my problems start. I loved LOVED Rosie. I think she’s amazing with her own goals in life and I liked how she decided to stop bowing down to Dom and finally put her foot down. Since it was her decision to go to the therapy I was already more on her side since I just didn’t like Dom.
And sadly, I never started liking Dom.
I have to put a slight spoiler into here now so:
There was this giant important part of this book where they were both told to rekindle their chemistry without sex. Aka just kissing is allowed. Ngl that never really happened. It always led to one of them having an orgasm and then also sex so I didn’t really see how they were successful in that area and since this was a giant issue Rosie had with her marriage in the first place, I didn’t see how this was solved.
Overall I still liked Rosie and since I liked the idea of the book it gets 3 stars but Dom is just not for me.
August 13, 2020
This book made me SO angry!😤 I wasn't sure what to expect from a story with an already married couple and I didn't love them in the first book but I truly enjoyed the first 40-50% of the book and that's why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1. I loved how Rosie stood up for herself and how Dom was willing to work on their relationship by going to therapy. And that's where the good things end. I wish they did ACTUAL THERAPY instead of whatever that was and that there was more emotion rather than lust. It seems like there were at least two sex scenes in every chapter and they couldn't stand next to each other without getting hot and bothered. REALLY? After 5 years of barely talking and not even occupying the same room? Absolutely not.
Oh and don't get me started on the last 20%. That's where I truly wanted to rip my hair out. They talked for 2 minutes then fucked liked animals and now their marriage is saved and she’s moving back in with him? How are you solid? What breakthrough? What the actual fuck are you talking about? OMG I wanted to scream!
The premise of this book was really promising and it could've been an amazing story if there was any character development, emotional maturity, and actual WORK on the relationship. I pray to god Tessa Bailey treats my girl Bethany with some respect in the next book or I will fight someone.
Oh and don't get me started on the last 20%. That's where I truly wanted to rip my hair out. They talked for 2 minutes then fucked liked animals and now their marriage is saved and she’s moving back in with him? How are you solid? What breakthrough? What the actual fuck are you talking about? OMG I wanted to scream!
The premise of this book was really promising and it could've been an amazing story if there was any character development, emotional maturity, and actual WORK on the relationship. I pray to god Tessa Bailey treats my girl Bethany with some respect in the next book or I will fight someone.
June 17, 2020
5 "Honey Girl" Stars!!
I REALLY liked this book. It was sexy, it had realistic conflict within a marriage, it was sad, sweet and warmed my heart.
I absolutely liked this one better than the first book, even though I enjoyed the first one this just had more to it and I liked that the storyline was different from the norm.
I REALLY liked this book. It was sexy, it had realistic conflict within a marriage, it was sad, sweet and warmed my heart.
I absolutely liked this one better than the first book, even though I enjoyed the first one this just had more to it and I liked that the storyline was different from the norm.
December 19, 2019
Fix Her Up pretty much blew up in the book community earlier this year. I loved the adorable fake dating romance and was excited to read a second chance romance from another couple in the series!
Right off the bat, Dominic is an interesting character that I know some readers won't like. He's your angry, silent, brooding hero who takes care of his woman. Very caveman-like ideas about relationships. While some may find that problematic, I didn't mind Dominic at all, especially because he learned how to communicate with Rosie throughout this book. It's pretty clear that their issue in their failing marriage is lack of communication, which continues on throughout the entire book. If your pet peeve in books is miscommunication, you'll definitely be annoyed in this book. Especially at the end. If the couple just TALKS TO EACH OTHER, so much of the conflict could have been avoided. That being said, though, their miscommunication was actually believable and I enjoyed how they went to a counselor and talked through their problems.
If you guys thought book one was hot, you are in for another treat. Rosie and Dominic have SUCH INTENSE CHEMISTRY and that is definitely an important part of their relationship. They are forced into celibacy by their counselor, which makes their chemistry that much more intense and smoldering.
Overall, this was a fun book about a couple trying to learn how to be together again. I also loved how important the side characters are to the story and how the next book is set up SO WELL. I am already dying for the third book and can't wait to read about Bethany and Wes!
Right off the bat, Dominic is an interesting character that I know some readers won't like. He's your angry, silent, brooding hero who takes care of his woman. Very caveman-like ideas about relationships. While some may find that problematic, I didn't mind Dominic at all, especially because he learned how to communicate with Rosie throughout this book. It's pretty clear that their issue in their failing marriage is lack of communication, which continues on throughout the entire book. If your pet peeve in books is miscommunication, you'll definitely be annoyed in this book. Especially at the end. If the couple just TALKS TO EACH OTHER, so much of the conflict could have been avoided. That being said, though, their miscommunication was actually believable and I enjoyed how they went to a counselor and talked through their problems.
