Say You're Mine

Heron's Landing #1

by Iris Morland

She's his enemy, his downfall—and his one last chance at love.

After Adam Danvers lost his wife in a tragic accident, he stopped believing in love. Instead, Adam has focused solely on running his family’s struggling vineyard in the small town of Heron’s Landing.

When Joy McGuire, a beautiful and clever journalist, moves to the sleepy town, suddenly Adam can’t control his intense attraction to her. She’s witty; she pushes his buttons. He wants to shake her as much as he wants to kiss her.

But Joy is a journalist, and Adam hates them all on principle. He saw firsthand how a journalist’s lies destroyed his late wife. Yet as Joy proves that she’s nothing like the writers he’s known, Adam can’t help but give in to exquisite temptation.

Soon a conflagration ignites between Adam and Joy. Yet as secrets unfold, Adam must trust in love or lose the woman who’s awakened his slumbering heart.

This title was previously published as Seduce Me Sweetly. It’s been rereleased with a brand-new look and with lightly edited content.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction, Amazon

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2016

About the author

A coffee addict and cat lover, USA Today bestselling author Iris Morland writes sparkling, swoon-worthy romances, including the Flower Shop Sisters and the Love Everlasting series.

If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.

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Reviews

[Kiki]

No, there wasn’t “inadequate” grovelling. There was precisely ZERO grovelling.

He offers a measly “I’m sorrier than you can possibly imagine” when SHE goes to HIM. AFTER the truth comes out proving her innocence.

It’s very easy to give concessions when you know one isn’t guilty.

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

CW: Spousal Death, Grief, Journalistic Integrity, Blackmail

Video review available in Week 12: Mar 20 – Mar 26, 2022, total weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seduce Me Sweetly did have some good things going for it: Journalism backstory for main character Joy, good setting in a small town, discussions about vineyards, grief and mental health etc. However, there were also little things that spoiled some of my enjoyment. One of the characters was very nasty and came across a little… persistent at times. The pacing at times felt a little off. Unknown whether I will carry on with the series or not!

[The Written · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 68% - DO NOT RECOMMEND

Another promising 3 star book ruined by a ridiculous, unrealistic storyline. Issues:
- the male lead’s opinion of journalists
- the tired breakup - female lead’s ex cheats with her best friend.
- female lead moves hours away as a result but doesn’t delete nor block their numbers.
- female lead answers calls and/or texts from both
- ex shows up and female lead not only talks to him but gets mad at male lead and then spends a week with ex?!?!?! This is where I couldn’t take anymore of this nonsense.

There also was no actual development of the relationship. It was another lust to love with no substance in between. It’s a terrible narrative!
SEX SCENES - Yes. 2 or 3 at the point where I stopped reading. He loves to perform oral but the author doesn’t write that she’s reciprocated even though there are implied weeks of intimacy so I guess we can assume. It’s weird the author details his actions but not hers. The sex itself is good but not believable in that he’s not had sex in 3 years but is able to hold out until she orgasms and he’s so deeply in love with his deceased wife but that wasn’t an issue. Again, terrible message, a lack of depth and emotional intelligence by the male lead. Lust rules the day. Yuk!

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/10/2017)! 💝

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was something about this one that turned me off from the start. Part of it was Adam, he wants the winery to succeed but isn't willing to take a chance after some hard times. The town was a bit weird for me too. It weirded me out how everyone knew Joy because she was the new person and no new people every came to town to stay, only were tourists. I gave up about halfway through, when Adam was finally forced to take a chance and Joy was going to help him. I was bored, didn't really care if they succeeded. This one just wasn't for me.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an ARC copy of this.

I enjoyed this book. Yes, Adam was difficult at times. I understood why but yet it was frustrating at times. Thankfully everything worked out nicely. I liked the ending and how it led up to the next book. Which I'm looking forward to reading.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy McGuire has decided to leave Chicago when she find her boyfriend in bed with her best friend. She wants to go somewhere where she doesn't know anyone , that's a bit calmer than the city and just want to write. She ends up in Heron's Landing. She loves being a freelance writer who loves to write helpful stories about places and/or people that are uplifting and true. She runs into the cafe and meets Grace. She is outgoing and absolutely lovely. They will become fast friends. When she is leaving the cafe, a man walks in with leaves all in his hair and it ends up being Grace's brother Adam Danvers. He's a jerk and when he finds out she is a writer, he becomes an even bigger jerk. When Joy decides to go and take a tour of the winery that is not too far from where she is living, she runs into Adam who just happens to be the owner. They end up not agreeing on many things. One is Joy wants to do an article on the winery and Adam doesn't want her to. His winery is not doing very well and all Joy wants to do it help by getting the word out. Can they put their differences aside and help each other? Will Joy be able to finally get away from her past? Can Joy and Adam find love after everything they have been through? This is a well written love story. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two Strikes

