I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

sadly a DNF for me.. I’m finding this book to be way too fast paced.. Nathan is already going gaga over Shelby and I reached only about 25%.. I feel like this man will profess his love in the next coming chapter already.. I’m feeling nothing.. not much of exploration is going on in this one..

"Corkscrew You" by Catherine Robertson is a delightful romance that explores the complexities of love, family, and business. Shelby Armstrong and Nathan Durant's fiery dynamic adds an exciting twist to the story as they navigate their conflicting personalities and shared goals. Robertson skillfully weaves together themes of ambition and trauma, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers hooked until the very end. Fans of romance will surely enjoy this engaging and heartfelt tale.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK One More Chapter, and Catherine Robertson for an early access copy of Corkscrew You.

Corkscrew You is a grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom. Shelby, an optimistic, is a creative winemaker trying to save her family winery after the passing of her father. Nathan, the direct realist, is put in charge of managing Shelby’s family winery by a new investor. When the two are forced to work together, funny banter, a lot of angst, sexual tension ensues,

The characters were likable and written well. The story had great secondary characters. The falling of the characters happened quite quickly, this is not a slow burn by any means.

This story is a great fit for stories where he falls first (and quite fast), grumpy/sunshine dynamic, an appreciation for honesty, and small town vibes.

Title: Corkscrew You By Catherine Robertson

3.5 Stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

This is the first book in the Flora Valley series.

"Corkscrew You" by Catherine Robertson swirls together romance and competition in the charming universe of winemaking.

Shelby Armstrong, determined to save her father's winery, reluctantly seeks advice from Nathan Durant, a man she loves to hate. Despite their clashes, a surprising kiss reveals a fiery chemistry between them. However, navigating their attraction amidst financial challenges proves to be complicated, blurring the lines between love and business.

Catherine Robertson weaves together witty banter, instant attraction, and sizzling chemistry between the main characters, Shelby and Nathan.

While their burgeoning romance takes center stage, Robertson delves deeper into themes of family, trauma, ambition, and the intricacies of business relationships.

Unfortunately, I couldn't rate this story higher because I found it to be too fast-paced. Events unfolded rapidly, leaving little room for deeper exploration. However, for fans of romantic comedies, this remains a cute and enjoyable read.

Winemaker/business associate
He falls first
Grumpy x sunshine

Nathan's job is to make Shelby's family winery profitable again. Shelby is slightly immature and pushes back on all of Nathan's suggestions


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the ARC

Thank you for this ARC but I’m unfortunately I am dnfing about 50% through. I tried to persevere past Nate being in love three days after meeting Shelby, but the cringey sex and the overly intense emotions (and illegally getting info about his dad’s health?!) have me officially giving this up.

DNF at 30% for me. The main characters barely even know each other and they’re already in love? That’s a red flag for me. Too cringe for me to continue. There was little to no buildup or getting to know each other.

DNF at 37%

Catherine Robertson's Corkscrew You is a small town romance that centers on Shelby Armstrong and Nathan Durant.

I assumed this would be something enjoyable after reading the synopsis and looking at the cover, but it wasn't.

The protagonist, Nathan, was already in love with Shelby, the heroine, when I was just 20% into the story. And let's not even discuss when they actually begin hooking up.

Another thing that made me iffy was Shelby's refusal to swear and the weird things she replaced bad words with. The cherry on top was when she referred to sex as "boink-bonk."

I made an effort to get through it, but the last line was witnessing Nathan come dangerously close to telling Shelby he loved her at just 30%.

*Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and to the author, Catherine Robertson, for providing me with this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
I enjoyed this romcom and liked the family closeness aspects too Nathan and Shelby are very well suited for each other the banter and funny moments between them made me laugh so much. The only issue I had with this book is that Shelby came across immature at times which did annoy me at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

TWs: grief/family death, depression

Nathan is in charge of turning Shelby's family's beloved winery around. The winery used to be her late father's, but it's been struggling to stay afloat. Even though she wants the winery to succeed, Shelby is resistant to follow Nathan's suggestions, and it seems like their working relationship will not turn out well. On the other hand, their physical relationship is another story...

Tropes:
Grumpy/sunshine
Small Town Romance
He falls first
yearning/angst

I really liked Shelby's personality. She was easy to relate to and is also fiercely independent. We follow her struggle with feelings of grief for her dad while balancing the burden of managing the winery by herself. I also really liked Nathan and his siblings. I thought Shelby and Nathan had good banter and balanced each other out really well. But I felt like Nathan developed feelings pretty fast (falling in love within the first few chapters) when in previous chapters, physical attraction is the only thing that was mentioned. There's a lot of pining/angst after Nathan realizes his feelings (which I live for!) and he struggles with balancing his responsibilities and commitments to his family, job, and relationship with Shelby. Throughout the book, we are able to see how Nathan and Shelby grow together and support each other through their hardships.

A cute and enjoyable read. The writing is humorous, and I laughed out loud at several parts. I'm excited to read the other books in the series: there are some great potential couples!

An enjoyable romantic read. I liked how the main characters Shelby and Nathan are influenced by their family backgrounds. It's quite inspirational showing how something good can be achieved when dealing with grief.