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Marisa Castilla’s life is in need of a rewrite. Her ex-boyfriend/boss just fired her, the guest room she’s occupying is about to be taken over by a newborn, and she’s drowning in student loan debt. Swallowing her pride, she reaches out to her estranged father and makes the temporary move to Red Mountain, leaving behind her beloved city and corporate ambitions. Transitioning to being a lowly reporter for her father’s small town newspaper is a culture shock, and constantly bumping into Ethan Ledger, her less-than-friendly neighbor, who also happens to own the vineyard cottage she’s staying in, doesn’t make things easier.



Ethan Ledger recently assumed the role of CEO of his family’s wine empire. An anxious over-thinker, he wears a grumpy facade like armor. Still adjusting to running the family business, he can’t afford any distractions, especially not the beautiful one next door. He only has two rules for his new neighbor/tenant: no visitors and no expectations of friendship. But when Marisa breaks through his tough exterior, friendship soon blooms into late-night texts and telenovela marathons.



Feelings develop and lines blur, and Ethan is prepared to break every rule he’s ever had for Marisa. However, an enticing offer for her dream job back in the city clashes with Ethan’s roots in Red Mountain.



Sparks fly and wine flows between the most unlikely pairing, but sometimes the rarest blends are the most satisfying.

456 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2024

331 people are currently reading
3459 people want to read

About the author

Michelle Naomi Mosley

7 books204 followers
Technical writer turned romance author Michelle Naomi Mosley writes all town romances with relatable characters and heartfelt narratives, incorporating humor and open-door spice in all her stories. Michelle lives in Washington State's wine country with her husband. When she's not writing, she's reading, cooking the latest viral recipe, or redecorating her home for the millionth time. Since deciding to take the plunge and make her writing dreams a reality, it's been a whirlwind of late nights crafting stories and trying to keep up with the countless book ideas that strike her at any given moment.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
Profile Image for Delaney.
237 reviews13.7k followers
December 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ I do love a grumpy man turned DOWN BAD softie for the woman he loves 🥹

(This unfortunately took me FOREVER to read, not because of the book, just because it was my bedtime book & I feel like it impacted my investment in the story ☹️)
Profile Image for Lia Reads.
547 reviews477 followers
February 6, 2025
4.5 stars this book was so cute!! I’ve never read a winery romance before and I loveddd this book. I always love when an FMC is trying to find herself after being with the wrong man for so long and Ethan was grumpy and was slighted in his past so of course he held Marissa at arms length.

The banter, the chemistry. Once they finally accepted they had feelings was just perfection. The first date, the scene in the wine cellar, I just loved it all!
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews810 followers
January 6, 2025
** One of my Top 20 of 2024 Picks on www.JeevesReads.com! **

What a great debut! I adored the hero, a man whose bark is worse than his bite. He's grumpy because he has anxiety, and that often leads to him seeming harsh and abrasive. He's out of his element with his girl, which means their journey from strangers to reluctant friends to lovers takes some time. This is a true slow burn to SIZZLE, with a focus on the emotional connection before the spice kicks in. There might've actually been too much spice in the back half, lol, though I'm not really gonna complain about that. I didn't mind the page count at all - I was fully immersed in this love story, eagerly waiting to see how things progressed between them. It was very strong for a debut novel, that's for sure, and I'm excited to see what's next from the author. I loved it!

The story follows Marisa, a woman whose life is falling apart. She just lost her boyfriend, her job, and her home in quick succession, so Marisa finds herself moving to the small town her estranged father lives in. It's only a temporary solution while she gets back on her feet, but things just keep getting worse. After a run-in with a moody grump, Marisa is dismayed to discover that the man is her new neighbor. Marisa meets Ethan at his worst, when his anxiety shortens his temper and loosens his tongue. The friction between the two builds, until suddenly they find themselves becoming reluctant friends. As Marisa gets to know Ethan better, she realizes that there's a quiet, tender man buried beneath that grumpy exterior, and his friendship quickly becomes an important part of her life. But Marisa is only in town until she finds a new job, and that means moving beyond friendship is a terrible idea.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I'm always up for a strangers to lovers romance, particularly when the hero is grumpy - that's like catnip for me. So this grabbed my attention immediately, even when Ethan made an awful first impression. I loved getting to know him better, and I also loved that Marisa didn't let him get away with anything. She's a strong heroine, and that's exactly what he needed. The two were great together, and watching them slowly fall was an absolute treat. The representation of a biracial (Mexican and white) heroine was very good, as the author has also lived that experience. I liked seeing mental health rep for a hero as well, which I don't see very often. Marisa becomes a safe space for Ethan, and that made for some truly swoony moments. I loved the way Ethan and Marisa's relationship progressed at its own speed. There was just enough tension to keep things interesting, building up to quite the sizzle. There were a couple of really minor things that bugged me, but nothing to detract from my reading experience. I had a fantastic time getting lost in this world.
Profile Image for Shana .
424 reviews73 followers
October 25, 2024
rare blend | arc review 🍷

