Whiskey & Wine

by Rebecca Gannon

I was sent to Breaker Estates to take over the annual Icewine Festival from my coworker, and while I was ecstatic to run an event on such a grand scale, I wasn't prepared for the owner.

Ben Breaker.

Ex-hockey star. Broody. Rude. Hates every change I want to make. Hates publicity. And, oh yeah, is also 6'4" with a body that's made for making women wish they could have a taste, paired with midnight blue eyes that hold everything he doesn't say.

He drives me crazy.

I want to both hit him and kiss him half the time, and I can't ignore the way my body reacts whenever he's near.

I don't know how I'll make it a month working with him, keeping it strictly professional...
Oh, right, I can't.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Amazon

ebook

Published March 4, 2022

About the author

Rebecca is a dreamer through and through with permanent wanderlust. She's a lover of all things romance and writes what she loves to read, which is a little of everything!

When she's not writing, you can find her *attempting* to curb her online shopping problem while sipping an iced coffee and planning her next road trip!

🖤
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Reviews

[Lori Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leah is a career focused event planner that gets thrown into a multiple week wine festival. She's spunky and independent and also curvy which really isn't mentioned much at the beginning. I don't recall their being a good character sketch at the beginning but you are constantly reminded of her curvy status the last oh 20% of the book to the point it's almost obnoxious.

Ben is a former hockey start that likes to stay out of the public eye and dislikes change. When he retires from hockey, he takes over his parents winery. We never learn much more about his parents or his childhood. It's like they sell him the winery and disappear. This icewine festival is a big deal. You'd think they would make an appearance. Anyhoo, I'm getting off track.

There is an immediate attraction to Ben on Leah's part. Who wouldn't be? He's described in detail about how hot he is. But other than the attraction from Leah, I don't get that chemistry from Ben. Maybe if we got part of the story from his perspective? He does a few nice things for her at the beginning but not enough for me to be like oooo tension.

There's a touch of instalove. So if that annoys you, this might not be the book for you. The icewine festival sounds delightful and I love that the recipes mentioned in the story are listed at the back.

Overall, it's a perfectly acceptable easy read but it didn't make me feel any strong emotions either way and I didn't get the chemistry build up I would have enjoyed more. It's like Ben is a jerk and then he isn't. Then he's a jerk again. Then he isn't.

I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a complimentary copy.

[S I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whiskey and Wine by Rebecca Gannon
A fun and exciting read by this wonderful author. I like her storytelling and the character were enjoyable to watch unfold.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tefito · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems, and when I first read the blurb, I thought it read like a Hallmark movie. After reading Whiskey & Wine, I can say it indeed does read like a Hallmark movie in the best possible way.

The story is about Leah, an event planner who gets sent to help with a wine festival for a winery owned by Ben when her coworker can’t keep the commitment last minute. It’s her chance to prove her worth to her boss/aunt, but instead, she meets gruff and very sexy ex-NHL player Ben Breaker.
Like any typical Grumpy/Sunshine story, Ben is very grumpy at first, but we quickly find out the reason for it, and it makes you very empathic to his struggles. As for Leah, she is lovely from the first page. I simply fell in love with her. She’s a beautiful plus-size woman who owns it and loves every one of her curves as she should—empowered but vulnerable.

It was highly amusing to be inside her head as she thirsted for Ben from the first moment he growled at her. The girl was down bad, and I was here for every dirty thought she had of climbing Ben like a tree. Get it girl!

The spice was hella spicy, and the romance was sugar-sweet, a perfect balance and a true joy to read. I will definitely keep my eye out for more of Ms. Gannon’s books in the future.

[Aaliyah Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. From the storyline to the spice - I can only find one fault.
1. IT WAS TOO SHORT. I read this book in 2 hours and I cannot believe that it took me that amount of time to fall in love with Ben. But I loved it regardless.

Ben was a seriously grumpy man, he has been burned one too many times before so he usually keeps to himself and his work. Leah quite literally storms into his world.
I was so shocked by Leah's character because normally when you hear grumpy/sunshine; you expect that the FMC will just roll over and forgive the MMC but Leah put him in his place several times - like a god damn boss. From their first official meeting and throughout the book. She has no hesitation to say it how it is.
Another thing, I love Leah because she's confident - she is so comfortable in her sexuality and her dress sense (from what I can imagine) is sexy and professional. I just love her and I want to be her when I grow up.

I seriously hope Rebecca writes more to this book, even if its just more about their life - I need more of Ben and Leah.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story with the grumpy/sunshine trope and a curvy heroine! It has minimal angst, just a small amount towards the end.
One thing I enjoyed was how the heroine was portrayed as curvy. In most books, they are usually extremely self-conscious, so much so that they honestly need therapy, which is why I avoid them because curvy people need to be represented with self-worth. In Gannon's story, Leah has a kick-butt amount of self-confidence and I loved it!!
I also enjoyed Leah's and Ben's interactions; they had great chemistry!! The story itself is on the shorter end and it's a pretty quick read. It is on the insta-love/lust side of books with plenty of steamy scenes!!

All in all, it's a fun, steamy book!!

I liked the recipes at the end of the book! I might have to try some. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Catarina Fêo e Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book! The world of event organizing is an interesting one (at least for me!) and I found the characters relatable enough. I was glad the drama wasn't too over the top, as sometimes is the case with romances) tho I wish the conflict and friction between our main characters was a bit more emphasized in the beginning. I found Leah a bit too nice at times!
Overall, good characters, great sexual tension between them and an overall good plot.
Thank you for letting me read this!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/29/2022)! 🎁

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Gannon has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Leah and Ben. Leah works for her aunt Violet at Violet's Event Designs and Planning. She has just come back from the wedding she planned and now Violet wants her to take over for Janet since she has to go and take care of her mother. On her way to meet with the owner of Breaker Estates, Ben Breaker, she stops to get a coffee and pastry. When she is ready to leave, she bumps into someone and when she looks up to say she was sorry, she realized it is Ben she bumps into. When she tries to introduce herself, he is cold and rude to her. She wonders how he can be so successful in business but only has basic social skills. When Leah gets to the Breaker Estates, she meets Charlie, the master distiller, and asked if he knew where to find Ben? He looks at her a little funny until she tells him that she is taking over for Janet and then he gave her a smile. He takes her to Ben's office and when she goes in, things do not go well. Ben starts off by making her mad and she tells him that she can do the job and walks out. On her way out of Ben's office, she sees Charlie and she asked if he could show her to the kitchen so that she could meet with the chef? Everyone she meets after Ben seems to be nice to her. Leah works on plans and she has a new one that she would like to use so she goes to see if Ben would approve it. When she goes to tell him what she is wanting, he tells her that she can do it. Ben apologized to her for the way he treated her before. Leah and Ben start working together and things heat up between them but they both hold back. Over the few weeks, she is there, they start seeing each other and their time ends up in the tabloids. Leah is at work and she and Ben were to have lunch together but she hadn't seen him yet that day. She goes up to his office and he is acting cold toward her. He says something to her that makes her feel like he is done with her. She goes back to her hotel room and when she gets there, she receives a call from Violet, her aunt. Violet is upset with Leah for getting hooked up with Ben and putting her company in the tabloids. Leah goes and does a search of the articles of her and Ben on the internet and then she goes to see Ben. She tells him a few things and said that she couldn't love a man who didn't stand with her. She tells him that he is a coward and walks away from him. Ben doesn't try to stop her from walking away. Leah goes into the office at Violet's Event Designs and Planning and tells her aunt she quits. Then she goes home and has herself a good cry. She doesn't answer her phone when she sees Ben calling her. She wants to answer his calls but it has been a week since she left him and he didn't try to stop her, so why should she answer him now? She has finally had enough of self pitty and she listens to all her messages. She decides to go and hear what Ben has to say to her. When she opens her door, Ben is sitting there. She asked him "What are you doing here?" He tells her that he is sorry, he can't sleep, can't work without thinking about her. He wants her with him so that he can go to sleep with her and wake up with her. She tells him that he is the one who let her walk away and didn't try to stop her. He told her he was trying to protect her.
Will Leah let Ben have another chance?
This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An event planner working for her aunt’s business when she is asked to take over for one of the other workers for the Icewine Festival at the Breaker Winery which her aunt’s company has been doing every year. Ben sexy as all get out ex-NHL player and owner of Breaker, the women working the festival is working all his nerves and exciting him at the same time how can that be attraction and Leah sees him an a grumpy borderline rude man but again if she is honest with herself part of the issue could have been part of her fault and playing nice to ensure her aunt keeps the contract for the festival. So working together they both learn a lot about each other she is gradually showing him a reason to be less rude and he is showing her that she is one of the most beautiful women he has seen and the more time they spend the stronger the attraction pull between them grows will they give in to the pull, will he show her just how he feels about her, will she take a chance on her feeling for him and can they find happiness?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐|2🌶|24%🌶frequency

A grumpy hockey player? Sign me up for it 🤩 Even if he's retired. There is so much happening inside Ben. And it made me sad and angry at the same time. Not at him! But for him 😔

I wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but definitely lust at first sight for Leah and maybe Ben, too. The chemistry is perfect. She is such a sunshine and loves her job. She wants to make every perfect. She's ambitious and everything.
But when it comes to Ben... Yeah... Her mouth is faster than her brain. I loved it when she accidentally said something that could be understood in another meaning, too 🙈

I so love books with plus-size FMCs. I think there are definitely not enough! And I loved how much Ben loved every curve of Leah 🔥🥵

The whole scenery of the book is so wonderful 🩷 I don't drink wine or whiskey (or alcohol in general), but the festival has to be wonderful. I really need to check Google for pics 😁 And seeing the Niagara Falls in person is definitely on my bucket list (summer and winter) 🥰 And now I'll also visit Niagara-on-the-Lake 🩷


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[Trish- Late Knight Luna Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Whiskey & Wine” was an absolute steamy and sweet delight to read. I loved Leah and who she was from the very beginning.

Leah is sent to Breaker Estates to help take over the planning and execution of the annual Icewine Festival. Up for the challenge, Leah arrives and is greeted by the grumpy owner, Ben. Ben is a former hockey player and is standoffish with anyone and everyone. Determined to not let that stop her from doing her job, she gives it her all. But as things progress, so does the attraction and feelings between Leah and Ben.

Leah is amazing and I loved her so much. She’s smart, curvy, independent and knows her worth. There’s nothing more amazing than a confident, curvy woman. Especially in books because they make it that much more relatable to me. And Ben? I love when the main male character is grumpy, nothing beats a grumpy man who gets turned upside down by a sunshine woman. And for him to be a hockey player? Yes, please. Leah was the right woman to break down the walls he had around himself and I loved their story so much.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Leah. She is strong and independent and abrupt and pushy but that seems to come with the job she has, dealing with bridezillas. I like her attitude and her actions and the strength of her feelings. I like her self confidence with just that little bit of hesitation. I love that she has business ideas and shares them. I love her drive. I love that she knows herself. I love that she puts herself out there. I love her instant attraction to Ben. I love their chemistry and their banter and their journey. Of course he upsets me when the drama hits. I love his grumpiness and his standoffishness. I love his loyalty and his protectiveness. I love them together. I love the heat. Her aunt is a jerk. Charlie and chef Casey are good secondary characters. I would enjoy getting more perspective from Ben in his direct point of view. I would enjoy less details about some of the graphics of the setting. A very strong 4.5 star story for me .

Thank you to Book sprout and the author. This is my honest opinion

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am voluntarily leaving a review after receiving an ARC from Hidden Gems.

Leah was an event planner that was sent assist in a wine festival for Breakers Winery in Canada. The winery is owned by Ben Breaker who was a NHL player who left because of an injury but also under a cloud of scandal. Ben is hiding away and isn't very approachable. He is also set in his ways. Leah has a hard time with Ben when it comes to making little changes to enhance visiting the winery during the festival. Ben had put his trust in a woman who he was in a relationship with. She sold a fake story about their relationship to make money so Ben has a hard time trusting women he is attracted to including Leah. Leah is able to win Ben over and they are at to build a friendship that turns to more. Then the past comes back and Ben pushes Leah away.

It is an easy and light read. There is no really drama to the story.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I know the book said grumpy and I thought it would be cute and fluffy. It was fluffy without too much heavy lifting, Ben just annoyed me very much in the beginning and it took a while to warm up to him. Have to say I mostly stayed luke warm about him. People that are contrary just to be that way without much rhyme or reason annoy me. My thought was if you don’t want things to be different why even put the place out there to begin with?

Leah seemed to be trying way too hard to rise above the pettiness and keep things sweet and Polyanna like. There wasn’t anything different to make this story stand out from all of the friends to enemy stories. My attention wandered a lot and I did flip a few pages to get things to move along.

If you are looking for something to pass the time without working up a mental sweat you have found it.

I received an ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a curvy gal romance.

Leah works at her Aunt's event design and planning company. She is a workaholic but recognizes the need for a personal life too. Her co-worker has a family emergency so her boss puts her in charge of the Icewine Festival for Breaker Winery. The festival last for three weeks and has 29 wineries participating.

Ben Breaker is a former hockey star though now tries to stay out of the public eye. He bought his parents winery when they retired. His attitude is best described as grumpy and rude. He also does not like change.

Leah literally bumps into him in a cafe and wears his coffee. When she tries to tell him she is taking over his account he cuts her off and leaves. He eventually gets friendlier when she helps him out of a bind and makes some aesthetics changes for the festival. They begin to date but he freaks out when photos are published driving her away. They resolve their differences and get their HEA.

[Narci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute story about a famous Hockey player who has given up after devastating news and has become a hermit who owns a winery. It's about a young woman who turns Ben Breaker's life upside down in a good way. Leah loves her job working for her Aunt Victoria's Design company and is sent to work at a festival helping Breaker Winery, she never would have thought to fine for than just a job there. Leah knows there is another side to grumpy rude Ben, he is drop dead gorgeous, doesn't enjoy life and always hiding. I absolutely love how Leah influences Ben, brings him out of his bubble and how their chemistry blossoms to the point that there is no turning back. This is an awesome story about true love, seeing beyond the surface and embracing who you are and what you want. You only live once and fall in love once, so might as well make the most of it and fight for what your heart desires. I absolutely loved the story and can't wait to read more from Rebecca Gannon.

[Terri Zumbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. It is a fairly typical event planner/celebrity client type of thing. It revolves around a winter Icewine Festival that takes place north of Toronto.

If you are like me, you said “Icewine? What is that?” I love learning about new things through books. While the book doesn’t tell us how to make our own Icewine, it does have recipes of the other prominent foods and beverages. I was almost motivated.

Ben the ex-hockey star has had a bad experience with publicity. He owns the winery Leah has been sent to finish and carry out an event for the festival.

It’s not a surprise how the romance goes, what causes the drama, and hoe it gets resolved. The book has great dialogue and passionate encounters making it worth the read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to be at Breaker Estates Winery and the Icewine festival! I loved reading and seeing Leah, an event planner, transform the winery for the festival and cracking Ben's super tough and hard exterior. Ben is a former hockey player that has had some bad and untrue things said about him to the press. He is the grumpy to Leah's sunshine. I loved Leah's outlook and confidence in her job and in herself. Ben and Leah definitely don't get along at first because he doesn't like change and she comes with lots of ideas for the festival and the winery.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope with some workplace romance too. There's also some moments of forced proximity because of the snow and I was all for the tension during those moments!

This is a sweet and steamy book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Read this one if you like: grumpy/sunshine, whiskey and wine, workplace setting, steamy scenes

Thank you to the author for sending me an advanced copy.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leah works for her aunt and is asked to go on location to take over a project for another employee who needs to leave on a family emergency. Leah is more than capable but things sure start off on the wrong foot right from the start! Ben is a hunky, grumpy retired hockey player who has taken over the family's whiskey and winery. He stays in the background, doesn't like change or attention. Leah works some magic on him and Ben seems happier and more personable than ever but the closer they get the more there's a chance of his past coming back and ruining things. He turns his back on her when the going gets tough, her aunt is upset with her for getting close to him and she quits her job and is miserable. Thing is, so is Ben but how do you work things out for a happy ending? I received an ARC from Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Tracie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am leaving my honest voluntary review for a copy I received from Hidden Gems.

Leah is an event planner for her Aunts business. When she is asked to take over for another co-worker for the Icewine Festival at Breaker Winery. Breaker is owned by Ben Breaker an ex-NHL player who bought his families winery. Leah does not make the best first impression when they bump into eachother in a coffee shop. She doesnt even get to introduce herself. She finds Ben grumpy and rude. But maybe she can change that. As they get closer she teaches Ben to be nice and he teaches her that shes truly beautiful. This book was really good. Smooth writing you felt like you were there. Loved the characters.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben and Leah . . .

