Review: Worked Up by Tessa Bailey (Made in Jersey #3)
Worked Up
Tessa Bailey
Made in Jersey #3
186 Pages
Entangled Brazen
Released August 1st 2016
Book Summary
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?
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Thoughts
*ARC provided by Publisher*
In Worked Up, author Tessa Bailey takes us back to the factory town of Hook, New Jersey, and immediately paints a portrait with her words. A portrait of a stubborn, deeply affected, hardworking man named Duke Crawford and the uncertain, humorous, innately observant and insanely talented woman capable of making him totally crazy, Samantha. As you may have guessed from that description, the title for this book is aptly appropriate for both the characters and their story, and cleverly signifies the journey Bailey sets out to take readers on in this novel.
I have been looking forward to Duke’s book it seems like for ages now. The men and woman of Hook quickly captured my attention in Crashed Out (Sarge/Jasmine) and furthered my interest and love in Rough Rhythm (James/Lita) and then they sent it into the stratosphere with Thrown Down (River/Vaughn). And now we have Duke and Samantha, two somewhat socially awkward people who could not be more perfect for each other—or more troublesome to their intent to stay single.
One thing I love about Tessa Bailey’s work is her attention to detail and her skill at creating characters who absolutely liquefy the page. They are living, breathing story people who could step off the pages of their book at any time and walk the streets in front of me. Yes, the books are fantasy-driven, but they’re also laced with a true-to-life realism that isn’t always easy to achieve in fiction. But Bailey does it consistently in every single book she writes, and that’s more true than ever in Worked Up, book three in the Made in Jersey series.
Duke Crawford is very much a man’s man, and yet, he’s surrounded by women—his sisters who live to drive him crazy—and holds a certain grumpy vulnerability to him that makes him not only approachable, but extremely likable as well. And I really liked Duke. A lot. His grumpy exterior came with a heartfelt protectiveness that I found totally endearing, completely captivating, and utterly perfect for an unsure Samantha.
If you’re looking for a dynamite read with a great hero and heroine, pick up a copy of Worked Up by Tessa Bailey. It’s a great weekend read, and perfect for a cold, winter day or night.
Final Analysis
5 Stars
Made in Jersey Series
Crashed Out #1
Rough Rhythm #1.5
Thrown Down #2
Worked Up #3
Wound Tight #4
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove 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 and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads