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
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Tools of Engagement was great. It’s funny, sexy, smoking hot and has heart. I loved watching Bethany and Wes fall for each other. I loved their banter and watching them stumble through all that was thrown at them. I definitely recommend this book.
Copy provided by publisher through Edelweiss
This book was utterly delightful. I adored both characters, their chemistry and the banter they shared. Bethany and Wes provide you with plenty of chuckles, swoons and heart melting moments as their story unfolds. The book is well written and flows beautifully. A clever and potent blend of emotions, charm, drama, sweetness, humor, heat and heart will quickly grab your attention and have you swept up into these characters, their lives and their blossoming romance. I have not had the pleasure of reading the previous books in the series and that is a downright shame that I am to rectify ASAP!! I will be honest and say that if you have not read the previous books you do feel a bit out of the loop but you also feel intrigued enough to want to go back and check them out. So, whether you decide to start at the beginning or just want to jump right in, I highly recommend this book. This is my objective, freely posted review.
Wes Davis, age 23, has found himself responsible for his 5-year-old niece, Laura. Laura’s parents have split up and left her in his care. Wes is a single man used to hanging around making money rodeo riding to keep himself in bar money. Now his life is turned upside down with all the things he must provide for Laura. He has found a construction job at a local company Brick and Morty. A local group of woman called the Just Us League has started bringing meals to them and offering babysitting for Laura. The League’s organizer is Bethany Castle and Wes can’t help but be attracted to her.
Bethany is a professional stager for her family’s company, Brick and Morty. Now, she is determined to try her hand at the physical side of flipping a house, but her brother, CEO of the company doesn’t approve. So, she informs her brother that she quits with Wes joining her and off they go to fix up a house.
When the press gets wind of this, they find themselves pitted against her brother on a TV show called the Great Flip Off. With a couple of local retired helpers and their own limited knowledge, they bravely head into the project.
There is a lot of oneupmanship in this book some of which is cute but with so much of it, it becomes overdone. I’m sure that readers will enjoy the humor and there’s a lot of that. So, enjoy the ride.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3-3.25 stars. This book was kind of a miss for me. I have enjoyed every book I have read by Tessa Bailey. Her characters’ chemistry is always amazing. Unfortunately, I felt this book was lacking in the chemistry department. Tools of Engagement is Bethany and Wes’s book. Bethany is a house stager for her family’s construction/home flipping company. Wes works for the company as a construction worker and is temporarily taking care of his young niece. Bethany decides to buy her own home to flip to prove herself to her family and Wes jumps at the chance to help her. The two butt heads but have an attraction to each other, despite Wes being younger than Bethany. Sparks fly between them and they fall in love.
This story was not bad and I was mostly entertained by it, but I just didn’t love it. I found the chemistry lacking and the story a little boring at times. I didn’t like Bethany very much. Her rudeness to Wes, and the fact that she acted like she thought she was better than him, rubbed me the wrong way. Overall, I have to say this is my least favorite book by Ms. Bailey. Still, it was not a bad book. It’s just that she has set the bar so high with her other excellent books. But I still enjoy her books and look forward to whatever she comes up with next.
4.5 ‘Zellweger to my Cruise’ Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Romantic comedy filled with chemistry and feels. Age-gap enemies to lovers who “secretly” want each other. House renovation competition between siblings. An adorable kid. A hot alpha falling in love. A woman finding her strength. Do I need to continue stating the reasons I loved this book? Because I think I can go on and on! I was highly expecting Tools of Engagement and, of course, Tessa Bailey DELIVERED. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, this crew of characters and I am really sad to say goodbye to them. Thank God we still have re-reads! lol
So, Tools of Engagement is the third and final book in Tessa’s Hot and Hammered series, which follows a group of girl friends who bond while going through different stages in life. It’s time for Bethany Castle to find her own happiness and who better than Wes Daniels to give it to her? Bethany wants to take the next step in her career and that happens when she starts renovating her first project without the looming shadow of her brother around. But that takes a turn when a reality TV gets in the mix and she is “forced” to spend time with Wes, who is decided to help with the whole reformation.
Men and women and their mind games. Hell, he despised that shit, and yet, look at him and Bethany. They danced around each other with insults, making a big show of being incompatible when Christ knew that was the furthest thing from the truth.
