One night stand turned relationship with serious sass. I'm not really sure this is my thing but it was a quick read.

thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review ✨

Vivian is a singer / songwriter who has travelled to Rosewood for some song inspiration and to see her best friend at her family’s vineyard. Memphis is trying to resurrect his family vineyard, feeling the weight of generations of Hawthornes counting on him to pull the vineyard into financial stability. Memphis has no time for the beautiful and sassy Vivian, but Vivian persuades him into a physical agreement in order to keep her creative juices flowing.

honestly? this book bored me. there was soooooooo much talk about the vineyard and Memphis’ struggles at running it and bringing the business to a good place financially and the fact the vineyard has been in the family for generations and the first born son always inherits the vineyard blah blah blah blah blah 😑 there was nothing else of substance to Memphis as a character and it quickly became painful to read.

Vivian initially just irritated me, her immediate dislike and rudeness to Memphis for absolutely no reason was completely childish and unfounded. she very quickly got over it and under him and continued to get under him for the sake of her song writing and good orgasms. there was next to no chemistry between Vivian and Memphis, it was all physical and even those scenes were quick, vanilla and boring.

the plot was predictable but some of the dialogue created the occasional redeeming spark but it didn’t last. maybe i’m biased as i tend to read more fantasy and dark romance, but it just bored me, i only finished it through pure stubborn determination for a No-DNF-vember 🤷🏻‍♀️

3.5 stars
Spicy!

This was a cute sweet story about a family vineyard changing hands to the next generation and a family friend finding her escape in the wine country small town after a bad breakup l.

I didn't realize this was second in a series when I started it and there were a few glaring indications of this. Some series can be started anywhere, I don't think this is one. The story was fine, but nothing ground breaking.

It was a sexy, break from reality that I don't regret.

Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake, Jillian Liota and Meredith Wild for this eARC!

Vivian and Memphis are a perfect “opposites attract” match with all the musician magic and instant connection vibes! Vivian, a feisty singer-songwriter fresh from heartbreak, heads to a vineyard to recharge — only to find sparks with her best friend’s brother, Memphis. He's totally her opposite but oh-so-irresistible. Their chemistry sizzles with every encounter, and watching them go from "just one night" to something deeper was a sweet, addictive ride.

If you’re in the mood for a charming escape with a musician edge, Sweet Escape is a fun, heart-melting pick!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to receive the ARC.

it was just a fun read
first time reading anything by the authors
can wait to try something more
sometimes is good to try new authors or new books

The backdrop is a struggling wine business, with vines to take care of, a restaurant to make work and all the issues that go with it. Memphis is struggling to make it all work and the debt is closing in on him. Vivian arrives, his sisters bestie and the sparks fly. The book looks at the relationships that are needed to make the business and ultimately life move forward. The siblings running the vineyard are uncertain and need to find their places with each other, and the anger at the dad is huge with him to blame for the fortunes of the winery. Vivian is also suffering, after her ex cheated. The book spends time on the business but also on how Vivian and Memphis slowly unpeeled each others layers and work out if there is something there for them to explore.

This was an amazing read! Vivian finds herself again after getting out of a terrible relationship.

Escaping for two weeks to visit her best friend at her family’s vineyard, Vivian ends up in bed with Memphis—her best friend’s brother. Both of them are looking to blow off some steam, and with Vivian trying to rediscover herself and finding muse. This two fall into a friends-with-benefits arrangement.

This was a fast paced, heart warming story is full of emotional healing. It felt like watching a Hallmark movie… but with spice!

Thank you Netgally for the ARC for this book.

Such a sweet love story and I loved the main characters so much. I could relate to the emotional aspect of Vivian’s heartbreak and love how the authors wrote her redemption arc. The romance part between Memphis and Vivian was just so beautifully written. Great work!

The second in the Hawthorne Vines series, I liked the first book and loved this second book. Serious, all-business Memphis falls hard when he sees his sister’s best friend, Vivian. The dialogue between Memphis and the spirited, spitfire Vivian was hot and you know from the beginning they had met their match. The setting of the Northern California vineyards is perfect as we learn some of the scenes behind winemaking are not as glamorous as we think. So sit down have a glass of wine in hand and enjoy Sweet Escape.

I enjoyed this book even though insta-love is not really my thing.

Vivian escapes to her best friends vineyard to get over breakup and work on her songwriting. On her first day she meets Memphis and they immediately exchange some sexy banter. This is immediately cut short as she's informed that he's her best friends brother (who she's supposed to "hate" out of solidarity to her best friend).

They keep bumping into each other and the pull cannot be ignored. After her sexy encounter with Memphis, creativity flows and she proposes they get together whenever they feel the need during her stay there.

Memphis is really stretched thin with work and responsibilities but he can't help seek Viv out.

