Tessa Bailey is kicking off the summer season with Unfortunately Yours, the second book in her series, A Vine Mess. It’s the perfect contemporary romcom tale for the long, hot days on the horizon … because those are sandwiched in between the sexy, sultry nights of Bailey’s bailiwick.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, Secretly Yours, and was happy to learn book two returns to Napa Valley with the Vos family. This time we’re catching up with Natalie Vos, wine heiress of Vos Vineyard (along with her brother Julian, from book one). We quickly learn that Natalie must strike the deal of her life to claim her inheritance, and in the process, winds up saving a fledgling vineyard and inevitably falling victim to her own ruse.

Bailey is pretty much an auto-buy for me, and after so many reviews of her stuff, it’s hard to come up with something new to say other than simply, “I love it.” I don’t want to gush over how sexy her dialogue is, or how much I love a potty-mouth, or how current the story is, or how equitable her two main characters are. Because those are all a given.

Instead, let’s focus on the importance she places on actual love in this love story. August Cates loves Natalie from the beginning. It’s obvious in the way he watches her and pines for her, and in the knowledge, deep in his bones, that he made a mistake in passing up an opportunity to act on his attraction to her. He’s an adult with adult problems and adult obstacles. He’s a big, bad Navy Seal who struggles with PTSD, honoring a promise to a fallen friend, and finding his place in his new normal. He was a good soldier and a good friend, and he’s a good man. And he is absolutely bananas for the woman he loves. He’s just got to get out of his own way.

Natalie is an adult with adult problems and adult obstacles, as well. She lost her job and her fiancé on the same day. Because when you put yourself out there, sometimes life has other plans for you. But like August, Natalie gets back up and forges on. She will not be the victim of her own misfortunates and mistakes, and that made me cheer loudly for her.

It’s a pleasure to read about characters whose flaws so closely mirror the real world, yet they’re still compelling and dreamy. Bailey writes characters you’d like to have over for dinner, vacation with, or hit the road for an epic adventure with. The perfect balance of strength and vulnerability permeates them and the world they inhabit, along with an addictive openness to love. In short, Unfortunately Yours is a classic Tessa Bailey romance that’ll have you experiencing the whole gamut of emotions in a quick, playful 384 pages. It’s exactly the kind of story we need right now.