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Intoxicating #1

by Christie Ridgway

Baci kardeşler, nesillerdir ailelerinde olan Tanti Baci üzüm bağlarını kurtarmak için el ele verirler. Amaçları orayı harika bir düğün yeri yapmaktır. Bunu yapmaya çalışırken, keşke hemen yan taraflarında yaşayan Pennett kardeşlere ihtiyaç duymasalardı…
Alessandra Baci şaraphanede düzenlenecek olan ilk düğünde aksilik çıkmaması için son derece kararlı ve dikkatlidir. Ama iş düğüne gelince, maalesef Alessandra, bu konuda pek de şanslı değildir. Yine de babasına verdiği sözü tutmak için ne gerekiyorsa yapacaktır. Bunun için seksi Penn Bennett’tan yardım alması gerekse bile…
Hollywood’dan gelen seksi adam, aynı zamanda, en çok izlenen ev yenileme programının da yıldızıdır. Penn, Baci malikanesinin göz bebeği olan kulübeyi onarmak için Alessandra’nın tek ümididir. Yan taraftaki üzüm bağlarının sahibi ve Baci kızlarının rakibi olan Bennett erkekleri, maalesef yine sınır tanımayacaklar. Penn, Alessandra’ya hiç de kutsal olmayan bir ders vermeye kararlıdır…

“Katıksız bir romantizm.”
Jennifer Crusie

“Komik ve seksi…”
Susan Wiggs

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Adult, Amazon

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2010

Reviews

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance set in the Napa Valley wine country. We have two romances running with a few others churning in the background. The Nun of Napa is still mourning her first love who died on their wedding day. She meets the hot repair guy from a DIY show. We also have two lifelong friends who are taking their friendship to the next level on the eve of her wedding to another man.
Fun romances! 😊💕

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the opening scenes of this book - filled with humor, sadness, insight and immediately making the reader want to know who Alessandra is and what happened to her - it kicks off a book I read through in a single sitting.

The inital meeting between Alessandra and Penn doesn't disappoint, and neither does their chemistry throughout the book or how Ridgway layers both backstories along the way.

In fact, she perfectly weaves Alessandra's story in a way that keeps you wondering and never ventures anywhere close to an info dump. What's even better is how you can really understand how Alessandra feels about the town's view of her as "The Nun of Napa." This alone is proof that Christie Ridgway is a kick-ass writer and expert storyteller.

Hero Penn will amuse and his quest to prove Alessandra is no Nun will have you smiling as you fly through the pages. The little added details about being a TV star were layered throughout the story and ring completely true. It's a fun, fictional look at that life.

On a side note, there is a secondary relationship in the book that rocked my world and I would have begged for it to have been it's own book. Seriously - Can we do a prequel that ends during the same time frame? Maybe I need to send that request straight to Christie and her publisher.

This book is the first in a new series by Ridgway and I am so looking forward to the next ones as it seems they will include Alessandra's sisters and more Bennett brothers.

I've been reading a ton of funny, sexy contemporary romances lately and there is a reason - a good one makes my day. These are the stories I love the most - I'm a blogger that will shout out my love of contemporaries to anyone who'll listen. Contemporary Romance isn't dead - it's thriving with authors like Christie Ridgway setting the bar.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and I'm looking forward to the next books. I really wanted to like Alessandra, but there were elements of her I wasn't crazy about. The secondary story about Clare and Gil was sometimes more interesting than the main story.

[Hanife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eğlenceli bir romantik komedi canınız çektiyse bu kitap sizin için ideal bayanlar. Alessandra evlilik gününde çocukluk aşkını kaybetmiş tutkuları ve ihtiyaçları olan kasabanın gözünde genç bir dul, Penn ise babasının bir garsonu ayartmasının sonucu dünyaya gelip zorlu şartlardan geçmiş ama başarının basamaklarını çıkmayı bilmiş bir adamdır. Bu ikili babalarının ölümünün yarattığı kargaşada bir araya gelmiş ve Penn karşısına çıkan bu gelinliği yarım yamalak giymiş hatta bazı düğmelerini bağlamamış üstelik altınada pijama giyen deli kadından gözünü alamamıştır. Kardeşi onu kızın kasabanın rahibesi diye uyardığı halde bu kadın ona ne zaman dokunsa ikiside arzudan kavrulacak hale geliyorlardır.

