Uncork this delectable Texas Hill Country romance from the critically acclaimed author of From Scratch, the “smart, sexy, and funny” debut that “piles on the Southern charm” (Publishers Weekly). Margaret Stokes is bitter. And not in the robust fine wine or tangy dark chocolate kind of way. She just got dumped, is fed up with her job as a glorified party-planner for the rich, and can’t possibly … for the rich, and can’t possibly listen to one more veiled insult from her impossible-to-please mother. So she retreats to the comfort of her grandmother’s ramshackle bed and breakfast, where the wide open vineyards are filled with surprises, from the shockingly delicious wine to the aggravating yet oh-so-tempting man who makes it.
Ryan Camden’s easy approach to life encourages Margaret to loosen up and have a little fun, despite her better judgment. She resists the urge to micromanage every detail, embracing the welcome distractions of her surroundings and letting their relationship unfold at a natural rhythm. But when a health scare forces Grammy J to give up the B&B, Margaret begins to wonder if Ryan really is the man he promises–and whether the problems she tried so hard to escape ever really went away.
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Margaret is an acquired taste. Lana ~White Hot Reads
I wasn’t so sure about Margaret as I did not like her in From Scratch, but after reading Sour Grapes, I like her now. You can’t fault the girl once you see how she was raised and how horrible her mother was to her. She truly found herself and had Ryan to help her along the way.
I adore a good women’s fiction book. You throw in a romance and you have me hooked. Rachel Goodman hit all the marks with this one. After reading a few mysteries and dark books this one came at just the right time to remind me of all the sunshine in the world.
I know Margaret is a hit and miss for people but I will say I adored her. Were there times that I absolutely wanted to throttle her? Yes. But on the flip side of that I wanted to step up and defend her in so many ways. Her tenacity to become a better person and find herself outside of the ridiculous expectations set for her by her mother and society had me rooting for her to just tell people to shove it. And well I may have applauded out loud when we finally got to see that side of her. The author did a great job of not just telling us but showing us through the actions of others why Margaret is and can be so brazen and condescending. We learn it’s not her true nature but a huge defense mechanism and when she herself realizes it and lets go of her preconceived notions of not only expectations but of people it’s a beautiful thing.
Ryan is well, just all around the perfect guy. He truly is the Ying to Marge’s Yang. He balances her out in a way that seems to be rare in some romances these days. At times I wanted to tell him to run for the hills but he dug his boots in and saw something in Marge way before I think any of us did. He brought out the best in her without swaying from his own convictions and stood up for himself when needed. Don’t take his sweetness for being a pushover because that he is not. He was exactly what Marge needed to break out of the mold she had put herself in from the VERY first time they met, even if Marge wasn’t aware yet.
Secondary characters are my soft spot in stories and Rachel Goodman wrote some of the best in my opinion. From the socialites to the down home genuine people, she hit all the marks to show us how different people can shape us into the person we are or want to become. She proved in Sour Grapes that you truly are who you hang around with.
Sour Grapes hit all the marks for me as far as personal growth in characters, the story and of course the romance thrown in. I will definitely be reading more of her in the near future.