Jeff Morgan is rebuilding his life; Zach Brown is trying to keep his from falling apart.
After being disowned by his parents Jeff leaves the city to start over again, hoping to reinvent himself as a winemaker in the small town of Hollyridge. Why not dream big?
Zach is struggling to keep his boutique winery afloat and the summer intern is one more body which will help that happen—and oh, what a … will help that happen—and oh, what a body. The only thing is, he’s sworn off men.
Until he met Zach Brown Jeff knew he was gay—but he’d never kissed a man.
One look at Jeff, and Zach knew it was going to be a long, hard summer.
Jeff doesn’t know much about wine and even less about love but maybe he’s just what Zach needs to save his winery and heal his wounded heart.
A standalone in the Home in Hollyridge series, a dual POV about a man learning to live his own life; and a winemaker who needs a little help from a friend. 24k words.
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Temptation in the vines!
4.5stars
This MM romance had a full complement of good elements:
– Good length, no unnecessary padding, totally focused on the couple;
– Dog sidekick with lolling tongue antics, loyalty and a canny ability to spot a bad apple;
– Steam as part of but not the main point of the story;
– Two likable leads;
– Some conflict for a bit of drama; and
– A positive ending with a minor surprise thrown in.
I enjoyed it!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
This book is a perfect cap for an end of the day relaxing on your porch. Minimal angst, lots of sweetness.
I loved Zach and Jeff, their easy romance was a delight as they worked with finding their vibe.
Elle has a way of writing that draws you into the story and gives you pictures. You can sit back and be absorbed by the story telling.
The characters are unique and fun. Everyone in the book was fun and you know them, even if it’s a brief mention.
If you need something to help you relax, this book’s for you.
I received a copy for an honest review.
This sweet novella is a nice quick bite of entertainment when you want something low angst and light and fluffy. There’s steam but overall the book is nice as a mood lifter, especially if your last read was something dad or drama filled. Call it a palate cleanser!
When your dog likes or does not like a person, listen! Age celebrates experience, wisdom and openness to learn. Jeff, came out and his family disowned him. He moved from Seattle to Hollyridge to serve his internship at Caesura, a winery owned by Zachary Brown. Jeff’s first meeting with Zach left him salivating over the silver fox Jeff, may have been a virgin, but he was seriously attracted to Zach. He interrupted Zach breaking up with his cheating boyfriend David. David implied Jeff was next on Zach’s hit list and Jeff, ran out of embarrassed panic. Does Jeff return? Can Zach teach Jeff without stepping over the line? How do they manage the mutual attraction? Absolutely hot read. You can almost feel the heat rising off the kindle. Good story, absolutely likeable group of friends. The labs sound cute also. Nicely done! I received an ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jeff is looking to find what he wants in life, a new start. Zach owns a winery and is having trouble keeping it from going under. Jeff starts to intern for Zach and both are attracted to each other. I really enjoyed this book.
Love Vintage Blend is a cute short novella. It’s not very in-depth, but there is just enough drama caused each time by Zach’s ex-boyfriend, David, for the story not to be pure fluff. There is also plenty of chemistry and some hot scenes between Zach and Jeff. It’s the perfect story for a lunchtime break.
A really great story about a young man trying to find his way in life and end up falling in love. I really enjoyed this story. It had me smiling and laughing from beginning to end. I will have to put all the blame on Jeff. He came off as a shy timid young man in the beginning but once he met and got to know Zach his true self came out…all the sass, boldness, humor and sexiness…it was so entertaining. Zach the older and “experienced” one was such a sweetie and a romantic…he took such good care of Jeff and made him feel so special and helped him restore his confidence. Both took care of each other and it was luck that brought them together. Again…I absolutely loved this story and can’t wait for the next story in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love Vintage Blend is book 2 in the Home in Hollyridge series. I love this beautifully written story about Jeff and Zach. Jeff leaves his life in Seattle and moves to Hollyridge. He gets an internship at a local winery, even though he knows nothing about the making of wine. Zach has just ended a relationship when Jeff walks in to start his internship. Things don’t work out as expected but even better for Jeff and Zach, both personally and professionally. They are so sweet together. Sometimes bad things happen to us and force us to make decisions we wouldn’t normally make which bring us to the love and happiness we didn’t know we were missing. Definitely recommend this book and series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#mm #shortstory #workromance
I was given a free arc copy from the author for review.