Alessandra babasına söz verdiği düğün salonunu tamamlamak için Penn'e ihtiyacı vardır ama geç adam bu ihtiyacı kısa zamanda ikisininde eğleneceği alanlara yöneltir.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first in a trilogy about the Baci sisters of Napa Valley, CA. Alessandra Baci is the youngest sister and the most determined to save the family's winery. They made a promise to their father on his death bed to save the winery--at the same time they found out how poorly he had run the family's legacy. Allie's older sisters are less optimistic about the turnaround, but they give in to their little sister as does everyone else in town. Allie is still known as "Tommy's Girl" to most everyone in town and even 5 years after their would-be marriage, everyone gives in to her and treats her like a little girl.
Enter Penn Bennett, illegitimate son of the late Calvin Bennett. Penn is welcomed by his brothers, but unsure of his place in the Bennett family. When spitfire Alessandra Baci enters into his life, he is mesmerized, but doesn't fall for her tears and sob story. She isn't a little girl to him. He never knew Tommy, so she's nobody's girl to him. He only plans on being in town for a little while and figures he might as well teach her a few things while he is there.

I mostly enjoyed this book. I cannot rate it higher than 3 1/2 stars because it was too easy to put down (I actually paused in the middle and read another book). I wasn't drawn into the story so much that I wanted to stay up late and keep reading. Alessandra and Penn just weren't that exciting to me. On the other hand, Clare and Gil were. They were the secondary couple, but were more interesting and completely deserving of a book of their own. I understand how the two stories played together, but they just didn't flow together well for me. It felt too abrupt moving between the two stories. Plus, every time it went back to Allie and Penn, I was a little disappointed. I really, really, really wanted to keep reading about Clare and Gil. How could you not love a guy called "The Italian Stallion?"

Maybe lately I have been reading too many 3 brothers or 3 sisters (or both--like this one), but it is becoming a little too overdone for me. I'm almost bored with the siblings stories and look forward to more friends/other family stories in these sorts of series. With that being said, I am still looking forward to reading about the other 2 sisters. There was just enough seed planted about oldest sister Guiliana to make me most interested in her story.

I enjoy Ridgway's writing and her characters, so I look forward to more from her.

*Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program*

[RomanceNovelNews.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by B.A. Ruggiero for RomanceNovelNews.com

Alessandra Baci hasn’t had much luck when it comes to love. Five years ago, her high school sweetheart Tommy died on their wedding day. Now dubbed the “nun of Napa ,” Alessandra is destined to carry her heartache on her sleeve.

As owner of the 100-year-old Tanti Baci winery with her sisters, Alessandra is content to run the business and go it alone. That is until the handsome playboy Penn Bennett comes to town.

Penn, the half-brother of the Bennett brothers who own the competing winery next door, is the host of a popular home renovation TV show. Having just discovered that his father had another family, Penn travels to meet them.

The Baci sisters have vowed to keep the winery afloat even though it is in deep financial trouble. Alessandra believes that hosting weddings and serving the fabled Baci wedding wine is the answer to their financial woes. But when the winery is vandalized, Alessandra’s hopes are dashed.

The Bennett brothers elect Penn to do the renovations even though the two families have a long-standing rivalry. What Penn doesn’t expect is to be undeniably attracted to the untouchable Alessandra the second he lays eyes on her.

The chemistry between Penn and Alessandra heats up quickly and Alessandra struggles with letting go of Tommy’s ghost once and for all. At times, Penn acts conceited and misogynistic – traits that serve to hide a vulnerable man. Could Penn be the man to save the ailing winery and Alessandra’s lonely heart or will he simply tarnish her saintly reputation?

