Bethany Castle is known for being picture perfect. She stages houses as a part of her family’s successful renovation business, she’s the best party host--fully on display at Just Us League meetings, the women’s group she, her sister, and their best friend started for the women in their suburb--and she never has a hair out of place. But for some reason, Wes Daniels, a literal cowboy new to town, gets under her skin. . . which would be fine, if he wasn’t the hottest guy she’s ever seen.
Since their first encounter, Wes has enjoyed exchanging insults with Bethany--if she makes fun of his unrefined ways, he counters with a barb about her “advanced” age (though she’s only a few years older than him). But Wes has always wanted to know the real Bethany beneath the poised veneer of propriety. . . And when he decides to help her out on a renovation of her own, Wes hopes he’ll finally get the chance to see what Bethany is trying to hide.
As tension builds on the renovation, both Bethany and Wes have personal demons to deal with. . . Can Bethany prove to her family she can handle a job of this scale on her own? Can Wes handle being the caretaker of his young niece with barely any experience with kids? Will they keep denying the attraction that’s growing between them until it’s too late? With so much on the line, emotions running high, and a house to complete, Bethany and Wes will turn to each other. . .
The final book in the Hot & Hammered series by Tessa Bailey, TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT is a sexy, fun, and enjoyable contemporary romance. Bethany and Wes have been making fun of each other since book 2, LOVE HER OR LOSE HER, and it is finally their time to shine. Bethany has always wanted to put forth the perfect persona--pulled together, calm in any situation, and completely satisfied with her life. . . until it feels like her life is passing her by with each precisely placed throw pillow. Wes is in unfamiliar territory, taking on the guardianship of his half-sister’s daughter, in a new town, and trying to figure out what he wants to do next. There’s a lot of what could be described as "filler" in this book--a renovation competition show subplot that is mostly glossed over, Georgie and Travis’s wedding (the couple from Book 1, FIX HER UP) that felt rushed through, and Wes’s sister’s inevitable return wasn’t as fleshed out as much as it needed to be to make sense. Also, anything and everything that could keep these two from finally getting together happens--babysitters canceling, accidents on the job site, nosy family members, etc. And instead of creating sexy tension, it became tiresome. That being said, when Bethany and Wes are together, exploring both their feelings and their off-the-charts chemistry, TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT really works. The major conflict between Bethany and Wes is internal, and they both have to grow as characters to get to their happily-ever-after. As expected, Tessa Bailey's sex scenes are scorching hot! Additionally, the glimpses of the previous Hot & Hammered couples were very cute, and this book brings the series to a satisfying end.
In Tessa Bailey’s latest rom-com, two enemies team up to flip a house... and the sparks between them might burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore!
Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.
When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.
As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.
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