This is the first book I have read by this author, and unfortunately, I was not impressed. Within the first couple of pages, the author committed two deadly strikes that were hard for me to get past. First was the rather prodigious information dump by the heroine. I am never a fan of these. Authors should artfully weave backstory into the rest of the book; it can be done! Second, the book has an enemies-to-lovers trope, which is fine, but it just strikes me as odd to have such a story in a story about people who’ve just met. Usually, this trope is explored when the people involved have a difficult history they need to get beyond before the romance to flourish. Seriously, how can you have such a strong, instant dislike for someone you don't even know just based on their profession? Please. (And the hero was a bit of a rude boor, which I never like to see in a romantic hero.) I don't care what might have happened to make the hero dead set against writers, but it seemed way out of proportion and not like the way a grownup would act in reality. Or at least I hope they wouldn't. While I did stick with the book, this unfortunate start left a bad taste in my mouth and tainted the rest of the reading.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Cindy van Wyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Iris Morland's Say You're Mine, we meet freelance writer Joy Mcguire. After her fiancé cheats on her with her best friend, she flees Chicago and settles in a tiny Midwestern town, Heron's Landing.

There she meets Grace and Adam Danvers, brother-and-sister duo who work in a coffee shop and own the local vineyard respectively.

(Side-note: Joy and Grace are two of the main characters' names? Really?)

Joy and Adam go from "enemies" (for no real reason) to lovers (because of course) and it's all such a massive cliché 🙄

In Say You're Mine, apparently all women cross their arms and tap their feet when upset, or crinkle their nose, or stand with their hands on their hips. And apparently all men growl. The novel is, quite frankly, hard to get through, and when Morland keeps referring to a vagina as a "sheath" during sex scenes? I almost lost the plot.

With that being said, Morland writes really hot steamy scenes and the addition of Jeremy into the story added dynamism and an interesting twist.

It's also worth noting that this is one of Morland's first novels and her writing style has gotten significantly better.

Still, there wasn't much wow about this, and I'm not particularly keen to read the rest of the series.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out enjoying this book. The pace was good, the characters seemed to be on the verge of becoming interesting and real. But…the story seemed to begin slipping around chapter 8 and by chapter 10, or around 43% completion, it was headed south. From the beginning, the writing seemed uneven, sometimes good with interesting phrasing and sometimes just a lot of contractions and sentences going nowhere in particular.

Chapter 1 is about Joy McGuire, the leading lady. She’s just moved to Heron’s Landing, a village of 250 people 500 miles south of Chicago, presumably still in Illinois, but close to St. Louis. She is starting over after her fiancé of 5 years cheated on her with her best friend. A trite trope, but there’s still wiggle room for a good story.

Chapter 2 is about Adam Danvers, the leading man. He’s the owner of River’s Bend vineyard, which has been in his family for generations. Things are not going well, the weather has not been cooperating, and the vineyard is in trouble. The writer seems to have done her research on vineyards; the Midwest has some excellent wineries and when the weather cooperates, that land is capable of producing some excellent wines.

Joy and Adam meet in chapter 1 and it doesn’t go well. He’s a bit of a jerk and she is an immature brat, not an overwhelming endorsement for true love. They make up, of course, and in chapter 5 they kiss; in chapter 8 they make love. Actually, the pace is good, at odds with the insta-lust Joy is smitten with initially. She runs hot and cold for Adam. And Adam can’t get his wife, who died in a car accident 3 years ago, out of his thoughts; his house is filled with reminders of her – he cannot move on. This dichotomy is not handled well, unfortunately. It’s tricky to write, I think, and difficult to sustain the back-and-forth, push-me, pull-you nature of an insta-love/hate relationship. Chapter 8’s love scene is well written and subsequent love scenes are not done as well, but they are erotic.

There are several problems with character consistency and the story doesn’t hold up beyond chapter 10 or so. The first “Huh?” moment occurs in chapter 3. Joy is a journalist that the writer tells us has “the attention span of a squirrel most days….” That makes no sense: a good journalist needs to pay attention to her surroundings, her interviewees all the time. It’s a small glitch in her persona.

When Jeremy, her ex-fiancé, begins calling, she makes herself available. Her thoughts say she is irritated by it, but her actions do not support this. When he calls, she’s available. When he texts, she responds. She is always angry when these exchanges occur, but she doesn’t put a stop to them. He learns that if he leaves enough voice mail and text messages, she will answer, if only to tell him to leave her alone…over and over and over again. She doesn’t block his number nor turn off her phone’s ringer even though she herself says no one calls her.

Joy’s character does a complete 180 when Jeremy suddenly appears in Heron’s Landing. She doesn’t turn him away. When Adam confronts Jeremy, then leaves, she stays with Jeremy and lets Adam go. How on earth are we supposed to believe she doesn’t want to get back with the cheating Jeremy? The village (remember, 250 people is not a town) residents know she and Adam are now an item, yet she hangs with Jeremy, leaving the village folk to speculate on poor Adam being jilted by her. Adam is being belittled and she seems okay with that even though Adam is a man with whom she was supposed to be having a relationship. She has turned into a wuss with no willpower and an inability to say “No” to Jeremy. She has become a weak character who deserves her ex-fiancé. She moans and groans that Jeremy will not leave her alone but why should he? She eats with him, takes walks with him, shops with him, is seen all over the village with him and she does this for a week until Jeremy decides to return to Chicago. She should have gone with him – they kind of deserve each other.

The writer gives Joy unrealistic and totally made up reasons for staying with Jeremy (I say “the writer” because Joy’s character, as initially presented to us, would not have behaved this way): Joy is babysitting Jeremy (her words) so he doesn’t hurt anyone in the village (Huh?); she can’t possibly get away from him because he is stubborn (Huh?); he could be mean to the people in the village so she’ll see him in order to minimize the damage he could do to Heron’s Landing (HUH???). Oh, good grief….

Because she does not want to see a repeat of the week Jeremy visited her, she decides to change her phone number. (Again…Huh?) Jeremy did not tell her he was coming; he just showed up. How will changing her phone number keep him away?

Adam is not exempt from inflated thinking. He is terribly juvenile, as is she actually. The interactions with his family, particularly his sister, Grace, go nowhere. They do not move the story along and are not particularly interesting. His mother is too busy. His father appears somewhat narrow-minded. In their dialogs, Adam never listens and so they serve no purpose.
Sidebar – if I read one more male character saying, “you make me want to be a better man,” I will be sorely tempted to throw my Kindle across the room. I won’t do it, but I’ll be tempted.

There are some things in the book that are really fun. For instance:
“Grace made a face at him. He closed his eyes and dreamed about pushing his sister’s face into the mashed potatoes as he thanked the Lord for the food before them.” Now that is the best view of his family; it is charming, funny, and we know it is in play. It is the only line that I found fascinating within Adam’s family dynamics.

There are some errors, such as:
“It’d had been so disastrous….” The apostrophe “d” is unnecessary. Without the contraction, that phrase would read, “It had had been so disastrous….” Not sensical. Possibly it should read, "It had been so disastrous...."
“…thinking about who’d she’d contact….” That apostrophe “d” is usually a contraction with “would” or “had” so if it were expanded, it wouldn’t make sense: “…who had she would contact….” or “…who would she would contact….” This is from the narrative, not dialog. Contractions can be confusing when overused. In this case, the reader doesn’t know what the writer is wanting to say. It would have been fine to simply say, “…thinking about who she would contact….”

The book meandered through its chapters, pleasantly in the beginning. The middle fell apart. The end happened suddenly, wrapped up in an epilog that really set the reader up for the next book in the series. I think I’ll pass. It’s supposed to be about two characters we met in this book, Grace Danvers, Adam’s sister, and a man she has crushed on for a very long time, Jaime Martínez, the chef at the restaurant at River’s Bend. Her heart is on her sleeve as she works up the courage to tell him she cares for him, and he walks off in some sort of man-huff. This is a pattern. He is a jerk and she is broken hearted. No, thank you.

I rated this book 2.5 stars and rounded down; I had to think about it. I went back and forth because the book is better than a 2-star but not really a 3-star. So, I rounded down. This release copyrighted 2020 is a rewrite (“lightly edited,” whatever that means) and it looks as if the original book was copyrighted in 2016 so this may be a first novel for Ms. Moreland. I think this book could be made better but needs more than light editing. At any rate, I may check out a more recent book by Ms. Moreland. While the writing in this book is uneven, parts of it were good and fun to read; the good parts just didn’t outweigh the bad.

