When a sexy, mature man-of-means encounters a silver vixen, healing her broken heart might be worth more than gold.Dolores Chance.When I was falling apart, I fell in love.It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I ran away from life and ended up running into…his dog.Actually, his dog ran into me. I don’t care for dogs. Then I met the owner. Garrett Fox.When my neighbor’s sister came to visit,I … Fox.
When my neighbor’s sister came to visit,
I promised to show her around town.
I’m an investor in things, not people, not emotions.
I’m not a fan of love.
I’ve been burned before.
Then I met Dolores.
Romance has no age limit.
+++
From author L.B. Dunbar comes another steamy romance for the over 40.
more
L.B. Dunbar has gifted me another swoonworthy and sexy romance in Wine&Dine. A story about mature and older couple with their grown up, complicated and real life issues that kept me engaged from the first chapter. This story has all kind of goodness for me. Lots of witty snarky conversations, lots of heartbreak, a bit of angst and finally a whole lot of true honest emotions!
This story can be read as standalone but I feel you can enjoy it better if you read the previous book, Second Chance as the small town and the characters appeared there first. Dolores has been fighting all her life on her own. She has a full plate with a dilapitated diner to run, a sick grandmother to take care of and properties to keep watch. But she is burnt out and breaking apart after her mother’s death. So she escapes when her brother Denton presses her. From small town to California, the journey is long in every way. She is feeling overwhelmed as she contemplates over her life situation. She is sad, lonely, depressed and just exhausted until a over friendly dog introduces her to Garrett, Denton’s neighbour cum friend. His life looks just opposite of her. Because on surface he is a successful business in fancy suit and equally attractive confidence and arrogance. The man underneath is a different story with insecurities. They start as friends and soon both realize that friendship won’t satisfy them. But what happens when Garrett betrays her trust and she betrays Garrett by breaking her promise of not leaving him?
I love Dolores. She is a real hardworking, independent, compassionate and loving woman with cracks and breaks. My heart was just breaking the way the people in her life behaved with her, except her grandmother Magnolia. She deserves all the best things in life. She deserves to be cherished and pampered. I loved Garrett was doing exactly that untill he let his insecurities get better of his love. But I forgive him because this infuriating, gorgeous and loving man literally gave Dolores the world! I loved being back to the good old small town with the amazing people. The chemistry between Dolores and Garrett was built in a torturing slow pace which made it all better and irresistible! I was literally screaming at them internally to get their shit together and do the right thing. The relation had a lot of sparks, tears and sweet feelings. And I loved it so much!
L.B.Dunbar’s sassy and sweet storytelling made me fall in love with this amazing couple. It had some truly awe inspiring moments. Wine& Dine will make you smile, blush and cry with the brilliant execution of perfect emotions.
Received ARC for Honest Review
Stunner and Tin Man
Dolores drowns in sadness, melancholy and depressions after the passing away of her mom and she desperately needs a break from her routine at home. So she follows the offer from her brother Denton (so nice to meet him and Mati again in this romance) to visit L.A. and use his beach condo. And that is where she gets waltzed over from Wally and his owner Garrett…
I swear their attraction made my e-reader kindle with electric sparks!
I loved both protagonists… Garrett with all his cautiousness because of being burned in the past, and Dolores with all her inner emptiness, expecting nothing from a partner because of her past experiences and secretly dreaming about more…
Two broken people trying to help each other but not trusting enough out of fear of being burned again…
In some way it is heartbreaking to read about all the turmoil and the hurt feelings. But in other ways it feels cleansing, too…
Ms. Dunbar has a way of her own to set a mood, it is almost palpable. And it is incredible how she brings her protagonists to life so that they sparkle and shine in utter vividness.
I love her silver fox stories so much and this romance is no exception.
Woohoo!!! Dunbar has nailed it once again!!! This love over 40 story called Wine and Dine had me swooning.
Dolores and Garrett had both been trampled on before and didn’t want to ever feel like that again. Dolores even goes as far as to leave her home to get away from her problems. Once though these two met it was a collision course for love. The only thing about falling for someone else is that they may not be sticking around long enough like Dolores who was only in town for a short while.
Loved the connection and the chemistry between Dolores and Garret as well as their humour and wit. It was super sexy too!!!! Couldn’t put this book down. So very good!!!
5 Star Review Wine & Dine (Sexy Silver Foxes) by L B Dunbar
I have only recently discovered L.B.Dunbar and I have no idea why that is as I love her style of writing. The Silver Foxes stories for the over 40’s is a fabulous series of books that I have fallen in love with. Each book has left a smile on my face and Wine & Dine is no exception.
I particularly like that the characters are more mature than in the majority of books that I read. It is wonderful to read a series about characters who are not in their 20’s, so refreshing to be honest. Perhaps I appreciate these stories more because I am in my late 50’s and often it seems people forget that you are never too old to find love.
Dolores Chance and Garrett Fox were such a fabulous pairing, I loved them both individually and particularly as a couple. Dolores is in need of a holiday, so when her brother Denton suggest s she stay in his condo, the last thing on her mind is meeting the hot and oh so gorgeous Garrett who is the neighbour next door.
What starts off as slow and steady builds to a fabulous conclusion that had me riveted. Both Dolores and Garrett have issues that they need to overcome and in doing so, they open themselves up to the possibility of finding a lasting love.
Wine & Dine is a totally heart warming story that ticked all the boxers and had me smiling throughout.
One click this little gem, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
I think I’ll name L.B. Dunbar the queen of over 40 romance at this point. I love that we are getting a great mix of couples over 40 and in this series of books. It makes me feel a little more at home.
Delores and Garrett are our latest couple in Wine & Dine. These two are very independent and successful people. Delores is very broken at this point in her life. Along comes a slobbery dog and his hunk of an owner to the rescue.
This was a great friends to lovers book set in a generation I can totally relate to. These two have the problems to work through and Garrett has his hands full with Delores, but they are a real deal couple.
Hooray for the over 40! Keep ’em coming!
I really love the Over 40 series and in this book, we get Dolores’ story. We met Dolores in the last book (Second Chance) about her younger brother, Denton. In Wine & Dine, Denton convinces Dolores to just get/run away for a little while. Denton feels bad that he has let Dolores to deal with all the family drama for over 27 years. Dolores, having just lost their mother to a long illness, decides to take Denton up on his offer to get away to California for a while. She is staying at Denton’s beachfront apartment while there but she doesn’t really even know why she is there. Life has been rough on Dolores and all she knew was how to work at her own diner and taking care of her mother and grandmother! She doesn’t have much of a love life, just a sex buddy (Rusty), and has kept her heart closed off anymore.
Garrett Fox is a successful investor and lives in the apartment next to Denton’s. When his dog Wally knocks Dolores over during a walk on the beach, Garrett meets Dolores for the first time. There is an attraction between the two of them but Dolores runs because she doesn’t believe someone as good looking as Garrett would be interested in her.
As Garrett and Dolores get to know each other as Garrett kind of shows Dolores around the area, their attraction is pretty strong but each of them, having been hurt in past relationships, are very hesitant on what to about the other. Dolores also realizes that she hasn’t figure out what she wants to do with her life and knows that she is running away from things right now. As the relationship develops between the two of them, Garrett introduces Dolores into his glamorous life which Dolores feels she doesn’t fit into. After some unexpected encounters and then getting a urgent call from Matti, Denton’s girlfriend, Dolores rushes home quickly. When she gets home, she is shocked at what Denton has done and is pretty upset even though what he did was with good intentions.
When Garrett shows up in her hometown, Dolores finds out more unexpected news and can’t figure out if her relationship with Garrett was all a lie to get what he wanted from her family or if he meant what he said. Garrett goes out of his way to prove to Dolores that his feelings for her are real and he wants to have some kind of a future with her. Dolores has to prove to herself that she should believe in what Garrett is offering and that she is lovable and should be loved for who she is
It’s great to read about fun, interesting characters over 40. I loved Garrett and Dolores and their path to love. It was great to see past characters and so wonderful to see Dolores get her happy ending, too. I can’t wait to read more of these books.
Toto we are not in Kansas anymore. Finding love is the same as finding your home. Can the tin man truly find his heart? Can love heal wounds? Take a chance on this book and enjoy the journey it takes you on. You won’t be disappointed. I love how easy it is to relate to this story. Having characters so close to my age makes the story more realistic. I adore LB’s writing. This book has just the right amount of romance and comedy which is an experience in itself. I get so easily lost in her writing that I finish her books in one sitting.
I really enjoy this author’s “romance for the over 40” series.
Wine & Dine is a story about two strong protagonists who each have cracks in their facade that they hide. They have a meet cute and we get to see each blossom in their own way. We are not always who we seem to be. The way these characters were written make them both strong and vulnerable at the same time.
I love that Delores was a strong, independent woman who did things because she wanted to, not because she was forced to. She was in a “relationship” with a guy that worked, until it didn’t. At the same time, she wasn’t afraid to say when she needed a break from life. In addition to the two main characters, there is a fantastic dog who takes the journey with them. He adds such a personality to the story. We also get to revisit characters from other books in this stand-alone series. It’s always nice to see how everyone is doing.
