Named one of the Best Romances of 2020 by Insider and Oprah Magazine’s + Marie Claire’s Best New Books of 2020
New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation…
Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, … renovation…
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 ten 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.
“Her voice feels as fresh and contemporary as a Netflix rom-com.” —Entertainment Weekly
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Tessa Bailey awesomeness – hot and sexy with witty banter and a fantastic second chance romance that makes you swoon.
Peopppplllle! If you haven’t read this boooook… Listen, call in sick–or if you’re already there, fake an asthma attack–go home, one-click this and do nothing but READ for the rest of the day. Thank me later. Love Her or Lose Her is worth getting that fake doctor’s note off the internet. It’s passionate, funny, heart-twisting, emotional and sexy as hell! I mean, it’s a Tessa Bailey book sooo…
Rosie and Dominic Vega are married high school sweethearts, but in the past few years, their marriage has been in trouble. Taut silences and no communication–except for those diiiirty Tuesday nights–has defined what used to be not just a beautiful connection but an amazing friendship. Well, Rosie is done. She can’t do it anymore. She’s ready to walk away from the only man she’s ever loved because remaining married to the distant man he’s become is slowly killing her inside. And she has dreams–huge dreams of opening a restaurant instead of hawking nasty perfume at the local mall. So with the support of some amazing–and so, so funny–friends she leaves, demanding more for herself. And she’s so damn admirable for it. Because she’s never stopped loving Dom, but she’s putting herself first. There is such a strength in Rosie’s character that you can’t help but adore her. And you also see why she loves Dom so. He’s such a GOOD man. Yes, he’s locked-up tight emotionally, but he has reasons. And he just LOVES Rosie. So freakin’ much, and though they’re having issues, his absolute adoration of and devotion to her is never in doubt. As evidenced by him agreeing to Rosie’s suggestion *cough* ultimatum *cough* for him to attend marriage counseling with a pot-smoking-orgy-having hippie. Who is a wonderful and unexpected treat! What follows is a journey pockmarked with self-doubt and uncertainty but also discovery, forgiveness and healing as they find their way back to one another. And did I mention the mouth on Dom? Help me, Black Jesus, that man can sling some dirty talk! And they are FIYAH in the bedroom!! Whew! And the reason they are so combustible? Because of the amazing love between them.
No lie, this book had me texting my husband and asking him his love languages. LOL! It provokes thought and discussion even as it entertains and sweeps you up into a beautiful love story that features a man and woman you want to just win! Tessa Bailey took a trope that I’m not too fond of–marriage in trouble–and made me a whole believer! But that’s just the kind of writer she is. Her words grab you, shake you, have you hollering in laughter, make you hot, have you crying all the ugly tears, then dump you in a book hangover. I can’t wait for the next one in the series!
I love Tessa Bailey but I was apprehensive about this book because I’ve never read a marriage in trouble romance before. (At least, not that I can remember? And it’s not a trope I’ve ever been drawn to.) But I adore childhood sweethearts, super-devoted heroes, ladies learning their worth, and strong friendship bonds (either completely platonic or alongside the romance). Love Her or Lose Her had all that in SPADES, so I am a happy clam.
Dom is going down in history as one of my hottest heroes ever because… damn. Okay. WHEW. Even his flaws were sexy??? Please stop? Can I live? And I identified very strongly with Rosie in a lot of ways. It was nice to have a quieter heroine whose entire personality wasn’t OMG SHE’S SO QUIET LOOK AT HER BEING SO QUIET, WHAT A SPECIAL SILENT STAR. She was just, y’know, quiet. Thoughtful. Sometimes needed help sticking up for herself. We have all been there. (Me, I am talking about me.)
Basically, I’m really glad I read this. Oh, and it was exactly as steamy as you’d expect. (Please read it in private, I just want the best for you.)
Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is the second book in her Hot & Hammered series! We’re first introduced to Rosie and Dominic in Fix Her Up and you guys I loved every moment of their story!!
From the very first chapter until the very end I was swooning and emotional. This book is everything you love and want in a romance. Rosie and Dominic are soulmates who have been together since they were teenagers. They’ve been through it all. They’re flawed. Their marriage has taken a turn. Rosie and Dominic aren’t the same people they used to be when they first got married. Now the two must fight and fall in love all over again, rediscover each other, and reunite once more but for good this time.
Their relationship has been all-consuming from the moment they met that at one point they forgot to communicate with one another. The passion and the fire has never waned but Rosie needs more from her husband and she takes a stand and decides to leave. Dominic gets a wake up call. All he’s ever wanted is his honey girl . He’s been taught to provide and now he must also learn to show his emotions and reveal his needs as well. This is hard for Dominic at first because he’s such a quiet and broody man. When Rosie suggests couples therapy he’s willing to do anything to win her back.
