What do you think?
Rate this book
Glamorous Life #1
You Had Me At Merlot
In the wake of being unceremoniously fired from her Manhattan-based copy editor position at a wine magazine, Hale Martin must now pack her bags and head to her grandmother's funeral. She hasn't been home to Haven Harbor, Florida, in five years, and still fragile from her recent divorce, her heart isn't into putting up with her oddball family and the town she grew up in. Along with all the tears, flowers, and mystery ingredient casseroles, the funeral also brings painful memories and shocking secrets. Hale finds comfort in her appreciation of wine, her dream of being a novelist, and the rekindling of her friendship with her old high school crush, Jordan Valvano. In her search for answers, direction, and purpose, Hale just might find true love--and better still, herself.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2014
70 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
About the author
Marley Gibson
39 books277 followersMarley Gibson is the author of the hit young adult paranormal fiction series, "Ghost Huntress," from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Graphia line, as well as "Radiate," which is a fictionalized version of the cancer she went through as a teenage cheerleader.
Gibson was featured on the premiere episode of The Biography Channel’s "My Ghost Story," as well as being interviewed by CNN.com for a Halloween feature on ghost hunting in 2008. She appeared on the Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," as we as an episode of "Ghost Adventures."
Her publishing credits include "Ghost Huntress: The Awakening," "Ghost Huntress: The Guidance," and "Ghost Huntress: The Reason," "Ghost Huntress: The Counseling," "Ghost Huntress: The Journey," and soon to come, a Christmas novella, "Ghost Huntress: The Tidings."
She has also co-authored a teen ghost hunting how-to guide entitled “The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal" with her husband, Patrick Burns, from TruTV's "Haunting Evidence," and Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," and "Ghost Adventures."
Gibson is also the co-author of the wildly successful "Christmas Miracles," and it's sequel, "The Spirit of Christmas," published by St. Martin’s Press and co-written with New York Times bestselling author, Cecil Murphey.
Gibson holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and a double minor in Political Science and Speech Communications from The University of Alabama. She has worked on several political campaigns, as a United States Congressional intern, and has been a marketing events manager in the medical, higher education, financial, and technology sectors, but is now happy being a full-time author, creating stories and characters for fans to love.
An avid SCUBA diver, closet gourmet chef, and electronic music lover, Marley and her husband, Patrick, live in the Florida Keys with their two rescue kitties, Madison and Boo, in an RV they lovely call, Midge.
She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com and www.radiatebook.com on Facebook at MarleyGibson Author and on Twitter @MarleyGison
Gibson was featured on the premiere episode of The Biography Channel’s "My Ghost Story," as well as being interviewed by CNN.com for a Halloween feature on ghost hunting in 2008. She appeared on the Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," as we as an episode of "Ghost Adventures."
Her publishing credits include "Ghost Huntress: The Awakening," "Ghost Huntress: The Guidance," and "Ghost Huntress: The Reason," "Ghost Huntress: The Counseling," "Ghost Huntress: The Journey," and soon to come, a Christmas novella, "Ghost Huntress: The Tidings."
She has also co-authored a teen ghost hunting how-to guide entitled “The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal" with her husband, Patrick Burns, from TruTV's "Haunting Evidence," and Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," and "Ghost Adventures."
Gibson is also the co-author of the wildly successful "Christmas Miracles," and it's sequel, "The Spirit of Christmas," published by St. Martin’s Press and co-written with New York Times bestselling author, Cecil Murphey.
Gibson holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and a double minor in Political Science and Speech Communications from The University of Alabama. She has worked on several political campaigns, as a United States Congressional intern, and has been a marketing events manager in the medical, higher education, financial, and technology sectors, but is now happy being a full-time author, creating stories and characters for fans to love.
An avid SCUBA diver, closet gourmet chef, and electronic music lover, Marley and her husband, Patrick, live in the Florida Keys with their two rescue kitties, Madison and Boo, in an RV they lovely call, Midge.