Ridgway provides many twists and turns that will leave readers guessing whether the celebrity and the nun of Napa live happily ever. “Crush on You,” the first story in Ridgway’s Three Kisses trilogy, is a delightful romance that is sure to please even the most refined palette.

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alessandra Baci is an Italian cutie, loved by all and affectionately known as the "Nun of Napa." For the past 5 years Alessandra has been living her life without really moving forward. With her family winery and land in jeopardy, she is determined to make it a desirable place for couples to have their weddings. With her two sisters help she begins to revamp a cottage on the estate.

Penn Bennett is a famous television personality known for his construction renovations. He is also the newly discovered illegitimate Bennett son. He's in Napa getting to know his brothers and escaping some drama when he gets roped into helping the Nun of Napa finish the renovations on her cottage.

Their chemistry is incredible.

This is my first book by Christie Ridgway and it won't be my last. I devoured every word. The characters are rich and witty and the storyline fun and engaging. I loved Penn and Alessandra's characters, all their quirks and insecurities, all their flaws and strengths. They really had a physical and emotional pull that sucked you into their story and had me begging for more.

This is the 1st book in a trilogy and I can't wait to see what happens next. I think this is a fabulous start to a promising series and I will be anxiously awaiting the next publication date.

Cherise Everhard, July 2010

[Manda Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

Really enjoyed this book. The setting in Napa Valley was fun. The pairing of a TV Home Repair guy with a woman determined to keep her family's winery in business was sweet. Especially since the hero, Penn, is determined to be a hard ass and the heroine, Allie, is her small town's favorite daughter. There was also a fabulous secondary friends to lovers romance between Allie's friend Clare (who is set to become the first bride married in the winery's new wedding destination venture) and her BFF, Allie's cousin Gil. Ridgway's writing is multi-layered and there were some surprisingly heavy issues dealt with in this romantic comedy. Which I loved. I'm looking forward to Stevie, the next Baci sister's, story in January.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

Not impressed by the first two chapters of this. It opens with the heroine trying on her wedding dress from years ago because reasons (most likely because it's dramatic and makes her look desperate). The heroine is known as "the nun of Napa," which makes her love interest want to nail her. And he, of course, constantly thinks dismissively of females. Oh, and no one can stop calling him a bastard, even though this is America in the 2000s not Victorian England. Noped out.

[Elena Johansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew this book wasn't really working for me when I was more invested in the romantic subplot than the main romance.

Alessandra should be a young woman emerging from the shell of her grief to open herself to love again, and instead she's a caricature, a horny little Italian beauty (and yes, the narrative calls her "exotic" at one point,) who jumps the first out-of-towner she meets who doesn't know her tragic past and doesn't think of her as the Nun of Napa Valley.

Penn is a problem because the story can't decide if he's a good guy or not. Alessandra figuring out he's "nice" midway through is supposed to be some revelation, but they're both so fake, so concerned with appearances (hers as the PR face of the family winery, his as a home-remodeling-show celebrity) that they're constantly at odds, misjudging each other, misreading true intentions, and Penn usually comes out of that looking poorly.

Sure, they might have physical attraction and chemistry, because the story goes to great lengths to make them both horny on main, but as often happens, the "love" is rushed and unfulfilling and not entirely believable.

It might not have seemed so bad if the secondary love story, Clare and Gil, hadn't been so delightful and compelling. At first I was like, why is Alessandra's friend getting her own love plot? Shouldn't that be a different book? But then I realized that it's her wedding that's being thrown at the winery and we have to watch in slow motion while her relationship with her fiance Jordan disintegrates, all the while seeing how in love with her Gil, her best friend, has always been. Now, they don't have the full setup they deserve--it is a subplot, after all--but even in the smaller space they get, their romance is much more fully fleshed out than the main one.

So I can't give this book just a single star, since I loved Clare and Gil so much, but it's a pretty serious problem for the book than the supporting players completely upstaged the main attraction.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex on a stick handyman? Or answer yo more than one prayer

Are you looking for a sweet yet HOT sexy romance? Look no further.. You found it here. Ms. Ridgway has written sweet love and stemming sex scenes in this one.