4⭐️ | 4.5🌶

okay, I really liked this. this was so wholesome and relatable. I loved the found family vibes. definitely recommend. AND THE SPICE?! OH MY GOODNESS! cannot wait for everybody else's stories. congratulations to Michelle on her debut and thank you to truly yours pr for the arc.
Profile Image for Em Reads Romance.
195 reviews65 followers
October 10, 2024
I really loved this book! There was such a great balance of romance, family ties, and general fears of adulthood, and the writer did a great job of handling off-page cheating. The ONLY complaint I have is that Ethan is my brothers name so I had to change the characters name in my head 😂
Profile Image for Melissa.
505 reviews58 followers
October 19, 2024
✨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!
Profile Image for Mattie.
193 reviews16 followers
September 4, 2025
spectacular, give me 14 of em right now. i love marisa and ethan and red mountain! such a sweet and sexy romance with lovable characters, honest mental health representation, and a beautiful romance! even though marisa and ethan had been hurt in the past i loved seeing them grow into trusting each other.

FUCK HER MOM AND FUCK HER EX. i’m ready for the next books in the series!
Profile Image for Hannah Glenn.
136 reviews6 followers
February 14, 2026
I had such a good time with this! The banter, the yearning, and the mental health rep were all fantastic. Both Marisa and Ethan were very multifaceted. I loved that they both had these shells that protected very soft, and sensitive hearts, and they really only showed those soft sides with each other. I absolutely can’t wait to dive into the rest of this series! Thank you Kim for the recommendation, I’m OBSESSED!❤️
Profile Image for Lisa.
342 reviews18 followers
February 1, 2026
Will be reading this series and can't wait to meet Ms. Mosley at the Novels in Bloom Festival!
Profile Image for Christa.
281 reviews22 followers
May 9, 2025
this was fantastic

no notes

will be reading book two 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️
Profile Image for Kayla Cyré.
78 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2024
Rare Blend 🍷🧡

Review:
The way I adored this book so much 🥺 let's get into it. Marissa is a Latina fmc who is fired from her job by her ex-boyfriend. She decides to go visit her father, who helps her out with a job and a place to stay. Soon, she finds out that the little home she's staying in is owned by Ethan, the CEO of the vineyard. Ethan has a chip on his shoulder and doesn't want anything to do with Marissa.

Ethan and Marissa despise each other, but as time goes on, the tension starts building, and they realize there's a connection between them that they want to explore. The banter between them was intense and hilarious 🤭 I loved the way they brought down their walls for each other, and how Marissa knew how to calm Ethans anxiety and help him navigate through it. Not only did Marissa help Ethan, but he was there for her whenever she felt anxious. They knew how to ground each other 🥺 I appreciated the Spanish in this book and that our mmc also spoke Spanish too 😏 now, for the spice 🫣 there was definitely plenty of spice lol and there's a wine cellar scene 😮‍💨 and that ending.. my heart fluttered 🥹💓 I loved them so much and can't wait to see what's next in this series!


Thank you @authormichellenaomimosley for this lovely arc
Profile Image for rhi (tequilabookclub_).
347 reviews16 followers
March 29, 2025
It has everything I could ever want in a romance book.

ALSO holy heckers does he have more of a mouth on him then I had expected ..

👁️🫦👁️
Profile Image for Kayla.
104 reviews6 followers
October 24, 2024
As a self-proclaimed wine girly, I knew from the very first page that Rare Blend would be right up my alley—and it did not disappoint! 🍷🍇

So, grab your favourite wine, get comfy, and dive into this small-town, winery-set romance because Rare Blend is out today!

First of all, I loved EVERYTHING about this book!!

Marisa Castilla: She's going through it when we first meet her—losing her job and navigating a breakup—but she handles it all gracefully, mixed with a bit of sass. I loved seeing her rebuild her relationship with her dad after everything they’d been through. The slow repair of their bond was heartwarming to read.