She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com and www.radiatebook.com on Facebook at MarleyGibson Author and on Twitter @MarleyGison
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 10, 2014
I really enjoyed You Had Me at Merlot--so much so that I read it in fewer than 24 hours. I simply couldn't put it down. The characters were quirky yet believable, and the plot realistic yet intriguing.
Poor Hale (yes, that's her name) has had a rough year: divorced by her workaholic doctor husband Curtis, Hale is adjusting to life as a single woman who is still in love with her ex-husband. Working as a copy editor at one of New York City's premiere wine magazines, within a five-minute period, she is fired for working on her novels during her lunch break on her work computer (but really to save the magazine's new owner her salary) and receives a phone call from her mother with news that her grandmother has died. So Hale quickly packs up her office and heads home to Pensacola, Florida, to her quirky Southern family. And then the plot really gets going....
I'm a huge fan of Ms. Gibson's Ghost Huntress series (please write more soon, Marley!!), but I wasn't sure if I would like her contemporary fiction without the paranormal aspects. I can now say that I most certainly did enjoy this book--and I also learned a great deal about wines!! :)
My only criticism is that I would have liked to have had another chapter (or two) between the last one and the epilogue so that the final character introduced could have been more concretely developed. I felt as I did at the end of the newest Jane Eyre movie (2011, I think): not enough time was given to the joyous reunion between Jane and Mr. Rochester. Here I felt that I was robbed of the joyous discovery of this new character and how this new character fits into the overall scheme of the story.
But overall, I thought this book was compelling. I haven't read an un-put-downable book in a long time, so You Had Me at Merlot was a lovely interlude among everything else I'm doing this summer (such as teaching a fan fiction writing class to kids ages 8-17). I'm definitely going to check out more of Marley Gibson's books while I wait, with arms folded and foot impatiently tapping, for the next Ghost Huntress book. ;)
(Hint, hint, Ms. Gibson!)
September 10, 2014
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads.
At 45 years old, Hale Martin is alone after her divorce and is now being escorted out of building where she has been fired from her job. When her cell phone rings, her Mother's voice is pleading for Hale to come home to Florida as her GranAnna (her Mother's Mom) has just died. So she packs her bags along with her broken heart and leaves New York to catch a flight to Florida. Her now 'old' job was editing and rewriting other people's work for a wine enthusiasts magazine, when all she really wants to do is for her agent to call her and tell her one of her manuscripts is being published. Once in Florida and sleeping in her childhood bedroom her thoughts of her younger years come flooding back to her. Her huge crush in her senior year of high school of Jordan Valvano always made her heart skip a beat, even today. In the kitchen she greets the morning with her Mom and Dad and her older sister, Mary Evelyn, or as Hale refers to her as 'Scary Mev'. She's always been a control freak, always will be and has never had a nice thing to say to Hale. Her younger sister, Gillian, or 'Gilly' was always there at her rescue.
Between losing her job, pining away for her ex-husband, never ending family drama with her older sister, and longing to hear from her agent in New York of any news, Hale wonders if her life will ever to happy or normal again. And will she ever find true love again.
Great story! Author Marley Gibson did a bang up job!!! It has a little bit of everything that anyone would truly enjoy!!!
At 45 years old, Hale Martin is alone after her divorce and is now being escorted out of building where she has been fired from her job. When her cell phone rings, her Mother's voice is pleading for Hale to come home to Florida as her GranAnna (her Mother's Mom) has just died. So she packs her bags along with her broken heart and leaves New York to catch a flight to Florida. Her now 'old' job was editing and rewriting other people's work for a wine enthusiasts magazine, when all she really wants to do is for her agent to call her and tell her one of her manuscripts is being published. Once in Florida and sleeping in her childhood bedroom her thoughts of her younger years come flooding back to her. Her huge crush in her senior year of high school of Jordan Valvano always made her heart skip a beat, even today. In the kitchen she greets the morning with her Mom and Dad and her older sister, Mary Evelyn, or as Hale refers to her as 'Scary Mev'. She's always been a control freak, always will be and has never had a nice thing to say to Hale. Her younger sister, Gillian, or 'Gilly' was always there at her rescue.