So much emotion, growth, and love with amazing friendships and secondary characters who were truly adored in book one. I loved Dominic’s troubled side as well as his fierce and loving side. Rosie, too, grew so much. She became independent and fought for her dreams and for her marriage. These are two people who saw their faults and worked together. I was captivated and charmed until the last page. And enough said about the new hero introduced to torment Bethany!! I’m dying for their book next and I just know it’s going to be a lot of fun. That being said, please do yourselves a favor and start this series!!
Love Her or Lose Her is both heartbreaking and heartwarming!
*****
Rating: 4 Stars
Steam: 3 Flames
Genre: Second chance
*****
Love Her or Lose Her, is Dominic and Rosie’s story, which I will admit brought tears to my eyes several times.
Dominic and Rosie are living in silence, they don’t talk, they don’t interact…except for Tuesday night and then all bets are off, they let all their pent up aggression and issues explode…horizontally, if you get my drift. They have no issues in the horizontal department, but issues in all other aspects of their relationship.
Rosie has reached the end of her rope, she can’t just exist with her husband anymore. She isn’t happy and she finally makes the decision to leave. Leave Dominic, leave the marriage, leave the relationship they have been in since middle school.
Dominic, a war veteran, a silent protector, loves his wife and wants to save his marriage, even if that means seeing a pot smoking hippie of a marriage counselor. Rosie has dreams, she wants more from her life, a restaurant, a husband that lifts her up, and communicates. The two have been in a rut for almost five years, and in order to save this marriage each will have to learn their spouses love language and learn how to give each other what they need more than anything, validation.
Love her or Lose Her was a little more serious than book one. This couple is literally fighting for their marriage and each other. There are ups where I laughed and downs where I cried. This book has a strong storyline, characters that had depth and reached out to me and grabbed hold of my heart, and have mercy Dominic has some dirty talking skills! This book had a great story, was written and I totally connected to each of the characters. The secondary characters are fantastic and I can honestly say I have already downloaded Wes and Bethany’s books.
Love her Lose her is a second chance book. What happens when two people who love each other, lose each other, lose themselves? Can you save a marriage that has gone silent for five years? This book broke my heart and warmed my heart. Love Her or Lose Her is simply a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.
This book will stun and awe you – it’s true Tessa Bailey in all her humorous and chemistry-packed ways!
A super sexy, feel-good, second-chance romantic comedy!
Second chance romance! Yes please!
“Romantic Comedy plus Marriage-on-the-Rocks equals the perfect combination, right? Yeah, it’s not the first pairing I’d think of for a feel good rom-com either, but in this case it totally works!” -KatieReads
I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out. I LOVED Fix Her Up so much, but unfortunately, Love Her or Lose Her disappointed me. I did not love it the same way.
Tessa Bailey quickly became a favorite author of mine and I love her writing, but Love Her or Lose Her is a totally different tone than what I’ve read from her before. It is well written and hits on strong emotions, but I felt this was a much more serious book than the cover shows or that I’ve read from her. Her steamy scenes are still hot and I totally loved them. The emotion was so raw and powerful throughout even if Dominic was a bit overbearing at times.
It is still an amazing read, I just didn’t love it like some of her other works. I can’t wait for what comes next!
Tessa Bailey 4.5 ‘Love languages’ Stars!
ARC provided by the author/publisher via Edelweiss+.
Who doesn’t love a good second chance romance? Even more when it involves a married couple? I have to say I was so ready for Dominic and Rosie’s story as soon as I finished Fix Her Up. And, of course, being a massive fan of Tessa Bailey I had high expectations. I am so happy how Tessa developed this love story and the journey of this couple back to falling in love all over again.
Love Her or Lose Her is already live and it’s the second installment in Tessa’s Hot and Hammered series. Dominic and Rosie Vega have loved each other for years, they had a beautiful connection and married very young. Ten years pass and now their marriage is in trouble. Dominic is not the same man after he comes back from Afghanistan and Rosie has finally decided to leave. She gives him one last chance asking to go to couples therapy. Will their love for each other be enough to save their marriage?
“Understand how serious I am about bringing you back to me. Don’t doubt me when I say I’ll fight dirty to get you back through this door.”
Gah, I love all these characters and this series so much! You also probably know that Tessa Bailey is one of my absolute favorite authors and I knew she would do a fantastic job with this novel. If you love her alpha, protective and dirty talking heroes you’ll adore Dominic and if you love her strong, independent and kickass heroines you’ll love Rosie. That together? A burning hot and emotional marriage romance you definitely don’t want to miss.
“I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”
The connection between this two is beautiful to read, their ups and downs will keep you hooked to the story and the chemistry, of course, will melt you all over. Yes, it’s difficult for this couple to give in and peel each other’s layers and vulnerabilities but it’s outstanding to read. Dom is so protective and he adores Rosie and Rosie is the same with him. They belong together and that is obvious throughout the whole book. I really, really enjoyed their story and its HEA!
How lucky was she? Most people didn’t find their soul mates during their lifetime. She’d found Dominic twice.
