Cuando el multimillonario propietario de un viñedo conoce a una chef segura de sí misma y con curvas a través de una agencia de contactos, sabe que ella es especial.Pero esconde un secreto que podría cambiarlo todo.
Tessa Morgan tiene una nada de hombres obsesionados con el dinero o el poder. Después de haber sido quemada antes, ella se centra en la construcción de su restaurante sueño y encontrar a alguien que la valora por lo que es. Lucas es un viticultor con los pies en la tierra, apasionado de los productos locales y con un corazón que la hace derretirse.
¿Qué es lo que Tessa no sabe? Lucas es un heredero multimillonario que huye del mundo empresarial, desesperado por encontrar a alguien que le quiera por algo más que por su cuenta bancaria.
Cuando su relación se intensifica y el secreto de Lucas sale a la luz, ¿lo perdonará Tessa? ¿O será el pasado lo que los separe?
Short and sweet but also so repetitive. Like I get the you want to not be controlled by someone else or the vineyard is your safe space. It doesn't need to be repeated in every chapter multiple times for an 87 page story.
I got this book for free on a "stuff your kindle" day October 2024
This is an 87 page novella. Fast pace, quick read.
I liked the idea of the story. The author is great at detailing how the characters feel. Other than that, there is little substance. There are so few details, that you don't get a sense of what the author is trying to tell you. You read how the characters feel, but you don't feel it. Because within those 80+ pages, the characters meet on a dating app, meet in person, spend time together over a few months, she is starting a restaraunt, he is trying to leave the family business. Which for all intents and purposes, he has already left the family, city, and business. He manages a vineyard. He spends no time in the city with the so called family business.
Also, it is advertised as "Curvy Girl Dating". The only curvy thing in the entire book is the dating service she uses. There is nothing to indicate that the female main character is in fact, curvy at all. Absolutely nothing about her shape, clothing fit, being uncomfortable in her body, etc. So that part is wrongly advertised in my opinion.
I did not like this. First off, don't call it a curvy girl romance if you never mention that the girl has curves. Both main characters spent more time with internal dialogue talking to themselves than talking to each other. They had like 4 dates, held hands, and kissed once and I'm suppose to believe they fell in love. And Daddy saying there would be consequences never happened. So don't threaten a character and then just forget about it. Either fully include it or leave it out. I honestly had trouble even finishing this. Since I did, it gets 2 stars instead of 1. However, I'm not inclined to read anything else by this author and glad this was a free ebook so I didn't waste money on it.
+ Fast paced and short. +the author describes their feelings well.
-really repetitive.. she thought about the same things every chapter, and same with him.. no sparks, or chemistry,you don’t know the characters and nothing.. and I also don’t understand the ‘curvy’ plot because the only thing about it was the dating app. - did not like the POV jump at every chapter.
It was a cute small town romance. It's very short. In the beginning, I felt the words were very repetitive. The same sentences just worded differently. The writing otherwise was good. It was a cute little fast read. Love at first sight, some family problems of course. Building trust. Very cute MMC.
There was no depth to this book. It was so repetitive and boring. I did read the whole book because I don’t like to not finish books but I could have easily not finished this one.
I got this book on one of the "stuff your kindle" days. Even though it is really short and an easy read, I considered DNFing it at 50%. There is just something in my brain that will not let me do that though, so I pushed through the rest of the book.
My final thoughts are that the book was repetitive and I did not feel like the characters were well developed. I know we got a little backstory on Tessa I just wish there was more.
This was another freebie book from a Stuff Your Kindle event that I got last year thinking the premise sounded cute.
The basics:
POV: First person POV Character(s): Tessa & Lucas Verb Tense: Past Triggers: None Spice: None
As I started reading this yesterday I realized the percentage on my Kindle was increasing really rapidly, and it wasn't till I moved to Storygraph to input it as a current read that I realized this was actually an 87-page novella. I honestly might not have picked it had I realized that. I don't have a problem with novellas per se, but I do prefer longer, meatier books. And I think people who can write good novellas are very talented because to keep your audience gripped by your story while containing it in a much shorter book requires delicate handling of your prose, deft reveals, and tight plotting. Unfortunately this book did not meet those requirements for me.
I love a good romance and to just sit back and read something mindless for entertainment, so I'm not critiquing this on a literary level. I intended this to be a cute, maybe funny read I could just sink into for a bit between fantasy books. So don't hear me making comments like I think this is Dostoyevsky or Bronte.
