Murphy is a singer, who returns to her home town from Los Angeles after a attempt at launching her singing career. Her family owns a vineyard with a restaurant, which she starts working at. While there, she reunites with a man that had helped her on her way back into town. The man, Wesley, and Murphy feel sparks during this short interaction before going their separate ways. However, when Murphy returns to her family's vineyard, the two reunite, because it turns out that Wesley is the head chef at the vineyard restaurant.

This was a cute, easy, and quick read. There was a bit of forbidden romance and small town vibes, as well as some family drama thrown in to add a bit of friction between the characters. However, this book just didn't stand out to me that much in terms of romance. There was a lack of banter that would have shown more chemistry between the characters, as well as a lack of development of some of the plot/tropes/trauma of the characters that were thrown in there. Maybe this was due to the story being so short, and not having the space to add more, but it just seemed like a lot for a short book.

Thank you to Montlake Publishing, Meredith Wild, Jillian Liota, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

If love small town romance look no further than Bitter Truth ( Hawthorne Vines #1). I haven’t read much by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota but I was intrigued by the blurb for Wes and Murphy’s story and I wasn’t disappointed. This is a read with all the feels and it has the perfect mix of romance and drama.
Murphy is back home after leaving her life in the city, coming home is not easy and the last thing she is looking for is love.
Wes is the vineyards new chef and he has his own baggage and crossing the line with Murphy is not on his agenda but our hearts know what they want and it seems these two want each other……
The characters are easy to love, the chemistry is hot but it was the strength these two found together that took this book up a level.
I received this book from publisher through Netgalley.

Bitter Truth is book one in the Hawthorne Vines series by Meredith Wild; Jillian Liota and it is a phenomenal novel about family, past regrets, and future hopes.
A sweet small town romance that I devoured.
Second chance romance lovers will just love this
These characters will immediately pull you in and consume you!
I can’t wait to one book two Sweet Escape!

This book felt like a quintessential romance book for me, a spicy Hallmark movie, it was perfectly paced and I loved every moment. Wes and Murphy get a meet cute that turns sour when they realize they that Wes is in charge of Murphy and has heard a lot of not so good stories about Murphy from her brother. After losing his last job, Wes is unwilling to risk this opportunity, but Murphy is ready to take a chance for love, so this is a conflict for them. But these two, they have such similar stories, they understand each other throughout all the family issues they both are having and will stick up for each other unconditionally.

Murphy and Wes are a perfectly imperfect couple who works hard to kickstart their romance, but they are both risking a lot. As a result, you get some secret trists, spicy scenes, and so much more as they work it all out. But as that’s happening, the story also covers Murphy’s feeling and emotions surrounding her leaving 9 years prior and the ripple effect is caused in her relationship with her family.

A perfect balance of a romance with deep emotional side storylines, can’t wait to read the next book!

A lovely wholesome book.

The beginning of the first third of this book had me holding back tears as I felt so bad for Murphy when she had to come home, after being told she wouldn't make it in the Singing Industry.

She meets wes on her journey home by chance, not knowing he works for her family business.

They try to stay apart but eventually give into their desires much to her families disapproval.

It ends with them facing a future together, and Happy on their own

A great storyline, great pov from both characters

Would recommend to friends

This was a great, quick read. I loved Murphy - she was strong, kind, and brave. I love that she wore her heart on her sleeve and didn't back down from showing the people she loves how much she loves them. I had to warm up to Wes. I think it was important that we got a Wes POV, because otherwise those games he played would turn the reader off very quickly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.

This book was a first for me from this author and I enjoyed it immensely. It blends romance with a little bit of family drama. Murphy returns to her small town after leaving her life in the big city, but it isn’t an easy transition for her. SHe’s dealing with old wounds and strained familial relationships. Wes has his own baggage to process as he escapes to the small town as the vineyard’s new head chef. The chemistry between the two is electric and comes right off the page. Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>A beautiful treat for small town romance lovers! Bitter Truth by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota was a mix of swoon, heartache, angst and crazy chemistry. Wes and Murphy both came to Rosewood with their own emotional baggage and scars. Though they were forbidden, the heart knows what it wants. And they ended up healing each other in a perfect way.</b>

Murphy Hawthorne had to leave LA and her dream of making it big as a singer after she refused to compromise with her integrity. She feels lost and embarrassed and shaken about coming back to her family vineyard after nine Years as her family never supported her decision. She gets upset when her brother Memphis bluntly tells her that she has to work as a waitress in the new restaurant under celebrity chef Wes Hart. The issue isn't the work. She has been blindsided and her family is treating her like some kind of impulsive good for nothing person ( except her younger brother and aunt). Wes knows he has to keep his attraction under control as this job matters a lot in his disgraced career. But they are soulmates and they have to fight for it.

<b>I felt angry on behalf of Murphy for the way her family treated her. But I mater realised her older brother Memphis was only taking out his helplessness and anger about the condition of the vineyard on her. She is heartbroken and the home wasn't welcoming. Even Wes acted hot and cold. They had an instant chemistry but Wes is technically her boss and it was a mess once other people came to know about it. But by then, they have formed a pretty solid connection and fell in love. Wes let his past and his emotional baggage to push Murphy during the early stage. But soon he realised they are more alike than he thought. Murphy is such a beautiful soul. She has struggled so much and worked so hard to make a name for herself away from this small town. But her talent wasn't enough. She is lost but with Wes, she feels like she is home again. She slowly starts to feel connected to her old home. Wes was so supportive and caring and inspiring for her. And she was there for him during some of his darkest days. At the end, they both got their dreams. But they really didn't need anything except each other </b>

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

This is such a perfect book for the transition between summer and fall! Cute romance, angst, vineyards and a cozy vibe. It's the kind of story that is raw, realistic, emotional and puts your own life and thoughts into perspective. We have main characters who face changes, life choices, careers, dreams and new relationships that are easy to understand and relate to. It's a quick easy read so if you are looking for a late summer read that give you that cozy small town vibe but also spice, emotions and that hope that at the end of the day it will all work out, this is for you.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC

A captivating tale of returning home. Family issues. New romance. Career problems. A few misty moments. As usual, I did skip over the intimate details. Maybe the one family issue I was curious to see resolved will be addressed in the next book of this series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It has a small town feel and the slow burn that we all love. It contains some spice and forbidden romance. Once I started reading, I did not want to stop.