Then we have Ethan Ledger—Mr. Grumpy Pants himself. 🤭 It’s always the quiet ones who get you, right? Ethan’s character development was fantastic, especially as he began to open up about his mental health struggles.

And let’s talk about his relationship with Marisa… Ugh, they’re just so good together! They understand each other deeper, always showing up for one another. Ethan is the ultimate green flag! 😍❤️‍🔥


This book delivers on many fronts—great family dynamics, personal growth, and the perfect balance of sweet and sassy. If you love small-town romance, winery settings, and a good mental health rep, this one’s for you!🍇

Tropes you'll love:
🍇Small Town
🍁 Winery Setting
🍇 Mental Health Rep
Profile Image for Kimberly Del Cid.
136 reviews295 followers
February 4, 2026
Without a doubt this book is going to be one of my favorites in 2025!!! I love this book, be prepared to be SICK of me talking about it.

I adore so much about this book. The characters and the town absolutely hooked me in, Marisa is a beautiful complex character I related so much to. Ethan is a grumpy motherf*cker in the best way. I love when a man is truly grumpy and doesn’t soften up after 2 seconds. He is soft only for Marisa (we love to see it) and he confides in her things only she knows about.

I loved the mental health rep in this book as well as the Latina representation.🥲 The tension between these two was killing me in the best way and I loved their banter. Ethan also takes care of Marisa when she’s sick and my heart was melting during that scene. The spicy scenes also 😳are sooo good. I seriously can not wait for book 2.

Also the scenes between Marisa and her dad made me tear up. Seeing their relationship develop healed a little part of me, I can’t explain it.
Profile Image for Sydney B.
490 reviews27 followers
December 25, 2024
“Let me make myself clear. Nothing about us is casual.”

5/⭐️
2/🌶️

beta read this & IM OBSESSED ✨
and I’m back, it took me entirely wayyyy too long to come back and read this, but I’m still just as obsessed!!

Ethan and Marisa were perfect! These two are so perfect for each other & I loved how relatable they were! The anxiety rep was done so well too! Ethan was just the cutest, even if all his grumpiness!

Michelle’s writing is so so good, I can’t believe this was a debut! It really pulls me in, and wanting more. I just know that the rest of this series will be just as good 🫶🏼

🍷grumpy x sunshine
🤍 opposites attract
🍷 forced proximity
🤍 anxiety rep
🍷 Latina fmc
🤍 bilingual mmc
🍷 he falls first and HARD 🥰
🤍 winery setting
Profile Image for Paloma Rodello.
171 reviews36 followers
October 18, 2024
First of all, thank you SO much to Michelle Naomi Mosley for sending me a copy of Rare Blend to read and review before its release date. I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am convinced this book is about me. The fmc is Latina, the story takes place on a vineyard (my ideal setting always), the mmc’s name is Ethan (my boyfriend’s name), and he has a dog named Goose (our cat’s name is Goose!!). I think MNM was in my brain while writing this.

I loved the banter between Ethan and Marisa. The way their relationship developed felt realistic. I really enjoyed reading about their differences and how they came together. There was lots of representation in this book, including, of course, a Latina female main character, a male main character who is bilingual, as well as anxiety rep.

Now let’s talk about the spice. I was giggling and kicking my feet during these scenes. Although it is a slow burn to start, my gosh does it pick up and it does NOT disappoint. I was reading this on the treadmill and started blushing - I had to make sure no one else was around. Ethan is amazing, Marisa matches his energy, and you can literally feel their chemistry lifting off the pages.

I loved Ethan’s family and how they embraced Marisa as one of their own once she moved to Red Mountain. It felt like the family she had always wanted was right there. Marisa’s best friend, Hillary, was always there to give her some sage advice when she needed it. The side characters all felt like integral parts of the story and I loved their dynamic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this small town romance. It is complete with grumpy x sunshine, dislike to lovers, forced proximity, and opposites attract tropes. It will make you laugh, cry, and blush. It felt super relevant timing wise too - it’s perfect for a fall read. I highly recommend you pour yourself a glass of cab sauv, kick your feet up, and dive into Rare Blend on its release date on October 24th!!
Profile Image for Sandy (Sandy.Reads).
941 reviews530 followers
October 19, 2024
4.5/5

Finding love on a winery with the grumpy CEO… yes please!