[Brianna (The Book Vixen) · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the tender age of 20, Alessandra Baci was set to marry Tommy, her high school sweetheart. Tommy was diagnosed with cancer and thought to be in remission. Sadly, he died 15 minutes before the wedding, leaving Allie alone at the altar. Allie has forever been known as “Tommy’s Girl” and Sally, Tommy’s mother, won’t let her forget that. For the past 5 years, Allie hasn’t been able to move on and this has earned her another nickname – the Nun of Napa.
On his death bed, Mario Baci informed his daughters that the family business, the Tanti Baci winery, is on the brink of bankruptcy. Alessandra, Giuliana and Stephania promise their father that they will do whatever it takes to save the winery that has been in their family for generations. The sisters have decided to try their hand at the wedding business to keep the winery afloat.

Penn recently discovered that his father was the late Calvin Bennett. The Bennett’s own the winery next to the Baci’s. Penn was the result of a secret, extra marital affair that no one knew about, that is until Calvin spilled the beans in his will. Calvin also sired a daughter, whom no one can locate. Penn grew up with his strapped-for-cash waitress mother. Times were tough but Penn has more than made up for those rough times; Penn is the host for a home renovation show called Build Me Up. The legitimate Bennett brothers, Liam and Seth, feel guilty about their father’s indiscretions and invite Penn up to the winery to share in the inheritance.

Allie needs to get the cottage renovated in time for the winery’s first wedding. Adding to the pressure, the wedding is for her good friend Clare, Tommy’s sister. When the contractor Allie hired to renovate the cottage fails to show up because he has taken a higher paying job, Penn comes to the rescue. Being that the Bennett’s are silent partners in the Tanti Baci winery, it is in their best interest to do what they can to see that the cottage gets finished in time. This wedding business is there last hope of survival for the Tanti Baci winery.

Allie captures Penn’s interest right from the start. She’s gorgeous and Penn can’t help but notice. Penn is also determined to get the infamous Nun of Napa in the sack. Allie’s attention is caught by Penn’s good looks and decides to escape the rut she’s been in for the past 5 years by having a secret affair with Penn.

The connection between Allie and Penn fell flat and lost my interest. I am not convinced that the ending was the best outcome. It felt rushed and disjointed. There were some laugh out loud moments but the romance aspect of the book left much to be desired, particularly in the steamy love scene department. A secondary love story took center stage for me. I was more in tune and more connected with those characters than I was with Allie and Penn. I found myself looking forward to the outcome of these secondary characters’ fate more so than I was with Allie and Penn.

There is a back story between one of the Baci sisters, Giuliana, and one of the Bennett brother, Liam. Jules has been holding a grudge against Liam for the past 10 years. I’m guessing that the 2nd and 3rd installment of this series will follow Giuliana and Stephania in their journey towards a happily ever after. But I do wonder if it will involve the two remaining Bennett bachelors…? Hmm, this could get interesting as there once was a flame between Jules and Liam.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a series by Christie Ridgway called the “Intoxicating Trilogy.” In an introduction written by the author, she states that this book was previously published as Crush on You. Ms. Ridgway also lets us know that, even though this is an older book, she has included “some extras. However, since I have not read this book before, this series is all new to me.

This particular story takes place at a winery owned by three sisters. It has been in their family for years but, unfortunately, the winery is having money problems. Thus, the sisters are trying to figure out a way to help them.

Allesandra (Alli) Baci, the youngest sister, has come up with the idea of renting out the cottage for weddings. Meanwhile, she is working on having it remodeled to accommodate the events.

The hero in the book is Penn Bennett. He is the half brother of the Bennett brothers whose family has had a partnership with the Baci family for years. Unfortunately, Penn has never met his brothers before because he is the illegitimate son of their father. Penn has a show that sounds like the old “Extreme Makeover” show where he fixes houses on camera. He comes into town to meet his newly-found brothers and ends up helping Allie.

