Crush

This years crush is very important for wine maker Josie, as if she wins gold she can finally start her own brand. However, her boss makes her hire his niece Mac as her assistant, and Mac has no experience. It seems bound to be a disaster, but when Mac proves to be a quick learner, and they start developing more than a professional relationship, what will happen when the crush is over?

This was my first book from this author, and it was really good! I liked how the relationship developed, but that it also wasn’t the only plot point.

I also loved how both the characters where ambitious. Josie wants her own wine brand more than anything, and has been working towards it for years, and Mac has just left her old job that she didn’t enjoy, and was never taken seriously by clients, and is determined not to let that happen again.

Overall the romance was very sweet and believable, and at the end I was rooting for them!

Clara McFarlane via NetGalley

Josie has been working at Cadieux Vineyards for the past 15 years. As the head winemaker, the owner promises her that she can make her own label if she gets a gold medal pinot this season. Josie has the confidence that she can do it, until the owner hires his unexperienced niece Mac as her intern for the summer. This crush wasn't turning out like she expected.

I absolutely adored this Sapphic novel. I learned so much about the process of winemaking all while getting wrapped up in the small town vibes. The main characters have depth and dreams; I felt like I was in the story with them half of the time. The book had just the right amount of spice, giving my overall rating a 4.5! Highly recommend this book if you love wine and Sapphic romances!

Clare Sunderman via NetGalley

Crush is light, sweet, and lots of fun. I've explained why I enjoy Reichardt's NA works, and Crush was a compelling pick-me-up for the same reasons. Josie and Mac are two loveable characters, and it's no hardship to cheer them on both when they clash and when they come together. I really like that Reichardt's characters are situated in the context of their lives outside of romance: for The Alder Series, that entailed school, extracurriculars, and religion. Here, the relationship is well integrated with Josie's and Mac's roles at the winery. Both characters are hardworking and driven, (and the author's passion for wine shines through,) yet we're still sold on the sacrifices they're willing to make to build something lasting. I love the set-up of the Mac-being-off-limits conflict, the culmination of which didn't disappoint. Hank, while not being all that multi-faceted, seems to bring the story together...

Reichardt can hit certain notes better than I've seen from many, many more experienced authors, and you can bet I'll be down for whatever she's planning next.

Kaylee Kuo via NetGalley

The story was intriguing and caught my interest rather quickly. The main characters were well-developed and likable. Their chemistry was undeniable even if there was the push-pull of a relationship. I don't know anything about wine production, so that was the hardest part for me to really visualize or understand. The story around it was interesting, and I liked getting a peek at a world I haven't experienced. The spicy scenes were wonderfully written and showed the connection the characters had with each other.

Overall, I would definitely read this again and am interested in reading more of Ana Hartnett Reichardt's work.

Sarah Loveless-Hall via NetGalley

Sometimes you just have a feeling you’re going to like an author so I went in with high hopes. Josie Sanchez is a nationally renowned winemaker, working for Cadieux Vineyards and its owner, Hank Layton, King of Pinot. She’s excited for this year’s harvest because it could mean Hank finally gives Josie the opportunity to have her own label but it all hinges on the success of this year’s crush. Josie is understandably brimming with confidence until she discovers Hank’s inexperienced niece, Mac, is going to be Josie’s sole intern. A perfect setup for a clash between the two mains.

The story starts out like a grump(Josie)/sunshine(Mac) trope but the characters soon grow beyond the stereotypes. Josie and Mac have good chemistry that made me believe their heat together was real. Each woman feels they have something to prove to themselves and to the world about their capacity to succeed so the tension builds as the crush continues. The third star of the book is of course the winemaking. I am an information junkie so I had fun looking on YouTube at what Mac and Josie were doing during each step as described in brief passages. The writing is smooth and hooked me into the story from page one. Oregon’s Willamette Valley made for a crisp, clean autumn setting which added to the warmth of the book. Overall, Crush is a low angst, cozy read with plenty of sexy scenes, perfect for romance readers and wine fans...

Jules Perez via NetGalley