The way this story is written allowed me to have all the feels. I chuckled and shed tears and at the end, I was very satisfied with the story.
I absolutely recommend this book, this series and this author.
Another fabulous addition to the Sexy Silver Foxes series! We finally get to hear Dolores’s story and it did not disappoint.
While this book was able to be read as a stand-alone it’s definitely much better if you read the series in order because the stories do build on each other and your favorite characters are revisited.
In this story Dolores is finally getting a chance to escape her small town life and travel to California where she meets her brother’s next door neighbor Garrett Fox. The to start out with a love hate relationship that soon grows to Friendship the more they spend time together. When feelings begin to form that Delores isn’t ready to feel she finds ways to push Garrett away. At the same time Garrett is also battling feelings he long thought he was incapable of having. Just when the two finally seem to be on the same page together Delores gets news that flips her world upside down.
This story had me hooked and dying to know what was going to happen next. Hot, steamy and full of surprises you will be on the edge of your seat.
A must read book for sure. By Alisa
The best “sex-vacation” for the mature at heart . Delores needed to get away from Georgia after the death of her mother. She has taken care of everyone except herself. So when her famous rockstar brother, Denton, gave her money and his car; she decided to go. She was offered Denton’s condo in California. She was enjoying seeing the ocean for the first time. While walking on the beach, Denton’s neighbor’s dog jumps on her. Garrett felt bad about his dog jumping on Delores. He’s at a loss of words when he looks into Delores’ eyes. He’s never felt such an instant connection. He’s drawn by her beauty, southern drawl and her new found determination to start a “new” life. He’s been warned to stay away from her brother. He tried but that first kiss sent their sexual connection to another stratosphere. It was only supposed to be temporary but they couldn’t let it go. Now they have figure out how work out their new found relationship. Absolutely amazing book
Wine & Dine is the latest installment in LB Dunbar’s Silver Foxes series, and she has done it yet again! And we do get to see some scenes with some of our favorite characters, Denton, Mati, and Magnolia – that woman’s spunk & humor had me laughing so hard … wait until you get to the Sock scene!! We got a glimpse of Ivy & Gage as well. Having said that, I cannot wait for Jimmy’s book!
In my opinion in this one, it took a slightly different turn to her typical characters. In W&D, both Delores & Garrett are both very strong, independent successful business owners, and yet still broken. They come from very different worlds, heck they live on opposite ends of the country.
Overwhelmed with the grief of losing her mom, she takes her brother Denton’s offering (well push) of his car, cash, and credit card to take a road trip & stay at his condo in CA for as long as she needs.
“You’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy”.
Even with the beautiful seaside view, she is a shell of a woman, depressed, sleeping a lot and not really living. Until one day when a smelly wet dog – Wally, literally bulldozes into her & lapping her up with dog kisses.
Garrett is Wally’s owner and he is completely attracted to this Hot Mess of a woman his dog just made smell gross. He tries to flirt with her, her sass doesn’t detour him, but rather turns him on. He’s not a relationship kind of guy, he doesn’t have a Heart. Unlike the ‘Tin Man’, he doesn’t want one either. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t partake in his fair share of intimacy with women. He’s about to make a move when she introduces herself as Denton’s sister. Screeeeeech, Emergency Stop, Skid Marks, because she is “Off Limits”.
He can see the dull look in her eyes, the lack of eating on her body, and knowing she’s lost her mom, he befriends her and tries to help her feel better about herself. He lies when he sets her up with a Personal Shopper at Nordstrom’s & sets an appointment for her at the Salon. What he’s not prepared for is the end result. If he thought she was good looking before, she’s now “Stunning”.
They develop a true friendship, like neither of them, have ever experienced before. Both having had the ‘friends with benefits’ relationships in the past, they find that they want more than that with each other. However, their pasts, fears, & broken hearts are holding them back.
Their path down the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ is filled with so many emotions, some are healing & some are just painful. Is there a Wizard behind the Curtain in Emerald City, or is it just a myth?
“There’s no place like home … there’s no place like home..”.
But for Delores & Garret, where is their home … is it together … is it in CA or in GA?
This book is absolutely a stand alone book but I highly recommend reading Second Chance before reading this one because otherwise you may very well be confused about some of the characters that are mentioned and their relationships. We meet Delores and Garret in this one. Delores has come to her brother’s condo in California in order to get away and figure out where exactly her life is going. She never expects someone like Garret to be there. Especially when she feels like everything is falling apart. Garret promised his neighbor he would show his sister around while she was in town. He never expects Delores to be someone he would find so fascinating. Or to be someone who may get around his hard and fast rules when it comes to relationships.
I absolutely loved this story!! Delores has been through a lot in her life and put up with a lot. But she is definitely one of the strongest women that you will ever meet. Even when she breaks, she still manages to move forward. Garret has issues not only with things that happened when he was a child but also something as an adult, so you can perfectly understand his hesitancy. But because he isn’t completely stupid, he manages to work out what he really wants and work towards it. I loved them! I loved how they came to be, how they talk with each other, how they just manage to joke with each other! That is half the battle in any relationship and just made it more real to me. And then you throw in some side characters that make me want to know their stories as well? That is the way to keep me reading and wanting more every time!!
I can’t get enough of LB Dunbar’s over 40 books! For us who happen to be over 40, well way over 40, I find these stories refreshing. I can relate more to these characters.
Dolores Chance owns the diner in town. A little run down, she has lost her passion. Her brother Denton, another silver fox, has given her his car and condo in California to go find herself again. Having fallen in love and lost out to another, she takes Denton up on his offer. Her first day and she is tackled by a dog on the beach. She is not a fan of dogs, but soon becomes a fan of his owner.
Garrett Fox lives next door to Denton’s condo. After he receives a call from Denton that his sister will be staying there, he takes it upon himself to show her the sights. A bachelor to the end, he is just being neighborly. He never expected to fall for the beauty hidden under baggy clothes.
LB Dunbar has another number 1 read to add to her growing list of books. A fan from the beginning, I hope she will continue this trend in her future works. Thank you LB Dunbar for making me smile
L.B. Dunbar has a way with the over 40 crowd. Her sexy silver foxes have touched my heart. I have found a bit of myself in each book and that just endears these stories to me that much more. Dolores Chance is given an opportunity to “run away from it all”. Something many of us dream of, long for to escape our daily grind. She is offered her brothers’ classic car & his condo on the beach & the ability to leave her responsibilities. Of course her brother had one request, be careful of his next door neighbor. Garrett Fox. Garrett had no time or desire for love and romance. Until that fateful day when he meets his next door neighbor on the beach. All bets are off when he befriends Dolores. This couple is addictive and you will not want to put this one down! (Also, L.B. Dunbar included some amazing memories for me in this book when she takes you for a stroll down the yellow brick road)
L.B. Dunbar has a way with the over 40 crowd. Her sexy silver foxes have touched my heart. I have found a bit of myself in each book and that just endears these stories to me that much more. Dolores Chance is given an opportunity to “run away from it all”. Something many of us dream of, long for to escape our daily grind. She is offered her brothers’ classic car & his condo on the beach & the ability to leave her responsibilities. Of course her brother had one request, be careful of his next door neighbor. Garrett Fox. Garrett had no time or desire for love and romance. Until that fateful day when he meets his next door neighbor on the beach. All bets are off when he befriends Dolores. This couple is addictive and you will not want to put this one down! (Also, L.B. Dunbar included some amazing memories for me in this book when she takes you for a stroll down the yellow brick road)
Overall Rating: 4 +
Wine & Dine is the latest offering from L.B. Dunbar. This book from her 40’s and over group of books brings us Garrett and Dolores. Dolores is the sister of Denton, the main H from her previous book, Second Chance, the book that launched my admiration for Dunbar. Wine & Dine is the fifth book of the Sexy Silver Foxes/Former Rock Stars series. And I am in love.
I first read Dunbar with Second Chance. In that book, I fell easily in love with Denton and Mati (read my review here). And to be honest, Dolores seemed like a “beige” character, blending into the background of the book. When Denton tells her to leave town (to stay at his house in California) and get away from the heaviness of her life, I didn’t really think much about it. Until Wine & Dine. Now, I am a bigger fan of Dolores’s than I am of Denton’s.
On some level, as a reader (especially one over 40), you connect with Dolores. She’s reached a point in her life where she has become reflective. What has she accomplished? Why is she at this point in her life where she feels alone and forgotten? Life has beaten Dolores down, and she wears that in her soul. As a reader, you cannot help but empathize with her struggle: a struggle to find more meaning in her life, to stop settling for the dregs given her by others. And it was this realization that connected me to her. My heart bled for her throughout this book because her pain was palpable and real.
Oftentimes, we read romance to escape. The H and h deliver us, through their stories, from our day-to-day lives. With Wine & Dine, the book acts as a bit of a reflection for a certain population of reader, and for me, this connected me more deeply to the characters. When Dolores experiences pain, I experienced pain. When she finds connection with the most unlikely of men, Garrett, I felt excitement for her. Dolores is that “every woman” type of character that you simply can’t help but fall in love with.
In contrast, Garrett is the prototypical “player.” He has no interest in settling down. A confirmed bachelor, Garrett plans to live his life, building his business and finding his dream in retirement. Until Dolores enters his life, Garrett is happy to share his bed with a variety of women, as long as there are “no strings attached.” Again, until Dolores. Then, the “tin man” begins to find his heart again, as he recognizes a bit of a kindred soul in her.
This story is a seemingly opposites-attract romance. Garrett the player and Dolores the woman with a dry soul don’t seem destined together…until they are. And Dunbar builds couples with such angst and fire and soul that you can’t help but connect with them.
Even more, Dunbar makes some keen stylistic choices with her book. She uses The Wizard of Oz as an allegory for her H and h. Garrett calls Dolores Dorothy as she traverses a different world than the one she has fled from, and he calls himself the Tin Man because he has no heart. Except…that Garrett has the bigger heart of the two. As the reader, once you realize that Garrett’s mask as a player is simply his guard wall, you cannot help but fall in love with him. Every time, he thinks or murmurs “don’t leave” to her, my heart broke for him a little. Dolores fills something in him that he never realizes until she enters his life. It’s this epiphany that makes this story special. These two people who don’t realize they can be loved find it in each other. And the story is glorious.
When I first read Second Chance, I’ll be honest; I wasn’t sure that I would like a 40+ romance. However, Dunbar creates these characters regardless of age that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Garrett is still the requisite playboy millionaire; Denton is the former rockstar turned model/businessman. It doesn’t matter that they are pushing 50. They are still hot and fun to read. And Mati and Dolores are attractive women dealing with real-life situations that Dunbar’s readers find in their own lives. This is the gold in her stories. As I said, I wasn’t sure about these romances, but L.B. Dunbar won me over easily. She has become one of my newest favorite writers.
Read Wine & Dine. You won’t want to put it down, and your heart will sing for Garrett and Dolores.
Dolores needs a break. She’s been holding the family business together for most of her adult life. In walks Denton, her long lost Rockstar brother, with a plan. Before she knows it she’s flying across the country and dipping her toes in the sand. Meeting the gorgeous neighbor, Garret Fox wasn’t in her plan.
Garret Fox is the quintessential bachelor. No sending dates, never take them home and can’t make a promise past tonight.
Ms. Dunbar has created an over 40 love story that draws you in from the first page and keeps you turning those pages until the end.
There’s heartbreaking pasts, trying to cone to terms with forgiveness and steamy sex all the way through this compelling story. You will laugh, cry and want to kick both of them and a few others from time to time but through it all you will feel their pain, experience their happiness and well, pray you find your own Garret.
The flow of the story is on point. Each chapter gives you insight into who these characters are and why they seem to sometimes take two steps forward and then three steps back.
Ms. Dunbar has given us another amazing read that’ll you’ll want to have one clicked today.
L.B. Dunbar ROCKED her latest book ladies and gents! Wine & Dine is and was a fantastic read with plenty of sensual, realistic, and sophisticated moments with characters that are MIGHTY FINE and endearing and with a plot that is irresistible.
The best thing about Wine & Dine is the fact that it felt mature and…real. The feelings and thoughts from the characters felt incredibly real. Almost like thoughts and feelings I would have myself. It was super easy to like the characters and I enjoyed the way the story flowed and how sexy the book was. I LOVED it!
Wine & Dine gets a SEXY FIVE DELIGHTFUL STARS!
As I began reading “Wine & Dine” I knew that I would not be able to put the book down. I read late into the night and finished early the next morning. Every book by L.B. Dunbar grabs your heart, makes you feel for the characters and invites you into their world. I felt drawn to Dolores and Garrett from the very beginning because she is brave, feisty and compassionate and he is driven, thoughtful and afraid of being alone.
Dolores’s story is a heart pounding, emotional journey of a woman who needs to escape her normal life so she can find out who she will be next. She had always taken care of everyone, but who has ever put her first? No one! The minute she met Garrett and of course, Wally, she knew that her stay in California would help her regroup, relax and hopefully find out what she wanted out of life. The beach and the waves gave her peace and allowed her to forget about her past and dream about her future.
Garrett knew that Dolores was special from the moment he saw her on the beach and he wasn’t surprised that Wally was crazy about her, too. He could see sadness in her eyes and felt the loneliness in her heart. He wanted to be her friend (at first) so he could try to put a smile back on her beautiful face. He never wanted to transform her into someone else, he just wanted to see her beauty blossom from beneath the sadness.
“Wine & Dine” is an exquisite tale of hope, renewal and reflection. Dolores and Garrett found each other when they weren’t even looking which makes their love story even more special, and one that will be with me forever.