Corked!: A Rivals to Lovers Short

by L.M. Bennett

Nola knows wine. She lives it. But, when food critic Langston posts a scathing review about the wine that sommelier Nola paired with her dinner, Nola's boss tells her to make it right--or else .

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary, Adult

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2023

Reviews

[Sadie☠🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's it! The ending had me thinking my kindle didn't download the whole book 😭.

[♡Matty♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. The plot is good, the characters are interesting and I especially enjoyed the banter between Langston and Nola. It's really short so can easily be read over a lunch break.

[Diane Rembert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nola loves her job as a sommalier (a wine steward, who is trained to pair wine with food). When Langston gives her a sub-par rating for her pairing, words are exchanged, numbers are exchanged and they find themselves on a dream first date.

This was really a cute, short enemies-to-lovers story. I actually learned quite a bit about wines and cultural foods. This is one that I would highly recommend by NTM (new to me) author @authorlmbennett. I'm looking forward to reading more.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this short story (I think it’s too short to be called a true novella) as part of the Sapphic September giveaway. I love being able to try new authors like this, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. Nola’s love of wine, paired with Langston’s love of food, is so specific and described in such delicious terms that I would have happily read a whole book of their food-centered flirtation!

[Tierney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this, so take my criticisms with some grains of salt...

Corked! is a little too short to do what it wants to do, I feel. Perhaps too many pages were spent focussing on the setup, environment, and side characters. By the time Nola and Langston get together for a date, the story is almost over. And the rather abrupt ending reflected that.

But what IS good is the setup, ironically given my comments above. The great setup and setting justified something more novella in length because the story enagages and the MCs' time together works :). I also really enjoyed the dive into food and wine, and again I'm critical because that element was good and I'd like more!

If this short served as an add-on to another book or the first in a series, that would be good, and I'd definitely look to join in :).

Ultimately, enjoy this for what it is and don't be a grinch like me "wining" for more ;). There is fun to be had between these pages and I know that a short read is can be perfect sometimes.

[Siddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nola is a sommelier in a recently opened restaurant, one of the best sommeliers in the city. On one of the restaurant’s first evenings a woman sits alone at a table, and asking for the sommelier, orders a wine to pair with the food. Because the wine Nola chooses is bad, she has to suggest a second-best, which doesn’t go down so well with the woman, who happens to be a food critic, and writes a bad review. Nola meets her later at a wine shop, and after a frank exchange, and after another encounter the woman Langston asks Nola out.
This is a gentle short story, where we learn a little about wines. It’s advertised as enemies to lovers, but I would say they were never really enemies. Such a shame it’s only a short story - the author invests so much time and lovely descriptions into it, that it ended far too soon.

[Ashlee Tharman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Nola's wine suggestion gets a rough review from food critic Langston, she comes up with a brilliant idea to get in her boss' good graces again. When Langston appears at the tasting event, Nola recognizes it may be her heart that's in trouble after all.

THIS. WAS. SO. CUTE. I. CANT. Wine, food, a sweet romance, what is not to love about this novelette?? Im in love with how quickly Bennett gets you to fall for the characters and the ability to set up the perfect scene and this particularly story will have you fawning over this blossoming love.

[Kerryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to Lovers.... Hmmm not so much.

Overall it was a good short read. I don't really categorise this work as an "Enemies to Lovers" as it's labeled. They were never enemies, they were more so colleagues in a vast industry that were on opposite sides of an opinion, once they actually spoke and explained their respective points/positions - it was resolved.

Again a good short read, definitely recommend.

[lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this read was short and sweet. After receiving a harsh review from food critic Langston, Nola hurried to rectify what turned out to be a misunderstanding.
i love the open-mindedness Langston showed when she encountered a critique of her own after bumping into Nola at a popular wine store. additionally, i could appreciate how Nola regained her confidence after hosting a wine tasting for her restaurant and explored a potential love interest with Langston.

[Victoria Dent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute novella with no spice. Nola was a sommelier at this restaurant that had recently opened and Langston was a food critic that wrote a bad review about the wine Nola paired her food with. Langston asked Nola out later at the wine tasting Nola hosted and the two went on a date. Really short - only 33 pages. Cute intro to this author.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was such a fun read. I honestly wouldn’t have mind if it were longer. The writing is good and the characters of Nola and Langston were interesting. I loved their chemistry and how they got off on the wrong foot. The ending was very cute and I just really liked this novella.

[Hope Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a Foodie reading challenge and found food and wine galore! As a teetotaller, the wine observations left me cold but some of the food sounded delicious. This is a well written short and could easily have been longer…or perhaps added to with more from Nola and Langston.

[Phylicia L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riesling!

I enjoyed this. Two strong minded women, experts/ well known in their fields, meeting and clashing. Lol. I would love to see a part two. I feel like there is so much more that could happen with Langston and Nola. Would recommend.

[Philippe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did't been elate by this story, feeling sometimes like a wine course.
3,5 stars becoming 4

[Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to give this book grace because after all , it’s a novella so it’s not fair to expect but so much. It definitely had potential & I could see what the author was attempting to put down. However , I feel like the storyline was lacking a bit. Also , the book cover said it was supposed to give enemies to lovers vibes but baby… the enemies to lovers wasn’t even in the room with us.

Outside of that , one of the FMCs was a wine connoisseur & shorty knewwwwwww her shit fr. I found her occupation & her knowledge about wine pairing extremely intriguing. That alone is why I gave this one 3 stars.

If you’re into sapphic books or just want a quick read , give it try.

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delectable short story about Langston, a food critic, and Nola, a wine connoisseur, who get off on the wrong foot when Langston is less than impressed with Nola’s wine suggestion and writes a scathing review. When Nola is forced by her boss to go make things right, it turns out that wine and food won’t be the only pairings getting made. This was a sweet and fun story that will definitely conjure up some cravings! I would love to see more of their story, but this was well developed for a short story.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet!

Such a rough beginning. Nola and Langston definitely started on the wrong foot. But just maybe, a foodie and a sommelier might find a way to coexist or even complement each other. This is a sweet story!

[Rena · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a 31 pages, Corked! has a nicely developed plot, characters and chemistry. I wouldn't mind a full length novel of this one.

[Frances Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like more of a preview or extract than a story on its own but was rich in description and tension. Special mention to excellent food and drink writing! Made me hungry and thirsty!