Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she’ll never have to see again. That is, until the winery’s newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expects.
Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn’t want to tell the world–or his mom–why he’s now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son–how can he admit that the job she’s so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with–even after he learns she’s his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn’t be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout?
Set against a lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love–even if it means changing all your plans.
DRUNK ON LOVE
Jasmine Guillory
This book was so much fun to read. This is my first Jasmine Guillory book, and I really enjoyed the writing. The romance was done very well. There were no cringy scenes and the romance felt realistic.
It stars Margot Noble who is co-owner of Noble Family Winery. Margot was looking for a one-night stand but what she finds is a human resources nightmare. Luckily, this is a romance book and not a psychological thriller so if you can set the set-up aside you might enjoy it, like I did.
Margot is a character with a “why not?” mentality which sometimes gets her into trouble. Her co-star in this book is Luke Williams. Luke is in between jobs, and in between the sheets, he is exactly what Margot needs for the night at least. Luke wants more, Margot a little less. The characters and the situation they find themselves in combined with the setting create the perfect atmosphere for a romance novel.
The setting of Napa, California was a nice bonus, and I appreciated certain aspects of the winemaking industry. It felt like you had a behind-the-scenes view of the winemaking business and tourism, with various characters being from the service industry.
There was a sip of commentary about the stereotypical base of both winery and vineyard owners and patrons of both establishments. I didn’t feel that this characterization was beneficial to any degree for either of the characters and I didn’t feel that it furthered the plot. It felt unnecessary.
Overall, it was a quick, realistic, adults-only romance that I enjoyed. Consider picking it up.
Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!
DRUNK ON LOVE…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.
Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept—his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.
Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn’t extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy—and Irene’s death is only the beginning.
When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.
Lavender House
Lev AC Rosen
I came across this book because a Goodreads friend enjoyed it and not only was I looking for a good mystery but I also have been neglecting the entire Historical Fiction Genre, so I picked this one up.
The book, Lavender House is a Historial Fiction Mystery set in 1952, about Lavender House and Evander “Andy” Mills. Andy is a weary ex-police officer out to find his place in the world.
One day Andy is approached by Pearl to look into the death of her partner Irene. Pearl lives at the LAVENDER HOUSE, where Andy will be in part investigating the mystery.
This book is as much about the mystery of Irene’s death as it is about what goes on beyond the doors of the Lavender House.
There is a lot in this book about hiding. Hiding who you are and hiding secrets and guarding other people’s secrets. There is an element of the discovery of truth to everyone and everything. Everyone has secrets even inanimate objects have secrets. I appreciated that mostly but there was not enough left unsaid.
It was a little overdone.
However, I liked the rhythm and carriage of the story. It followed the natural trajectory of a mystery. I liked the use of the time period and setting as an influence on the characters.
Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copies.
LAVENDER HOUSE…⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mariah Fredericks’s The Lindbergh Nanny is powerful, propulsive novel about America’s most notorious kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this deadly crime.
When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny.
A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs. Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears.
Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name—and to find justice for the child she loves.
THE LINDBERGH NANNY
Mariah Fredericks
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.
THE LINDBERGH NANNY written by Mariah Fredericks is a historical fiction mystery that is not wholly fictitious and inherently not mysterious. The book is loosely based on the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping case, specifically the Lindbergh’s nanny-Betty Gow, and her involvement.
It took me a good amount of time to latch on to the story.
The first thing I noticed was a lack of connection with the characters. It was almost as if you were reading from behind a veil. I cannot imagine anything more emotionally driven than the situation these characters were in, yet they were tepid, flat, emotionless, and seemed to be going through the motions. I can only assume that it was intentional that we interpret their behavior this way.
However intentional it was, it read like it was researched and came across at first as a rather dry and boring reading experience. Once I caught on to the writing style and reconciled with the fact that I’d be questioning my memory of the case throughout the duration of the book, I settled into a groove and enjoyed the rest of my time.
In conclusion, I felt that the author struggled with the constraints of writing a fictional novel about historical people. Knowing what to keep true to fact and what details to fictionalize for effect is key for this kind of material. I don’t know that the author was 100% successful.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the advanced copies!
THE LINDBERGH NANNY…⭐️⭐️⭐️