Therefore, I am rating Love Her or Lose Her with 4.5 STARS because it was a unique marriage romance with everything I enjoy in a good love story: humor, ups and downs, emotions and a couple with scorching chemistry. I loved these characters and reconnecting again with all of them, I loved Dominic and Rosie and their second chance together and I loved getting to know them better. I cannot wait for Bethany’s story now (I know cowboy Wes will be so yummy for her! lol) and whatever Tessa has for us next!
Tessa Bailey proving to romance readers that you don’t have to see the couple’s beginning to feel their bond or their love. This unconventional second-chance romance starts with the readers witnessing the couple’s heartbreaking separation then watching them find their way back to one another. Love Her or Lose Her is guaranteed to have you reflecting back on your own relationship – whether its your current love or a failed one. I cannot rave about this book enough!
So if you have been hiding under a rock, Love Her or Lose Her is book 2 in the Hot and Hammered standalone series. It follows a married couple whose relationship is in jeopardy. Rosie hasn’t felt appreciated by Dominic in a while. They hardly talk and only kiss during their scheduled sexy times. She takes a step back from their relationship to follow her dreams – which shocks Dom. They end up going to a hippy marriage counselor for help. Those scenes quickly become some of my favorite because they learn about love language and how to show love to each other.
I have been seeing some mixed reviews, but I’m here to say: Don’t let those scare you away! I think some people get turned off by Dom’s character because he is very alpha male and lusts after Rosie at some inopportune times. To me, he is just trying to show his wife he still cherishes her and loves her in a time of desperation. And besides, he’s character brings the steam! Do you like dirty talking in your romances? If so, you will LOVE Dom.
Overall, I give this a solid 4.5 stars! Keep up the good work, Tessa Bailey! A big thank you to Netgalley and they publisher for providing me a copy for review! xx
I love seeing a marriage-in-jeopardy done so well, and with Tessa’s flawless inclusion of so much sexyhawt tension, it was a delicious summer read!
I enjoyed this book because it’s original. It’s about a married couple who have hit a rough patch. They’ve lost themselves in daily routine. The spark is still, but how they reignite it is worth the read. This is steamy!
If you’ve read The Five Love a Languages, you’ll get it. I LOVED the characters and their super real issues.
I love romances about married couples who love each other and fight for their relationship, and this book delivered! Beautiful character arcs and beautiful characters.
I really wanted to love this book. High school sweethearts who need to work through their dying marriage? I love stories like this. And I appreciated that, right away, we know this isn’t about one person having an affair or another cliche like that. It was just about two people who’d stopped communicating. But, I unfortunately did not have any sympathy for Rosie. She decides in the beginning of the novel that she’s done trying to make her marriage work. Despite seeing how devastated her husband is at her moving out, she still insists the marriage is over. No conversation required. I had a hard time wrapping my head around that.
Then there was the therapy. She didn’t really believe her husband, Dominic, would agree or stick with it, so to torture him, she picked the weirdest therapist she could find. So I had a hard time with her treating the separation like a game she was playing, and it took her too long to realize she was part of the problem in their marriage. I mean, she was unhappy for five years and never spoke up, but didn’t realize that’s something you shouldn’t do.
As for the chemistry between Rosie and Dominic, I found it to be more annoying than anything. They would be in the middle of an important conversation and it would descend into how hot they were for each other. I just wanted the story to move along, and it took a while for it to in some places. And the reasons Dominic gave for his silence became very repetitive and annoying, but his absolute devotion to Rosie was very sweet to read.
I also really liked it when they actually talked. When they both remembered things from their past, those parts were engaging and interesting. So like I said, I really wanted to like this book and some parts were great, but just as many left me rolling my eyes or groaning in frustration over the characters’ actions.
Oh, and the secret Dominic kept? We know it almost the entire story. So it wasn’t as effective as it could have been when Rosie found out. I just became annoyed at Dominic for refusing to tell Rosie and her predictable reaction of immediately wondering if she could trust him again. They both needed to have a little more faith.
I’m recommending this book, but strongly caution readers to lower their expectations and know that some parts will most likely frustrate them to read.
Love Her Or Lose is hands down my favorite book by Tessa Bailey! I devoured Rosie and Dominic’s book! This married couples rocky relationship was told in such a beautifully raw and compelling way. It sucked me in and I couldn’t stop reading. Tessa Bailey has a way of bringing fresh stories to life. With characters that demand your attention. Rosie and Dominic are a book couple that I will happily carry with me.
This book has it all! Laughs, tears, SO much sexiness, a couple that steals your heart and breath. Moments and memoirs that give you chills and butterflies. And beyond swoon-worthy moments. I didn’t want to close the pages to this wonderful couples story, I wanted to live in their love forever. I was so invested in their journey of reconnecting, their second chance. I was rooting for them, cheering them on and hoping for one beautiful HEA!
The Hot & Hammered crew are a group that I can’t get enough of, their relationships, friendships, bonds, are so great to experience. I laugh, and smile and want more and more, every time!
Blog: JordansBookishLife
Steamy and fun read.
Tessa is a one-click author for me! More steamy, emotional goodness from her is exactly what I need! Must-read!