I think the first two sentences should be inner thoughts, and maybe the last one could have been actual dialogue because no one would say that stuff in real life.

August and Natalie bring such life to the book. The chemistry and the heat is off the charts. Both of them are likable and confident in their ways. The yearning that they present for each other is chef's kiss 🤌 The way he would talk about her plsss it would make me shut the book and stare into space with this face 🥹🥹🥹🥹 (this was when he was being cute) and then like this when he was being HAWT ASF 🤭😋😮‍💨👹😩 Huh, look at that… after a fairly bumpy road with my last tries, a Tessa Bailey book finally did it for me again. The epilogue was perfection! I don't want to spoil it, but seriously, August made me melt all over again. He would do anything for his family! You're going to love it!I couldn't get enough of the chemistry these two had. August is absolutely obsessed with his fake wife and I loved his adorable caveman ways. This man is the ultimate cinnamon role with a possessive and obsessive streak a mile long and I loved every part of him. Like Julian, August also knows exactly how to turn things up and you won't be disappointed. Mans is head over heels for her. Tho I still prefer Julian. I liked Natalie far better than Hallie. While Hallie was a bit annoying at times, Natalie is someone easy to like and understand. Tho she has a tendency to jump to conclusions without thinking.

August is a retired SEAL who is trying to fulfill the wish of his best friend who he lost during his last deployment. The problem is that he knows nothing about wine or wine making. Look, might as well warn you, I’m going to get hard.” August says this when Natalie falls into his lap.. is he going through puberty like how can he not control that??? Tessa Bailey is such a reliable author for me bc I know her books will take me out of a slump like this. Her books always scratch that itch you never knew you had. The whole night was a blur of anything but...her. The way she'd smiled. Her smoke-and-flowers scent. How he'd lost his balance the moment he saw her” august…god i need him in a way that is concerning to feminism. he’s so down bad for natalie. he’s so attentive and sensitive that i wish he was real and MINE! he so effortlessly bows at natalie’s feet. calls her princess and cooks for her. the dirty filthy things that came out of him mouth when they were doing the nasty had my jaw dropped. it’s always the sunshine characters 🤭🤭🤭

Diaries & Calendars

Their communication about their feelings for each other was done so well ugh I wanna hug this book for giving me all these things I love. The small moments were amazing and I felt everything gahhh 🦋🦋

He could still remember the moment the expression in those eyes had gone from take-me-to-bed-daddy to please-drink-poison. Witch.Okay that might be dramatic as hell but I implore you to read these quotes and tell me I’m not wrong..

All of the sexy moments were HOT AF, and I ate that sh*t up! I now need my own husband to start calling me 'my wife.' August may own a vineyard, but he knows absolutely nothing about wine, so who better to help him than the queen of the vineyards herself? Meanwhile, Natalie needs access to her trust fund if she’s ever to be taken seriously again by the world. Who better to marry than the one guy she knows she won’t distract her with unnecessary feelings? What starts as a reluctant marriage of convenience turns into much more as both realise that there might be more to the other… But August isn't interested in anything halfway. He's wanted Natalie since the moment he first saw her and he's determined to make it work beyond just an arrangement. Just so we’re clear, Natalie, I wouldn’t have any problem fending off some city boy in loafers.” Please tell me that my vaginal walls did not flex in response to that. literally what ????? This quote just about sums up his feelings: "As long as you need me, Natalie, I'm with you. Whatever you decide, whatever happens, I'm your goddamn man."I have to admit, in the first book of the series, I didn't quite connect with Julien and Hallie's story. However, from the moment Natalie, Julian's hotshot Wall Street aspiring businesswoman sister, entered the scene, my interest was piqued. And when I stumbled upon the blurb that promised a delicious combination of enemies to lovers and fake marriage, I couldn't resist diving headfirst into the world of ex-Navy SEAL August and the betrayed, privileged, smart, and tough cookie Natalie. The prospect of their intense chemistry, the kind that can make your pants melt and leave you hyperventilating, was too enticing to pass up. So, blindfolded and ready for the wild ride, I embarked on their journey of financial benefits, where they were equally likely to rip each other's clothes off or each other's throats. Yes, hate-like sex was always on the table! And let me tell you, I became fully engaged with their characters and their story. Now, miscommunication is my absolute pet peeve and there is a lot of that going on in this story, so if that’s not something you’re in the mood for, this story might not quite work for you. It definitely made me want to pull my hair out at a few specific moments in the story. However, I loved how both August and Natalie grew throughout the story and learned to communicate with each other better by the end and how they, no matter where they stood with each other, supported the other’s endeavours. Together they are explosive (between the sheets and out on the streets) and make for a wholly entertaining reading experience.