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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3.5 stars–LOVE HER OR LOSE HER is the second instalment in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary, adult HOT AND HAMMERED erotic, romance series. This is Dominic and Rosie Vega’s story line.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Rosie and Dominic) LOVE HER OR LOSE HER follows the crumbling relationship between married couple Rosie and Dominic Vega. Rosie has had enough and finally decides that she no longer loves the man her husband has become since his return from active duty, but Dominic isn’t going down without a fight. When his wife suggests ‘extreme’ couple’s counselling, Dominic jumps at the chance to make everything right, a jump that finds him relearning to seduce the woman he already loves. What ensues is rebuilding romance and relationship between Dominic and Rosie, and the potential fall-out when Dominic finally reveals a secret he has kept for close to a year.
Rosie Vega has always wanted to open her own restaurant, and with the help of her friends and a GoFundMe page, Rosie sets out to make her dream come true. Dominic will do anything to put his marriage back together including following the instructions set out by their eccentric counsellor but when Dominic discovers that Rosie is going ahead with her plans for a restaurant, Dominic takes matters into his own hands thereby revealing a secret he has kept from the woman he loves. Herein lies a bit of a conundrum for me: yes, Dominic has a secret; he should have included his wife in his decision but I did not believe that his actions warranted Rosie’s response.
The relationship between Rosie and Dominic has become stagnant and static. Dominic is over-protective of Rosie, but our heroine is oblivious to the extent to which her husband will go. The only thing our couple have in common is their fantastic sex life but there is more to marriage and relationships than amazing sex. The fact that Dominic was willing to give therapy a chance meant our hero was willing to step up to make things better. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Travis and Georgie; Stephen and Kristin, Bethany, and newcomer Wes Daniels. There may be something developing between Bethany and Wes.
LOVE HER OR LOSE HER is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the relationship struggles in the face of their deteriorating marriage; the characters are dynamic and captivating but I want to address the blurb that states Love Her or Lose Her is a romantic comedy because, IMO, there was very little humor or comedic text. I guess one person’s comedy is another person’s tragedy.
Happily Ever After Redux!
Rosie and Dominic are middle school sweethearts who’s ever after is a bit off course of happy. They both love each other with a ferocity that often can’t be explored in a romance because so much of the story is spent getting the couple together, but here they’ve been together for most of their lives so that love is deep and strong…but their communication is not.
Because they have trouble communicating we still get some of the get to know you aspect but we also get to see more connection, steam, and emotion early in the story than in other romances. The ending was perfect and rewarding after the emotional journey of their HEA redux!
I absolutely adored Armie and how Dominic was willing to try even though it went against his nature. Bethany and Georgie were the perfect girl power support for Rosie while Stephen and Travis and their bickering was what Dominic needed to get out of his own head beyond therapy. And this IS a Tessa Bailey book so the steam and heat is next level making the whole journey even more satisfying!
I can’t wait for Bethany and Wes to go round and round next!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
As soon as I put down Fix Her Up I was dying to read the story of Dominic and Rosie. I ran straight to Edelweiss and requested a review copy and got promptly declined. Then a while later they must have forgotten about that and they sent me a review copy. But as is my chaotic mind I wasn’t in the right headspace for the story so I held off.
It was so obvious that Rosie and Dominic loved each other but along the way life got in the way. And I thought maybe there was going to be a very devastating reason why Dominic had closed down the lines of communication with Rosie. I was really glad that wasn’t the case. They had both just gotten lost in the routine.
Reading this I actually found myself realising how true it is of every relationship. We all do need love shown or told to us in our own ways and sometimes we take for granted that our partners might need it in a different way.
Dominic did countless things to show his love for Rosie but he did them so quietly she wasn’t even aware of them. He was so in love with Rosie I could feel it the whole time I was reading their story. And while Rosie obviously loved Dominic she was so caught in what he wasn’t doing for her she didn’t realise how little she was giving back.