I think I loved the three books of the series on the same level but for very different reasons. I don’t know but since this is the last one I think I especially loved Tools of Engagement because I was enjoying every moment with these characters. I wasn’t expecting the surprise with Bethany Castle. She portrays to be this perfect woman who always takes the bull by the horns but she actually isn’t (not all the time). I related so much to her, with her need to keep up appearances when sometimes the situations are not helping. I loved how Tessa developed her strength and how it grew with the relationship Bethany shares with Wes and his niece Laura.
“Just know once you’ve got my tongue in your mouth, you’re going to feel my lack of fucks that you’re thirty and I’m twenty-three. Those seven years don’t mean a damn thing to me…” He trailed his open lips along her jaw. “If anything, they’ll make us moan a little louder, won’t they, darlin’?”
Obviously, the hero is as amazing as the heroine. I am a sucker for a protective alpha who adores his family and Wes is exactly that. Seven years younger than Bethany (not that he cares and I loved him for it) he is changing his life around to give stability to his adorable niece. All of that responsibility comes together while he is highly attracted to Bethany, trying to help her with the renovations and her insecurities. And all of that simply works. The connection and chemistry between this couple just burns the pages and it was impossible for them (and me as a reader) not to fall desperately in love.
“I’m standing right here and I’m staying right here. There is nothing you or anyone could do to make me want to be somewhere I couldn’t hold you.”
Therefore, I am rating Tools of Engagement with 4.5 STARS because it was the perfect conclusion to this series. I loved these characters and their love stories. I really, really enjoyed this last one and the beautiful, steamy and just wonderful connection between Bethany and Wes (and Laura!). I loved seeing all this crew again and I am really sad to say goodbye to them. I am loving this light and funny side of Tessa Bailey and I am sure she will continue giving us more of her talented mind. If you enjoy sexy romcoms, you do not want to miss this series!
I love this series so much, the Just Us League is a thing of beauty. But whoever classified these as romantic comedy has a mean sense of humour. There are some laugh out loud moments, generally when I am caught unaware and emit one of those snort laugh things that has the dog looking at me like I’m nuts. But these stories have so much depth and the characters are so human and flawed that they made me feel all of their insecurities and worries and fears and I spent so much of the book feeling anything but laughter.
Bethany was the sort of character I can only imagine, I am so far from that A type personality that reading her thoughts made my heart hurt for her. She was perfect, in that entirely broken way every human is. And I loved that Tessa wrote her warts and all, but more, I love that Tessa lead her to showing her warts to everyone that loved her.
Although seriously if Wes were chasing after me wanting to hold all my broken pieces and whispering dirty nothings in my ear, I’d probably show him whatever he wanted. Because damn was Wes mature beyond his young years. And getting to know him and see where life had taken him, I just loved him even more.
Of course Laura was an absolute star and no one could help but fall in love with her. She was perfectly age appropriate and I enjoyed watching her worm her way into everyone’s hearts and make them want to be better people for her. Hopefully this isn’t the end of our Just Us League members stories because I have had so much fun watching them support each other to pursue their dreams.
This is book #3 in the Hot & Hammered series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader to enjoy and avoid spoilers, I would recommend reading the series in order.
Bethany likes to have her life in order. She prides herself on the ability to be the best at what she does. Then the one man who can spin her whole life out of control is the one who volunteers to help her when it counts.
Wes is glad to have a good job and be appreciated. He also has been trying to get Bethany to go out with him for so long. Now they must work together and dating and more is off the table. Better to help her get her business off the ground.
This story was a slow burn. The attraction between the characters is obvious from the beginning. The book picks up pace, and so does the main characters. Then they are invited to do more and add humor, and well I cannot spoil it.
***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publishers.
This series has been such a wonderful bright spot over the last year and a half! I’ve enjoyed each story individually, and as a series it is just stellar. Bethany and Wes closed out the series perfectly!