This book starts with a bang and never stops. Unfortunately, I did not like Penn at first. He is a cocky egomaniac who thinks he knows everything. He rides roughshod over Alli to get her to go to bed with him. He does this, in spite of the fact, that he has no intention of having a serious relationship.

However, later in the book we find out that this is the type of character that Allie needs to be able to move on with her life and fall in love. We also realize that Penn’s behavior is based on a bad relationship in his past. Penn eventually does redeem himself so he and Alli can have their happy ending and so that the reader can
realize that Penn is a “good guy” underneath his stern personality.

[Kristen Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haha! Searching for 'Make Him Wild' in Goodreads results in 'Taken by Its Tentacles'! Um, what?

This was another lovely read by Christie Ridgway.

I loved that there were two loves stories here, and I really enjoyed them both.

As an aside, here on National Margarita Day, let me just note that the male cover model reminds me of Tom Hardy. *sigh*

[Deb Fernow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this writer’s style. It flows and describes things picture perfect so that you can see them in your mind. She gives you enough to draw you in and keep you reading until the wee hours! Be sure to add her to your list of favorite authors if it’s not already there.

This story is about overcoming hardships and not losing what means everything to you. Allesandra Baci and her sisters are trying to save the family winery after finding out that their father had almost lost it all before his death.

She’s lost more than most when her fiancé dies only minutes before their wedding. She hasn’t wanted or even had a lover since then which led everyone to call her the Nun of Napa. Tommy was her whole life and she wasn’t prepared to ever replace him.

Allie was determined to save the winery while her sisters were just as determined to cut their losses. But they agreed to give her a year and she was pinning all her hopes on the legendary cottage of the founders. History told of their love story and she was remodeling the building to be a wedding chapel, thus making the winery a place for destination weddings.

Penn Bennett starred in his own DIY fix-it show and was one of the illegitimate sons of the neighboring winery owner. He was in town for a short while but stepped up to help Allie finish the construction work as long as she helped him.

Allie had no idea what she was in for with Penn once he decided on something. Their relationship was explosive and he was determined to prove to her that she could and should move on.

I was provided a copy of the book by the author for an honest and unbiased review.

[Truusje · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters and too many stories, none of which are particularly interesting or have a lot of meat on the bones. The main heroine is annoying and there wasn't much I could like about the hero either. I didn't see any (emotional) connection between them, unless I count their few secret shags. There was also an underlying message that said that a relationship is only valid if the couple are married - I sentiment I detest (and the scene in which a secondary heroine persuaded her best friend who was in love with her to be her last fling before her wedding to someone else, without telling the best friends she had already broken off the engagement, was disgusting)
I understand that this is meant to be a sweet and cute romance, and I'm sure lots of people will see it like that, but sadly I'm not one of them.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, small town, fun romance. The book centers around three sisters who are trying to save their winery after the death of their father. Although all three sisters are introduced in this book, the primary character in this one is Alessandra, the youngest, who is not only doing everything she can to save the winery, but dealing with the five-year anniversary of her fiance’s death (Two more books to follow – yeah!). Alessandra needs help to renovate a cottage that she wants to incorporate into the winery as a wedding venue. Along comes Penn Bennett, host of a TV show entitled “Build Me Up” and illegitimate half-brother to Liam and Seth. Penn offers to help Alessandra with the renovation after her original contractor bails. The dialog is witty and the chemistry between Penn and Alessandra is electric. I found myself eagerly rooting for two other secondary characters, Gil and Clare, as they deal with their “BFF” issues. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next two books. I did receive a free copy of this book to review, but I have always read and enjoyed any and every book by Christie Ridgway.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review.
I actually read this book years ago when it was first published under the title of Crush on You. I loved it then and I loved it when I read it again! Ms. Ridgway manages to give the reader two love stories in the same book. Both are very different, but both are very heartwarming, sexy and equally adorable. The main relationship is between Alessandra and Penn. Alessandra was to be married years ago to her high school sweetheart, but tragically he died on what was to be their wedding day. Everyone in town treats her as though that was the end of her being a woman. Enter Penn, who sees and treats her as not only a woman, but a hot sexy woman that he wants.
The side relationship is between Clare and Gil. Clare is to be married and Gil is to be her "Best Man". They have been friends forever and Gil has been hiding his true feelings for her for what seems like even longer. Can he really stand by and watch her marry someone else or will he step up and take what he wants?