I loved how hard Dominic fought to make Rosie’s dreams come true. He was all the things I love in a romance hero. And even though he wasn’t great at communicating what he was thinking and feeling he was prepared to put his own insecurity aside to keep his wife. And the fact he was such a vocal, dominant partner in the bedroom just added to his appeal.
Because damn does Tessa Bailey do dirty talk well. And as emotional as I found this book I also got a lot of sexual chemistry. Plus I got the Just Us League and a massive tease for Bethany and Wes. Which feels like it’s going to be a panties optional read 😉
I was so excited for Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey after falling head over heels for Fix Her Up. I guess I expected more humor in this read but instead experienced a downright heartbreaking love story.
Rosie and Dominic had been together since middle school. They knew each other inside and out. But somewhere along the way, they’d fallen into a funk that ultimately put their marriage in jeopardy.
This read was extremely gut wrenching. You could feel the love between the two characters but also how much they’d lost themselves over the years in each other. Always sacrificing. Always settling. Always accepting. But Rosie decided she wanted more and that jumpstarted an odd chain of events for her and Dom to try to save their relationship.
I liked the book. It was sweet and sad and super freaking hot. I just wanted a little more from Dominic’s character. I felt like his lack of explanation about his time over seas left so much mystery to the numerous years he’d been deployed. In the end, I really liked the strange journey they shared to find their way back to each other and mend their marriage. The ending was so sweet and had me grinning!
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5 to 4 stars
I was interested in Rosie and Dominic after meeting them in Fix Her Up. They have been married for over ten years, but due to circumstances, their marriage has been slowly deteriorating. Rosie has recently developed some new friendships and has started to feel more empowered. She is tired of settling in her marriage, her dead-end job, and wants to finally go after her dreams of opening a catering business or restaurant.
Years ago Dominic returned from his time in the military a changed man. He now works construction. He has always been taught that the man’s place was to provide and that will be enough to show how much he cares. He is the quiet, brooding type that feels deep but has trouble sharing. But he did not realize that intermittent bedroom connections and being the behind-the-scenes provider would not be enough for her.
He gets his wake up call when she leaves. And now he is a man on a mission trying to figure out how to make things right. But Rosie does not know everything. And neither of them were really communicating effectively. They were not speaking each other’s love languages, but can a last-ditch trip to an unorthodox therapist make them realize what brought them together in the first place?
I really enjoyed the first half of the book and it was interesting that the characters were already married and trying to figure out how to fix a broken relationship. That part was really relatable. I admit that as it went on I got more frustrated though, mostly with Dominic. He was keeping a big secret and it was driving me crazy that he did not just spill the beans. I could understand due to his background why he approached things the way he did and I was glad he was starting to learn alternatives, but it got a bit repetitive. I honestly felt like shaking sense into the man so he would tell her everything and quit feeling so unworthy.
And there was something about the way their chemistry was just so over-the-top full of sexual tension and so volatile that kind of felt a bit forced to me in a couple that was having trouble even speaking to each other. But overall I truly felt like they belonged together and was rooting for them to get it all together. And it had good messages about really trying to communicate and understand your partner and to figure out what you both need to be happy and content.
This brings back the quirky characters from Fix Her Up and sets up a new story for one of her friends, Bethany. It looks like she might have met her match.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t know if I can love this story more than I already do. Of all the characters in these two books of this series, I mostly relate to Rosie. Seeing her relationship with Dominic and how my own marriage has some (definitely not all) similarities has been eye opening. I took so much more than I had expected away from reading this story. I absolutely loved it. The storyline is relatable for anyone who is or has been married. The characters are so well developed and amazing.
But I have to say Travis had me laughing a ton in this book. He will always be my favorite.
Its’ been so long since I have read a Tessa Bailey book, I don’t know what I was waiting for. Love Her or Lose Her is book two in the Hot and Hammered Series. Love Her or Lose Her can be read as a standalone, but in my personal opinion, it is much better if you have read the first book in the series, Fix Her Up, first. Rosie and Dominic have been together since junior high, physically, but being together physically isn’t everything in a relationship.
Lover Her or Lose Her, is a Rom -Com. The characters, all of the them are well developed and compliment each other in such a way that makes this a easy and enjoyable read.
If you like Rom-Com, second chance romance or small town love stories, this is definitely a book and series for you to read.
probably 3.5
Dominic and Rosie Vega have been together since middle school but now their relationship has hit a few snags. Former Marine Dominic is quiet in the extreme, despite the fact that he’s a faithful husband and provider, Rosie can no longer recognize the man she fell in love with and she’s had enough. With encouragement from friends, Rosie decides to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant, with or without Dominic, though she gives him the option of last-ditch marriage counseling, thinking he’ll never do it, but this way she’ll have tried and won’t feel guilty.
Rosie is shocked when Dominic agrees. Not only that but counseling shows her she’s also at fault for the deterioration of their relationship. As Rosie and Dominic complete their ridiculous therapy and learn one another’s love languages, their relationship comes out stronger than ever, until a secret Dominic has kept for over a year threatens to derail their progress.
I don’t typically read a lot of contemporary romance but I requested this one at a time when my husband was annoying me — he’s definitely the strong and silent type as well so I thought this could at least be entertaining. And it was. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down once I got into it, although I think that may just be because I was stressed and wanting them to get it together. I know several reviewers don’t like Dominic and think he’s too possessive, but really I think this is his way of showing love and it’s rather endearing. I think he got the short end of the stick here and his only desire in life was Rosie and whatever she wanted and he really didn’t get much from her in return. Which she finally did realize.
I loved the exploration of love languages and communication and that both characters were so flawed. It made them seem real and relatable. I think Dom’s post-war PTSD issues should’ve been explored more after their brief mention of why he struggles to communicate and then that just goes away. I think it would’ve been more fulfilling to explore that just a bit at least. Dominic actually was very sweet once Rosie opened her eyes to how insecure and unworthy he was feeling. This was lovely once they learned to communicate, although I would’ve liked a bit more real conversation between Rosie and Dominic; it was like once they saw each other clearly, everything was better than ever and a lot was left unsaid that I would’ve liked to see written out. I did enjoy this one and plan to go back to the previous book and then continue with this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
LOVE OUT LOUD
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.
“My heart. you get that, too. All of it. I’m begging you to take it back before it stops working. You’re my home. I need you with me.”
Now if you’re looking for some emotional, angsty, woebegone realistic tale of a marriage on the brink that will make you ugly cry and feel totally depressed, stop right there. Love Her or Lose Her is a romantic comedy after all.
“We don’t love each other the easy was. Dominic, but out hearts are in the right place every single time.”
Rosie and Dominic’s story balances heart-tugging emotions, swoony-sweetness, and insatiable love. Their love is fierce, committed love, old love and new love, a love that they’ve had for each other since they were teenagers and it’s grown and evolved over the years. So much of their story is learning how to love each other for who they are now. To cast out insecurities and fears and learn to trust in each other to forge an even stronger love moving forward.
“Her husband needed actions to feel her love, and she would never stop finding new ways to show him, the same way he did for her with words. They would continue to grow a little more each day until they reached forever. They were best friends, soul mates . . . and perfectly, eternally flawed.”
Love Her or Lose Her takes an unconventional mix and really makes it work. Rosie and Dominic’s story is at it’s core filled with love and some quirky and supportive friends (that you may remember from Fix Her Up that bring lots of humor.
[Spoiler: No cheating! HEA.]
Tessa Bailey is a queen! This book delivered on everything I hoped it would be. In the past couple years I have read a lot of romance, and in that time I have seen very few married couple stories. The ones that I have read focus on couples rekindling their love, but not the reasons why the flames sparked out or dulled. As a married woman, this story is 100% relatable and you are rooting for Rosie and Dominic from the first page. Their love is apparent from the beginning, but somewhere along the way they lost their communication. Along their journey they discover that putting their marriage is a team effort. Tessa Bailey expertly addresses the nuance and multifaceted components of a relationship. Rosie is also such a strong feisty independent woman, and it is refreshing to see a character who is a strong woman while still considerate of others. She is learning to go after what she wants, but not at the detriment of others. She considers how her actions will affect her husband and friends and that is admirable. It’s a beautiful story, and perfect all the way through. It has lots of heart and the trademark dirty talk that you expect from Queen Tessa Bailey !
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.
Rosie has been living for years in what feels like a loveless marriage to Dominic. So when she finally gets the nerve to leave him and start going after her own dreams, she realizes that there was more to her marriage than she wanted to see. That marriages often break down because of both parties and not just one.
Rosie was a little selfish in her way of thinking about the marriage. She was quick to put all the blame for their situation on Dominic. Even when she starts learning there was more to his love than what she was seeing, she wasn’t ready to give him credit. Dominic is an alpha male, but when outside the bedroom, his love for Rosie is shown in quiet and unassuming ways.
These two are smoking hot together. I hadn’t read Bailey before but she has the sexy romance genre on point. She wrote this wonderful couple, whose biggest draw to me, was that they weren’t perfect. They were realistic and relatable, and then you got them together in the bedroom and wowzah! They remind us that marriage takes work and that we fall in love with people for a reason, and sometimes we lose sight of those reasons.
I received this one from HarperCollins and I hadn’t read book 1 before this and I don’t feel that I missed anything, which I absolutely love. But I am definitely adding Fix Her Up to my TBR because this is definitely a series I don’t want to miss out on. Well done!
4.5 Language of Love Stars!
I absolutely loved this second chance at love romance! This second book in Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series is so poignant, fun and sexy! This is Rosie and Dominic’s story. They are a married couple who have been each other’s firsts. Their relationship has become rocky and in serious need of a renovation. Their chemistry has never cooled but their communication is non existent. Rosie is ready to move on, but Dominic will do whatever it takes to prove to her that they are soul mates. As they go to extremes to find their way back to each other, they both discover the language of love isn’t always what you think it is. I loved this exploration into the relationship of a married couple. They love each other so much, but had lost their ability to really see and appreciate each other. Their journey back to each other was so poignant, and heartfelt. I loved how their friends and co-workers were so supportive and essential in their story making it fun, quirky and authentic. I am loving this Hot & Hammered series! You definitely don’t want to miss Rosie and Dominic’s funny, heartfelt, and sweet & steamy romance!
This is such a unique love story. The level of emotion and love is just astounding. This is not your typical boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. This is about a couple who is already married but seem to have lost their way and what a story it is. Rosie and Dominic are both such complex and lovable characters and they’re such an incredible couple. Watching them struggle and fight for their marriage gave me so many feelings. I was in their corner from the beginning and I’m so happy they never gave up. This book is stunningly emotional, real and so poignant; it really hit me in the heart and soul. Tessa Bailey has penned something truly special here! I absolute loved it!!! This is such a great series so far with fantastic characters; I can’t wait for Wes & Bethany’s book which is sure to be amazing!
I am so thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me this early read!
This was an amazing journey, getting to go along with Dominic and Rosie, as they re-found, and re-affirmed, the reasons they fell in love, and do it all over again. I admit, I cried at random spots in this book, but they weren’t as often as I thought. I also laughed while reading this book, not just with the wild antics of the side characters (and you all are going to love Armie and Wes) but with Rosie and Dominic as well. They lost their laughter, and they find it again, and it is breathtaking to watch that happen.
Marriage is a struggle, and an HEA is not guaranteed, no matter how much you love each other. The heat and passion between Rosie and Dominic is without question, even in their darkest times, they spark, ignite, and burn for each other. Our couple realize they love each other, but they also, more importantly I would say, realize that there are two people in a marriage, and each have needs to be met. As Dominic and Rosie realize nearly from the start that they want to make it, they just need to approach every day life with the same passion and drive they have in the bedroom. Learning comes for both of them, and they are all the strong for it
Now, about Bethany and Wes………
I was not expecting how this book was going to make me cry! The feels in this had my emotions all over the place. If you got to read book one, we were introduced to married couple Dominick and Rosie. This is their story.
We learned they were having some trouble in book one and in Love Her or Lose Her, Rosie is at the end of her rope and decides to do something about it. This couple needed a wake up call. The author takes us on their journey to discover if their marriage can be saved.