Between losing her job, pining away for her ex-husband, never ending family drama with her older sister, and longing to hear from her agent in New York of any news, Hale wonders if her life will ever to happy or normal again. And will she ever find true love again.
Great story! Author Marley Gibson did a bang up job!!! It has a little bit of everything that anyone would truly enjoy!!!
November 19, 2014
This book just did not do it for me and I can't even pinpoint exactly why. It was a kindle freebie recently and I decided to read it after just finishing a book I loved (this was probably part of the problem). I was pretty certain after the first quarter of the book I just wasn't going to love it and that never changed. The first half of the book had weird pacing--everything happened in the first 10 pages and then nothing major or enticing happened again until almost halfway through. There seemed to be a very weird tradition of having babies very late in life for this family which confused me more than anything else-at 45 Hale is still thinking about giving birth to children? I didn't feel any real chemistry between Hale and any of the three men she was with/potentially with int his book and Scary Evelyn just seems totally blown out of proportion. Some of Hales thoughts/actions also made her seem closer to 25 than 45. The wine references were cute, informative, and an overall nice touch to a book that leaves a bit to be desired.
November 15, 2014
Easy Read, fun with some special incites to think on. If I have time would consider reading another in this series.
August 7, 2019
A truly good read
I rarely rate a book with five stars. Reading is my greatest pleasure, and I like to pass good reads on to others. In my opinion, this book is a good read. I enjoyed the character development. The author has a rare talent for really getting to the heart of her characters and sharing their journeys through life. I emphasized with Hale, her family, and friends. Many of us have that sibling whom we just can't get along with no matter how hard we try. That secret high school crush who makes you wonder what if. We go through life's bitter times - a failed relationship, the loss of a loved one, the distance that grows between people you love because your life gets too busy and overwhelming at times. When we were younger, weddings drew our families and friends together. Such a time of love, hope, and fulfillment. As we age, funerals take their place. A time of love, grief, and contemplation. I loved that Hale is a character who is so human and her family is that dysfunctional one where the family members manages to function because they are a family. They love each other but don't necessarily understand or like each other. Overall, I found the book to be well-written; however a few grammatical mistakes crept in.
I rarely rate a book with five stars. Reading is my greatest pleasure, and I like to pass good reads on to others. In my opinion, this book is a good read. I enjoyed the character development. The author has a rare talent for really getting to the heart of her characters and sharing their journeys through life. I emphasized with Hale, her family, and friends. Many of us have that sibling whom we just can't get along with no matter how hard we try. That secret high school crush who makes you wonder what if. We go through life's bitter times - a failed relationship, the loss of a loved one, the distance that grows between people you love because your life gets too busy and overwhelming at times. When we were younger, weddings drew our families and friends together. Such a time of love, hope, and fulfillment. As we age, funerals take their place. A time of love, grief, and contemplation. I loved that Hale is a character who is so human and her family is that dysfunctional one where the family members manages to function because they are a family. They love each other but don't necessarily understand or like each other. Overall, I found the book to be well-written; however a few grammatical mistakes crept in.
March 11, 2018
268 pages. Hale Martin gets let go of her job as an editor at a wine magazine in NY. On the same day, her grandmother dies and she must go to Haven Harbor, Florida, her hometown. There she comes to grip her failed marriage, has a fling with a high school heart throb and begins to find what makes her happy. On her flight back to NY, she meets a handsome, successful winemaker and the book ends with her going back to Napa with him instead of NY. This book had so many typos! And the story was one of those “just too good to be true.” The epilogue suggests they get married. 7 Stars (2.20 to 3.9.18)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2018
Not a bad read. It was a slow starter and I almost gave up with it. The story did get better though, so stick with it and you'll enjoy a good read. Could do with looking over again by a proofreader, as there are a lot of spelling errors throughout.
August 5, 2017
Loved it! Just a nice, light, fluffy read after a psychological suspense book! As light as a good Riesling, but as a first of a series, it could be the start of a good robust red! You had me at Merlot!
