Something in the Wine

The Moonstone Series #1-2

by Jae

This is a second, revised edition of Jae's award-winning lesbian romance Something in the Wine. It includes the sexy follow-up short story "Seduction for Beginners" as a bonus.

All her life, Annie Prideaux has suffered through her brother's constant practical jokes. But Jake's last joke is one too many, she decides when he sets her up on a blind date with his friend Drew--neglecting to tell his straight sister one tiny detail: her date is not a man, but a lesbian.

Annie and Drew decide it's time to turn the tables on Jake by pretending to fall in love with each other.

At first glance, they have nothing in common. Disillusioned with love, Annie focuses on books, her cat, and her work as an accountant while Drew, more confident and outgoing, owns a dog and spends most of her time working in her beloved vineyard.

Only their common goal to take revenge on Jake unites them. But what starts as a table-turning game soon turns Annie's and Drew's lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.

Something in the Wine is a story about love, friendship, and coming to terms with what it means to be yourself.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Fake Dating, Audiobook, Lesbian Fiction, Fiction

322 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2016

About the author

Jae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.

She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.

When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

New 2016 Edition
I'm a huge fan of Jae, but I hadn't had a chance to read her original version of this story. I don't have anything to compare to, but I can say I really enjoyed this.

The story is about Annie, a woman basically limping through life. She has a job where people take advantage of here, parents who ignore her, and a brother who tricks her at every occasion. Her brother sets her up on a blind date with Drew. When Annie realizes Drew is a woman, all she wants is revenge, on her brother. What better way then to pretend Annie and Drew are in a relationship. As long as real feeling don't get in the way.

One of the things I like about Jae is a lot of what she puts into her stories are realistic. While this is still a fantasy, she make characters come alive and feel real. Most of her characters are far from perfect, but what person is. I really like that in her books. Frazzled Annie and steady Drew, are both very likeable characters. The romance was very slow building, but really sweet. There are no sex scenes in this book, but you still feel the chemistry.

Jae does include her short, Seduction For Beginners, at the end of this book. Seduction, is about the first time Annie and Drew sleep together. I'm glad this was added to the end of the book, it was nice to get a peak into the more intimate side of their relationship. Again, I have to give Jae props on realism. Annie had never been with a woman sexually before and it showed. Too many times we read about the first time for a woman and she turns into a porn star instantly.

I love the way Jae write, she always sucks me into her stories. If you are a Jae fan, you will enjoy this. If you are new to Jae, you can start here or really with any of her books, they are all good.

An ARC was given to me from YLVA, for a honest review.

[Pin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this revised edition of Something in the Wine from NetGalley because I was planning to reread it eventually anyway. There are no major changes in the new edition compared to the old one (some internal monologues are shortened or cut out, characters names became pronouns... it is shorter by cca. 1,000 words), so you can safely skip it if you have already read the first edition, and do not want to read it again. The only change worth mentioning is the bonus short story Seduction for Beginners, first published independently but added at the end of the book for this edition. It is about the first lovemaking of the protagonists, Annie and Drew, two months after the end of the main story, and is cca. 9,000 words long.
When I first read Something in the Wine (November 2012), I found the ending kind of rushed, and after rereading it, I still do. In fact, all my objection are still there -- the plot is stretched out in places, Drew is to good to be true, Annie is to slow and uptight to understand her feelings for Drew, Annie's brother is totally annoying, as is Drew's ex... Despite all of that I liked the main story and leading ladies as much as during my first reading, although I would have preferred more important changes in this edition -- incorporating the short story into the novel, maybe some new chapters... In fact, I honestly do not understand why this new edition has been published at all, due to the minimal and irrelevant changes.
My rating stays the same -- 3.5 stars, rounded up

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update Feb 28th after listening to the audiobook: wowowowow! Narrator Laura Bannister did an absolutely fabulous job! I'd already rated SITW 5*, but I wish I could add another star or two!!

There have been lots of books released recently featuring the fake relationship theme, but this is one of the very best! SITW really captures Annie's confusion and turmoil over being attracted to a woman, and Drew is wonderfully considerate of Annie even as she battles her attraction to a straight woman.

My only regret with the audiobook is that it doesn't include the steamy short story epilogue/sequel ;)

I'm so glad that the narration brought this book to life! Super highly recommended!!
-------------
Update February 26, 2018 - SITW has been released as an audiobook!! Hooray!!! It's on Scribd.com but not yet on Audible.com

Goodreads doesn't play nice with adding an edition to my currently reading list if I've already completed and reviewed a different edition, but I think by editing this review it will show up again on my update feed!

-----------------------------------------------------------
Original review of the Kindle edition, listened to via Voice Dream, follows:

I’ve been waiting for “Something in the Wine” (SITW) to be released as an audiobook for awhile, now. Even though SITW isn’t on KU, I just couldn’t wait any longer and purchased the book. I’m so glad I did!

Annie’s brother Jake is a complete and utter a**hole throughout the book. He decides it would be funny to humiliate his sister by setting her up on a blind date with an old college friend of his…a lesbian: Drew. Annie and Drew decide that after years of suffering through his “jokes”, that they’ll get even. They decide to begin “fake dating”, and it’s pretty funny watching Jake become the protective big brother trying to protect his sister from being seduced by a woman. Despite the inherent homophobia in his reaction, the book takes a very light-hearted tone and even makes fun of homophobia in numerous ways. The conversation between Annie and Jake when she tells him that Drew invited her out again is hilarious:

“A private wine tasting?” Jake repeated. “Didn’t you tell her you’re straight?” “Of course I did. She didn’t seem to mind and said something about earning a toaster oven.” “What?” A banging noise resounded through the line, as if Jake had just dropped the phone.

I loved it too when Annie found one of Drew’s T-shirts:

Her eyebrows rose as she read the words on the front. “Sorry I missed church. I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian.”

We live in a world that lesbianism isn’t well accepted, and sometimes it’s hard not to be angry or bitter (or scared). I liked that this book made light of reactions that people have, that Drew is completely comfortable, and I loved Annie’s growth at recognizing her own attraction to Drew.

A recurring theme of the book is that Annie needs to be careful about making negative assumptions. “Don’t focus on all the things that could go wrong.”, Drew recommends. With Annie’s self-absorbed parents and her conservative bosses at work, Annie has to work hard to not focus on things that could go wrong, even beyond her own feelings toward entering into a romantic relationship with a woman. Watching Annie’s life change, and how people react to her assertion that Drew is her girlfriend, as she learns to let go of negative assumptions is delightful.

This is one of the best books I’ve read featuring a straight girl and a lesbian. Perhaps because it really focuses on emotions, not erotica. Normally, I really appreciate a steamy scene or three or four, but this book works really well by omitting explicitness. There’s kissing in SITW, but no explicit action, or even fade-to-black action. Happily, there’s a short story sequel included with SITW!

5* and I’ll definitely get the audiobook whenever it is available!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read with two really well defined characters. It's a very slow burn, but that fits the trope. Another solid book from Jae.

[MaxDisaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This was fun and cute and I really enjoyed it. Definitely time well spent

Also kudos to this book for explaining the toaster oven joke to me when I read it for the first time (a few years ago).

Update March 2022: frankly I needed something happy to read about and not think about the fact, that I'm in danger of getting nuked. So I'm rereading a lot of stuff. Lesfics with HAE are saving my sanity right now.

Update September 2023: this book is one of my low-angst favourites, so I re-read it whenever I'm in the mood for something that's guaranteed to be good. Once again it didn't disappoint and I can genuinely recommend reading this on a beach when you have nowhere else to be. Very relaxing.

Update July 2025: still an ideal vacation read

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from Ylva Publishing in return for a fair review.

