Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey Series: Hot & Hammered #2
Published by Avon on January 14, 2020
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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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, 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 hippy. 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.
I have no idea why there aren’t more romances featuring married couples, but Love Her or Lose Her proves that you don’t have to be single to have a passionate love life.
Rosie and Dominic were once madly in love, but they have succumbed to complacency and insecurities and now find themselves at a turning point in their marriage. I’ve been married a very long time so I’m well acquainted with some of the challenges Rosie and Dominic face. The book definitely has an air of authenticity.
Rosie is the one who wants out of the marriage, but happily the story avoids making Dominic a one-dimensional insensitive jerk. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loves Rosie desperately, but he is clueless about her needs. He is willing to do whatever it takes to save their relationship, though. I really enjoyed how love languages – the different ways we show love – are explored.
I have no objection to the book as a whole, but the story really drags. Halfway through it’s fairly clear what Dominic and Rosie’s issues are as well which behaviors need to change. That leaves a great deal of repetitive thoughts and discussions. I had to fight the urge to skim the second half. I liked Rosie and Dominic but despite their sizzling chemistry, I didn’t find either character to be particularly interesting. This was a nice, but not great, read for me.
** I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. **
About Tessa Bailey
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of ten years and six-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
I’m sorry you felt like this one dragged. I really enjoyed it. It just felt so different and important to me.
I suspect I’m the odd man out on this one. There are other books with troubled marriages that impacted me more.