Bethany Castle is 30, and she’s an anxious mess, but you would never know it to look at her, which is just how she likes it. Everything has to be just so: her look, her persona, her car, her house, and her job. She’s been on a man hiatus for the last few months, as her track record with men is definitely NOT perfect. She works for the family business, a renovation company, and she stages the houses that her brother and his crew flip. But lately she’s been wanting to run her own flip, and no one is taking her seriously. So, she’s decided to strike out on her own and do it herself. When she tells her brother about it, on a job site, one of the crew, Wes Daniels, pulls a Zellweger (from Jerry Maguire) and says he’ll go with her. She’s shocked because all they’ve ever done since they met is snipe at each other.
Wes Daniels has come to Port Jefferson, from Texas, to take care of his 5-year-old niece, after his younger half-sister called to tell him she needed “a break”. He’s only 23 and has never had anything of permanence in his life, from foster care, to the rodeo circuit. It has been a month now, and he hasn’t heard from his sister and he’s starting to worry. But luckily his niece Laura seems happy with him there, and he’s found a job in construction, where he’s met the goddess known as Bethany Castle. He wants her, and he finds their sniping to be foreplay. When he decides to go with her to run her house flip, he’s surprised to find that she thought they really didn’t like each other, and she can’t believe that he wants to help her. He needs to figure out how to get her to take his help, and his interest, seriously, and discount their age difference!
Wes and Bethany’s chemistry has jumped off the page since book 2 when they first met. I absolutely loved their banter and quips, and they both gave as good as they got. But it was so interesting getting into their heads and seeing how differently they thought about their interactions, and what they were leading to. Bethany is a bit hung up on their age difference, but that was mostly because Wes teased her about it at first, not realizing he was digging his own grave. Once he figured out it actually bothered her, he did a great job of letting her know it really didn’t mean anything to him. They really learned how to communicate and work together well, at work, and when they were alone, or with Laura.
The side characters here were mostly from the prior 2 books, and I adored seeing them all again! They bring so much joy and laughter with them, especially Georgie, and I loved seeing her and Travis get married! There were also some new side characters that came from the reality show subplot, which all started with meeting the producer at Georgie’s wedding, and her getting wind of the Castle family rivalry and wanting to film their house flips. That plot was fun and engaging, and I loved the new crew members that Wes picks up at the hardware store. Those 2 retirees were hilarious with their complaining.
I was a bit stressed out every time I was in Bethany’s head, as she was so high strung. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be so anxious and constantly pressuring yourself to perfection, which is always unattainable. It was clearly exhausting for her, and I was so thrilled when she started to learn how unnecessary it was. Her friends and family loved her no matter what. Meanwhile Wes was always feeling that everything in life was just ephemeral, and not meant to last, as nothing ever had for him before. He couldn’t imagine actually staying in Port Jeff with Laura, or with Bethany, until he realized there was no where else for him to be, but with these people he loves.
I really loved both of these characters so much, and watching them fall for each other was just the best. This book was such a delight, and as always for Tessa, Wes was a master of dirty talk, and the way he and Bethany interacted together was HOT, and so often funny too. I laughed out loud quite a few times! I highly recommend this book, and this entire series. I’m sad to see it end.
Bethany Castle is the queen of appearances, designing and staging beautiful and much-desired homes for her family’s construction business. She’s given up on dating, however, as her need for perfection always seems to lead her to self-sabotage before any guy can get too close to seeing her flaws. She’s decided to try her hand at doing a house flip on her own, but her older brother, Stephen, who runs the company, doesn’t take her desire seriously.
To make matters worse, a TV producer hears of this bit of sibling rivalry and decides to make the flip into a competitive reality show between Bethany and Stephen. Bethany wants to prove herself and win but has only one man on her crew: Wes Daniels, newly arrived in their small town to care for his niece. Wes has gotten under Bethany’s skin since she met him, and the confident young Texan is the last thing she needs underfoot.
Working in close quarters on a hurried flip, the back and forth sniping between Bethany and Wes rapidly heats into more. These two soon find common ground and Bethany finds herself falling for Wes and sending her well-ordered life into messy chaos.