Part One: The Novel:
This book is about a young woman who has just turned 30 (I recall clearly that a birthday occurred in this book, but am less certain if she became 30 on that day or is ’30-something’ – the problems of waiting to write a review) named Annie Priedeaux who works as an accountant. She hasn’t had much luck with life – what with parents who seem to ignore her even when she is standing in front of them, a brother who has bullied her throughout her life (though the brother calls the bullying ‘harmless pranks’), a boss who takes advantage of her (no, not sexually – but in knowing that Annie cannot say no, so dumps lots of work on her, calls her at all hours, and wants her to come in on the weekends), and quite unlucky at love (she has no self-esteem, always thinks negatively of herself, and assumes everyone finds or will find her boring).

Well, the book opens with the brother playing yet another prank on his sister. She is working late at the office when the brother rings her – needs her immediately, emergency situation. She rushes over and finds that he tricked her – he just wanted her to attend his party. Being the kind of woman she is – she doesn’t immediately leave, but instead starts . . . cleaning. Which lead to the other main character in the book – Drew.

Drew, you see, happened to spot Annie about to spill some drinks she had picked up and rushed over to help. Only to have one of the drinks spill on her. And so the two meet – though no names are exchanged.

There’s a reason I mention their first meeting, because it plays directly into the main story-line of the book. The brother, Jake, catches Annie attempting to escape, and being the massive massive jerk that he is, he won’t let her go unless she promises to go out on one date with one of his friends. Annie reluctantly agrees – so she can leave.

Meanwhile Drew, well before this not meanwhile, Drew had mentioned to Jake that there was someone at the party who was quite interesting. For a laugh, Jake sets the two up on a date. Though he doesn’t tell either some important information – Drew, which I haven’t myself mentioned yet, is female; the person he sets Drew up he calls ‘Caroline’ – and implies that she is ‘in the family’ – therefore avoiding noting that Caroline is Annie and straight. (Just like there’s a way that ‘in the family’ is more of a misdirect than a lie, the Caroline name is also a misdirect, not an outright lie).

And so Drew and Annie meet at a fancy restaurant. Annie is expecting some man named Drew who will find her boring and want to immediately leave (or Annie won’t like Drew, I mean, Drew is a friend of her asshole brother Jake and his friends are not, on average, the most mature people in life). Drew is expecting Caroline, and that Caroline is – at the very least – interested in Drew and therefore either bisexual, a lesbian or . . . well, something that would work out to ‘Caroline’ being romantically interested in Drew.

Which leads, finally, to the central concept of the book – the two decide to ‘turn the tables’ on Jake and play a joke on him. Neither has been able to ‘best’ him before, and this seems to be the perfect opportunity (Jake is an immature lout who pulls pranks on everyone – including Drew who entered Jakes life in College).

As mentioned or implied – the brother, Jake, is a negative character, and the parents are likewise full of themselves and unaware of those around them. Annie is quite down on herself, but ‘getting past that’ is an interesting enough human being. Drew is a solid character, though somewhat – seemingly – less so than Annie. And I had the thought along the way that two of Drew’s friends might be interesting to get to know – since both are not the standard cookie-cutter ‘types’ normally found in lesbian fiction – referring here to Drew’s married friends Sam and Becky, and not at all to her ex-girlfriend Lynn.

The story line was solid – though one I attempt to avoid. Or, to be more accurate, I’ll read it but it isn’t one I’ll seek out. That being - straight woman who hadn’t realized that there were more options than men, and the lesbian who lusts after them (the straight woman, not the men). There was an interesting enough twist on the idea here – as to why both would continue being near each other and develop something of a friendship – when both probably would have never gotten to that stage without that ‘reverse prank’ issue.

I’ve read enough Jae books now to know that that is something Jae likes to write about – two people circling each other with might otherwise not gone beyond an initial contact – like the ligress (a mix of a lion and tiger . . if I recall correctly, she might not be a ligress) and the human writer in that fantasy series (meet only because the shape-shifter was doing their job and investigating the writer who seemed to know too much), or the doctor and the waitress in Heart Trouble (one being a work-a-holic; other quite straight; neither likely to bump into each other except for the part where one works in a hospital and other needed a brief stay there (and even then, the relationship probably wouldn’t have advanced much beyond quickly entering and exiting each other lives but for another bit of fantasy); or Luke and Nora who only set out together because one wanted to protect the other (and needed a ‘beard’), and the other needed protection; or the women from the Shaken series who wouldn’t have meet (likely) but for being in the same place when an earthquake hit (and therefore an ‘outside force’ pushed them to spend time together); or etc. etc. And it is an interesting thing to read – and . . . I do not recall why I went down this path other than to note that I’d noticed this about Jae’s books.

