Secretly Yours and Cheese Board
At this time of year, you can not help but love the fact that there are patios open with bright bursting flowers in containers sitting around in various spots. Those outdoor chairs calling to you to come have a glorious glass of wine and wile away the hot day listening to some good tunes. It makes you think of Napa Valley, doesn’t it? That is where Tessa Bailey takes us with her novel, “Secretly Yours.” Now that sounds hot! Let’s look into it.
Love a book about a gardener! Click the picture to take you to Tessa’s website
The Story
It all begins with two very different people. Julian Vos is an uptight, upright, elder son of vineyard royalty who is a tenured professor at an Ivy League school. Well-respected and ahead-of-the-game, he comes back to California on a sabbatical to write a book…or that’s what he says anyway. Hallie Welsh is a bubbly, spontaneous free spirit who has taken over her late grandmother’s gardening business. Julian’s all schedules while Hallie runs on her own clock. These two should not be together, (or so we think) but during the course of this tale, we see that they just might have something special.
Hallie has had a long-held crush on Julian since she nearly kissed him in the vineyards when they were teenagers. But time has passed, he is back and she can’t help but wonder if he is here to stay. If so, will there finally be that kiss that she has been dreaming about? Julian does not seem to remember her but as soon as he sees her (again) he is instantly entranced with her. Her vibrancy and sunny disposition is just the thing to counterbalance his normally brooding, serious nature. Shaking his world up is the last thing he wants but he just can’t get this gorgeous gardener out of his head.
So with these two being at the opposite ends of practically everything, can they come together and have a future? Only one way to find out.
My Review
This book was hotter than the Californian sun! Tessa Bailey really knows how to write a book that drives your imagination into the romantic and spicy. I really enjoyed these two characters. Both were believable because they both were struggling with their own hardships and perceived inadequacies. When they both come together, the two of them have more than just sparks flying off them than fireworks but each strive to lift the obstacles that are in their way. Julian has a sweet way of wanting to make Hallie smile. To his mind there should not be a time that she should be sad, hurt, or angry. Hallie has a sense that Julian feels alone and unloved, so what does she do? She shows him in her own unique way that he is. What started out as a product of having too much wine, she sends him secret admirer letters which ended with “Secretly yours,” even he had to admit, made him feel good about himself.
The storyline is marvelous! I love how this takes place in wine country and as an oenophile, I appreciate all the references to wine that the author puts into the book. It also came down to how Bailey would describe everything. My favourite scenes were whenever she described Hallie’s home garden. Perhaps I am a little biased because I love gardens and gardening but the pictures that Bailey can paint with words is astonishing. It really makes a reader feel like the are seeing, smelling, and tasting everything that this book has to offer.
The chemistry between Julian and Hallie is explosive. Every time those two were together I could not help but swoon. Then when they are really “together” you can feel the heat from the inside out. Now I know why they call her the “Michaelangelo of dirty talk.” The question I have for her is: How does she do it?
The only thing that I say that’s wrong with the book is that things seem to happen a little too fast. I suppose that is what happens in romance novels like this but I just thought that it is kind of strange that these two people had sexual encounters so quickly and so many times. It just seemed a bit odd with the pacing and frequency. Never-the-less, these scenes were beautifully written and (YES!) greatly enjoyable. A perfect way to set yourself in the mood too.
Cheese and wine. Yum!
The Pairings
The best snack to go with this novel is cheese and crackers with a wonderful wine called Riunite Lambrusco. You will see in this book that wine and cheese tastings go hand-in-hand. Whether it is at a wine event or on a patio of a traditional winery. Nothing makes a better snack when drinking a gorgeous wine like this (or reading this book) is a cheese plate.
The first cheese you are going to need is a cheddar. It is classic, creamy and versatile. Next you will want a Swiss cheese, its earthy, savoury flavours give you a well-rounded bite to sate your appetite. Marble cheese is also good when you need a neutral taste to give you some balance. And lastly you need a cheese with a little spice such as a chili Havarti or Monterey jack cheese because every plate needs a unique zip to keep things interesting. Speaking of interesting, make sure you have something to compliment all these cheeses. Personally, I like grapes and nuts (such as walnuts and almonds) but this is where you can get creative with your plate.
Now this particular wine is not from Napa (it’s from Italy) but the fact that it is called Riunite (think reunite) is exactly what our two lovers are doing. They are reuniting years later and the poppies on the bottle make me think of all the gardens that Hallie grows. The taste of the wine itself does remind me of California with its fruity taste, fizzy texture, and refreshing aftereffects. What can be more perfect than that?
The Rating/Final Thoughts
9/10
Like the flowers that Hallie plants, this book is a colourful masterpiece worthy of a summer read on the patio over looking the garden with a bottle of wine to keep you company. Sure, the pacing of the book can be a little off at times but don’t let that stop you from enjoying something that is both sweet and steamy. I look forward to reading more from Tessa Bailey and any other sexy adventure she wants to share with us. Happy reading folks and don’t forget the wine!