[Mary McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course another sweet book by this author that makes me want to go out and get the rest of them! Having lived in that area for bit reminded me of the winery's of Missouri it was sweet and I can just picture this book even more, now just to get the next book

[Kaetrin]

Sugar & Spice Book Club free book.

[Anahi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So annoying that she didn't block Jeremy or stop talking to him

[Nirah ❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay

[Marzena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting characters and great storyline. Short sweet read. This is story about healing two broken hearts and finding your true self. Highly recommend!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Marcy Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no aversion to a slow to simmer romance. I approached this with an open mind and although it was sluggish to start, I was willing to plod through to the end. No, a positive review does not begin with this opening. I was shocked to learn that Joy of purple hair and and funky manicures, left Chicago for a town of population 250 persons because of a man. It is a far reach for so many reasons. Small towns are vacation locations for many; rare is the new resident, rarer still is a new resident from any city or even a city suburb. They are places to go to get a break from a major city. For a Chicago based journalist to give up on a whole city because of a broken relationship? I can't buy what the author is trying to sell.

I live in the suburbs of a major US City and never would be further from the conveniences of such; the fine arts, access to health care that only is found within a certain perimeter of these cities and so many other benefits that I cannot find it believable that Joy the journalist is living above a general store in a small town as her life plan. Sure we all need a vacation. Fresh air, the sweet tiny town with a vineyard... that is a vacation, a location for a wedding, a place to meet up with old friends.

The whole book is sluggish. It's paced exactly as the town it portrays.

I take no joy in writing a negative review. There is a readership for this book. As this book was written in 2016, I had a peek at other reviews. What I found interesting were the comments about this being a clean good Christian romance. It is not advertised as such and if that is the relationship readers make with the text, that is something that I obviously missed.

If you crave sugar over reality, want to believe that a family run vineyard can fulfill a Chicago's woman's journalistic talents, this is a book for you.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. These are my feelings and I take ownership of my words. I apologize to the author for a sharp and negative review. This was my experience and I am sitting in a minority. All readers have a preference. This book did not attract me, however it appears to have an audience.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and sexy of initial enemies to lovers romance. The characters we real and the supporting characters were mostly believable also. I did struggle with some of the reactions and decisions that the hero/heroine made throughout the story. But overall, a 3 star contemporary romance read.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy McGuire was a journalist that moved from Chicago to Heron’s Landing because her fiancé cheated on her with her best friend. Joy was a freelance writer that tried to write uplifting and helpful stories. She met Adan Danvers who owned the local winery, but he was not very nice to her. In fact he was a real jerk. His sister Grace told him to get over himself and give Joy a chance. Adam didn’t like journalists and he felt like he had a good reason. Adam was having finical problems with the winery due to bad weather. Joy wanted to help by writing a story to help with business. You need to read the book to see what happens with Adam and Joy’s relationship.

I liked Joy and how honest she was with everyone. Adam had lost his wife in a car accident three years earlier and was still sad from losing her. Joy was such an up lifting person, that he was attracted to her. He didn’t fully trust her because she was a journalist. When something was printed that he didn’t like, he blamed Joy and didn’t believe that she had nothing to do with the article. I was upset, mad, and sad at how he acted. I loved his sister Grace and how she told him to buck up. Grace was a breath of fresh air. This was a very good story and I strongly encourage you to read the book. I was given a copy of the book and voluntarily wrote a review.

[BP34 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Heron's Landing series and features Joy and Adam. Joy was a journalist healing a broken heart who had just moved to Heron's Landing. Adam was still in mourning for his wife who was killed in a tragic accident. He has a good reason to hate journalists and takes it out on her. She doesn't understand his hostility to her. Then they have to deal with the gossip issues that are prevalent in all small towns. Eventually he realizes that he can no longer ignore his attraction. Lots of twists, obstacles and surprises to keep you page turning. A good book with great characters.

[Erin McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, likable characters, strong female lead

This was an enjoyable book with likable characters and a decent storyline. Joy was a very strong female character although her thoughts often made her sound rather immature. There were some issues with consistency, such as a contradictory timeline and characters knowing things they shouldn't, and Jeremy repeatedly flipped back and forth between boyfriend and fiance. Still, a solid 4 stars and a good read.

I've read another book in this series which also had a strong female lead and I appreciate the kind of heroines this author creates.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seduce Me Sweetly

Sweet and simple story. Adam, owner of a small winery that has been in the family for generations but may not be for much longer. Joy, a freelance writer that runs away from Chicago in need of something different after catching her fiancee and best friend together. Adam and Joy have been hurt and have their guards up but that doesn't stop them from falling for each other.
This would have been 5 stars for me if the characters had another way to cope with their emotions other than drinking. I feel as if they both drank in excess often and it was a bit distracting.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet! Two broken people unexpectedly find each other and somehow before they even realize it, their feelings are deep and true. Unfortunately, not all paths are smooth and they have to find a way to get past the hurts and troubles that get in the way.

This is a beautiful story with a great group of characters in a small town setting in the middle of nowhere. I look forward to reading more about the Adam, Joy and River's Bend, the vineyard that has captured my heart.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Cali Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy McGuire is a free lance Journalist moving to a sleepy little town to escape the betrayal of the two people she thought she loved the most. Adam Danvers is a widower with a great reason to hate Journalist. Heron's Landing is a small town that sounds like a place you don't know is there unless someone points it out. This story is will written and sends you on an emotional journey to healing two broken hearts and finding your true self. Looking forward to the next story in this series.

[Annabellekc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seduce Me Sweetly by Iris Morland

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book on ARC, it's a slow book, I'm not really sure how to described each character, at the beginning I got confused, it's a sweet romance, it has what your looking for in a love story, tragedy and betrayal, what starts as hate turns to lust.

They have so much to overcome as a couple and I'm happy with the end of the book.

Good book

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great straight forward HEA with enjoyable characters and a good story line. I like how at first Adam doesn't particularly like Joy, however soon learns the error of his ways and that his initial attraction was right. It was good how they both had a past and needed to work on things and have you wondering will Adam let Joy in literally and figuratively.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Rypleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, likable characters. Good beginning. Some spelling and grammar mistakes but still good. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Janeiowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok...kind of same bold thing over and over.

Joy Maguire, journalist,and Adam. Who owns River's Bend vineyard and winery in Heron's Landing, Missouri.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam & Joy had an intriguing book. Good characters. It was an emotional one for me. And a new author. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Tisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This couple is hot, sexy. They have chemistry the moment they start bickering. It's got depth, agony, sex appeal, love, a bit of suspense. More of all love & forgiveness!

Adam Danvers is judgmental of the press. He has a good reason to be. Adam lost the love of his life his wife in a tragic accident, he stopped believing in love. Upon Caroline's death the press was ruthless, since she was the famous socialite daughter of the Young's. Upon the press' digging they uncovered the skeletons of the Young's family. That poisoned Adam with any respect to the press.
However, not all journalists are conniving, blood sucking vultures! Adam doesn't see that until a colorful purple haired vision; freelance writer named Joy McGuire blows into town. Adam can’t control his intense attraction to her. She’s witty; she pushes his buttons. All he wants to do is kiss her senseless. Ms. McGuire proves that she’s nothing like the writers he’s known, Adam can’t help but give in to exquisite temptation.

Joy McGuire, a beautiful, clever journalist, moves to the sleepy town, Heron’s Landing. To run away from the pain her Ex Jeremy of 5 yr. destroyed after cheating on her w/ her best friend. She needs to get her baring together & straight from this horrible experience. When coming into town, she finds people, friendly, kind & welcoming. Expect when Grace the younger sister of the hunk Adam Danvers introduces Joy to him. Joy has come to their family vineyard to do an article to help generate business. But Adam will have nothing of it. He is Cold, rude & judgmental. Joy doesn't understand why he doesn't want press for publicity for his family run business of generations. Grace cannot tell her the history but explains it has to do with the death of this wife.
Can Joy break his walls & show him he can trust her. Can she be willing to trust herself & open up to love?

When passions ignite between Adam and Joy they will open up their secrets. Both will need to trust in love. Unfortunately, a blast from the past decides to destroy Joy & Adam's love. To the point that Adam choices not to believe Joy when an article comes out on his wife, that he is determined to believe that Joy wrote? Even the town turn on Joy & she runs back to Chicago to find out the truth behind the article & close up old wounds with her BFF. She ends up finding a lot more about her Jermery that she never knew in their 5-year relationship. Joy is determined to get a retraction to the wound that was reopened for Adam. Regardless she is no longer with him or the town she has grown to love.
Will Adam's stuborn pride dictate him in realizing the trth of the article? Can he get back the woman he has so passionatey fallen for? woman who’s awakened his slumbering heart.