I initially rated the novel portion of this book a rating of 4.66 when I had completed it on the third. After a few days, I believe I’d revise my rating to something closer to 4.55. Which will probably be revised again once I read the short story.

This book is listed as being a ‘revised second edition’. I do not know what that means, exactly, though I do know that certain people had mentioned certain issues they had with a prior version of the book. I do not know if the issues were ‘fixed’, since I hadn’t read that prior version, or if I just didn’t have the same reaction to certain plot points (like there was a mention of ‘something problematic’ about the book ending – and I didn’t notice anything like that, so that was either ‘fixed’ or . . . I just didn’t notice the issue).

Rating: 4.55

Part Two: The Bonus Short Story:

1 - As sometimes happens - the 'sex' part got pushed into a bonus short story; a somewhat common theme to Jae's work (though the 'pushing to short story' doesn't always occur, and not every short story by Jae includes graphic sex).
2 - Jae stayed true to her characters -both nervous (Drew about freaking out Annie by being too forward; Annie about getting things perfect and how to actually get her girlfriend to stop holding back and to fuck her already).

And yes, that's basically the story - hence the title. Which I've forgotten now. And have to go look up. 'Seduction for Beginners'. It's been 12 weeks - Drew knows that Annie is negative about herself, and quite nervous so she has been super slow. Annie, though while still nervous, really wants to 'be with' Drew. Through she wants it to be perfect. So she's attempted to set up the perfect Valentine's date.

Going back to that 'true to characters' note - while Jae did stay true to her characters, it was frustrating as hell. I felt Annie's frustration myself with how Drew kept 1) holding back; 2) which, inadvertently (or on purpose?) means that Annie is forced to actually make the first move, despite that not being in her base of abilities. Also frustrating was how often Drew kept stopping and saying something along the lines of 'you'll let me know if you are uncomfortable, right?' Maybe Annie loves that. Me? Would frustrate the hell out of me.

There are hints, of course, that Annie didn't actually like Drew keep saying things like that. What with how that started to backfire and Annie actually, instead of feeling comforted and cared for, instead began to feel unwanted and undesired by Drew. Fine line, that. How to keep from being a brute while keeping from making the other feel like you'd rather just be doing anything else - like watching golf on television.

It'd be difficult, I suppose, but since the short story was included anyway, and as the novel part itself was 'revised', it'd have been better if the short story part was incorporated more into the novel. Stitching the two together. Frankly, having them separate like they are (there's an obvious break of 'novel over', here's some non-book stuff to look at; here's a short story) means that I actually took a break myself. I probably would have enjoyed the short story more if it hadn't felt like an optional tacked on thing that I probably would have just skipped if I hadn't gotten this book through Ylva's reviewers program (I mean, I already did own the short story separately - since I had gotten it for free for some reason at some point (it might still be free for all I know)). Incorporated more with the novel portion, I'd have read it immediately and . . . I don't know what.

My own fault, of course, I mean I had access to the short story, I could have immediately gulped it instead of waiting 6 days to read it. By itself.

Short Story Rating: ... no idea how to rate this. *closes eyes and randomly points finger at number section on keyboard. I have randomly decided to rate this short story: Num Lock* . . . 3.55

Part Three: Overall
Novel Rating: 4.55
Short Story Rating: 3.55
Overall Rating: 4.05

December 7 & 8 2016

[Amy Marsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally enjoy Jae's books, and especially ones with fake dating, but this one didn't work for me.

The writing and characters were fine, but the whole premise seemed a bit... homophobic?

Annie's brother Jake is always pulling practical jokes on people, and he decides it's going to be absolutely hilarious to set his 'straight' sister up with his lesbian friend Drew from college. When they realise what's happened, they decide to pretend to start dating to get back at him. But, like, he should just be accepting and happy for them? Instead, he blows up at Drew, essentially calling her a predatory lesbian who is corrupting his sister, and refuses to believe Annie could be anything but straight. And his behaviour is never called out or questioned. He was so damn annoying.

Another thing that doesn't work for me is the whole gay-for-you thing. I know this book is over a decade old now, but that trope is so dated. And I've seen the toaster oven phrase in a couple of books, but I've never seen it anywhere else. Is it an older thing? A cultural thing? Whatever it is, I don't like it. The whole 'turning' a straight person gay doesn't sit well with me at all. That's not how sexuality works. You can help someone realise they were never straight in the first place, not change their sexuality.

And lastly, a couple of smaller things. There's a point where Annie and Drew are shopping and trying clothes on, and a man (who is there with his wife) ogles both them as a couple and Drew specifically, who is just... fine with it? Like, what? No lesbian would be OK with that. And there's another point where one of Annie's coworkers asks her out again, despite already being told no, and his persistence is praised. That also didn't sit right with me.

I'm sorry this review is so negative. I don't like leaving reviews like this, but this book just really didn't work for me.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something in the Wine is a very sweet book. The romance is slow to build, with the foundation for the friendship laid carefully first. It’s easy to believe in Drew and Annie’s happily ever after because their relationship feels very real.

Full review: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/somet...

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Something in the wine 2nd edition by Jae


Jae is one of those authors I don't hesitate to read as her books are well written and very enjoyable. Her book Under a falling star is one of my favourite books:

https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...


This is a revised second edition of this book. I read the original version a couple of years ago and gave it 4 stars. I really cannot detect the differences between the two versions - except for the bonus epilogue Seduction for beginners - as it's been a long time but I'm keeping the same 4 star rating.


This story has everything to engage the reader: wittiness, humour, sexual tension and romance. The main characters are multilayered, well rounded and very well described in their contradictions and struggles, especially Annie. The dialogues are realistic and the secondary characters enrich the plot and subplots. The book goes beyond the romance itself and it's an exploration of coming out and self discovery. 


Overall, a very good read. I highly recommend this author if you haven't read anything else.


ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first and all time favorite of Jae!!

[Tere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how much this was the narrator vs Jae. I finished it because it was Jae. However, her main character Annie drove me up the wall. It’s tough when at the end I wanted to tell Drew to find someone else! I’m still not convinced this was a successful ‘toaster earner’.

[Em Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story.

[Erin Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Something in the Wine” by Jae was my first F/F romance novel, and I sure picked a good one to start with. This is a re-release which includes a short story at the end, and is the first book in the Moonstone series, which I hope this author intends to continue.

The Story-
Annie is constantly absorbed in her work and tends to stay emotionally secluded. Constantly humiliated by her jokester brother, he strikes again by tricking her into a blind date with a woman, Drew. Drew is intrigued by Annie at first glance and is surprised when her good friend from college, Jake, agrees to set her up with this mystery woman. When the women realize what Jake has done, they decide to turn the tables on him and pretend that the date has led to a relationship.

My Thoughts-
This book is perfectly paced with an excellent, realistic progression of feelings between the main characters. The characters are fully-fleshed out, flaws and all, and their actions make total sense. I LOVED the wine stuff; it was not overdone, but just made me want to go have a bottle with the girls. There are no sexy times in the main book, but that oversight is rectified by the short story which follows. I really enjoyed the premise, and although the outcome is predictable, it is a delight to see how it all comes to pass.

The Bottom Line-
This was a fast read; I raced through it, and I think the excellent pacing and captivating plot are the reasons. As I said, I hope Jae intends to continue the series, and I look forward to reading more from her. This re-release smartly includes the accompanying short story which makes the story feel complete. For anyone interested in dipping their toe in F/F romance, I heartily recommend this book. If you are already a fan of the genre, you have no doubt already read this book and loved it as I did. 5 stars

[MJSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This revised edition of Something in the Wine is essentially the same as the first edition, with some minor tweaks. I'm not going to bother re-reviewing it, my original review stands.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The only real difference is that this also includes the follow up short story 'Seduction for Beginners', which pretty much just consists of the sex scenes that a lot of reviewers seemed to think the first edition of Something in the Wine should have included. I wasn't bothered by the lack of sex scenes in the first edition, but enjoyed the follow up anyway, as a nice catch up with the characters. If you've yet to read any version of this book, then buy this one, as it contains both stories.

[Neen Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, slow burn, coming out later in life romance.

The characters were flawed and wonderful and I felt so broken for Annie with her family issues and how much they effected her confidence as a person.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book and it still gives me the happy feels and squeals. I have never felt so seen by another character, but hot damn does Annie not hit close to home. Once again, Jae has knocked it out of the park with great characters, witty dialog, and book you do not want to put down.

[Karin A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m again very happy with this purchase.
Jake is the personification of practical jokes and goes to far setting up a blind date for Annie with Drew. Obviously Annie thinks Drew is a man an Drew thinks Annie knows she’s going on a date with a woman. They do hit off as friends and decide to take revenge by faking falling in love.
This plot sounds thin and simple, but when JAE writes it, it’s heartwarming.
The love is slow burn, no dyke drama, just sweet love with some realistic hurdles to take. And although there are no love scenes in the book, you do feel the love. However, I read the second revised edition and that one has an epilogue with a beautiful build up love scene: not focused on the sex, but focused on the nerves and tension that accompanies a first time of lovemaking.

Both MC’s are likeable. Jake’s (Annie’s brother) an ass, same goes for Annie’s parents (imho). But they are needed for knowing why Annie’s acts like a “just use me, run over me and I’m not lovable” wallflower. Drew is the knight in shining armour and helping her build character and experiencing love for the first time in her life.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The slowest burn—10.5 hours if you listen to it—and not a ton of satisfaction. I know it’s a series but I’m salty and not really interested holding the stamina required for another 10 hours for books 3 & 4.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio version.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot how great (and dated) the gay-for-you trope is. I enjoyed this a lot, but I woulda enjoyed it more if it had had open-door sex scenes.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was enjoyable enough, but I am not a huge fan of toaster oven romances. I’ve read some that were done well and then there are others where I just find myself annoyed more than anything else. This book was borderline of both things but leaned towards the latter a lot of the time.

I thought the beginning half of this book was better than the second half. Though the reason that Annie and Drew started fake dating didn’t really hold up it was fine. This is a slowburn romance as Annie fights and really struggles with having feelings for a woman for the first time. It felt realistic but it was also the bane of my entire existence. I wanted to shake Annie so bad a lot of the time. She takes entirely too long to work through her issues and even in the end I felt she would’ve benefitted greatly by seeing a therapist. She holds the relationship up and I felt bad for Drew honestly. Drew was such an amazing character and she deserved all of the love and happiness in the world. I empathized with Annie and I liked her at certain points but she wasn’t my favorite. Their chemistry was pretty good though and the romance (when Annie would get it together) was cute.

The side characters were incredibly one dimensional and I hated Annie’s older brother, Jake. What an insufferable ass he was.

The writing is great, there was good banter, the pacing was good if a bit dry towards the middle, and I liked the short story Seduction for Beginners. I feel like I would enjoy this one more upon a re-read.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first edition of Something in the Wine has been a favorite book of mine since I first read it. This revised edition is even better: richer and more developed. The characters are beautifully developed, from the protagonists to the secondary characters. The romance takes center stage with Annie's self-realization and coming out providing nice depth to the story. The reader will enjoy every minute spent with Drew and Annie. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of their personalities, they feel perfect for each other. This is a classic romance in gorgeous setting (wine country!). It's perfect paired with a glass of wine or cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace. The bonus short story at the end, visiting Drew and Annie on their first Valentine's Day together, is also a fun (and hot) read. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the fake relationship, turning into friendship, and then eventually turning into a deep love. The revised edition, with the bonus story at the end, really help close the story for me. I loved seeing Annie and Drew reach that final physical thrush-hold in their relationship. Jae writes amazing characters always. I never have any problems falling in love with them and reading their stories again and again.

[Stéphanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something in the Wine by Jae
Have you ever stood on the edge between simply existing and living?

I think this is the best way to describe what happens to Annie Prideaux, CPA. Senior Associate. She owned her title by working countless hours. Annie is always making her needs less important than anyone else’s. She is disillusioned by love and most importantly, she is straight. She meets Drew Corbin an out and proud vintner, confident and open to love and life in general. Both characters couldn't be more different if they tried.

This is the perfect friends to lovers / fake relationship book. It is filled with the right amount of getting to know a person while understanding who you really are. It’s about pretending to be in love in front of everyone, and pretending not to be in front of each others. It’s about falling in love with the person you least expected to, regardless of the gender and discovering how nice it feels to be loved and cared for.

Even though their meeting was meant to be a prank by Annie’s brother, it might have been one of the best pranks he ever pulled. This is a story about falling in love and learning to respect, believe and trust yourself and your own values.

I guess I’ve been mostly attracted to this story because it hit me close to home. Doesn’t all perfect love stories happen when we decide we don’t need love? I think they do and this book is exactly what we all need.

As usual, Jae’s writing is flawless. The details in her characters are always on point. With a talented writer like her, there is no doubt that the complexity of Annie and Drew’s character is thought and written to be that way. She works with the emotions as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do, but her ability to make them so real just prove how good of a writer she is.

I already read it three times in the few weeks since I bought it and I will certainly keep on re-reading it. I highly recommend this title; it will be worth the sleepless nights.
 

[Aveline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great story, and worth the listen/read. A great romance and discovering, accepting, and standing up for oneself.

Pros:
-Jae did an amazing job with the inner dialogue for Annie, and establishing that self-doubt that made Annie a very relatable character. She was not just some stereotype straight-to-queer trope to slap in, but was a very sturdy character with strong development and growth throughout the book, all of which Jae gave very good insight into.
-As ugly as Annie's relationship with her family was, it was very real. It didn't seem like her family was designed just to be a plot point for Annie, but was a real, messy relationship between her parents and her brother.
-As always, Jae is wonderful with how she writes romance, building up tension and feelings and describing them in a way to make you connect with the characters and their own feelings.

Cons:
-This is audiobook specific, but while the voice of the narrator was pleasant it was missing a lot of emotion. During heightened emotional scenes, it made it harder to connect to the characters when it was said in the same, calm and gentle tone as the rest of the narrative and dialogue. While not exactly monotone, it left a lot of room for improvement in engagement.
-Drew had a lot of potential to develop as a character, but it felt like Drew was introduced as a fully developed character already. Jae could have delved into her feelings about her parents more, or how she grew and got over this grief throughout her relationship with Annie, but this was missing. The only insight we got into Drew was in relation to Annie, and as one of the main characters where her POV is directly described this was jarring in comparison to how detailed Annie's development was.
-In relation to the above, Drew had very little interaction with things outside of her relationship to Annie. It's a romance and that was the focus - but without any interaction outside of Annie Drew became a bit one dimensional.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Rating closer to a 3.5*

Another great lesbian romance from Jae. I loved the concept of this story and I was pretty happy with how well it was executed, the fake dating to friends to lovers storyline is always a fav of mine and this was no exception.

I really loved Drew as a love interest, and while I liked Annie too she isn’t my favourite of Jae’s protagonists.

I was pleased that Annie finally went off at her parents for treating her like shit but I honestly wish she was more brutal. It felt too soft considering how much they neglected her and I didn’t really get the feeling that anything that she said actually sunk in.

However, it was pretty much only her parents she told off, I was waiting for a grand scene where she told off her brother, and I really hoped for a scene of Drew passionately telling him off since he probably wouldn’t listen to Annie anyway. Considering he’s the one who treats her the worst, he pretty much got off without even a telling off.

My main criticism for this book isn’t really related to the content but the narrator whose SO BAD. She makes what should be a fairly light hearted romance sound so serious all the time and it really sucked the fun romance out of it. She also had a big problem with inflection and pacing which disrupted the flow and made the book almost boring at times.

