Love Her or Lose Her: A Small-Town, Grumpy-Sunshine Rom-Com Featuring Family Secrets and Marriage Boot Camp (Hot and Hammered, 2)

A marriage in trouble story is basically the most serious of second chance romances, which we all know I have a love/hate relationship with. But Rosie and Dom loved each other so much, and you were pulling for them the entire time. I loved this story. Rosie and Dominic Vega had a picture perfect relationship, until they didn't. How did it happen? Rosie doesn't know, she just knows she can't live like this anymore. Rosie has always wanted to open her own restaurant, but she's shelved her dreams for a long time, never thinking it was the right time to act on them. Dom has gotten so quiet in the years since he came home from deployment, and Rosie doesn't know what to do when he just doesn't talk to her anymore. He just works and comes home, and things never change. They've been dancing around their issues for years, and when things boil over, they're both left not knowing how to move forward. When Rosie finally decides to leave her husband, her love, her childhood sweetheart, she thinks there's no going back. But Dom isn't willing to give her up without a fight. He agrees to do WHATEVER it takes to make her come home, and when she proposes last resort marriage counseling, he doesn't bat an eye. Their marriage counselor was hysterical: a pothead hippie, with office decor straight out of the 1960s. But, he certainly knew his stuff, and he helped them realize they weren't speaking the same love language. As an aside, I learned about the 5 Love Languages in my pre-marital counseling class. And thank god for that, because my hubs' language and mine are VERY different. In fact, they are the same as our hero and heroine. Dom (and my own husband) shows his love with acts of service, and Rosie (and me!) with words of affirmation. This struggle resonated so strongly with me, as we've had to learn to interpret each other's languages over the years, and its not easy. Watching them struggle to understand each other just really hit home in my heart. And Dom's letter to Rosie? *Swoons Forever* Rosie and Dom had flaming physical chemistry like whoa, but their emotional intimacy had been sorely depleted. Watching them find their way back to each other's hearts was painful, and beautiful, and I just loved their love so much. They both had gotten so bogged down in the day-to-day, that things were totally out of control before they knew it. I'm sure everyone can relate to that in some way. But they both compounded the issue by not communicating, and not sharing their feelings, along with other important truths, and it just made everything worse. Rosie and Dom's friend group is truly outstanding, and seeing all their interactions were as enjoyable as they were in book 1 (which I also loved with my whole heart!). Having a new face added, in Wes, and seeing his spark with hilarious Bethany was so great, and I can't wait for their book up next! This book had my emotions on a yo-yo the whole time, but always, I was pulling for Rosie and Dom. Hoping they could each get out of their own way, and make the changes they needed to make to be all they could for each other, and for themselves. They both learned how to support each other, while letting the other person fly, and it was so satisfying. I highly recommend this story.

I was excited to read this one! I had asked for married couple romance recommendations in a Facebook group, and Love Her or Lose Her was one of those mentioned. I read the first book in the series to prepare and met Rosie and Dominic there.⁣ ⁣ I enjoyed seeing a couple make an effort to work on their marriage. The therapy scenes with their hippy therapist were funny but also had some tender moments. Discovering each other again through the process was beautiful to watch.⁣ ⁣ I loved that through it all, Rosie continued to pursue her dream of owning her own restaurant. I feel like she needed that as a way to come into her own and be the confident woman that was there all along. Dominic's growth throughout the book was exponential. He goes from a silent provider to a man fighting every day to show (and in his case, tell) his wife how much he loves her.⁣ ⁣ I still loved Georgie's character and her ability to make her siblings uncomfortable. Also loved the build to book 3 between Bethany and Wes!⁣ ⁣ My only issue was his name for her - honey girl. While I loved the "baby girl" thing from the first book, this one didn't roll off the tongue in the same way. It felt a little awkward and forced.⁣ ⁣ Overall, I enjoyed this one but Fix Her Up is still my favorite of the 2. Looking forward to September to read about Bethany and Wes!⁣

I love this author, who wrote the amazing Clarkson series but I had a hard time with this one. I wonder if these two had gone into licensed therapy instead of the path guided by a pot smoking old hippie what the outcome would be. I was seriously disturbed by the fact that Rosie was all but a prisoner for ten years. No friends and no social interaction outside of the marriage. Her life and emotions under the control of a man who could easily be termed abusive emotionally and it could be argued physically as well. Demanding Rosie make admissions during rough (consensual) sex as opposed to giving her secure confident space to express herself with the demand of her impending orgasm. These were two seriously disfunctional people. His possessive desire to own her would hardly be addressed in four short counseling sessions. These issues are the kind that run deep and not the type that a bit of self awareness makes go away like turning on or off a light. I love the other two books in this series so I'd go for one of those over this disturbing tale. And I am almost hesitant to mention this in 2020 but I was uncomfortable that these personality traits were attributed to the only clearly non white couple. Readers will make their own judgments whether the machismo of Puerto Rican Dom isn't shaded by stereotyping. I wrestled with whether to review this book at all but when I found the issues causing a need to speak out I decided to go with it. In my opinion this author has many better stories/books to offer.

Book for granddaughter so don’t know if it was a good story or not. She said she liked it so I gave it five stars.

