Contemporary romance | Reviews

Review: Worked Up by Tessa Bailey

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Worked Up by Tessa BaileyWorked Up by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #3
Published by Entangled: Brazen on August 1st 2016
Pages: 186
Buy on Amazon USBuy on Amazon UKBuy on KoboBuy on itunesBuy on B&N
GoodreadsDNF

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. 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?

DNF at 41%

I’m going to keep it simple.

I tired guys I really did. I read the first two chapters stopped because I wasn’t feeling it and forced myself again a few days later when I felt like I was in a good mood unfortunately it still wasn’t working for me. I have enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s books, I mean the woman can write some sizzling chemistry and a marriage of convenience with very inconvenient attraction trope is usually very fun to read but unfortunately I just didn’t feel any connection to the characters or them as a couple. 

The first couple of chapters, it came across as very YAish even though they were both in their mid twenties and thirties. Their behaviour and antics especially Sam’s at the start felt just for the lack of a better word, werid. Her internal monologue and dialogue did get a bit better but it still didn’t feel right. I just felt no chemistry between them, I felt awkward reading their scenes which made everything that was supposed to be sexy and the whole dirty talk as very un-sexy and uncomfortable.

Another thing was the whole dialogue that Duke made about Sam flirting with guys at the supermarket….I was very annoyed by that. It was maddening…

Every time I got slight bit comfortable in the story something happened that took me really out of it. 

Other people have really enjoyed this so do give it a try and see what you think. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t for you. 

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 eight years and four-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.