All in all this is another good book from Jae. I 100% think I’d have at least given this book a 4 stars if I’d read it instead of listening to the audiobook. But the narrator just spoiled it for me.

[Ameliah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed!
Jake has tricked his sister, Annie, into coming over. When she sees a party is going on she is really mad to find him alive and well after scaring her into coming over. His friend, Rob, convinces Annie into staying for awhile even though she doesn't want to. Drew, a friend of Jake's spies Annie and begs him to arrange a date. Once again Jake cons Annie and she accepts the date. What he doesn't let on is that Drew is a woman. Annie and Drew decide to pay Jake back by pretending that they have fallen for each other. What is it that they say about best laid plans? Things are about to get interesting!

This story is the most tender and gentle of all the Jae stories I've read to date. Annie has put herself last for too long. She has allowed people to walk all over her, including her family. She doesn't think too much for herself and can't believe anyone might want to get to know her and certainly not that anyone would love her in any capacity. I'm sure I'm not the only one who could identify with all that at some point in their lives. While Annie is more of a loner, Drew is more of a homebody and caretaker. She is so patient and careful with Annie as they forge their friendship. They both seem to bring out the best in each other. Drew opens up Annie's world and is ready even, if not willing, to let her go if that is what Annie needs. There is no sex in this story, making it all the sweeter. It just makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy.

[Matt Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is a thirty year old woman who is surrounded by terrible people. Her parents don’t care about her, her brother is a jerk who constantly torments her, and her coworkers alternate between harassing her about her love life and aggressively flirting.

Enter Drew, a lesbian winery owner, and the only person on Earth apparently who is kind to Annie. Annie’s jerk brother sets her up on a prank date with Drew and the two conspire to play the relationship as real to get back at him. It doesn’t stay so platonic though.

The book mostly runs on the strength of Annie and Drew and their chemistry together. Annie is just so downtrodden you desperately want her to find some happiness.

It’s pretty slow, and could honestly be trimmed some. Annie repeatedly will go through a sequence of thinking something, then thinking that she shouldn’t be thinking whatever it was. Cutting a lot of these and leaving only the bigger examples of this pattern would have been more effective.

At the end everything is sewn up pretty rapidly, and it was a bit hasty after the rather languid pace of the rest of the novel.

[Brooklyn Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I find myself enthralled with this author’s ability to paint a scene, and create real, believable characters that you can still warm to and admire. Something in the Wine is wonderful take of love, borne of ulterior motives. Beginning innocently as a ploy to get revenge against her brother, after a lifelong penchant for practical jokes, Annie finds herself questioning whether the feelings she is having towards Drew are real or some figment of the game they’re playing. Jake isn't convinced, however, so when Annie and Drew up their game the lines become blurred between make believe and reality.
All comes to a head at a thanksgiving get together where it becomes all to clear to both
Drew and Annie that the game isn’t a game at all. Their feelings become real and in a moment of self awareness they bare all before not only Jake, but Annie’s parents.
The story is a wonderful mix of love, unrequited and raw, playful and devious revenge, and the sense that something more was going to happen than they were permitting. A wonderful story.

[Zacharias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. Pranking the prankster and finding love on the way. I had a lot to laugh and to be honest, as a heterosexual male I‘m learning a lot of things due to Jae‘s book. But I have a few questions that have been left unanswered.

- There is a lesbian headquarter
- If you convert a non-lesbian to a lesbian, headquarter sends you a toaster oven
- lesbians tend to move in with each other at or after the second date using a U-Haul (as a German, I don‘ really get this U-Haul thing. Are these just cars and trailers for rent?)
- There is a lesbian rulebook
- The rulebook states, you have to stay friends with you Exes.

So, how does this work?
Do you have to register as a lesbian at the headquarter?
Do you have to give the name of the person who converted you, so she‘ll get her toaster oven?
Is there a ceremony when you register?
Do you then get handed the rulebook?
Do you have to learn the rules and pass a test to become a official or certified lesbian?

Well, that‘s all for now. I can‘t wait to read another Jae book