If you guys thought book one was hot, you are in for another treat. Rosie and Dominic have SUCH INTENSE CHEMISTRY and that is definitely an important part of their relationship. They are forced into celibacy by their counselor, which makes their chemistry that much more intense and smoldering.
Overall, this was a fun book about a couple trying to learn how to be together again. I also loved how important the side characters are to the story and how the next book is set up SO WELL. I am already dying for the third book and can't wait to read about Bethany and Wes!
April 19, 2022
YAAASS!!! I CAN'T BELIVE IT! AFTER 6 MONTHS OF READING BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER 4 STARS OR LOWER (AND A LOT OF THOSE WERE LOWER) I FINALLY, FINALLY READ A 5 STAR BOOK!!!
I was legit at a place where I thought I'd never read a book and fall so completely in love that it would be a 5 star, a perfect read for me. But I'm so, so happy that "Love Her or Lose Her" gets to be the book that broke my 6 month drought.
"Love Her or Lose Her" is about Rosie and Dominic, a married couple who have been together since they were in middle school and two people we met in the first book "Fix Her Up". I fell in love with Rosie and her quiet strength in the first book and reading this book only made me fall more in love with how awesome she is. And Dominic...my god did this guy steal my heart away. I swear, I think I cried no less than 5 times while reading their love story because I just could feel how much they loved each other and the angst of their marital troubles was killing me and I just fell so much in love with them. I needed them to be happy and whole together again but the angst was so deliciously slow burn, I couldn't stop reading and I really didn't want to stop either. This book shows the couple really working to fix their relationship and falling in love all over again, one step at a time. Neither person is perfect and I loved being able to watch them work through their issues both individually and together as a couple. There was never a moment in my mind where I didn't know with absolute certainty that Rosie and Dominic belonged together and were soul mates.
Something else I loved about this book? The DIVERSITY. We have Rosie, who is biracial: Half African-American, half Argentinian and we have Dominic who is Puerto Rican and we get so much details about their culture. It's not just a passing thing where it's mentioned once that they aren't white and never talked about. It's in the details of the way they look, we learn about their families and growing up in a predominately white neighborhood, and IT'S ON THE COVER. This cover means so much to me and the fact that the content in the book matches that just meant even more. I think I can count on one hand the amount of books I've read where both the hero and the heroine were POC and I was incredibly happy that Tessa Bailey added that to this book.
This book also has such great friendship and girl power scenes! We get to see Georgie and Travis being so freaking cute together, Bethany and Georgie and the rest of the Just Us League kicking ass and being so supportive and great together. I appreciate how there is no girl hate in this book and how these women are in each other's lives to life one another up and support each other. And there's also the Travis/Dominic/Stephen friendship which was equally amazing and had me cracking up more than once.
I can't believe that out of the very few books I've rated 5 stars this year, I get to say that not only was "Fix Her Up" on that list, but this book as well. Finally, a highly anticipated read that lives up to my expectations! Fans of this author's books will fall absolutely in love with this original read and fans of romance books will certainly gobble this up!
*arc given in exchange for an honest review
January 13, 2020
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rosie and Dominic are childhood sweethearts who have let each other drift away from one another. When Rosie declares she's leaving, Dominic has the wake-up call he needed and he's not going to let his marriage go without a fight. It's a second chance for the Vegas' marriage and hard truths are going to have to be told and feelings expressed if they're going to have a chance.
Everything between them was dark, lustful, confusing, and . . . so far off course, she wasn’t sure their marriage would ever point in the right direction again.
If you read the first in the series, Fix Her Up, you've been waiting for Rosie and Dominic's story after getting glimpses of their simmering heat and emotions. Bailey reveals their wounds right away and the story starts with Rosie finally done with going through the emotions of her life. Dominic is on the surface caught off guard but as some of his layers are peeled back, it becomes clear that he was feeling the distance in their relationship too.
“Go, then. No one’s stopping you.”
I thought the story started off well with the hurt and pain Rosie and Dominic was feeling bubbling out from under the surface, Rosie's more overtly. Bailey typically writes her males very protective and Dominic's streak was definitely evident with what he later calls his selfish need to have her all to himself. I thought having Dominic so clearly loving Rosie and admitting to himself, Rosie, and the readers that he would do anything for her gave the tone a good underlining simmering heat. Rosie's emotions towards Dominic were more dominated by her sexual attraction to him. With every “pointed nipple” and “wet thighs” I lost concentration on the emotional angst and the story's tone slid into more lustful. Bailey is known for her strong sexual scenes and those are definitely here but for this couple, I personally, wanted teeth gritting cognitive emotion.