I’m going to be honest here and say that I fell completely for Dominick. I don’t want to give anything away so I am not going to go into details. I’m just going to say that this broken marriage was not what I thought it was going to be. The things you find out will make you swoon. Yes, swoon. I know that’s not what you would think about a troubled marriage. Let’s just say the proof is in the details.
What this book taught me is that it just goes to show that you can have a madly in love couple and still struggle. We all know that it takes work for a marriage to survive but this also pointed out that we may be blind to a few details. It really was a great way to follow an already established couple and see love come alive again.
Tessa is one author that I enjoy everything from and this book is no exception. I really liked this one. It’s the third book in the series but you don’t have to read the others to enjoy this one. Tessa does a great job with the background of the characters. It was steamy and fun. This one is different from normal romance books, which is one reason I enjoyed it, because it takes place in the middle of the relationship. It’s a very good read.
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was completely riveted by the unique and charming story, Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey. Rosie and Dominic Vega are high school sweethearts who are now married and though they love each other, life has gotten in the way. Rosie wants more from her husband and their marriage. Dominic loves his wife deeply and will do anything to make her happy. Which is how they find themselves working on their marriage with a very unique marriage counselor. Now they are remembering why and how they fell in love. I loved reading about Dominic and Rosie as they found their way back to each other. This story was full of all the best kind of feels through an emotional and tender journey.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Oh wow! I didn’t expect to tear up while reading a Tessa Bailey book but I did and I’m not even mad about it.
This was a terrific story. One that will touch your heart and have you rooting for this couple.
Their marriage isn’t completely over. They each have some work to do but their love is strong and the way Dominic is about Rosie. Once walls start crumbling down and these two get back to their better selves, their love blooms again.
Bailey takes us on a story of fighting for your love, a second chance at the marriage they started with. I absolutely loved everything about this book. EVERY.SINGLE.THING
Highly recommended.
*I was given a free advanced copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.*
Dominic & Rosie Vega were high school sweethearts, best friends, and madly in love, married for ten years and counting, then life happened. After Dominic return from his last deployment, things changed his caveman response of a grunt here and there, was Rosie’s undoing. Not to mention Rosie gave up her dream of becoming a chef and owning a restaurant, to work in the mall as a perfume pusher. That is until Rosie had enough, up and left her husband and their marriage, as a last-ditch effort they went to a hippie marriage counselor only to be told their marriage would never work.
The blurb made this story sound funnier than what it is, and as with any story you read there is a take away this one is communication is key. In a way, this story reminded me of a Christmas story about a couple who had no money to purchase gifts for the other, they sold their prized possessions in order to purchase each other gifts that no longer matter. This story is chock full of reminiscent tales.
Rosie Vega is far from living the life she thought she’d have when she married her high school sweetheart 10 years ago. Working in a department store selling perfume and being completely ignored by her husband, except for Tuesday nights, isn’t working for her anymore, she decides it’s time to get her life back on track. The first step though is packing a suitcase and getting some space from her husband. Dominic Vega is loving Rosie the only way he knows how by providing for her and taking care of her with actions she doesn’t even notice. Feeling blindsided, to say the least, by his wife’s confession he’s not sure what to do, but he’ll do anything to get her back, including talking about his feelings with an old hippie.
This is such an incredible book. I absolutely adore it. I loved reading about a married couple, even though the marriage was failing, where no one was unfaithful. It was so realistic in how you can just co-exist together without having any real interaction, you’re comfortable to the point you almost don’t notice each other, and all of the feelings that eventually come up. Two chapters in and my heart was aching for them, but part of me was really irritated with Dominic thinking that he could win her back with nothing but sex initially, how he kept pushing it, I was so glad to see Rosie stand her ground. It was almost beautiful to see both Rosie and Dominic evolve and do the work, but it wasn’t without it’s setbacks. Even though based on a failing marriage, it definitely had moments of comic relief. This is such an amazing, well-written book, I’m so excited to see Bethany and Wes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.