Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can t deny his protective instincts.Samantha Waverly s brother just put her in an impossible situation. … impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke for show, of course. She doesn t make promises she knows too well how easily they can be broken and this is no exception.
As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha s marriage is only for show or is it?
Each book in the Made in Jersey series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Crashed Out
Book #2 Thrown Down
Book #3 Worked Up
Book #4 Wound Tight
”more
This book…was so so good. Duke Crawford and Samantha Waverly made it the best. Tessa Bailey invented the PMB, a.k.a the pouty man beard with this book. Duke was such a sweetheart and really really hot. He reminded me of a big, cuddly teddy bear with alpha tendencies. And Sam was so funny. She used to make up these really smart jokes that would make you smile.
Omg! I absolutely loved how protective Duke is to Samantha. I’m currently working on all of Tessa’s titles that I own and have not read and I miss how much Tessa writes her dirty talking heroes.
After reading and loving ‘Too close to call’ from this writer, I really wanted to read another one of her books and ‘Worked up’ was another book of her that I had on my TBR pile. And I can honestly say that this book of Tessa Bailey was again a joy to read. Although ‘Worked up’ is the third book in the ‘Made in Jersey’ series you don’t really have to read the other books first to read this one. It can be read as a standalone.
One of the things that I really appreciated in this book was the fact that the man character Duke wasn’t a millionaire or a billionaire. He was also not extremely handsome nor did he have a six pack abs. No, he was just an average guy (well, he was big and had muscular thighs). And that, for me, felt like a breeze of fresh air. And he worked as a mechanic in a factory. I just loved it!
‘Worked up’ isn’t a slow burn story. No! It’s more the opposite, it’s more a fast burn story. But I was just in the mood for one and the intensity and the feel in this story make up for the fast pace. At first Duke seems like a grumpy man but the more you get to know him the more you can see his ‘caring’ heart under that grumpy shield of his. I also liked Samantha very much. I liked the way how she saw the outside world (and Duke), I think that most people would call it naïve but I would call it innocently. The story is told from both POV’s.
If you’re looking for a quick read with an intense, growly man and a sweet woman, who have a great chemistry together, then you have to read this.
My favorite characters are Duke and Sam! This book is so perfect!
Did you hear about the author who killed it with her book?
The readers are tearing through the pages!
OK, that’s a bad pun, but this book, will seriously hurt you with all the feels.
Duke and Samantha are up there on my list of Bailey favorite couples. I have several, but they jumped the scale and are way up there. Two commitment phobes who find each other? Genius. But it’s not just that, it’s how chemically attracted they are. How there’s an immediate need to connect with someone. It’s about how love truly is magic.
Worked Up (third in the Made in Jersey series) has what I look for in a story:
Heart
Heat
Humor
But Ms. Bailey added a new “H” to the mix, it’s humanistic. Both characters present qualities that we look for not only in a fictional characters, but in real life ones as well.
Did I love this story? That’s an understatement. I want to pack my bags, move to Hook, New Jersey and see if I can find my own Duke. A Pouty Man Bear in the midst.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the main characters and the introduction to secondary characters who will also have their own stories to tell. This was my first book in this series. I will go back to read the two preceding books and have already read the next book.