I adored this book! I was unsure about this one at first because Bethany could be pretty awful to Wes at times and he didn’t deserve it. But the more Wes peeled back her shiny veneer to the real insecurities beneath, the more relatable Bethany became. I’m definitely an overthinker as well and Wes handled that anxiety so beautifully in this book that my heart just melted. Wes was just the perfect hero. He was capable, competent, adorable with his niece, a master of dirty talk, protective, and so decisive and honest about his intentions with Bethany. He was also vulnerable at times too and that was lovely. I only wish we’d gotten just a little bit more of Bethany being there for Wes and making him feel like he belonged too. Of course, this was implied and shown a bit in the end, but I would’ve loved just a bit more on the page. Either way, I loved how open Wes was with Bethany and how he refused to let her fall back into her destructive old habits with relationships. Even their fights were quickly resolved, and I loved that maturity and the emphasis on choosing each other even when things are tough and it’s not all smooth sailing. I also loved how they both made each other such a priority and were so honest about their feelings. Wes has raised the bar for heroes and these two were my favorite couple of the series for sure (even though I haven’t yet read Fix Her Up).
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Bethany wants to strike out on her own when it comes to renovating and staging houses. When she announces so to her brother, his top worker, Wes, jumps ship to help her out. He hasn’t spent the past few months watching her from afar for nothing. But when things take a turn and they find themselves put on a very short deadline, can they take this total gut job and prove Bethany has what it takes in the remodeling world?
I’m always amazed when I check on other reviews before I write my own and people aren’t swooning over the book the way I have. True, Bethany’s character facilitated between sassy and insecure, but the standards we set for ourselves become deeply rooted in us, and in the competitive environment she grew up in with her brother didn’t help. In her way of thinking, if she doesn’t let Wes get close, he won’t want more, which is good because then he would see her flaws. Wes is amazing. He’s had such a rough childhood, and he’s constantly running away. But he’s a good man because of how rough things were in the past.
Bailey writes fantastic characters and anyone who has read her books knows she’s the queen of *hot and steamy*. She had me laughing and swooning within the span of a few chapters. I love this couple and Tools of Engagement is a perfect addition to the series. 5-fiery hot stars. Thank you, HarperCollins Publishers, for sending this along!
4.5 Fun & Swoony Stars!
This third book in Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series is a swoony enemies to lovers/age gap romance that will melt your heart. Bethany Castle works for the family construction business staging and decorating homes to sell. She has wanted to run her own flip but her brother never takes her seriously. Now she needs to do something drastic and the last person she expects to have her back is the sexy, way too young for her, Wes Daniels. Bethany is a perfectionist who worked hard at faking having it all together, and hiding her flaws. It scared her that he saw the real her and all her imperfections. She never let anyone in, but Wes had a way of easing her tension and making her feel secure. Wes grew up in foster homes and always had to be prepared to move on. He is in town temporarily taking care of his adorable little niece, Laura, until his sister gets her life together. Bethany is perfection in his eyes, and he never thought he could have a chance with her. So he loved to provoke her and get under her skin, the way she got under his. Their banter was their foreplay, and the sexual tension was explosive. But they made a good team, not only working on the house, but figuring out how to take care of Laura. But how can Bethany let Wes in if he is ready to leave at any moment? I loved Bethany and Wes together, they were opposites who made each other better. I totally swooned over how sweet, and patient Wes was with both Laura and Bethany. I really liked the fun reality show storyline too. I have really enjoyed this whole series especially this quirky, heartwarming, and steamy romance.
Another extraordinary story by Tessa Bailey. Her stories are always so good. Never able to put them down. She gives readers exactly what they want and keeps them coming back for more. Tools of Engagement is a story like no other. Each book in the series is amazing but she saved the best for last. Bethany and Wes are perfect. Bethany on the outside seems perfect. Always put together but in reality just like everyone else. Not perfect. She tries to appear perfect so no one can see that she is indeed human. Wes doesn’t even know what it is to grow up in one home. He has been in numerous foster homes and has never felt part of a family. He is the only man who sees beneath Bethany’s layers. Yet he doesn’t judge her nor run. Rather he stays and helps her to accept that no one is perfect but she is the entire package if only she would let go and see the good she has to offer.
Caring for his 5 year old niece gives Wes that feeling of family and what it is to be loved. Instead of looking to run back to where he came from he is ready to stay and set down roots. As long as Bethany and Laura are there to share it with him.
There isn’t a story written by Tessa Bailey that I have not loved and Tools of Engagement is no different. A true 5 star read.
4.5 stars
Bethany Castle presents like she has the picture-perfect life where everything is always in order whether it be her outfits, her home, the houses she stages, or how she looks like she handles everything. But she hides the strong anxiety, panic attacks, OCD tendencies, and fear of failure from those around her. She appears to be cold and unaffected, and she is strong-willed and bossy. But that hides her fears and insecurities. She is not getting much fulfillment from her career anymore and needs more of a challenge and excitement to fill the void. So she has been trying to get the courage to take on her own flip house since her brother refuses to help her.
Wes Daniels is new to town. A younger, former rodeo cowboy, he now finds himself taking care of his five-year-old niece, working construction, and relying on the help of virtual strangers (led by Bethany’s Just Us League). He has never really had a constant home or security and considers himself a rolling stone. He is cocky, charming, sarcastic, and flirty. And he is just as stubborn and bossy as she is.
These two have been antagonistic since day one. Their sparring is flirty, fiery, snarky, and kind of like foreplay. And he is the only man to stand up for her when it comes time to take on her own flip.
Now these two enemies with unresolved sexual tension are having to rely on each other in close quarters while they have unexpected eyes on them as they find themself in a TV reality show war. And they begin to see the cracks in the other’s veneer. They start getting dirty and things begin to get hot and heavier. But they are both terrified or a real relationship or feelings. He was never supposed to stay. She is afraid to be found lacking again. She pushes him away only for him to realize that maybe this time he wants to stick. And he challenges her to mess up her life and realize she does not have to be perfect for people to care. It is not only about rebuilding a house, but also their own sense of self-worth and realizing that some things are worth fighting for.
This is a witty, emotional, sexy, enemies-to-lovers story with a bit of an age gap. This is my favorite installment of this series that brings back her siblings Georgie and Stephen and their significant others, as well as their friends Rosie and Dominic. I liked seeing the characters start to break down and show their vulnerability and inner strength, as well as how the community wants to help them. Bethany especially needed someone who could see her flaws, accept them, and at times handle her for her own good. And Wes had a need to be wanted and needed and to just belong somewhere. His niece, Laura was a sweetheart, and seeing them interact with her was heartwarming. It is a wonderful ending to this series about rebuilding lives, holding onto love, and finding a home.
Wes was helluva sexy! Younger guy, single parent, laid back, dirty talker…he catches your attention and doesn’t let go! Bethany was his polar opposite, older woman, perfectionist/ ice princess demeanor, but I liked when the layers peeled back to expose her feelings and make her more relatable.
Tools of Engagement was a cute and very sizzling read! I haven’t read the first two books in the series, but I’m curious about the other couples now!
I won an advance reader copy from Avon books and this is my honest review.
3.5/4 STARS
I loved the whole series, Wes is amazing and Bethany, so… well, Beth!
I enjoyed this book, but if I had a “but”, maybe I’d say I expected a little more naughty/filthy moments (I mean, we’re talking about Tessa Bailey lol).
But still, Wes and Beth are amazing together, he seemed to be the only one who really “sees” the real her and manages to break down her walls.
I also loved Laura and of course all the scenes with the others couples
Humor, angst and passion, a great I totally recommend the series!
***ARC kindly provided by author via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review***
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“She’d truly started trusting herself. And now she never questioned her ability to love or be loved. Love wasn’t perfect. Well, some days it was. Other time, it was just muddling through . . . they did what worked and the result was wild, chaotic, beautiful happiness.”
I loved the banter that started Bethany and Wes off in Lose Her or Loose Her (Rosie and Dominic’s story) and could not wait for these two to get their own story! Tools of Engagement is a heartfelt, witty, laugh-out-loud, delightful enemies-to-lovers, super steamy romantic comedy you won’t want to set down.
I cannot believe this is the Hot & Hammered series finale! I adored all the characters some were so relatable, like Bethany and their stories filled with love, friends, humor, empowerment. I truly hope we’ll get to see them all again in the future that’s what great reads do: have you wishing for more.