Marisa escapes to Red Mountain after her life falls in shambles. A cheating ex who also fires her from her current job. She ends up staying in a cabin at a winery and meets her grumpy neighbor.

Ethan is the CEO of his family’s wine empire and is still reeling from his last failed relationship where his fiancé cheated on his with his lifelong best friend. When Marisa moves in the cabin next door their first meeting is anything up pleasant.

Although their first few meetings are awful, Ethan finds himself falling for the girl next door. He ends up doing everything in his power to help Marisa be her best self while also showing her love and kindness that is so new to her.

Their chemistry is off the charts and the 🌶️ was spicing! Once they kissed, they could not keep their hands off each other for the rest of the book.

There is a soft 3rd act breakup. 👀

I cannot wait to meet more people in Red Mountain and hear their stories.

Profile Image for Jackie.
129 reviews1 follower
February 17, 2025
3.5 rounded up. This was fun and sexy, but the characterization in some ways felt inconsistent and the two leads fell for each other so fast (which isn't normally my thing).

Also an editor missed one of my pet peeves I correct my students on and I can't get over it lol (you have bias, you are biasED. Ok thank you)
Profile Image for Shaylee.
155 reviews14 followers
November 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this book and I am so excited that there will be more to come as it is a series. I really loved this book, it was relatable and wholesome in the most meaningful way. I have been reading books with a winery setting lately and I loved this one so much.

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and I loved the relationships between the characters. The found family was perfect in this book and the friendships were just as good.

The banter and the tension was SOOO GOOD. It is a slow burn that ignites perfectly and realistically. Marisa and Ethan have a great relationship and I loved seeing it evolve.

I loved this small town romance book so much. I can't wait to read more from this author!!

Thank you Truly Yours PR and Michelle Naomi Mosley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for naomi ☾ (abooktoberead).
136 reviews10 followers
November 2, 2024
i have nothing but incredible things to say about this book. between the setting, the character development, the loathe to love trope, the sweet, the spicy, the spicy again (cough cough the wine tasting???!). the banter and tension were off the charts! what an excellent debut, i can't wait to see what's next in store for this author. this was so well written and i highly recommend!!
Profile Image for jenna &#x1f498;✨.
628 reviews169 followers
October 24, 2025
4.25 stars!!! sweet, hot, fun & soo easy to lose yourself in!!!! loved ethan & marisa & the rep in this one!!!!
Profile Image for Dini - dinipandareads.
1,221 reviews125 followers
December 27, 2024
I've been "reading" this book for about two months now and after deciding yesterday to go back to the beginning and speed read through to the 50% mark (where I stopped last time), I managed to finish it this morning. I have mixed feelings about Rare Blend because while I liked it for the most part, I thought it was unnecessarily long and there could have been so much more character and relationship development during that time. Overall though, this was a good debut and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series because the Ledgers are awesome and I'm excited to get romances for all the siblings!

The small-town setting was lovely and the author did a wonderful job of bringing it to life with the festivals, close community vibes, and the Ledger family. Ethan's siblings and other family members were a riot and I loved their well-meaning meddling, especially from Shane, Gavin and Elyse. They were definitely one of the highlights of the story and I wish we got to see more of them after our MCs get together but it does make me more keen to read their stories as the series continues! Marisa's relationship with her parents is complicated and not at all like Ethan's with his family and since it was such a big part of her arc, I expected more from it. Sadly, we don't get to see her work through her family issues and it was quickly swept under the rug of "resolution"at the end, which was rather unsatisfying.

Ethan and Marisa did not have a meet cute—they had a meet awkward and it was kind of hilariously awful how they brought out the worst in each other for a good while afterward. No matter how each interaction starts off decently, they always end up storming off in different directions which sets up the tension between them nicely. I found both of them easy to empathise with to a point but I admittedly found Marisa frustrating because I couldn't understand what she wanted and frankly, I don't think she did either. I can appreciate complex characters who aren't easy to like as long as they are well developed but I don't think the author got there with Marisa.