Murphy returns home after a long run chasing her dreams. Feeling defeated she throws herself into coming home and assisting in opening a new restaurant on the property. Murphy quickly falls into her old feelings and realization of why she left in the first place. Can she build connections with her family? Will she be valuable? The one thing that piques her interest is Wes- who also happens to be her new boss.

Wes also has his own skeletons he is dealing with. He has a past that he cannot seem to get away from. Is this the new start that he needs? The moment he meets Murphy he knows that things will be interesting. He knows he should stay far away from her, but something about her keeps pulling him in.

I will say these two have great chemistry and banter. It was also great to see all the character growth that takes place throughout the story.

This is just the summer read we all need.

This is a sweet story of second chances and coming home. Murphy, having been gone for nine years, returns home after realizing her dream of being a singer might not be coming true. She has a meet cute with a man who turns out to be her new boss. Wes, starting over, after his own traumatic experience, finds himself looking for his second chance.
I loved their slow romance. They are the best support system for each other. It sets the beginning of a good series.
What I didn’t understand is, why didn’t she seek out another agent after what happened? There are a couple plot holes. For instance, does Wes ever speak to his father, What happened to Wes’s mother? What’s the status of Murphy and her brother? I feel this book needed more story, or less side stories that weren’t addressed.

What an amazing story Meredith and Jillian created. Bitter Truth is a beautiful small town romance filled with love, understanding, growth and human experiences. Wes and Murphy have such great chemistry and often didn't realize how similar they are. They both had some growing to do and learn how to deal with the many bumps in the road that life has thrown at them.

Bitter Truth was a perfect small town, second chance romance, that will immediately pull you in and consume you!

Bitter Truth is a small-town romance that captivates the senses.

As aspiring singer Murphy Hawthorne reluctantly returns to her home town and faces her family and the hurt she left behind and meets chef Wes. Who has been hired to help get Murphy's brother Memphis new venture off the ground.

But Wes too has a complicated history and when he finds out who Murphy is he's determined to keep things completely professional.

Yet, working together constantly has the pair getting close or so Murphy thinks.

But it's clear the pair do have lots in common and a spark and it's only a matter of time before it ignites.

And with a slow burn romance, with plenty of feels and themes including learning to move on from your past and appreciating life for the journey it is. This was a delightful read. That just lacked a little cohesion between the romance and the rest of the story for me to really love it.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Bitter Truth. ☺️

OH WOW.... The whole story of Wes and Murphy is amazing. Murphy feeling as though her whole life means nothing and she is a complete failure. Wes destroying his career and having to build his life back up. To their shared not the best childhood to that faithful day they meet at the gas station and from there TRY LIKE HELL to stay away from one another. They are each other rock, soulmate , and best friend. I loved this story.

Wes is a stranger that Murphy kisses when she ends up getting a flat tyre while coming home to her families vineyard and he helps her out. Turns out he is also the Head chef at her brothers new restaurant and her new boss. Wes doesn't want to run the risk of getting fired for sleeping with the staff but also can't deny their connection. It is a forbidden romance with a little bit of spice and a nice easy read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5

📖arc book review!

bitter truth by meredith wild and jillian liota

📚s e r i e s: 1️⃣st book in the hawthorne vines series

🏡 s e t t i n g: rosewood, california

💞t r o p e s:
•secret romance
•small town
•boss's sister
•workplace romance

❣️d e d i c a t i o n: "For anyone trying to figure out who they are when life doesn’t go according to plan. For Jillian, for your friendship and bringing your passion to the page when I needed it the most."

💬 t h o u g h t s: The push and pull between Murphy and Wes for the first half of the book really gives those slow burn vibes, even though it's not a slow burn book. I could have done without Wes pushing away Murphy so much when she was in such a fragile state, I really felt for her!
The setting is perfect heading into fall! I love a family owned winery story. Rosewood sounds like a place I want to visit. Overall, enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of this honest review:))
I think this is my first ARC that I truly, truly enjoyed. I found myself wanting to pick it up often in the middle of the day, when I normally only read romance before bed. I really loved the story and the romance.
Working in a restaurant myself, I found the workplace aspect to make it really hot and romantic. (Like omg, being fed by your chef boyfriend, the dream)
This romance really keeps you on your toes, cause he was so down bad but the literal worst at showing it and at trying to stay professional.
Lol
Really liked it:)

#netgalley #bittertruth

Murphy returns to her small hometown after a failed music career and meets Wes, a handsome good Samaritan who later turns out to be the new head chef at her family's restaurant. Despite trying to stay away from each other, their instant chemistry is undeniable. However, complications arise when Wes discovers Murphy is his boss's sister, making their relationship off-limits. Both have been wounded by past relationships and are looking for second chances. The story is a delightful blend of small-town charm, forbidden romance, and character growth, with themes of family, forgiveness, and rebuilding dreams.

Thank you Meredith Wild, Jillian Liota, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute small town romance about new beginnings, family, and coming to terms with one's past, with a lot going on (almost too much). I feel like the characters backstory could have been more developed and more complete at the end of the book. There was just a lot going on in such a short book that it all felt a bit rushed.