Thank you for granting me early access. I have to share a disclaimer that it's so hard hard finding sapphic romance that I actually enjoy so it was a joy to experience this one. I was rooting for them so hard, it has a slow burn and I could already tell what would prove to be an obstacle in their getting together but I enjoyed how it all played out. This was a very satisfying and heartfelt romance

Cute and funny read, with enemies to lovers as the owner of a coffee shop/wine bar meets a real estate consultant for a big company wanting to buy the neighborhood.

The dual POV helps to tell both characters’ struggles internally and externally, but because it is so very romcom, nothing felt at stake, made worse because I struggled with the author’s writing style.

This book was okay, but not for me. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me I. Exchange for an honest review.

Nice, quick read. Found the POV changes frustrating at times and there was a lot of “will they or won’t they” that seemed to stretch on too long.

Another cute romance from Melissa Brayden. I adored the characters and was thoroughly invested in their relationship. Loved the tie-in to the Tangled Valley series as well. This is one that I would read again because the characters seemed like people you'd want to spend more time with.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

a fantastically classic rom com in every sense of the word, and in all the best ways !

Just the read i needed to get me into the valentines day spirit, excited to revisit more of her works from here !

Jamie owns a coffee shop during the day, turning it into a wine bar at night. It’s her pride and joy, one of those successful neighbourhood places with a bunch of regular clients. She meets Leighton at the shop, and they quickly hit it off, but Jamie doesn’t know that Leighton is a real estate consultant for a big company that is looking to take over the neighbourhood and kick Jamie out of her place.

The story was very cute. It had cozy vibes of that local coffee/wine bar where you’d love to meet up with your friends. The divide between Leighton and Jamie because of Leighton’s job added an interesting drama to the story, which I liked.

Unfortunately I wasn’t really into Melissa’s writing style - I hadn’t read anything else from her before and it just didn’t work so well for me. I also didn’t like that the second half of the book had so much will-they-won’t-they / bad timing / other people drama. It felt to me like it was dragging the book down. It was still a pretty good and interesting story. I enjoyed that it took time to rebuild trust and that Jamie and Leighton clearly ended up very solid from taking the time to get there.

You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden
February 13, 2024

Who: Jamie Tolliver and Leighton Morrow
Where: Bordeauxnuts, a coffee shop and wine bar, located in Chelsea, New York City
Where: 3 years ago

One day at Jamie’s coffee shop slash wine bar where she both operates and works, Jamie and Leighton meet by chance, or do they?

Leighton works for Carrington’s Department Store, her family’s business, as an analyst for their real estate division. Carrington’s is interested in taking over a block in Chelsea for a new store front, which includes Bordeauxnuts. Leighton goes to scope out the neighborhood and sparks fly.

There are several things this book does well. I always enjoy books that utilize mutual POVs so that readers can see inside the heads of both main characters. The book doesn’t string along the initial conflict and instead utilizes an initial set up and then a time skip. This book focuses less on the traditional third act breakup and a quick resolution and instead hones in on reconciliation and starting over.

A perfect book for a Saturday at home with a blanket and a glass of merlot.

#netgalley #youhadmeatmerlot #boldstrokesbooks

Oh my gosh Melissa Brayden were you trying to kill me. Talk about being invested in a couple. It’s quite often I sometimes invest in one MC more than the other but this story had me heavily invested in the both and their merry band of bandits haha. Ok so to begin with don’t start this story unless you plan on being in it for the long haul (by that I mean start to finish maybe a quick pee break). The emotional depth of Jamie and Leighton’s characters showed so much depth. They were real and raw and oh my word. The ANGST was off the charts and so unexpected. Could these two not catch a break. Also, bravo on the side characters I happily referred to as ( the merry band of bandits) my goodness they added so much humor to soften the serious moments. The writing of the storyline prose and pacing was amazingly done, We got just enough to where when it was all said and done I felt a sense of happiness and gratification. I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding. This was a true love story that didn’t manifest over night and I’m so glad because it really added to the experience.

I am a huge Melissa Brayden fan and this one confirmed my love for her craft once again. She has a way of making me care for her characters, then stomping on my heart until it shatters into millions of fragmented pieces, before gently taking a hold of my tender heart again and glueing back those pieces with the utmost precision and care.

Jamie is in a happy place. Her coffee/wine/donut bar is thriving, she has made friends with some of the regulars and has a good friend behind her at the bar. She might be a little lonely at times, but hey, isn’t everyone? One day she looks up to her next customer and her heart stops beating. This is the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. Stumbling through her order, Jamie hopes that won’t be the last time she will see that mirage of a woman. And surely, it isn’t. Leighton becomes a regular, a date and then lover..until Jamie finds out Leighton actually forgot to mention she works for the department store that wants to put her out of business.

Leighton likes her job for her family’s business just fine. She loves scoping out neighborhoods and their businesses. When she sets foot in this little coffee/wine bar in Chelsea, she knows she entered a special world. And the owner, mmmm, she has a way of making Leighton forget everything else around her. Including her job. That being buying the building that houses Jamie’s business right out from under her. Leighton can’t help but fall for Jamie though, hard. Until the truth is uncovered and Jamie wants nothing to do with her anymore.

First off.. Bordeauxnuts is the most perfect name for Jamie’s shop. It’s flirty and quirky and warm all at the same time, just like its owner. And though I have never thought of combining donuts with Merlot, I sure as hell will give it a try.

Like I said, Melissa Braydon always makes me surrender a piece of my heart to all her characters and Leighton and Jamie are no exception. While you know there will be a HEA, the journey is such an exciting, painful and heartwarming ride. You just have to scream at the pages once in a while to talk some sense into these characters. And luckily, they always kind of hear you yelling.

The cast of side characters in this story is marvelous. Each one has a distinct set of characteristics and it’s like you’ve stepped unto the set of Cheers because all these customers and friends have each other’s back and support each other from their regular spots in the bar.

Another thing to love about this book is the cameos from a few different ladies from the Brayden Universe. Just know that when Jessica Lennox showed up, I sighed out loud 😉

So, grab yourself a glass of your favorite wine, make sure you have some donuts present and dive into this delicious romance. Cheers!

Melissa Brayden had me at the wine bar setting - when I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book, and it did not disappoint. This author does angst so well - the two main characters had such a palpable connection from the start and watching them dance around their feelings for so long, I wanted to shake some sense into them but also rooted for them to find their way to one another. A very well written and memorable romance that I just could not put down.

This book was not your typical lesbian romance with the predictable plot about falling in love, an obstacle coming between the two women, the obstacle quickly resolved, and then a happily ever after. This storyline evolves over maybe a six or so year period and becomes complicated and messy between Jamie Tolliver and Leighton Marrow, just like life can sometimes become. They face loss of trust, business deals, each one dating other people, and many more challenges before they find a true road back to each other. A very good read. 4.5 stars


I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this entertaining book

my second book by this author and i can honestly say it wont be the last....

jamie tolliver has the world at her fingertips, her business Bordeauxnuts is going very well, its a coffee shop by day but by night its wine bar and the two mix very well

but Leighton Morrow is about to enter jamies life and upend it.... sparks fly for jamie, and leighton, but leighton has a job to do.... scouting out the area for a new department store and nothing gets in the way of that

but this book is so much more and what a rollercoaster of a ride it is... thoroughly enjoyed it and cant wait to read more books from this author

This was really good! The first half wasn't my favorite, I thought that it moved too fast and the pace of their relationship was almost unbelievable but the book completely redeemed itself with the time jump and the second half of the book as a whole. It had the perfect amount of angst and the slow burn was great, and I genuinely really enjoyed the characters and their individual stories as well.

Solid 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!

DNF @ 25%

Tried this as a palette cleanser between fantasy books but the two main characters are very 2D and there was zero buildup before one asked the other out; very flat :/

Loved the title. The prologue felt like vintage Brayden, amusing, light frothy and set the scene both in character and location.
The barrier is substantial to the mains being together but only one of the mains knows that. Then they both know. One thing I loved about this book is that it was totally believable that the barrier remained a barrier. I felt the sense of devastation one main couldn’t get over. I also felt the chemistry and saw what they couldn’t see..
I was totally carried along by this book. Brayden does the best dialogue, it’s actually quite exhausting because it is so “on” all the time. (Not a complaint).
Read with a smile on my face and a fair bit of tension towards the end!

Warning: Do NOT start reading this book on a Sunday evening if you have to be somewhere the next day. Now this right here is what I'm talking about. Finally, Melissa Brayden is back in her stride, writing the angstiest, love 'em, lose 'em and love 'em again book she's done in years. I LOVE this book.

The dialogue is witty but doesn't fall over the line of being sappy or eye-rolling. The characters are mature and funny. These are characters we can relate to and Brayden makes us feel real. We see the misunderstanding (okay, let's be real - the lie) that tears them apart. But they're still on each other's radar years afterward and we ride that bumpy road back to togetherness alongside them.

This is a book I will read again and again. And I wouldn't be opposed to a sequel.

You Had Me At Merlot

This is a second chance romance and a little bit of You've got Mail thrown in.
Jamie and Leighton did not meet by chance. Maybe it was fate, but the universe is definitely a fickle mistress and secrets were revealed. Don't go love knowing when someone should just blurt out the truth as the alternative is definitely not going to go your way.
But now years later and they are thrown back into each other's orbits. But forgiveness takes time, and now time may be working against them as they might miss their second chance at the happiness that was always supposed to happen.
Love how strong and independent Jamie is. And how Leighton jumps into things and makes changes quickly.

Highlights:
- lots of coffee, donuts, and wine
- sapphic romance with both lesbian and bi/pan rep


Summary: Step into the vibrant world of Jamie, the dedicated owner of Bordeauxnuts, a New York City gem that evolves from a daytime haven for coffee and donuts to an evening sanctuary for wine enthusiasts. As Jamie nurtures her cherished restaurant and fosters a sense of community among loyal patrons, an unexpected romance with the enigmatic Leighton adds an intriguing layer.

The plot thickens as Leighton, the captivating newcomer, guards a secret that could unravel their connection. Meanwhile, a looming threat emerges as a department store eyes the block, jeopardizing the quaint charm of Bordeauxnuts and displacing local businesses.

Unveil the riveting tale where love, hidden identities, and corporate intrigue collide in this compelling narrative that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, eager to explore the intricate web of relationships and unforeseen challenges within the pages of this captivating story.

thank you netgalley and bold strokes books for the chance of reading this book early!

despite my desire to love this book, it ultimately fell flat for me.
I think the pacing was my biggest issue - it was fine until the time jump (which took me really off guard but in a good way!) however, afterwards, the pacing felt a bit all over the place.
i liked jamie and leighton but their actions in the second part of the book felt uncomprehensible; they were convinced of one thing and the next scene were on their way to do exactly what they said they wouldn't? the events felt more like they happened because the story had to get to a certain point rather than being truly motivated by the characters' convictions.

i, however, really appreciated the coffee shop setting! the scenes taking place at bordeauxnuts were super cozy and i'd be lying if i said it didn't make me want to open up a coffee shop. yes, i'm easily swayed like that.

all in all, if the sapphic version of a hallmark movie sounds like something you'd be interested in, chances are you'd really like you had me at merlot!

This has been a really sweet story, with the author's usual style, set in New York, starring wonderful, successful and not at all conceited women, a quite ideal world to be honest, but who wouldn't like to be part of this gang?

I confess that I started reading it with a bit of skepticism since lately this author had disappointed me on several occasions. Her formula was repetitive and predictable and she forced the drama as if it had to be included no matter what. And I am anti-drama or I accept minimal drama in general, hence my disappointments.

And the drama here, although it is everywhere at once, has been tolerated by me with a certain pleasure, which has surprised me, because I confess that in the 30% of the book, with the first dramatic situation, I have been on the verge of DNF . Thank goodness I have decided to continue.

Jamie is the owner of Bordeauxnuts, a morning café and afternoon bar that offers coffee and donuts and wine, in all possible varieties of the three products. One day, Leighton enters the cafe and from the moment she and Jamie see each other, a story begins between them, which develops over time through encounters, disappointments, reunions and misunderstandings, which has been moving, romantic and passionate.

Really interesting and recommended.