✨ARC Review✨
4.5✨
Is it weird to say that I don't think I've read many books with a winery setting? If I had, they clearly didn't stand out to me. Something tells me that this book will stick.
For a debut novel, this was written SO WELL. I was immediately hooked and falling in love with this town and these characters. Smart move bringing in the adorable German Shepherd pup, Goose. Heart eyes all around for that little floofer.
Marisa is starting fresh. She's just gotten fired by her ex who cheated on her. With no place to stay and no money for her loans, she calls her dad reluctantly, and decides to move to his town until she gets back on her feet. Thinking she has a place of solitude, her next door neighbor, Ethan, is the dictionary definition of a grumpy jerk.
I tend to be a little picky with my grumpy men in books. A lot of the time, they can be grumpy for 5 seconds and soft two seconds later leaving me over it. Ethan, my man, was A GRUMP, and a GOOD GRUMP, and I LOVED IT. Because he was such a grumpy, the banter was top tier. Everything I love in a book will mostly always come down to good banter.
Ethan has had his heart smashed to pieces. He's guarded and just wants to be left alone. The last thing he expected was for Marisa to reignite the flames within. I absolutely LOVED his character. I love that even though he softens for Marisa, HE STILL REMAINS A GRUMP!!! It's adorable, really. He's so caring and it just warms my heart that he was able to feel something again in his life because of her.
Marisa is such a cute character. I loved her personality and I love that she ALWAYS gave it back to Ethan. She's finally seeing that there are people out there who will love her and she can trust that. I loved seeing her character growth.
This was such a cute story filled with a warm and cozy vibe. Any flaws with this story I will keep to myself because honestly for a debut book, this was done really well. We have a great plot with great character development, great romantic development, conflict, and a beautiful ending. We have a few storylines I feel brewing and I'm excited to see where it goes! Shane seems FUN.
I love that we get some healing moments with Marisa and her parents. I love that Ethan gets the closure he needed with his ex-bestie. I love that justice was kind of served to the ex's. I enjoyed the epilogue and again, loved the banter and chemistry these two had. I also really enjoyed the inside joke lines from the beginning of the story making a full 180 by the end, super cute and done really well.
Highly recommend if you're down for a grump who isn't so grumpy in the sheets and says all the right things in the wine cellar *wink.
Thank you so much to Truly Yours PR and Michelle Naomi Mosley for the arc copy!