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book! It’s a really cute story that is equal parts sweet, steamy and fun. On the surface Bethany and Wes don’t seem like they could possibly fit, but like I said, that is just surface. Truth is, despite his alpha sort of cocky demeanor, Wes has the biggest heart and is just the sweetest man. He is 7 years younger than Bethany, and she seems to be the one having a problem with that, so she just can’t understand why he would be interested in her and doesn’t really believe he is. She is a 30 year old woman who comes off as having everything together, but underneath she is slowly unraveling. Wes usually doesn’t stick to one place for long but is there to take care of his niece Laura who is in kindergarten. Bethany is branching off on her own no longer satisfied with working with her brother on house flips. Once she and Wes start working together everything else just falls into place (sometimes literally). Well, that may be making it sound easy, when it was anything but. I love their journey to a very satisfying HEA. This story is a great addition to this series.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
Tessa Bailey has quickly become an auto-buy for me as I wade my way through her backlist. I adored Georgie’s story in Fix Her Up and was so thrilled to have a chance to read the newest addition to the Hot and Bothered series! Tools of Engagement gripped me right away. I am a sucker for enemies-to-lovers paired with forced-proximity. Adding in an age-gap, older heroine for good measure, and I’m absolutely pushing my TBR to the side to get my paws on the book. Those tropish delights delivered with Bailey’s humor and heart had me reading late into the night and closing the book with a happy, if wistful, sigh. I didn’t want to let Wes and Bethany go to be honest.
Wes was absolutely the sweetest uncle and beyond that, has his own issues from languishing in the foster care system as a child. His absolutely charming personality had just a hint of vulnerability that absolutely hooked me, and I don’t normally find myself falling for fictional (or real) cowboys. Bethany’s obsessive tendencies and severe anxiety under the perfectly cultivated mask of perfection made her an authentic, relatable character for me. Bailey’s descriptions of her anxiety, in particular, felt uncomfortably familiar. Both were lovable on their own and a pleasure to cheer for. Of course, the insane chemistry between the two doesn’t hurt.
I’m talking fire-alarm hot tension that had me blushing. The back-and-forth nips and jabs are a fascinating form of foreplay for Wes and Bethany. I do think Wes could use a bit of sprucing up with his dirty talk but it was easy to forgive given the chemistry between them.
I do think the pacing could have slowed a bit to allow a bit more time during the flip. I would have loved to see more of Bethany getting her hands dirty rather than just references to it after the fact. I am happy to report that Kristin, Bethany’s sister-in-law, is just as unhinged as ever. I am always torn between amusement and horror when she pulls nonsense on Stephen.
My highlight for this book has to be the “Just Us” club. The idea of a club with little to no drama, (Kristin’s self-created nonsense doesn’t count) creating a community of supportive women. A place for dreams to be willed into existence and they each lend what expertise they can hits me right in the feels. I absolutely love the concept!
Overall, Tools of Engagement was a wonderful, light-hearted read with some scorching chemistry. While I wish we had a bit more of the “house flip” construction included for Bethany’s growth, I was absolutely engaged and invested in Wes and Bethany’s happiness. If you are looking for an exceptional balance between humor, and angsty emotion then I highly recommend this contemporary romance.
CW: Bethany’s anxiety could be triggering for some, so please read with care.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I fell in love with Georgie and Travis, then I fell harder for Rosie and Dominic, but Bethany and Wes stole my heart and knocked me on my butt. I am not sure I have ever related to a heroine as much as I relate to Bethany. Especially during this time of life (i.e. COVID-19, Social Media etc.), when we are trying to do it all and keep it all together and see social media perfection all over the place. It was incredibly real to read about a character who looks like she has it all together but is overthinking everything on the inside.
Wes is all action and bravado he turns into confidence. His dedication and determination to support and take care of the people in his life is so admirable. He really sees Bethany in a way no one has before and my heart just about burst in two reading their story. They have a fiery chemistry and witty banter but also a softness and a sweetness between them that I couldn’t get enough of.
Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors and this book only reinforces that fact!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily give my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read early!
That said, I was SO EXCITED to read Wes and Bethany’s story! I loved this series so much and as amazing as the first 2 were, I think Tessa save the best for last!
Wes and Bethany broke my heart over and over and their happily ever after moment was heartwarming!
Funny, sweet and scorching hot, Tools of Engagement was almost impossible to put down! You do not want to miss this book, or this series!