February 10, 2017
This book was just ok for me. I didn't particularly care for the main character. I understood where she was coming from but I found her to be rather shallow. She was very two dimensional and just didn't appeal to me as a reader.
December 3, 2014
Good story with moments that will make you smile. Hale, our main character, comes home for her grandmother's funeral on the heels of being fired from her job for a small misdemeanor just as she is recovering from a divorce. The meat of this story is in her time becoming reaquainted with the family she has avoided. As she rediscovers her parents, experiences long-held anger in a sibling rivalry and expresses forgiving love for a sister who has chosen a different life path, you will be reminded of the challenges often presented at family gathering, particularly funerals. Secrets come to light and relationships change. Hale begins to understand herself in these revelations and the path she must take to be herself and to be happy becomes clearer. And you learn about wine!
November 25, 2014
You lost me at "hair lip".
The main character, Hale, is a magazine editor who comments about having to read and correct other writer's errors. So the various mistakes made by the author just seemed more glaring to me.
The plot is like a soap opera.
The book was not an enjoyable read for me. Some sections of the book just seemed to jump quickly while others dragged. The wine descriptions could have been less wordy. The personalities and backgrounds of the family members just seemed too far fetched. I was trying to figure out if some of these people were supposed to have some actual mental disorder that was gong to be discussed, but those were not really resolved.
The main character, Hale, is a magazine editor who comments about having to read and correct other writer's errors. So the various mistakes made by the author just seemed more glaring to me.
The plot is like a soap opera.
The book was not an enjoyable read for me. Some sections of the book just seemed to jump quickly while others dragged. The wine descriptions could have been less wordy. The personalities and backgrounds of the family members just seemed too far fetched. I was trying to figure out if some of these people were supposed to have some actual mental disorder that was gong to be discussed, but those were not really resolved.
December 6, 2016
First, I have to mention all the careless errors in this book such as “are” for “our.” This detracts from the story for me, and I find it irritating. Why does a book by a “bestselling author” have so many errors? Anyway, cute title and clever cover. I wish the story was more so. It was somewhat enjoyable with some good elements. Somewhat predictable, and come on, she meets 3 gorgeous guys? But I liked the conflict with her sister and the secret life of her grandmother. Those added more reality and heart. This was a good book for the Chick Lit genre, but it didn’t leave me wanting more. I don’t get why Gibson is a bestselling author.
October 31, 2014
Hale's grandmother dies, and she loses her job on the same day so she is off to Florida to reunite with her family. She is still recovering from a painful divorce and has to face her egocentric older sister. The book moves quickly with some unexpected twists. A huge secret is uncovered about the grandmother causing the entire family to rethink their grandmother's whole life. Loved all characters in the book except the overbearing older sister but that is exactly how the author wanted her portrayed. Very happy that Hale fond her way at the end of the book.
November 26, 2014
I enjoyed this book. I liked the family dynamic (even if some of them were less than likeable.) I thought the parts containing Gilly’s story were over the top, but it toned down by the end of the book. The extended wine metaphor and Hale’s “article” added a deeper level. I was worried that Hale was going to choose the wrong guy for her HEA, but I agree with her choice and look forward to reading more books in the series. I took away one star for the editing. A book about a copy editor should get “hare lip” right!
June 23, 2016
Romance with a touch of wine
When life kicks you in the backside, then maybe it is time for a bottle of wine. Hale's husband divorced her a year ago because being married took up time from his job, while being fired as an editor of a wine magazine she finds out her Grandmother died, so as she goes though the funeral she starts to get her life in order. This book just pulls you in and like life you never know what will happen next. Beautifully written with well-developed characterization. Great for all readers.
When life kicks you in the backside, then maybe it is time for a bottle of wine. Hale's husband divorced her a year ago because being married took up time from his job, while being fired as an editor of a wine magazine she finds out her Grandmother died, so as she goes though the funeral she starts to get her life in order. This book just pulls you in and like life you never know what will happen next. Beautifully written with well-developed characterization. Great for all readers.