Leah is an event planner who is sent to Breaker Estates to take over the annual Icewine Festival when her coworker has to leave to take care of her mother. She meets the owner of the Winery, Ben Breaker. He is an ex-hockey star and has a grumpy attitude. When the two of them begin to get along, their dating got too much publicity and he went back into grumpy mode. Her aunt, who owns the Event Planning business, was not happy about the publicity either. Leah ends up quitting and finally Ben tracks her down to tell her he can’t get her out of his mind.

I didn’t feel much real chemistry between these two. It was more on again/off again. Not a very convincing romance. But would he win her heart?

[lf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay but I wanted to throttle the FMC several times

Whiskey & Wine is the second book I have read by Rebecca Gannon and I have to say I am not sure about it. I waited a while after reading it to write my review so the characters could "settle" for me. I thought the story-line was nice but I was disappointed by the characters. For me there was no real depth and not much of a backstory/history to both of them. This made getting to understand their current behavior more difficult, especially the FMC who I wanted to smuck upside the head on more than one occasion. For me the story was okay but not what I was expecting. But I know that other readers may love this story pick it up and read it to make up your own mind.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whiskey and Wine is the story of former hockey player now winery/Whiskey venue runner Ben and Leah, the event planner who is sent to make sure an event at the estate goes off without a hitch. This book made me feel like I was watching a Hallmark Movie with bits of spice sprinkled in. At times it was cute, angsty, spicy and a little bit of everything in between. There were times I wanted to hit Ben and other times I wanted to jump his bones, but this book was amazing. Definitely recommend for an all around perfectly crafted romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Floraljoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decadent and steamy:
What a fantastic and fulfilling read! I loved the title which was totally applicable to the book and just like these sophisticated beverages, this story came across as rich and smooth. Being a fellow Canadian I also loved the setting of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Icewine Festival.
Ex-hockey player Ben was initially gruff and had shut himself off from the world. It was fun seeing how being around Leah made him live life again. You could really feel the chemistry and emotion between these two and it was wonderful how they felt authentic and approachable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzanne Houser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whiskey & Wine by Rebecca Gannon is a wonderful grumpy alpha-meets- sunshine-y heroine, super steamy read. When event planner Leah is sent to oversee a multi-weekend Icewine Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, she immediately butts heads with ex-pro hockey player-turned-winery owner Ben. The chemistry between Leah and Ben is palpable from the start despite being complete opposites. It took me a while to warm up to Ben; however, the entertaining banter and interactions with Leah make him a swoon-y male lead before long. A fun read for the hopeless romantic!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read that had me actually craving some winter fun, and I’m definitely not a fan of winter or snow!

This book is told from Leah’s POV, and it is a heartwarming story. I really wish there would have been a few chapters from Ben’s POV because I think it would have added a balance that the story to get a glimpse of what he was thinking or feeling.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, characters and the description of the event Leah works so hard this make highlight Ben’s winery.

I received an ARC from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving my review. Leah is working on the Icewine Festival. She and Ben, the owner of Breaker Estates do not start off very well. Leah is determined to do her job but there is an attraction that grows between them. These are two different people, and they both have their own baggage. There are misunderstandings and misconceptions that get in the way. Ben is going to have to make things right. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

this was a really cute & hot story! it gave me hardcore hallmark vibes with the whole “she had to go to help run this event at the last minute & falls in love with the business’s owner”, and i was here for it! also love the plus size fmc rep - i think it was done very well! it was a little slow in the beginning & i wasn’t connecting with leah from the get go, but once the story started rolling, it was really good!

also BEN FCKING BREAKER???? i love that man. he’s grumpy. he’s hot. he was a hockey player. enough said 🤪

*check CW before reading, stay safe loves <3

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah was sent to Breaker Estates to take over the annual Icewine Festival from a coworker, and while she was ecstatic to run an event on such a grand scale. She wasn't prepared for the owner;Ben. He's an E x-hockey star. Broody. Rude. Hates every change I want to make. Hates publicity. And, oh yeah, is also 6'4" with a body that's made for making women wish they could have a taste, paired with midnight blue eyes that hold everything he doesn't say. It was a great book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet story. Leah is an event planner. After a coworker of hers has a family emergency she is sent to fill in for her. Ben a retired hockey player is the owner of the venue that Leah will be working at for the next 3 weeks. When they first meet Ben is short with her and unfriendly. Leah is there to do a job so Bens attitude doesn’t slow her down. And slowly Ben starts to come around. And the attraction between them is undeniable. I love how self confident Leah is.