She was at rock bottom here but she really rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. She's petty, judgmental, and even up until the end, her words and actions continued to misalign. Don't get me wrong, I loved her sass and rallying spirit, and she does have great moments as her relationship with Ethan evolves through a strong foundation of friendship. However, I didn't like how inconsistent she felt as she would say or think one thing and act in total contrast on page. She's also supposed to be the "sunshine" of this dynamic but sadly, I didn't feel that from her because she seemed to have a floating cloud of pessimism trailing her. Also, despite readers being told that she's grateful for having a place to land, even if it was the most desperate of options to reach out to her semi-estranged father for help, it certainly doesn't show in her attitude and actions. I hate ungrateful characters and I hate when they "sneer" because it's such an ugly action and which she did a fair bit of.

In contrast, Ethan was a pretty easy man to understand but I think that also kind of speaks to the shallowness of his character development. He's only partially grumpy and underneath that gruff exterior is a soft-hearted bear of a man who would and does do anything for his love. I appreciated how his social anxiety was depicted because as someone who suffers the same (although to a lesser degree), the way it's written was relatable and realistic. If you love an MMC who falls first and falls hard, then I'm sure you'll love Ethan because once he gets over being an asshole, he turns into a complete simp for Marisa and the way he loved on her was so sweet. Their romance starts off as a very slow burn and they don't get together until about the 60% mark but once they cross the line, they can't keep their hands off each other. I'm all for smut but after a point the number of sex scenes started to feel slightly gratuitous. It was almost as if the author was trying to pack in as much sex as possible to make up for the lack of in the first half. If you love a steamy read and a dirty talking hero, rest assured there is plenty for you to enjoy in this book.
Profile Image for Wren.
523 reviews48 followers
October 24, 2024
This book will be added to my list of top debut romances I have read this year! The grumpy/sunshine in this book was PERFECTION!!! I loved the mental health rep, I loved the forced proximity, I loved the he falls first. So many forehead kisses for Michelle for giving us Ethan and Marisa.
Profile Image for Marissa Rogers.
160 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2024
Rare Blend was quite a rare treat indeed! Sometime it’s hard for me to continue with contemporary romance, it in this case, the only hard part was having to put the book down! (I know it took me 2 weeks to read, if I hadn’t had Covid, I would’ve finished much sooner!)

What can I say about the amazing MCs?!

Marisa Castilla, our spicy FMC, is starting anew since her boyfriend boss cheated on her, kicked her out of their condo, and then fired her. What an ASS! So she packs up her belongings and heads out to her estranged dad’s to find herself. Well, let’s say she found a bit more than just herself in the town of Red Mountain!

Our male lead, Ethan Ledger, is the new CEO of his family’s winery. He is one grumpy guy, especially to Marisa at first. Until he’s grumpy at everyone but her. You know where I’m going with this right?!

This book was an amazing debut for Michelle Maomi Mosley! Already I see her up with the likes of Emily Henry and others! Her pop culture references are not missed and definitely appreciated! I can’t tell you how many times while reading this and she would say Marisa likes something and I would say “Oh my gosh! Me too!” Having the same name helps to feel connected to a character as well! 😉

I will continue to read Michelle’s books and I look forward to a continuation of the Ledger family’s love stories!

I was given an ARC of Rare Blend in return of an honest review.

If you love these tropes, you’ll love Rare Blend:

🍇 Grumpy/Sunshine
🍁 He falls first & HARDER
🍇 Opposites attract
🍁 Small Town
🍇 Anxiety Rep
🍁 Open-Door Spice
🍇 Latina FMC 🇲🇽
🍁 Bilingual MMC
🍇 Forced Proximity
🍁 Dual POV
🍇 Winery Setting
🍁 One bed
🍇 No 3rd act breakup

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Natalie | nats.bookrecs.
680 reviews48 followers
February 25, 2025
✨hate to love
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ small town winery
✨ forced proximity - neighbors
✨a dog named goose

This was so so so good. A grumpy anxious man who pushes away the one woman who stops him in his tracks only to realize he fucked up and basically grovel for the rest of the book! Ethan Ledger the man that you are 😩

And Marisa such a strong, take no shit FMC of my dreams who inspires me to be more like her. I love how authentic and real she felt. She had such a big heart to empathize with everyone around her while also trying to figure out what she wants and what her new dreams are now. I love seeing the Ledger family come together and welcome her in right away, and the growth of mending her relationship with her father.

The romance was so so sweet, with a bit of a burn, loaded with tension that had you screaming at all of these little moments. A snowed in room BUT TWO BEDS. A little cherry outfit and a man tortured?!