Providing was a no-fail way to communicate love, wasn’t it? So where exactly had Dominic gone wrong?
The author has this couple bring to light and work out their issues through therapy and puts most of their issues on differing love languages. Dominic has a bit of not feeling worthy of Rosie hero syndrome and this made him put his head down and work extra hard to provide her with enough money for security, he inadvertently blocks her out in order to provide. I liked this route the author took but thought she fell short when it came to Rosie. Rosie begins to realize that she doesn't provide or speak the love language Dominic needs and it was a nice moment to see her realize she was also a problem in the marriage but after an attempt to give Dominic what he needs, this avenue with Rosie kind of drops off and it felt like Dominic was going to go back to doing most of the work.
“I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”
If you read the first in the series, you'll be happy to hear that the Just Us League is still going strong and the female relationships formed from it give readers some great women friendship scenes. I thought the obvious series baiting for Bethany and Wes, through their bantering and bickering, seemed a little forced but Bailey probably has some hot and heavy scenes planned for those two.
Love Her or Lose Her approached and picked at intricate issues of long-term relationships but Bailey's focus on heavier sexual lustful tones kept it from achieving the deep angst ridden emotional path I thought could be felt wanting to burst from this couple and personally wanted. There was a scene of Rosie and Dominic dancing in the kitchen that I thought hit what I wanted, two people who have loved each other forever but are seeing each other for the first time in many years; top-shelf emotion.
Rosie and Dominic are childhood sweethearts who have let each other drift away from one another. When Rosie declares she's leaving, Dominic has the wake-up call he needed and he's not going to let his marriage go without a fight. It's a second chance for the Vegas' marriage and hard truths are going to have to be told and feelings expressed if they're going to have a chance.
Everything between them was dark, lustful, confusing, and . . . so far off course, she wasn’t sure their marriage would ever point in the right direction again.
If you read the first in the series, Fix Her Up, you've been waiting for Rosie and Dominic's story after getting glimpses of their simmering heat and emotions. Bailey reveals their wounds right away and the story starts with Rosie finally done with going through the emotions of her life. Dominic is on the surface caught off guard but as some of his layers are peeled back, it becomes clear that he was feeling the distance in their relationship too.
“Go, then. No one’s stopping you.”
I thought the story started off well with the hurt and pain Rosie and Dominic was feeling bubbling out from under the surface, Rosie's more overtly. Bailey typically writes her males very protective and Dominic's streak was definitely evident with what he later calls his selfish need to have her all to himself. I thought having Dominic so clearly loving Rosie and admitting to himself, Rosie, and the readers that he would do anything for her gave the tone a good underlining simmering heat. Rosie's emotions towards Dominic were more dominated by her sexual attraction to him. With every “pointed nipple” and “wet thighs” I lost concentration on the emotional angst and the story's tone slid into more lustful. Bailey is known for her strong sexual scenes and those are definitely here but for this couple, I personally, wanted teeth gritting cognitive emotion.
Providing was a no-fail way to communicate love, wasn’t it? So where exactly had Dominic gone wrong?
The author has this couple bring to light and work out their issues through therapy and puts most of their issues on differing love languages. Dominic has a bit of not feeling worthy of Rosie hero syndrome and this made him put his head down and work extra hard to provide her with enough money for security, he inadvertently blocks her out in order to provide. I liked this route the author took but thought she fell short when it came to Rosie. Rosie begins to realize that she doesn't provide or speak the love language Dominic needs and it was a nice moment to see her realize she was also a problem in the marriage but after an attempt to give Dominic what he needs, this avenue with Rosie kind of drops off and it felt like Dominic was going to go back to doing most of the work.
“I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”
If you read the first in the series, you'll be happy to hear that the Just Us League is still going strong and the female relationships formed from it give readers some great women friendship scenes. I thought the obvious series baiting for Bethany and Wes, through their bantering and bickering, seemed a little forced but Bailey probably has some hot and heavy scenes planned for those two.
Love Her or Lose Her approached and picked at intricate issues of long-term relationships but Bailey's focus on heavier sexual lustful tones kept it from achieving the deep angst ridden emotional path I thought could be felt wanting to burst from this couple and personally wanted. There was a scene of Rosie and Dominic dancing in the kitchen that I thought hit what I wanted, two people who have loved each other forever but are seeing each other for the first time in many years; top-shelf emotion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,568 reviews