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, cute, well-written book. Alessandra is one of three sisters trying to save the family winery. She plans to renovate a cottage on the property to make it a wedding venue. Penn, the star of a renovation TV show, has come to town to get to know two half-brothers he didn't know he had. He finds himself signing on to help Alessandra with her cottage renovation. This is the first in a trilogy with related characters. I can't wait to read the next one! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Merged review:

This was a fun, cute, well-written book. Alessandra is one of three sisters trying to save the family winery. She plans to renovate a cottage on the property to make it a wedding venue. Penn, the star of a renovation TV show, has come to town to get to know two half-brothers he didn't know he had. He finds himself signing on to help Alessandra with her cottage renovation. This is the first in a trilogy with related characters. I can't wait to read the next one! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[RO · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considered the "Nun of Napa" due to her nonrelationships for the past 5 years, Alessandra Baci is all set to enter into a secret affair with Penn "Build Me Up" Bennett. She's head over heels in lust with Penn and he feels the same. Along the way, the relationship turns into more and therein lies the plot of the story.

The opening scenes of this story are simply laugh out loud funny as Craig introduces most of the characters, and the witty conversations are simply brilliant. As interesting as Alessandra and Penn are, I bonded much more with Gil and Clare who grew up as best friends, finding themselves in a quandary over her upcoming nuptials with a less than desirable fiance. In fact, I was ready to kick this guy to the curb as soon as I met him, and it was obvious that Gil was more right for Clare. Finally, the actual conclusion of the book seemed rushed, but despite some of these glitches, I'm still a fan, and definitely plan to read the next book in the series.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this light romance, which has great romantic tension between the two lead characters. The actions of the heroine at the end had me scratching my head, but the fun and romance carried the story. Ridgway does a good job of teasing us with other romances in the series, and I will definitely be reading them to find out what happens to the other Bacci sisters.

[Poongothai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by Christie Ridgway. It was a fast read romance set in a winery. The secondary romance was also very interesting. I did not like the part where Allie thinks that saving her winery is more important than her friend's HEA.But other than that the characters were new and story engaging

[Burçak Sultan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Süper bir romantik komedi :) Bundan çok güzel film olur valla keşke yapsalar ;) Karakterler çok eğlenceli.. Baci kızkardeşleri ile Bennet erkek kardeşlerinin tatlı düşmanlıklarına ise bittim.. Kesinlikle romantik komedi hayranlarına önerecegim bir kitap :D

[Bettina Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Enjoyed this storyline and the samples of the following stories. Will read more by this author soon. I read a lot of low cost books and this one was a lot better in grammar and read ability.

[Mojca · Rating 2 out of 5]

An annoying heroine, silly premise, and an unbelievable romance.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

When she was 20, Alessandra Baci was all set to marry her high school sweetheart and the hometown hero. But he died on the wedding day. 5 years later and Alessandra is unable to move on from this experience, and the town keeps the status quo, not wanting to see their darling girl move on. So, she's been dubbed the Nun of Napa. But Penn Bennett, a new arrival, isn't fooled by any of this. He sees Alessandra as a vibrant, passionate woman who is ready to move on with her life with or without everybody's permission, and he's going to help her. He's also going to help her save her winery, which is the heart of her family.

