What do you think?
Rate this book
Grape Juice: A Modern Romance: An 831 Stories Romance
Not yet published
Expected 4 Nov 25“The characters are just as vivid as the setting . . . an addictive contemporary that will delight hopeless romantics and armchair travelers alike.” —
Publishers Weekly
, starred review
A gorgeous, seductive fiction debut from wine and dating columnist Eliza Dumais, about parsing romantic clarity amidst the mind-muddling effects of fermented grapes, the French language, and exhausting physical labor. Perfect for fans of Under the Tuscan Sun , French Kiss , and The Pairing .
Alice is bored—romantically, professionally, creatively. So when her boss, a prominent wine importer, suggests she work a grape harvest in France, she sees it as a welcome opportunity to course-correct her apathy. Though Alice is plenty skeptical of the drink-pray-love premise, she begins to let her guard down when she finds herself picking riesling and practicing her French alongside a charming cast of international characters—and, most notably, Henri, the vineyard owner’s nephew, who’s just as lost as she is.
“This book was basically tailor-made for a sexy European romance that had me feeling like I’d escaped to France from the very first page.” —Marisa Meltzer, bestselling author of Glossy and It The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin
“Grape Juice is the romantic fantasy that has me refilling my glass time and time again.” —Jamie Beck, photographer and New York Times bestselling author of An American in Provence
“Our heroine seduces us in a feast of glamorous gluttony. Grape Juice begs to be read ravenously.” —Rachel Seville Tashjian, fashion critic at The Washington Post
A gorgeous, seductive fiction debut from wine and dating columnist Eliza Dumais, about parsing romantic clarity amidst the mind-muddling effects of fermented grapes, the French language, and exhausting physical labor. Perfect for fans of Under the Tuscan Sun , French Kiss , and The Pairing .
Alice is bored—romantically, professionally, creatively. So when her boss, a prominent wine importer, suggests she work a grape harvest in France, she sees it as a welcome opportunity to course-correct her apathy. Though Alice is plenty skeptical of the drink-pray-love premise, she begins to let her guard down when she finds herself picking riesling and practicing her French alongside a charming cast of international characters—and, most notably, Henri, the vineyard owner’s nephew, who’s just as lost as she is.
“This book was basically tailor-made for a sexy European romance that had me feeling like I’d escaped to France from the very first page.” —Marisa Meltzer, bestselling author of Glossy and It The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin
“Grape Juice is the romantic fantasy that has me refilling my glass time and time again.” —Jamie Beck, photographer and New York Times bestselling author of An American in Provence
“Our heroine seduces us in a feast of glamorous gluttony. Grape Juice begs to be read ravenously.” —Rachel Seville Tashjian, fashion critic at The Washington Post
Audible Audio
Expected publication November 4, 2025
18 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 10, 2025
Thank you to Eliza Dumais and 831 Stories / AE Titles / S&S Audio for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
There’s something about this audiobook that hits differently. The emotions just sink in deeper, every line carrying more weight than it did on the page.
Like I said before: this one isn’t overloaded with spice. It leans heavier on the emotional depth, the vulnerability, the tenderness of human connection. The narrator did such a beautiful job of breathing life into it.
Because the story builds at such a steady, natural pace, it’s incredibly easy to lose yourself in it.. to forget you’re listening and just feel it. And by the end? I may or may not have cried.
Soft, steady, and quietly devastating. Grape Juice is a bittersweet sip that lingers long after the last word.
There’s something about this audiobook that hits differently. The emotions just sink in deeper, every line carrying more weight than it did on the page.
Like I said before: this one isn’t overloaded with spice. It leans heavier on the emotional depth, the vulnerability, the tenderness of human connection. The narrator did such a beautiful job of breathing life into it.
Because the story builds at such a steady, natural pace, it’s incredibly easy to lose yourself in it.. to forget you’re listening and just feel it. And by the end? I may or may not have cried.
Soft, steady, and quietly devastating. Grape Juice is a bittersweet sip that lingers long after the last word.
October 13, 2025
This was a very realistic love story the flaws makes it so good. I loved the narrator and the going back and forth of certain words and phrases in French. The story reminds me of the I love Lucy episode with the stomping of the grapes. Life fine wine this story was a sweet and savory read. I want the give thanks @NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this Arc in audio format in advance.
October 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up.
Alice escapes to rural France after her employer offers her the opportunity to join a group of volunteers for this year’s grape harvest. We follow her as she and the rest of the crew is jammed together in a camp-like setting and united by manual labor.
While the writing is lush and lyrical, yet at times the story felt disjointed and overrun with metaphors. The pacing was uneven and the setting occasionally felt forced. Jess Moran is exceptional at capturing a full range of accents: American, French, German, Australian, and Italian. While her breathy tone match the lyrical nature of the writing, it didn’t quite match the vision I had in my head of Alice. I suspect I would have enjoyed this novella more if I read with my eyes rather than my ears.
831 Stories still has a place in my heart. I cannot wait to see what stories they put out next. Thank you 831 Stories Romance & AE Titles / S&S Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Alice escapes to rural France after her employer offers her the opportunity to join a group of volunteers for this year’s grape harvest. We follow her as she and the rest of the crew is jammed together in a camp-like setting and united by manual labor.
While the writing is lush and lyrical, yet at times the story felt disjointed and overrun with metaphors. The pacing was uneven and the setting occasionally felt forced. Jess Moran is exceptional at capturing a full range of accents: American, French, German, Australian, and Italian. While her breathy tone match the lyrical nature of the writing, it didn’t quite match the vision I had in my head of Alice. I suspect I would have enjoyed this novella more if I read with my eyes rather than my ears.
831 Stories still has a place in my heart. I cannot wait to see what stories they put out next. Thank you 831 Stories Romance & AE Titles / S&S Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
October 21, 2025
This is my first 831 novella and certainly not my last.
This little book was so descriptive and atmospheric, it had you instantly transported to the vineyards in France where Alice meets her fellow international companions for harvest. I would certainly love to go wine tasting with Alice and enjoyed her unique take on tasting notes.
I sometimes find novellas a bit insta-lovey as they try to cram so much in to a short story, but this one did not come off that way. I also would have happily read more of this story if it were longer. (The audio is a quick 5h 25 min). I enjoyed Jess Moran’s narration and thought she did a great job with accents for each of the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and 831 stories for the audiobook ARC.
This little book was so descriptive and atmospheric, it had you instantly transported to the vineyards in France where Alice meets her fellow international companions for harvest. I would certainly love to go wine tasting with Alice and enjoyed her unique take on tasting notes.
I sometimes find novellas a bit insta-lovey as they try to cram so much in to a short story, but this one did not come off that way. I also would have happily read more of this story if it were longer. (The audio is a quick 5h 25 min). I enjoyed Jess Moran’s narration and thought she did a great job with accents for each of the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and 831 stories for the audiobook ARC.
October 6, 2025
ALC review
The narrator did a wonderful job telling the story.
This story was short and sweet. In this novella the author managed to create well developed characters and a story that didn't leave you wanting more (in a good way).
This is the author's debut and I look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you AE Titles / S&S Audio | 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ALC.
The narrator did a wonderful job telling the story.
This story was short and sweet. In this novella the author managed to create well developed characters and a story that didn't leave you wanting more (in a good way).
This is the author's debut and I look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you AE Titles / S&S Audio | 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ALC.
October 7, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook! What a lovely little novella! I was surprised to learn this was the authors debut, she has such a beautiful writing style. So atmospheric and lush, made me want to be at their pretty dinner tables drinking just a bit too much wine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews