Tag Archives: Vino and Veritas

Loved this grumpy one falling for the sunshine one romance

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Headstrong+FinalHeadstrong by Eden Finley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this, it’s essentially the grumpy one falling for the sunshine one with a sports romance twist coupled with a bisexual awakening narrative and it absolutely worked for me.

Rainn was set to be an NHL superstar until a second injury proved career ending shortly after leaving college. Now, a few years later, he’s working at V&V and has pushed all thoughts of his future into the deepest corners of his mind.

That is until he finds himself getting tangled up in a friendship with newly out baby gay virgin college student Whit, who’s studying hard so he can graduate and help with diversification at his family farm while playing ice hockey on the side.

Reading this book was a delight, it’s funny, has moments of introspection but also lots of celebration too and I felt wholly committed to seeing Rainn go through a dawning awareness that he was attracted to Whit.

The way their relationship’s physical development was tackled too really made sense to me, they explored together, there wasn’t any straight on into full blown penetrative sex, it was a slow build up of intimacy and experimentation. This made it all the more emotionally connected and very charged!

Tensions also arose organically too, there isn’t a dramady moment just chucked in to give them a falling out crisis. What occurs makes perfect sense and, thankfully, there’s no sulking, just a very quick realisation they need to talk and sort things out.

Everything about it just worked for me and the Epilogue and Bonus Chapter (which you can get once the book is live via an email sign up) were fabulous!

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Hearts Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review

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Heartscape brings all the feels to Vino & Veritas

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Heartscape+FinalHeartscape by Garrett Leigh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If Annabeth Albert’s Featherbed was the gentle and sweet romantic introduction to the Vino and Veritas setting, then Garrett Leigh’s Heartscape is the one which brings all the emotional feels.

As is ever the case with her writing, Garrett squeezes the reader’s heart tightly with her tale of V&V bar manager Tanner and Cornish ex-surfer Jax when their paths collide unexpectedly through mutual friend Eve.

I have to say from the off, there wasn’t a bit of this book that didn’t have me sighing in satisfaction or have my heart pounding with tension as the two very different men find they’ve got a soul deep connection which makes each of them find a place to rest.

They’ve both suffered intense trauma in their lives, both have issues they’re still dealing with (or in Tanner’s case, avoiding dealing with to a lot of extent) but the comfort they find in the presence of the other, even without words, is palpable.

It constantly pulls at the heartstrings as they start to open up to each other and the UST is off the charts, as are their encounters once they both give in to the attraction which is grounded in their friendship.

However, while most of the tension arises from internal issues, the narrative also includes a very believable secondary plotline which focuses on the wilderness trails which Jax works as a videographer and which Tanner used to be a ranger at until an incident triggered a crisis.

I’m not going to go into that element of the plot as I think it works best being unfolded on the page but lets just say I was on the edge of my seat.

The payoff in the book is a completely solid romance with foundations set so deep you know this pair aren’t ever going to be parted.

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Hearts Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review

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A perfect introduction to the new Vino and Veritas series

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Featherbed+FinalFeatherbed by Annabeth Albert

My rating: 4 out of 5

This was a perfect introduction to the new Vino and Veritas World of True North series, which is focusing on the LGBTQ+ community.

Annabeth’s story isn’t overly angsty, it’s a really sweet romance between Harrison, owner of V&V along with his awesome mum Audrey, and local farmer Finn, but it sets a lovely scene for the series and I really liked it.

Both Harrison and Finn have their issues, but neither of them is willing to let them get in the way of how they’re feeling once they both realise that the casual friendship they said they’d stick to has turned into something much deeper.

There is a wonderful connection between the two men, it’s a gentle romance, filled with conversations, but it still brings the heat too and Harrison and Finn burn up the sheets once they decide they’re both fully invested.

The usual book tension hiccup occurs around the 80% mark but, thankfully, is quickly resolved and doesn’t turn into a massive drama. These two men are both mature enough to know they need to talk to each other and I appreciated this element a great deal.

I’m seriously stoked for the rest of the series and there is a gentle introduction to Tanner, one of the MCs in Garrett Leigh’s Heartscape

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Heart Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review

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