November 27, 2014
I've got this book from Goodreads Giveaway.
I wish I could say that I liked the book, but I didn't. The characters were too immature, too unreal. I couldn't warm up to the main character, a 45 year old woman that acted and talked like a twenty something. The story got a little better when grandmother's first husband was introduced. I'd like to read about grandmother's life. Maybe a new book?
I wish I could say that I liked the book, but I didn't. The characters were too immature, too unreal. I couldn't warm up to the main character, a 45 year old woman that acted and talked like a twenty something. The story got a little better when grandmother's first husband was introduced. I'd like to read about grandmother's life. Maybe a new book?
November 22, 2014
Romantic, real & surprising!
This was a fun read that you don't want to put down. True family dynamics which don't always work out. Love and resolution we all dream of. And although I have always said I do not like wine (Margueritta girl), it actually makes me WANT to drink wine!!! lol
This was a fun read that you don't want to put down. True family dynamics which don't always work out. Love and resolution we all dream of. And although I have always said I do not like wine (Margueritta girl), it actually makes me WANT to drink wine!!! lol
December 23, 2014
A nice, light Cinderella story. Hale Martin is fired from her Manhattan-based copy editor position at a wine magazine and is hit with her grandmother's funeral at the same time. She goes home to Haven Harbor, Florida, and then the fun begins. I sure didn't see the surprise at the end coming, but it made a true Cinderella ending.
December 23, 2014
You Had Me at Merlot
A nice, light Cinderella story. Hale Martin is fired from her Manhattan-based copy editor position at a wine magazine and is hit with her grandmother's funeral at the same time. She goes home to Haven Harbor, Florida, and then the fun begins. I sure didn't see the surprise at the end coming, but it made a true Cinderella ending.
A nice, light Cinderella story. Hale Martin is fired from her Manhattan-based copy editor position at a wine magazine and is hit with her grandmother's funeral at the same time. She goes home to Haven Harbor, Florida, and then the fun begins. I sure didn't see the surprise at the end coming, but it made a true Cinderella ending.
November 30, 2014
Nope
Nothing really is original, interesting, funny, written with a strong voice nor were any of the characters fleshed out. I didn't care about any of them, the ending-- convoluted.
Nothing really is original, interesting, funny, written with a strong voice nor were any of the characters fleshed out. I didn't care about any of them, the ending-- convoluted.
November 28, 2014
Great, easy read!
I loved that this book's main character was in her forties. It was great to find a story where I could relate to the characters and situations they were experiencing.
I loved that this book's main character was in her forties. It was great to find a story where I could relate to the characters and situations they were experiencing.
January 19, 2015
I loved this book, an easy light read. Very believable since everyone has a crazy family with that someone who fits the categories. My mom recommended this one saying it was fun and kinda familiar, she was right!
January 27, 2015
funny, easy reading
Found this author on goodreads, I'm hooked... Easy reading, great main character... Loved this story line!!!
Can't wait for book 2...
Found this author on goodreads, I'm hooked... Easy reading, great main character... Loved this story line!!!
Can't wait for book 2...
December 7, 2014
I'd read the next one in the series but I'm not in any hurry to acquire a copy. This book was entertaining enough, but I don't feel compelled to purchase any others in the series at the moment.
December 27, 2014
Loved it. Enjoyed the wine references. Plan to taste some of the wines as well as read other works by this author.
February 28, 2016
I liked it, but it is not very well edited (which I find fairly ironic since the main character is an editor) and that was distracting for me. Very much chick lit.
January 27, 2015
I really enjoyed this character and her quirky relatives! I zoomed right through it because she kept my interest all the way through.
April 20, 2015
Fun read
It's a fun, engaging read....would have preferred not using GD phrase at all in book....found it to be very offensive and unnecessary.
It's a fun, engaging read....would have preferred not using GD phrase at all in book....found it to be very offensive and unnecessary.
April 24, 2016
It took me a little while but once I got into it I found it enjoyable. I liked watching the characters grow. Had some good twists too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews