In Tessa Bailey’s latest rom-com, two enemies team up to flip a house… and the sparks between them might burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore!
Hair, makeup, clothing, decor… everything in Bethany Castle’s world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family’s real estate business are the most coveted in town. … business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She’s on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.
When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother’s construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany’s skin on day one, and the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.
As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It’s a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany’s perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.
“Her voice feels as fresh and contemporary as a Netflix rom-com.” —Entertainment Weekly
more
Wes is young, but he knows what he wants in life. He’s mature and easy going, despite being saddled with heavy responsibilities he’d not really prepared to handle. Bethany has had everything she’s needed and wanted in life, except for a sense of security. She has trust issues, and isn’t sure a younger man is reliable—that any man is reliable. It’s going to be a complicated relationship when they meet.
It was a steamy and interesting read, watching as Wes and Bethany attempt to work through their issues. They take two steps forward and one step backward. On the construction front, they work well together, on the personal level, they have some problems. As they work side by side to flip a house on national television, competing against her brother Stephen, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
My favorite character in this book was little Laura. She’s Wes’ niece, and he has unofficial custody of her. It was lovely to see how Bethany’s entire family and her friends joined to welcome Laura. It was also lovely to see how everyone pulled together to help Bethany when she thought she was all alone. Her brother Stephen proved himself a complete pain, until he steps up and does the right thing.
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my favorite in this series, but it was entertaining. For those who have issues with crude language, this might not be the book for you.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
“Oh, hey. She never made that sound before. It was adorable and feminine and he’d let her watch him dust the hat off if she made that noise again, “Yes, it is. It’s entirely different,” he managed finally. “And Jesus, look at you. Turned on by the idea of proper hat storage.”
“Listen, she said “I do the same thing with my Louboutin’s.”
This is the first book in this series that I have read. Honestly, I think it’s the first I have read from Tessa Bailey. It says that it can be read as a stand-alone. But from what I have read is that all of the books in this series stars a new couple. But the character’s do show up in the other books. This book was ok. It’s a has a nice touch with the comedy. It adds to the book to stay interested just to see what other smart remark will be said next to push someone’s buttons. The book has a feel of the instant fall in love feel. Which I am not a huge fan of. But in the end, it was a well written book. Likeable characters and set at a good pace. Happy reading everyone!!
This book is my favorite in the Hot and Hammered series. I loved the chemistry from the jump and the fact that the book is based on flipping a house was so fun. I also saw a bit of my own tendencies portrayed in Bethany and could connect with her.
I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t finish it. I don’t have a problem with the older woman/younger man trope, but this didn’t work. I didn’t ever really feel like there was a relationship between them. It’s like they went from having sex to being in love instantly. Wes likes to aggravate her, which I guess is like when you’re kids and a boy pulls your hair because he likes you. Bethany has issues, and although I get people struggle with anxiety daily, this became exhausting reading her thoughts constantly. I thought Bethany wanting to prove to her family that she could do more than stage a home was going to be awesome. What really happened was she had NO CLUE what she was doing and I could understand why her family only let her stage homes. Could she learn? Absolutely. Should that have been stuff she knew before stomping off in a huff? Yes, yes it should. This was a first for me from this author, and although I didn’t love this one, I will be reading her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
Read in one day. When reading Fix Her Up and Love Her or Lose Her, I was wanting Bethany’s story.
Sibling rivalry at it’s best! Tools of Engagement was such a delight to read and listen to, especially since I love home improvement shows. The book draws you in with the characters and you feel like you’re watching a reality show. A delightful RomCom that you’ll make you want to read the entire series all over again. It also might just inspire you to do some home improvements of your own. The audiobook for this was amazing to listen to, it perfectly brought the characters to life and made it that much more enjoyable for the reader.
Tools of Engagement
By Tessa Bailey
This is book three of the Hot And Hammered series and really enjoyed this fantastic hot and spicy romcom read. I always loved watching shows about house flipping, house renovations, and HGTV so this was a fun read for me.
In this installment, the story is focused on Bethany who wants to flip houses on her own. I love that Bethany is the older woman in the relationship with Wes, the new young guy in town. The writing of their characters were spot on and I did enjoy the banter and the chemistry.
This was a fantastic end to the trilogy. Enjoyed these a lot.
Fun, hot and full of heart. I smiled from start to finish!
Heroine : Bethany Castle stages houses for her family’s real estate business. To the outside world she’s organized, poised, perfect and cold. Inwardly she has doubts and insecurities which block her from developing meaningful relationships.
Hero : Wes Daniels is the new guy on Bethany’s brother’s construction crew. He’s seven years her junior, with a self-assured southern drawl and a sexy cowboy hat who got under Bethany’s skin from day one.
Plot/Pace : Bethany wants the autonomy to flip a house on her own, but her brother won’t let her until a reality TV producer hears of their competitiveness and invites them on “Flip Off” where the winner gets the bragging rights. She only needs one thing: a construction crew, and that’s when Wes decides to do a Zellweger and make the first crack on Bethany’s high walls.
Sexiness : The attraction between Bethany and Wes is apparent. What makes this story so steamy hot is the chase between them. Bethany was reluctant while Wes was relentless. Being forced to work together also compels them to open up to one another and when the time comes, the two are explosive.
Feels : I feel head over heels for Wes. He was beyond perfect. Coming in to take care of his niece when she needed him most and know just how to help Bethany emotionally made my ovaries explode again and again. I love both their growth but mostly his.
Facts: Tools of Engagement is book 3 of the Hot & Hammered series by author Tessa Bailey. Told from both points of view with a happy ending. Standalone. Tropes: contemporary romance | enemies to lovers | work romance | HGTV.
Tools of Engagement was such a fun read! I soon discovered it is book 3 in a loosely connected series (not reliant on its predecessors for plot points) which quickly gave me motivation to see if I could snag the first two books – lo and behold #1 was already on my Libby Holds shelf. Yay me!
Tessa Bailey did a great job making her characters real; they have history, depth, and are just flawed enough to be human. The story, centered around a house flip, had enough unique elements to hold my interest and enough quirky bits to have me laughing out loud a couple times (which is rare for me). The ending was sweet, but not overly so, and somewhat predictable but in a good way; I dislike unnecessary drama.
4 stars for this one, because I can see myself reading it again and probably enjoying it even more once I read the first two in the series and get a little more backstory, but without that back story I felt like something was missing.
For years Bethany Castle’s job has been adding the spectacular finishing touches on her family’s flipped houses. She has earned quite the reputation for organization, decorating, and overall style. The thing is: Bethany is ready to have a little more creative input from the beginning of the flip and not just right at the end, but her brother won’t even entertain the idea. So Bethany decides to strike out on her own. But Bethany is hiding a secret.
Bethany is super insecure. It’s one of the reasons why she pushes herself so hard to keep everything well-organized, planned out, and stylish. She knows that her family is going to be scrutinizing her new endeavor and she’s terrified that she’ll fail. And with no other help on the project, she doesn’t see how the outcome could be any different. Until Wes Daniels enters the picture.
Wes came to town to take care of his young niece while his sister is getting back on her feet. Wes has been in Bethany’s orbit since he arrived, after he took a job with her family’s home renovation business. His attraction to her hasn’t gone unnoticed, but their age difference has put a damper on things going any further than flirting. But when he sees Bethany clearly in need of some help he “pulls a Zellweger” and goes to work with Bethany.
Along the way they’ll both teach each other that mistakes aren’t truly failures and that a true partnership can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
Wes and Bethany made a huge impression in the previous book with their brief secondary appearances so I was really looking forward to their story.
What really stood out for me was learning about Bethany’s insecurities and how her compulsory perfectionism is due to the fact that she’s always trying to earn the respect of her family, always putting herself out there to be noticed for her accomplishments and ends of losing to her older brother. It was an interesting family dynamic. I felt like it was handled really well, although I would have loved more interaction between Bethany and her brother.
But I did love the interactions between Bethany and Wes. I liked how they challenged each other. Mainly, Wes challenging Bethany if I’m being honest. He has different perspectives and different lived experiences than Bethany. His childhood was spent in various foster homes. Some were good, some were not. Wes learned to count on himself and survive while Bethany grew up in one loving household with relative privilege. Wes teaches Bethany that mistakes don’t ruin something, that they’re actually an opportunity for growth and learning. Bethany, on the other hand, with some help from his niece, teach Wes about family. Whether it’s found family or blood family.
I kind of wish the age difference between Bethany and Wes was explored more. It’s touched upon the fact that there’s a seven year difference between them and Bethany is older. It’s just that with Wes’s experiences, he comes across as being older than his 23 years, so at the end of the day, I’m kind of left wondering why the age difference was even highlighted in the first place? It is used as an excuse by Bethany to initially put distance between them, but I feel like a simpler explanation of the fact that she’s taking a break from men having had some recent bad relationships is a plausible enough reason (and another that she uses). I just feel like the age thing, especially when the woman is older than the man, is such an interesting topic to explore in a relationship. Here it kind of missed the mark for me.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the read. It pretty much met the anticipation from the previous book, and I enjoyed seeing the three women come together a lot more. It was an overall feel-good read.
4.5 stars! really love this series! Wes and Bethany’s banter and hate to love was amazing. While I still think Rosie’s story is my favorite, this one is number two. They both had so many struggles to overcome and they did it (mostly) together. I felt for Wes the most though. This man was trying to be all the things, trying to be strong for everyone, but he has no one to just help him. The whole book, Wes tried to take things on himself, shoulder the load, be the rock, but with all of that on your back, you will eventually break.
I am so glad in the end that Bethany changed her views and she was able to have an epiphany about so many things. It is ok to not be perfect, it is ok to let them see you, the real you. These two were fire. I also loved that Steven and Bethany seemed to make up at the end. He realizes that she is something special and it made my heart happy.
Well, as much as I loved Fix Her Up, I have a new favorite! Bethany and Wes’s story was fantastic with witty banter and some steamy scenes! It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance with an age gap…7 years. Bethany is 30 and Wes is 23. While I know some people aren’t a fan of a younger man, I was okay with this one. It worked for them.u2063
u2063
We find out that Bethany isn’t exactly what she seems in this book. She’s just as insecure and all over the place as the rest of us! I loved watching her walls slowly come down as she challenged herself to be a little less perfect. Wes perfectly balanced her out and had a way of making her more at ease when her overthinking got the best of her.u2063
u2063
Wes, while 23, was mature enough to learn as he went along with his niece, Laura. Thrown into the situation of caring for a 5-year-old, I think he did pretty well. The interactions between the 2 of them were funny and sweet. Bethany also came into her own where Laura was concerned and it was nice to see this other side of her.u2063
u2063
The chemistry between Bethany and Wes was insane! You could feel it seeping off each page! They definitely had the best physical chemistry of all the couples in this series. Loved this one!u2063
As sad as I am that the Hot and Hammered series is ending, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending!
Wes and Bethany have been sniping and circling since they first met but now, when they need each other the most, they’re both surprised and not to find the other is right there ready to help!
The exploration of Bethany’s anxiety and Wes’s abandonment issues were delicately but powerfully handled and created a bond between them that made their happily ever after even more satisfying. I also loved the scenes with Laura and the happy trio!
And getting to see Travis and Gerogie’s wedding along with catching up with Rosie and Dom was so much fun! And that epilogue, loved it!
I’m excited to see what Tessa Bailey gives us next!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
I was sorry to see this be the last book of this series but I was even happier that Bethany got her HEA. Despite having many insecurities within herself as well as a lack of confidence Bethany and Wes made for one hot couple. The pair started out as enemies but over time, feelings evolved as Wes faces the challenges of becoming a guardian to his niece when having a childhood past being raised in foster care. The chemistry between the pair was off the charts and I enjoyed watching both characters grow and evolve as they both worked through their feelings and issues. I also enjoyed the return of the characters from the previous books in this series. I could not get enough of this book just like this series and I would recommend it to others.
3.75 stars-TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT is the third instalment in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary, adult HOT AND HAMMERED erotic, romance series focusing on a group of friends in Port Jefferson, Long Island. This is twenty three year old construction worker Wes Daniels, and thirty year old, interior designer / house stager Bethany Castle’s story line. TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Wes and Bethany) TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT follows twenty three year old construction worker Wes Daniels, and thirty year old, interior designer / house stager Bethany Castle. Wes Daniels is currently raising his half-sister’s five year old daughter Laura and doesn’t have time for a personal relationship but his back and forth, tempestuous relationship with his best friend’s sister Bethany finds Wes hoping for something more. Bethany is an interior designer, a home stager who works for her brother’s house flipping business but a business she is hoping to step out on her own. Hiring Wes Daniels as her construction foreman may be good for business but it also pushes our couple closer together. When a television producer offers to film a reality show series featuring Bethany and her brother Stephen pitting each other against one another, all bets are off. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Bethany and Wes, and the potential fall-out as Wes’ time in Port Jefferson comes with an expiry date; and his relationship with Bethany is threatened by our heroine’s need to sabotage all of her dating relationships.
Bethany Castle is a successful home stager with issues of low self-esteem . Struggling to venture out on her own, a chance to prove she is able is threatened by her insecurities heightened by her brother’s need to push all of her buttons. Wes Daniels is currently raising his five year old niece, and the opportunity to work with Bethany Castle means a chance at his own happily ever after but Bethany continues to struggle with their age difference and the possibility of Wes’s time in Port Jefferson coming to a close.
The relationship between Wes and Bethany is an older woman/ younger man, frenemies to lovers that quickly develops into something more. As Wes and Bethany work together on the show, Bethany falls for Wes’ niece Laura, a young girl whose future with Wes is not a permanent arrangement until Wes files for temporary custody, and a home visit threatens everything and more. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top , sexually graphic language and text.
All of the previous story line couples plays secondary and supporting characters.
TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT is a story of family and friendships; rivalry and acceptance; romance and love. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is captivating and sensual; the characters are animated, colorful and energetic.
This is such a fun series! I read the first book, Fix Her Up, in one day last summer. I liked the second book, Love Her or Lose Her, less well, because it was very angsty and a little too relatable (with the couple going through marital difficulties.) This third book is a real treat!
I didn’t love the main character, Bethany, in the first couple of books because she was the type of woman who seemed to have it all together! I definitely cannot relate to that. But as we find out in Tools of Engagement, this is all a big fakeout. Bethany has a lot of anxiety about putting up a perfect front so no one knows how much of a mess she is inside. Now THIS I understand.
On the “flip” side (this will make sense once you read the story), I loved Bethany’s love interest, Wes, from the first moment I met him in a previous book in the series. The two of them are combative from the start, and there’s a lot of sexual tension bubbling under the surface of their confrontations, which makes for a really fun book! Wes is also a single “dad” who is unexpectedly raising his sister’s daughter, Laura, and the relationship that develops between the two of them, and Bethany (who also has zero experience with children), is very sweet.
This story also gives us a continuation of the stories from the couples in the first two books. I don’t know if there are more books planned in this series, but I think that there are plenty of wonderful characters in the community of Port Jefferson, New York, to write many more stories!!
Thanks for the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Tools of Engagement is sadly the third and final book in Tessa Bailey’s Hot and Hammered Series. I can not tell you how much I have loved this series. It’s not often that I come a across a series where I instantly feel the need to read the next book once I finish the one before it. From the first book, in the series, Fix Her Up, Travis and Georgie’s book, I have loved the ever perfect Bethany and the hot and cocky cowboy Wes! They are so polar opposite that they compliment each other perfectly, if that even makes any sense at all. The banter back and fourth between Bethany and Wes make you laugh out loud. The fireworks that go off when they finally come together, you can only describe as amazingly hot, steamy and screaming out loud, yes, yes, YES, please give me more!!! This was the one series, and book that was a bright light and full of laughs, and love in the otherwise uncertain 2020. If you want a laugh out loud read this is the book for you!!
That was FUN! Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey was laugh out loud funny. I don’t often giggle when I’m reading but, I couldn’t help it with this book. A word of caution, if you don’t like sex scenes, this book won’t be one for you. I think they were handled with care. They weren’t what I would call vulgar. This is after all a Rom-Com.
If you like to watch fixer uppers, design shows and whatnot, you will be drawn to this book like I was. Her characters were flawed and wonderful at the same time. I got a kick out of Wes. He called Bethany Baby and Darlin. His nod to being from Texas and living and working in Long Island, NY. Bethany is a messed up perfectionist. The two were partners in a TV flip show. There were lessons to be learned from her characters. It wasn’t all fun and games for them.
This was the third book in a series and I didn’t realize it when I picked it up. There were a couple of spots I wondered if I missed something but, when I finished the book, I noticed it was part of a series. That explained everything. It didn’t really detract from the book. Read the whole series if you have time. I think it will be worth while.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
This book made me feel seen. Tools of Engagement is a great ending to the Hot and Hammered trilogy. Wes is 23 and unattached until he finds himself in Port Jefferson, NY taking care of his niece full-time. There he meets Bethany who does everything she can to make everything appear perfect no matter how she’s feeling inside…something I relate to all too much. The two meet in the second book of this series and sparks fly instantly as messy and wild Wes clashes with perfectionist Bethany with some of the funniest dialogue. It only builds in this book. They end up working together on a project that brings them working together in close quarters and the result is spectacular.
This book is everything I have come to love from Tessa Bailey. It’s funny, sweet and hot all in one. I love all the characters and the backdrop of a house flip is just fun. I really enjoyed Tools of Engagement and could definitely see it as a re-read for me in the future. I would give this 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
4.1 stars
I am a huge fan of this author and this entire series (even though I just went back to look at my previous reviews and they aren’t here anymore and show that I haven’t even read the books even though I have and own them in paperback but that is a moot point that I will investigate later). The first book was an almost 4.5 stars and the second was 5 stars because Dominic and Rosie were EVERYTHING, but this one didn’t have that same oomph that I look for when I read this author. Don’t get me wrong, it still has that Tessa Bailey flair that she does so well. Yet, I was wanting something more.
I am not sure where the disconnect for me was considering that Wes was swoon-worthy. His actions in all aspects of his life and how he conducted himself made me want a clone of him for myself. If I had to guess, it was Bethany. There was a little too much of myself in her and maybe that is why I felt discombobulated. It hit too close to home and made me have to look at myself. Yet, even by saying that, it is a testament to this author that she can write a character that feels that authentic. Even saying that I had this disconnect with them as a couple (likely, again because I see so much of Bethany in myself and the likelihood of me getting someone like Wes is slim to none in this lifetime) I still rooted for them. There was just the right amount of poignant moments, levity, steamy times, and the notion of love coming true. It is for that reason that I am ranking my review the way that I am.
Even though this isn’t my favorite from this author I would still recommend it to every that is a fan and even those that are not. There is something special about her hence why she is a splurge whenever I go into a physical bookstore.