Love me a second change at love romances! This is a perfect example, we have a lovely couple who have been together x 10 yrs and ever since Don came back from a war while being in the military, he’s just not the same, he’s still a provider and a loyal husband but communication and connection with his wife Rosie is struggling, Rosie has her gal pals to vent and she is highly encouraged to open up her restaurant, she feels as if she has to embark the journey alone because she feels that Dom will not give her the support she needs, you must dive into these stories that warm your heart and gives hope for second changes at love ❤️

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is the second book in her Hot & Hammered series! We're first introduced to Rosie and Dominic in Fix Her Up and you guys I loved every moment of their story!! From the very first chapter until the very end I was swooning and emotional. This book is everything you love and want in a romance. Rosie and Dominic are soulmates who have been together since they were teenagers. They've been through it all. They're flawed. Their marriage has taken a turn. Rosie and Dominic aren't the same people they used to be when they first got married. Now the two must fight and fall in love all over again, rediscover each other, and reunite once more but for good this time. Their relationship has been all-consuming from the moment they met that at one point they forgot to communicate with one another. The passion and the fire has never waned but Rosie needs more from her husband and she takes a stand and decides to leave. Dominic gets a wake up call. All he's ever wanted is his honey girl. He's been taught to provide and now he must also learn to show his emotions and reveal his needs as well. This is hard for Dominic at first because he's such a quiet and broody man. When Rosie suggests couples therapy he's willing to do anything to win her back. So much emotion, growth, and love with amazing friendships and secondary characters who were truly adored in book one. I loved Dominic's troubled side as well as his fierce and loving side. Rosie, too, grew so much. She became independent and fought for her dreams and for her marriage. These are two people who saw their faults and worked together. I was captivated and charmed until the last page. And enough said about the new hero introduced to torment Bethany!! I'm dying for their book next and I just know it's going to be a lot of fun. That being said, please do yourselves a favor and start this series!!

Definitely still the slightly cheesy, giggle-worthy type of book found in the contemporary romance genre. The difference from all the other cookie cutter stories out there? A real married couple, with real problems and truly applicable solutions. Incorporating the love languages was fantastic. My husband and I went through that book early in our marriage and it truly positively changed how we both felt love and connection from the other. I like Tessa Bailey's writing style, but there are some things that could have been developed a bit more. I thought Dominic's time in the military/deployed and how it changes a person could have been grittier and a real focus in part of the therapy, but instead she chose to focus only on his feelings of insecurity. I did appreciate that aspect too though, a nice change in vulnerability from typical male issues and over the top alpha antics that show up in most books. All in all something any couple that has been together for awhile can empathize with and maybe even learn a thing or two from. I do wish we had more crazy hippie therapists. Lol

I enjoyed this book so freaking much! I did the audiobook for this one and would 100% recommend that. I flew through it. I loved Rosie and Dominic's story so freaking much. Dominic and Rosie have been together since middle school and married for years, but at the beginning of this book, they find themselves at a crossroads in their relationship as Rosie decides to move out. I loved Dominic so much because he was so misunderstood. He does what he thinks he's supposed to, what he thinks is expected of him, without expecting or wanting any acknowledgment. I felt so much for him when he starts to see his relationship slip through his fingers without knowing how to fix it. He's definitely the strong, silent type and he has such a hard time communicating but once he starts, he finally starts to see that he should have been doing that all along. I loved watching both of them figure out that they did have a hand in getting their marriage to this stage and seeing them figure out how to better connect with and relate with each other. If only they had also learned how to communicate better just a little earlier on. I like that it wasn't just, "oh well, this person is wrong..." but it was an awareness that they both could be putting more in and doing better for each other and their relationship. Dominic honestly broke my heart every time he got to a moment where he had no clue how to fix things. Rosie and the Just Us League girls are forever my faves and I just all kinds of love them. Also, I'm always here for Georgie being an adorable clown. I loved watching Rosie find herself again and become independent. She becomes so much stronger through the course of this book. I love that Tessa manages to handle this super serious subject while maintaining the Tessa Bailey super hot heat and also the hilarious moments she's well known for. I love everything Tessa Bailey and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

I really enjoyed this story of Rosie and Dominic and their marriage in trouble romance. These two have to find their way back to one another after years of taking each other for granted and losing sight of what the other needed. I liked that going to therapy was a big part of this story - that made it feel real. And while Dominic frustrated me at times (man just TALK to your wife) and the resolution was one that felt like it happened quickly and without much fuss - this was still a great story that I liked reading.

It’s very rare to find a book where the couple is already married and going through a tumultuous time. It just seems so real. I loved every minute of it. Dom & Rosie absolutely need to communicate. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I like this book so far…I am half way though it and I like it better than the 1st one. It’s more mature then the 1st part. If you are married and like romance I think this is for you!!!

This book was so raw and relatable! A marriage takes a lot of work and sometimes things get lost so to read a book about a couple willing to fight and adapt for each other was such a special read. The whole book was about conquering fears and dreams and learning to support and be supported in that which is something I think everyone has had doubts with! I LOVED the first book but Dom and honey girl have my heart captured! Thank you for such a special book!

Nicht allzu anspruchsvoll aber auch nicht einfältig und somit für mich die perfekte Urlaubslektüre.