Review: Tools of Engagement (Hot and Hammered, #3) by Tessa Bailey

Title: Tools of Engagement (Hot and Hammered, #3)
Author: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Avon
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 368 Pages
Published September 2020

Summary: 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.

After I first picked up FIX HER UP earlier this year, I instantly fell in love. A swoon-worthy romantic comedy set on Long Island, where we're from? It was already super intriguing, and then I ended up loving it. I bought the second companion novel, LOVE HER OR LOSE HER, and devoured it immediately. Now, after excitedly waiting for my pre-order of TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT, the final companion in the series, to come in, I couldn't wait to dive into Bethany and Wes's story. And let me tell you, it was definitely worth it!

As the summary explains, the story follows the last Castle sibling, Bethany, as she decides to charge out and manage her own flip, going against her home-improvement tycoon brother. What she isn't expecting is for it to turn into a televised competition, but that's exactly what happens, and Bethany is stressed out because it's her first time stepping out to head a flip on her own, and there's so much that she doesn't feel like she knows yet. She manages to get the help of Wes, her brother's former employee who is cocky and flirty and seven whole years younger than her. At first, they can barely stay in the same room as one another without fighting. But as time passes, their banter becomes less and less barbed, and something more may even be blossoming. If Bethany can manage to get out of her own way and let herself enjoy it, that is.

I really loved this book, and let me say, it will definitely make you swoon. Wes and Bethany's banter was nailed down perfectly, and this book gives the most perfect enemies-to-lovers vibes. And it isn't just a random switch from them hating each other to something more...it's subtle yet swift, and as a reader you get the chance to watch it grow and change right before your eyes. It reminded me a lot of THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne, and the banter that goes on between the two characters there. And some of their quips really made me laugh out loud. And some other scenes definitely made me gasp out loud, that's for sure. This is definitely not the kind of book that you want to read while sitting on the subway! There are plenty of swoons to be had here.

My favorite character in this book was definitely Wes. Seeing the way that he so sweetly cared for his niece, Laura, when he was randomly thrown into the position as her caretaker really melted my heart. It was so sweet to see him step up and do right by her even when he wasn't quite sure how to handle himself. I think that the stress that Bethany puts on herself to always be perfect was also really addressed well. So many women -- myself included -- put this unnecessary stress on their shoulders to act like they're perfect, and that everything in their life is fine, and that they have it all together. When in reality, it's okay to not have it together sometimes! So seeing Bethany come to terms with her perfectionist tendencies and her desire to put on a mirage for everyone really was inspiring, and it made me think about how I often feel the same way, and how I can combat that myself. I felt really inspired once I saw her character arc.

There were only two things that felt a little bit off about me when reading this book, which is what made me hesitant to give it a 5-star rating. For starters, Wes's age. Maybe it's just because I'm almost 23 myself, but I felt like his behavior and actions and the way he talked definitely didn't feel like someone who was 23. I know that part of the point was that he was supposed to seem mature for his age, but it still felt a little too out of place to me, to the point that I spent half the book mulling over that in the back of my mind, and it was hard to forget and threw me off a little bit.

(Major spoilers in this paragraph, so skip to the next one to avoid them!) The other part of this book that I wasn't super keen on -- but still made my heart flutter -- was the ending. Listen, I know that the point of these rom-coms, especially the enemies-to-lovers story of Bethany and Wes, is supposed to be a fast romance. But in the span of two and a half weeks, they go from absolutely hating each other's guts, to tolerating each other, to messing around with each other, to being in LOVE with each other, to moving in with each other, and to getting engaged. And then sometime during the eight months after that, they get married. I don't mind when things happen somewhat fast in these books, since that's part of the enjoyment, but it just felt a little bit too fast for me. A couple of months is one thing. Not even three weeks is another. So as much as I thought it was sweet and adorable and I swooned over it, I still felt myself hesitating a little bit with how fast it all moved.

Overall, I really liked reading TOOLS OF ENGAGEMENT, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, swoon-worthy romance that keeps them on the edge of their seat from start to finish. And if you like love stories that go by in a flash, then this is definitely one to put on your TBR. I'm sad that the series is over, and I hope that one day Tessa Bailey ends up writing another book so we can see more about what goes on in the Castle family's lives and the lives of their friends and family, because it's really been such a delight to read!

And if you liked my review, don't forget to check out my reviews for the first two books in the series, Fix Her Up and Love Her or Lose Her!