Zoe Brennan, First Crush

October 1, 2024

Zoe Brennan works hard to keep the vineyard her parents started in Blue Ridge going. When her father decides to return home to Italy and help his family, he also informs Zoe that he's already hired a replacement vintner, who turns out to be Laine Woods, the first woman Zoe ever had a crush on. Laine has returned to Blue Ridge after a spectacular, almost career-ending failure. Seeking redemption, she dives head first into her new job. She knows how to grow the best grapes and bring out nuanced flavors in the wine--and she could put her skill to good use, if only Zoe would stop micromanaging everything. When a prestigious wine festival begins scouting locations, Zoe is determined to make sure her family's vineyard is chosen, which requires collaborating with Laine instead of arguing. It also means spending long hours together, planning, tasting, and flirting, but Zoe is worried Laine will leave her behind for bigger and better things. VERDICT This steamy romance has everything readers could ask for: excellent writing, well-developed characters, an atmospheric setting, and a forced-proximity workplace romance. Fans of Anita Kelly and Ashley Herring Blake will adore Zoe and Laine and clamor for more from Lee (Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair).--Heather Miller Cover

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Starred review from November 18, 2024
Returning to Blue Ridge, Ga. (after Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair), Lee delights with a sensual sapphic rom-com as heady and complex as the wines it describes in breathless detail. For years, Zoe Brennan has worked tirelessly alongside her father to keep her late mother’s dream, Bluebell Vineyards, running smoothly. When she learns that a notable wine festival is scouting locations nearby, she hopes to pitch Bluebell as the host and beat out a competing winery run by her “best-friend-turned-enemy” Rachel Woods. Her plans are impeded, however, when her father reveals that his ill mother requires his assistance in Italy, leaving the vineyard without a vintner. To relieve her mounting anxiety, Zoe agrees to a blindfolded threesome with her friend-with-benefits and a stranger—who, she learns after the fact, turns out to be Rachel’s intimidating older sister and Zoe’s first queer crush: Laine Woods. Hoping to swiftly forget the encounter proves impossible when Zoe discovers that Laine is the temporary vintner her father hired. The pair clash, but behind Laine’s arrogance and Zoe’s stubbornness is intense chemistry. Moments of reflection, comedic episodes, and plenty of steamy encounters balance this heartfelt story about honoring loved ones’ legacies while still realizing one’s own aspirations. This demands to be savored.

December 15, 2024
When a vineyard owner reunites with her first-ever female crush, complicated feelings arise. Zoe Brennan has turned the family vineyard she runs with her dad into her whole life--as a single woman in a Georgia mountain town with a tiny queer community, she doesn't really have a choice. She focuses on Bluebell Vineyards and tries to ignore her loneliness, even though it "feels like a boulder inside of [her], separating [her] from everyone [she] love[s]." But when her dad decides to return to his native Italy to see his dying mother, Zoe's world is thrown into chaos. She's trying desperately to get a fancy wine festival to hold its showcase at Bluebell, but with her dad--Bluebell's vintner--gone, she's not sure how she'll ever make it happen. But luckily--or unluckily--her dad has just hired a talented vintner to be his replacement: Laine Woods, also known as Zoe's first crush, her mortal enemy's sister, and the woman with whom she accidentally had a blindfolded threesome (it's a long story). Clearly, Zoe and Laine have some history, but even aside from their one-night stand and Zoe's sexual awakening, it's not clear if they'll be able to work together. Laine has been in Napa, far away from Blue Ridge, Georgia, and she brings in a ton of snobbery around the tiny vineyard. Zoe's not sure she can handle the changes Laine wants to make to her family's wine--it feels like Laine is stomping all over her parents' history. However, neither of them can deny their potent chemistry. Zoe has to decide if she's willing to open herself up to love, even if it involves the risk of being crushed. Lee creates a lovely, cozy world in Blue Ridge's wine community. Zoe's zany friends add a sparkle to the story, while her relationship with Laine is full of intense longing and creative sex scenes. A funny and very steamy romance about the importance of being open to love and all that life has to offer.

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