So, I'll say this, the author writes a good story. Even feeling as I did about Alessandra, I was interested in her story (maybe it was Penn that drove me). And the secondary romance of Gil and Clare was unputdownable. I wanted to skip ahead just to read those sections. Unfortunately, the game playing and mind fucking of the heroines was a bit too unrelatable for me. I just couldn't warm up to them. We'll start with Clare, since that whole romance was my favorite. She learns that her fiancee has cheated on her, her best friend Gil knew about it and that she loves Gil (and suspects maybe he loves her). So, she hies off to his house to seduce him, claiming that she needs one, last single fling and she needs to balance the power between her and her fiancee by also cheating. And he so loves her that he gives in. Only AFTER he's had what he thinks is his only sexual experience with the woman he loves and only AFTER he believes he's been used by his best friend, does she tell him that she was just kidding? Trying to determine if he loved her? I don't know. Her excuse was flimsy and her actions felt cruel and cold-hearted. Gah. Such a disappointing end for my favorite sub-story.

But Clare doesn't come close to Alessandra. When Penn and Alessandra first meet, he pegs her for a manipulative woman and I figured it was just his cynicism at work. It was, but he was also right on the money. When Alessandra became the hometown widow, the town went out of its way to coddle and protect her and to give her anything she wanted. Although she claims not to want that, she exploits it at every turn (apparently it alleviates the town's guilt or something). The town (and most especially her former mother-in-law-to-be) also prevents her from moving on with her life, which on the surface Alessandra resents, but in reality, she desperately wants that. She doesn't want to move on with her life - she wants to live on in her martyrdom. This is why she plays games with Penn, because she doesn't want him getting too close. So she makes no secret of the fact that she's using him, but secretly, because it wouldn't do to have the town know. And worse, she holds herself back from him, refusing to let him see the passion she feels (and it's clear that it's deliberate...fear of some power imbalance or something). But her worst crime is there at the end, at the 90% mark when she uses the fact that he loves her to weedle a weeding out of him so they can save the winery. Only after he storms off dejected, does she realize what she's done (and her heart grew three sizes that day - literally). So she spends 90% of the book without feelings really. Probably why I didn't like her much. (I had plenty of problems with Penn, but he was still likeable). And Penn forgave her WAY TOO FAST. After some public praise. She hardly even humiliated herself. She needed a much larger, grander declaration and they needed more time to work things out before marrying. Especially since she got the very wedding she wanted and saved the winery anyway... After that behavior, I didn't want her to get what she wanted. I wanted her to accept that maybe love was more important.

I know it sounds like I hated this book, but I didn't. I was still very much an engaged reader and the angst of their situation was really well drawn out and very well executed. What got in my way here was my inability to even like the heroine (and in the aftermath Clare as well), but this wasn't really an in the moment thing. It was only after everything had played out that I really examined how I felt about the characters.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alessandra is the Nun of Napa and Penn is on the outs of love. Everyone in town knows Alessandra as Tommy's girl and untouchable. Tommy died on their wedding day of cancer. She never realized how lonely she was until she met Penn. They have chemistry but she fears her reputation as well as his will hurt her. They fall for each other but when she realizes she might lose her winery, she decides to convince Penn to marry her on tv and save her winery. He leaves and then she realizes what she's done. She loves him but she became so obsessed with saving the winery, she hurt him. He comes back and she admits her mistakes. They live happily ever after.

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary romance set in wine country with legends of ghosts and treasures that were never fully developed. This is the story of two brothers, a half-brother, three sisters, a best friend and a cousin all getting tangled up in love. Alessandra is trying to save the family winery. Penn Bennett is connecting with his half-siblings and healing from a bad relationship. Alessandra needs Penn to save her winery but she treats him like a jerk, he still helps her and is attracted to her. Penn goes around doing good deeds but does not want people to think he is nice....I think all of the people in this book need therapy.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Based on the synopsis for this book the primary characters and the main focus is Alessandra and Penn. However my favorite characters in this book are Clare and Gil. And their story is my favorite part of this book. Although I did enjoy the story of Alessandra and Gil. I also liked the other characters in the book and thought they were very well developed. I also liked the pace of the book. I felt it ended well and at the same time encouraged interest in the next book in the series.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty standard contemporary romance, but I enjoyed it to the point that I was able to finish it in the day. I really liked the heroine's situation, being put on a pedestal by the town and being forced to stop using everyone's guilt and to look to the future. I liked how it was the heroine who really messed up toward the end and had to grovel.