This is the second book in the series but can be read alone. I have not read the first book.
This was a quick read. It was the second book I read by this author and I enjoyed this one alot more than Feinted Love. I’m more inclined to read the others in this series.
I found both MCs to be likeable and thought that they made a great couple. They had good chemisty. The plot was pretty good and kept my interest. The story was very cute without being too much so.
It was short and although the author put in phrases like months later or later in the relationship to show that it wasn’t instalove because there wasn’t a whole lot on page it did still have that feel at times and seemed to progress rather quick and there were also moments where no time had passed and it felt very fast. Like that first time at the lake. That kinda came out of nowhere to me. I also thought the situation with the ex near the end was handled rather strangely and that special moment at the end was disappointing in that it wasn’t romantic at all.
Overall it was ok. Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it.
3.5 stars for a cute and sweet story with a bit of steam and drama.
We didn’t get what I expected, though I have to say I was happy to be wrong. With very little angst and a whole lot of cute interactions there was a lot to like about this story. Add in a loveable pup and I was well pleased. There was a bit of drama surrounding the ex and issues he caused both in the beginning and in the end, but both were quickly and easily resolved so nothing negative was left lingering. Zach and Jeff were really good together, especially when they finally got on the same page in both their business and personal lives. The self-deprecation on Jeff’s part was understandable, but it was a bit too present and not truly worked through, it just miraculously went away. And then there was the really cute reunion at the end that opened the door for the all-important question and gave us a wonderfully tender moment that wrapped up the story with warmth. A satisfyingly sweet read with great characters in a town with lush descriptions.
I fell in love with these M/M characters.
Jeff comes to Hollyridge, WA searching for his identity. He’s been cast out of his Seattle family’s life by his homophobic parents, denied any connect with his twin brothers after coming out and now he’s lost. Leave it to his two best friends Rory and Brett, written about in the first book of this series “Love – Limited Edition”, to lure him to this magic town. This couple have convinced Jeff to sign up for a summer internship in viniculture. He goes to Caesura Winery and “bingo” his fate is sealed by the silver fox owner Zachary Brown. This is a loving story of attraction, heart breaking betrayal by a despicable “ex”, bonding over the love of wine, and an enduring HEA that just rings true in any reader’s heart. It was good to read how Jeff’s previous job as an banker helps to solve and save Caesura Winery as it is Zak’s life dream. I did so enjoy this book and what I have written in this review is my honest and voluntary opinion for the ARC I received from the GRR ARC team.
An adorable and sweet read about two men who admire one another but are afraid to admit it to one another.
When Jeff met Zach, he was in the middle of a bitter breakup with with his ex who could not take no. Jeff was very new to understating his attraction to men and could not figure out what his idea partner was. He quickly saw all those attributes in Zach; tattoos, silver fox, deep voice, and a natural sex appeal.
Zach did not wish the first meeting with his intern to leave a lasting impression of RUN the other way. Ironically, he saw the dust Jeff’s car left behind when he was running the other way. As Zach’s luck would have it he met Jeff again with a second chance at a first impression meeting. An added bonus, the red hair and fair skin was an absolute turn on for him.
Jura, Zach’s dog, was also a star in this book. His immediate favor of Jeff was a big plus for Zach. Jura hated his ex and as you read the story, one can see why.
It wasn’t long before the work relationship became so much more and the light angst was worth the HEA. Worth taking the risk. Especially after Jeff’s parents outright treated him horribly and disowned him, and Zach with his half crazed ex, David.
**I received this ARC via Gay Romance Reviews for my honest review.**
Jeff is beginning a new job as a summer intern for a wine maker who is Zach. Zach a struggling winery owner hires Jeff who he finds attractive but wants to keep professional.
I enjoyed reading the book and watching their story unfold between these two characters. This was a sweet story I definitely recommend this book.
Such a cute, sweet story! A perfect afternoon read.
Jeff wanted a fresh start. He wasn’t happy working at a bank, and his parents did not react nicely when he came out to them. So, he packed up, moved near friends, and started a new career path. Little did he know, his days with numbers weren’t over.
Everyone loves a little workplace romance. It’s kinda taboo, yet so hot. Jeff wasn’t very experienced, having just realized he was gay, and Zach, being older, was the opposite. The chemistry between them was the same, though.
I enjoyed reading the book, getting to know the characters, and watching their story unfold. If you’re looking for low angst, a quick feel good read, then look no further. This book brings all that plus a lovable dog named Jura.
***I voluntarily accepted an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
Zach and Jeff’s story is a sweet short about love, commitment and the importance of being ourselves to find happiness. Easy to read with low angst situations and many happy cute moments, this book is perfect fan enjoyable time reading it. I can’t wait for more books on this series.
A cute short read with interesting characters!
I liked the profiles of both MCs a lot and the instant chemistry worked perfectly into this story. Low angst, some heat and plenty of sweet. Just what the doctor’s ordered.
Love Vintage Blend is the second book in the Home in Hollyridge series but easily stands alone. This is a pretty quick read at only 91 pages but it seems like more – in a good way. I’ve been a fan of Elle’s writing for quite a while now and I’ve read nearly all of her books. She writes fantastic romantic suspense but with the Home in Hollyridge series she’s branched out into something a little less angsty and much sweeter.
In shorter books there’s just not enough time for a lot of character development, or for a love story to take a lot of time to bloom so this is a bit of an insta-love one. I know some readers don’t like them but I do and Love Vintage Blend was right up my alley.
Jeff and Zach’s first meeting doesn’t go too well so they agree to start over. The story is told in third person dual POV with chapters alternating between Jeff and Zach – one of my favorite types of stories. I loved the palpable chemistry between these two guys – it gave me all kinds of good feels. There’s an especially hot scene in a river.
This story also features one very sweet dog named Jura who knows the right time to be not-so-sweet! I love reading these shorter and less angsty stories when I need a break from longer ones that sometimes tear my heart out. I’m looking forward to more books in this series!
A copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
This is a really sweet and short story. Jeff is young and after only recently coming out to his family and being disowned, he moves to Hollyridge and starts over. And part of this is his internship at Zach’s winery. Although older and more experienced, Zach hasn’t had much luck in love and for that reason, and also the fact that Jeff is his new Summer intern, he tries to hold back from getting emotions involved. Jeff is a bit more impatient and it’s quite understandable after the delicious taste they get of each other at the beginning. The characters are well-developed and the pacing is perfect, so much so that for a short novel, the build up in tension is incredible. There is so much humour and heart, especially with Jeff’s spectacular fails when trying to help out in the physical side of making wine!
I loved this sweet short read about two men who complement each other, and fit perfectly. And a dog! Jura plays a very important part in this story, and is definitely a character in his own right. The title is very clever in the way it ties into the plot.
I’m very happy that Jeff, whom I met in the first book in the series, got his own story. His parents are horrible with their reaction to him finding the courage to come out and admit his sexuality to them. I love how he and Zach hit it off immediately, and want each other, yet Jeff really is terrible at winemaking. I liked the resolution to that, and how it worked out in the end, and although I guessed what would happen, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Zach is a nice guy too, and his ex is a nasty piece of work. I was very happy that said ex got what was coming to him. From his first appearance in the story, it was obvious that Zach would be better off without him. Go Jura!
I liked seeing the other characters from the first book again too, and the banter, family feel of the scenes they’re in. The ending of this story was perfect, not just in catching up with Jeff and Zach months later, but in with the part resolution with family members too. I hope we see more of those newly introduced characters in another story.
I also enjoyed the descriptions of the vineyard and wider Hollyridge. It felt very real and like a place I’d like to visit.
I’m very happy that this isn’t the last of this series as I’m enjoying it, and would highly recommend it as a go-to pick-me-up, sweet contemporary read.
When Jeff came out to his family they disowned him. So, he decides to leave his old life behind, he quits his job at the bank, moves to a small town and tries a new career as a winemaker. He interns at a winery for the summer where he meets Zach, the owner, and the two of them get closer.
The book was short but it didn’t feel rushed. It focused on the romance and it was a really sweet story, the characters were well developed and had beautiful chemistry. It was a great summer read, it made me smile and I had a great time reading it.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.