This story could have been a tightly plotted tale of two people from different backgrounds coming together through a dating app and struggling to trust one another and to open up. But instead it was a story of two people being introspective over and over again, running the same repetitive thoughts, and barely having a handful of conversations in the first place.
For me, what this story lacked was any details. And as someone who doesn't have a mind's eye to see things, you'd think that wouldn't be much of a problem since I'm not visualizing the book's characters and settings anyway. However, I do catalog details and appreciate having them for my understanding.
Here are some questions I had while reading:
I think this could have been a more interesting book with actual action in it. The majority of scenes took place while sitting (at a restaurant/coffee shop, on a porch, in a car) or walking at a market. There was very little actual tension felt in the story despite both characters' inner monologues repeating the same old worries and fears ("she doesn't know who I am," "how am I gonna pay these bills?"). And to be honest, the characters were very one note and had no depth. So I didn't really care what they were doing and really didn't sense any romance between them.
In a novella, I think you have to establish some things up front or else your readers aren't going to feel much from your story. You need to give them fascinating characters who come into the story with gripping issues from the get-go. You need to give them sizzling romantic chemistry at the first meeting and not just stale conversation over pasta and breadsticks. And you need to create tension that's offset by romantic interludes and a few action sequences to hook people before you create the solution. Even if it's a deus ex machina type solution, if you've set up real romantic chemistry and two people who feel real, the story will be enjoyable for the right reader who's there for a simple story to just relax into.
Finally, for a story in a series that bills itself as about curvy women, I just think Tessa needed some descriptions. We don't know what she's wearing, how she holds herself, or what she even thinks of her looks because her every waking thought is consumed with her restaurant or Lucas. I would have expected some nerves about how he was going to see her when they met and whether he'd be turned off by her or something along those lines, but no.
Overall, not my favorite read, but at least it was short and sweet and easy to blaze through.
★☆☆☆☆ – She Called It Betrayal, I Call It Projection
This book was 87 pages of absolute nonsense. Tessa is one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read. She spends the entire story obsessing over her ex, Damon, while supposedly “trying” to build something new with Lucas—a man who, by the way, falls for her after one meeting despite her giving him nothing in return.
She accuses Lucas of “betraying” her because he didn’t immediately disclose he was a billionaire—uh, girl, that’s not betrayal, that’s self-preservation. Meanwhile, she mentions Damon 30+ times and says “control” over 35 times, projecting every ounce of past trauma onto a man who has done nothing but treat her kindly.
And the drama? Completely made up. “I can’t move forward without setting things straight.” Setting what straight?! There was nothing built. “Everything we fought hard to create.” Fought for what? Lucas handed you love on a platter. All the “chaos” in the last 20 pages? That’s 100% your own doing, Tessa.
Lucas deserves a medal for not running the second she started comparing him to her ex for the fifth time. And his father? Not the villain. He was the only person with any sense.
This wasn’t romance. This was emotional whiplash starring a main character who wouldn’t know growth if it hit her with a ring pop.
I honestly thought this book would be a bit better than it actually was. At first, I didn`t mind the writing style, thinking it is just the introduction of the characters. Given that this is a novella, I expected it to be quick and without much plot. However, the more I read the more I noticed the repetition of the same sentences over and over and over again. I get it, he loves his vineyard, it is his escape, and she is independent and loves her restaurant. But there is absolutely no need to repeat the same thing time and time again. On another note, this is considered a curvy romance, but the only fact from the novella itself that supports this is the dating service they met on. Overall, its a relatively okay quick read, but it is not at all what I signed up for.
QUE CLASE DE COSA ACABO DE LEER!!! Ósea entiendo que Lucas sea el príncipe azul después del malo de Damon pero bro estuvieron repitiendo eso una y otra vez hasta el hartazgo. Y luego el con el trauma de que el solo quiero su puto viñedo. Don si él dijo que no quiere nada pues acabe y desheredelo y ya se ahorra tiempo y desesperos . De verdad que había potencial para escribir como a Tess se enamoraba y dejaba sus miedos a un lado por Lucas pero no… Ademas loca el tipo renunció a sus chavos por ti!!! Y después se andaba quejándose pero ella misma decía que no quería gente así en su vida. Quien la entiende
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Me: The reviews can't possibly be this harsh, right? also me after the 5th chapter starts with literally the same opening paragraphs not even worded different with the same problem every chapter: 🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️
I guess I see what the author was going for but damn, did it come off as pretentious and holier than thou. Bro was THAT afraid to tell her about his family business that literally isn't even his while also having his own thing? and SHE was afraid of being controlled?? 💀💀 Miscommunication trope that was honestly just dumb. Felt like I was going to go insane if I heard about this vineyard being a sanctuary but the weight was crushing one more time
I felt for both Tessa and Lucas, I wanted to hug them at times and shake them as they were both holding something back. I liked how they both could self reflect and grow, and that once they communicated they were able to face their problems and deal with them. I was convinced some more angst was going to be introduced, but that never happened. I would have liked to have known what happened between Lucas and his family after that call.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was not my jam... I liked the idea of this book. Small town romance. Really cute. But... I feel it was a very ( like really) short read and it was not enough to properly introduce us to the characters. It is advertised as a "curvy girl" romance, yet we don't actually know what the FMC looks like. Yet my biggest issue is the word "vineyard ". As someone who's read multiple studies about wine production, I don't think i've read that word as often as I did in these 87 pages... So many repetitive aspects from the "vineyard" to the aspect of the "control".
It was okay! Cute kinda halmarky. Not a lot of substance. It was a good one to listen to while cleaning.
I got this on Stuff Your Kindle day OCT 24.
There wasn’t a lot of anything that happened, the author describes the characters and their feelings really well, I don’t feel like I gained anything or lost anything from reading this. It’s all a very neutral feeling. lol
I use the CAWPILE rating system; 👩❤️💋👨Characters- 10/10 🏞️Atmosphere- 2/10 ✍🏻Writing Style- 10/10 🗺️Plot- 6/10 👀Intrigue- 5/10 🤔Logic- 5/10 🙂Enjoyment- 3/10 41/14 = 2.929 2.9 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was definitely the short fluffy romance I wanted for today. There was a bit of repetitiveness in the way each talked about their business instead of a constant build on those moments which is why I didn't give more stars. The ending is also a little rushed I feel, but again it's meant to be a short story. Overall I liked the character building and the storyline as well as the authors writing past the momentary repetitive internal chats the MCs had.
Waste of time, if I could give 0 stars I would! I thought this was going to be a cute story but what I found was an 80 page novella filled with the same sentences over and over again each chapter. Like seriously, both characters kept just saying the same thing each chapter. I honestly wanted to just DNF this half way thru, probably not even half way but I kept telling myself its only 80 something pages....well it was just horrible! To think there is a whole series!! I won't be reading the other books, this was honestly just horrible
It began with an online dating service. They both felt it was safer that way. Both owned newer businesses and really could use each others support and ideas. But because they didn’t give important things about each other, trust was interfering. Now they had to begin again. But they learned to truly communicate because of her break up with him. They both had kept vital info from each other. Knowing the reasons leveled their trust again. I loved this story
Cute read. The FMC saved this book for me. She felt relatable. The MMC’s POV felt like a constant repeat of what I read in the previous chapter. Not much depth with him and felt like most chapters were fillers. But I enjoyed the FMC’s POV as it felt like the story was moving forward in her chapters. Still intrigued for the next book in the series. Hoping the second book is better but might take a while for me to get round to reading it.
I didn’t realize this was a novella, which is not my favorite length and pacing.
This was a bit meh for me. There’s no spice, it goes through the trouble of emphasizing it’s a curvy girls dating site, but then never again mentions or addresses her size, and the drama/angst was underwhelming.
I liked the general idea/premise, and I liked the MMC. But the FMC kind of annoyed me and the novella length meant I didn’t get enough development and felt it ended prematurely.
I don't normally read sweet/cozy romance, so this was different for me. The story was good but a bit too repetitive. I would have liked the conflict and character developed to be more fleshed out. However, the world-building and atmosphere of the town and vineyard were great. I'd read more about the people in this town!
I got this book from a stuff your kindle day, it looked cute so I thought I would give it ago. But it wasn’t for me. I found it so repetitive, the characters talk a lot about their feeling but there is not much else. Plus for such a short book it felt like such a slow read.
This was my first billionaire book. I see it’s popular to write about. It was easy to read and I knocked it out fast which is always great. Tessa was a good character loosen up a little about loosing control geeze lol I personally think she over reacted I expected her to get mad of course but I think it was an overreaction
I liked the concept of this but it was very repetitive and would benefit from being more fleshed out. The characters, I feel, could use more depth to them. The motivation for the man to suddenly give up his family and fortune seemed sudden and rash. Also he immediately dropped the “I love you” which seemed to also come out of nowhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.