Absolute perfection, the writing was the die for an I already miss everyone back at Red Mountain and I can’t wait to take a trip there again 🥹
Profile Image for Sarai.
404 reviews8 followers
October 11, 2024
4 stars
This was so cute and such a light read and overall really enjoyed it and also loved the Latin/Mexican representation. Also elyse and Dominic? The CLIFFHANGER?! Hopefully we get there story 🤞🏼
Profile Image for Destiny.
178 reviews7 followers
November 4, 2025
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Sometimes things have to fall apart so that better things can fall together.”


He’s grumpy af, soft for her, and she’s starting over, slowly falling in love with a small winery town of Red Mountain and him 🩷🍷 A delicious slow burn full of yearning even with an end date neither of them wants to think about.

“Is it even considered falling when he feels like the softest landing I’ve ever experienced? He’s my safe place; he would never let me fall. He’s always there to catch me.”


Ethan’s carrying the world on his shoulders, suddenly responsible for his dad’s winery. Marisa’s at her lowest, reconnecting with her estranged dad and learning how to breathe again. She’s firecracker with a spark that makes her easy to love and is exactly what Ethan didn’t know he needed.

“We’re a strange mix, a rare blend. Two people who shouldn’t be compatible, yet somehow our jagged edges seamlessly align, fitting together in a way that feels both effortless and extraordinary.”


The little things got me: tacos as peace offerings, cookies he eats even though he doesn’t like sweets, the quiet ways he takes care of her when she’s sick and the quiet moments of sharing space while watching trashy TV. The mental health rep isn’t just mentioned, it’s felt. The yearning, the tension, the way they see each other even when they’re pretending not to. I spent both epilogues with tears in my eyes. I grew so attached to this characters, this found family, and if the other books are anything like this, I will forever recommend this series.

“She’s like the bright sun I can’t seem to stop staring into, even though I know if I stare long enough, I’ll go blind. It would be irreversible. Permanent.”


After a month-long slump, this was exactly what I needed! The Ledger family felt so easy to love and I’m already ready for Elyse “Hoes don’t get cold” Ledger’s book!
Profile Image for Kayla.
297 reviews49 followers
October 24, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC Review: Pub Date October 24, 2024

𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒂 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑺𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕.

I haven't loved a debut as much as this in a while. I was hooked immediately and loved every moment of this book.

This series is centers around the Ledger family winery, and I was able to picture everything with vivid clarity. The writing really drew a wonderful picture of this idyllic Washington winery location. I desperately want to be able to visit.

I love a large family series. Being able to revisit them over and over with each book. Getting to know each sibling while also getting a peek at the one before. It's my favorite. So I'm really looking forward to watching this series grow and getting to know each of the Ledger siblings even better. And of course seeing what Marisa and Ethan are up to.

These two captivated me. I love Marisa from page 1. This girl was going through it, but her humor and positive nature still shines through in every scene. She is definitely struggling, but watching her find herself while forming her friendship with Ethan is so fun.

Ethan Ledger is ELITE. He's an absolute grump, but he has good reason. He doesn't trust easily, but when he does it's with his whole self. He is a words of affirmation and acts of service KING. And he may be quiet but he's got a mouth on him. 😮‍💨 Basically, by the end of this book I was obsessed with him and you will be too.

I knew going in that this was open door spice. But y'all. Michelle ripped that door off the hinges. This is SPOICY. It is an excellent time. 🥵

Please read this debut. You won't regret it.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏.

Read October 18-24, 2024
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464 reviews116 followers
May 15, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ | 2.5 🌶️

If you love grumpy sunshine, a man with a dog and a small town winery setting THIS IS FOR YOU!

🍷 Winery small town setting
🍷 Grumpy X Sunshine
🍷 Forced proximity - neighbors
🍷 Gets cheated on and upgrades

I adored Marisa and Ethan. Marisa was a strong, take no 💩 FMC with a softer side that was able to be nurtured once she felt comfortable with Ethan. Ethan was just perfect. I loved that he was a TRUE grump with a soft side that’s only for Marisa (and his German shepherd goose).

The spice!!! I loved the yearning and slow burn, but once we got to the spice, it was 0 to 60 real quick. That barrel scene??? Ethan is a king that loves to eat 👏🏼.

The writing was so good. We were introduced to so many characters and the small town setting by being shown, not told, and I had the best time discovering all of the different layers to this story.

‼️TLDR: What a debut novel by Michelle Naomi Mosley! I adored the characters and the winery setting and cannot wait to continue with double barrel for Elyse and Dominic’s story! 😍
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