I loved the way Vivian did not back down in her pursuit of Memphis together they were fire.

Thank you Netgalley , author an publisher for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on this book.

Memphis and Vivian’s romance was fraught first with a bit of enemies vibe and then a friends with benefits to more kind of progression. Overall, a sweet story with Vivian seeking comfort in Memphis and Memphis seeking escape in Vivian until love and affection frowns and then the past comes back to haunt them. I thought both characters were realistic and well done although the story felt a little slow. Also, I thought a bit more character growth would be good.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for an early read!

The moral to this story for me is WORK LIFE BALANCE. I truly believe that when one door closes it's to make room for another door to open. Vivian and Memphis are definitely opposites but their souls were calling out for the other. As the snark is being thrown back and forth their feelings for one another just snuck up. From a casual fling to I think about you everyday and why am I so upset when everything seems to be falling in place with our careers. If you read this story not only will you laugh out loud but you will also be yelling at them for not seeing what they have when it is right in front of them.

Sweet escape is the second book in the hawthorne series and is better read in order.
It’s great for a quick fall romance. it follows memphis and vivian, both characters introduced in book 1, but you see more of memphis than vivian in that one.

I enjoyed most of the story, but the spicy scenes weren’t my favorite. The one scene mentions them acting like cats in heat, which isn’t something I want to picture near the end of one of those scenes. That’s why they are only 3.5 reviews for me. The story itself is a kind of hallmark in feel. Which i personally dont mind but not the most origninal idea.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota bring us the story of Vivian and Memphis. Vivian has decided that a change in scenery will help her get away from all the chaos that is her life and be able to concentrate on her songs. What she did not foresee was her best friend Murphy's brother Memphis and the feelings he brings out in her. Meanwhile, Memphis is trying to keep the family vineyard and winery from sinking. Will Vivian be able to get Memphis to play with her until she has to go home, or will he be too stubborn to enjoy what Vivian is offering?

Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota bring us a story of family and chemistry. Watch Vivian and Memphis as they dance around each other. See if they can juggle both work and play. We get to follow along as they each struggle with their own troubles while seeing if they can have some fun and let go with each other. Will it turn into something more? Will they be brave enough to take a chance on each other?

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for this privilege.

This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a heartwarming, feel-good romance about finding love in unexpected places, with a strong focus on female empowerment, friendship, and the transformative power of love to heal emotional wounds.

This is a sweet five-star read. I wasn’t sure I was going to give it five-stars, but it won me over in the end, I couldn’t put my finger on why I didn’t sing all the way through, but overall, it won me over. This is number two in the Hawthorne Vines series, but they can be read as stand alone, as they are each about different characters, there is some small cross over, but nothing that leaves you lost. If you are after fun and flirty, then you need this story, its got it all, Vivian was written well, she could have been portrayed so many ways, and they really did it justice with how they showed us her story. If you want spice and story to make you smile pick this one up.

A fun book with plenty of snarky banter. Vivian and Memphis have instant chemistry and there is angst and push and pull throughout the whole book. It was a little much for me, but it was overall a good book with dynamic characters.

Overall: 4.5/5
Spice level: 3/5
Tropes: small town, best friend's older brother, enemies to lovers, fling to forever, insta-love

So I actually liked this one a little more than Bitter Sweet. The friction between Vivian and Memphis was electric. I loved how they teetered on the edge of being not quite enemies but not quite friends. 

Both characters had great development, especially Memphis, and I loved seeing more of the youngest sibling of the family and how he contributed to the business. 

I'm curious how the next story will unfold!

I found the story enjoyable, especially the dynamic between Vivian and Memphis. It evoked similar emotions to the relationship between Wes and Murphy in Bitter Truth (Hawthorne Vines Book 1). I don't want to give away too much of the story, so I'll leave it at that.

Sweet Escape by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this title in exchange for my honest opinions and review!

In this fast romance set in a charming small town featuring a picturesque winery, romance blooms after a rocky first introduction between Memphis, the owner of the winery, and Vivian, his sister’s best friend who is visiting to escape her problems while looking for songwriting inspiration. Despite both being emotionally guarded, they open up to each other because of irresistible mutual attraction but choosing between romance and their demanding careers will be their hardest choice.

This novel stood out for its cast of lovable characters, looking past the main two, each side character has a definable personality and role to further the plot line. The interactions with Murphy, Memphis’s sister and Vivian’s best friend were the most endearing but it would be hard to not appreciate how much Memphis values his family legacy and the growth he goes through after reconnecting with his family members. Vivian is a strong and motivated FMC and I enjoyed watching her achieve her goals independently.

The hardest part of this novel was starting it. Memphis’s POV specifically felt flat and the way that context was presented to the reader felt awkward and more explicit than demonstrative. His character gained more dimension as the story went on.