Starred review from June 27, 2022
Bestseller Guillory (The Wedding Party) sets this scintillating workplace romance at a Napa Valley vineyard. Its co-owner, Margot Noble, faces a crisis of conscience when she realizes that her recent steamy one-night stand is also her new employee, Luke Williams, hired by her brother in her absence. Though their intense attraction lingers, Margot’s determined not to sleep with her employee (again). Her brother, the vineyard’s other owner, doesn’t believe she deserves to have inherited her half of the business from their uncle, and she doesn’t want to give him any more ammunition to use against her. The situation is just as fraught for Luke, who recently quit a high-paying tech job with a discriminatory boss—a fact he hasn’t yet told his mother, who also mistakenly believes he’s dating his best friend. A relationship with Margot would only complicate things further—but knowing that does nothing to curtail his desire. When his mother has an accident, Luke quits the vineyard to fill in at her inn, giving Luke and Margot the opportunity to explore their chemistry at last. His shyness and her strength are an orgasmic combination, but Margot’s fear of being judged and Luke’s need to prove himself worthy threaten their happiness. The lush background and Guillory’s signature blend of sexy, sweet, and funny keep the pages flying. This is a gem. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.
July 15, 2022
The new CEO of a winery seeks to prove herself to her co-owner brother but fears her carefully crafted professionalism may crumble after she has a one-night stand with a new employee. Since 34-year-old Margot Noble inherited half of her uncle Stan's winery three years ago, she has been determined to prove her worth in the family business. After overhearing her brother, Elliot, say she didn't deserve her share of Noble Family Vineyards, she quit her marketing job and headed to Napa with a mission. With Elliot's decadelong experience as a winemaker, Margot must work extra hard on the business side to prove her worth. Still, her competence as CEO doesn't prevent Elliot from making decisions without her, like when he hires a new employee for the tasting room without consulting Margot first. Desperately in need of a vacation and a drink after confronting Elliot, Margot finds solace at The Barrel, her best friend Sydney's bar. There, Sydney dares Margot to strike up a conversation with a handsome younger man. His name is Luke Williams, and he's a former software engineer who's only temporarily in Napa to help his friend Avery get over a nasty breakup. One thing leads to another, and Margot and Luke spend a passionate night (and morning!) together. At work the next day, Margot is more than content to daydream about her memories with Luke...until he walks into her office as the winery's new hire. Suddenly, Margot and Luke must navigate a relationship where Margot is Luke's boss--a position she doesn't have the luxury to jeopardize--while they try to deny feelings for one another that prove stronger than any wine. Guillory's latest romance is bursting with mouthwatering sexual tension and desire: "But now he had to work under Margot Noble, while all the time thinking about what it had been like to be literally under Margot Noble." Despite plenty of moments overrun with miscommunication, Margot is a powerful protagonist, and her dedication to her career, despite the numerous challenges, is absolutely refreshing. An intoxicating romance with a strong lead.
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Starred review from August 1, 2022
Two years after returning home to Napa, CA, Margot Noble still feels a strong need to prove her worth as co-owner of her family's winery. Margot's hard work has left little time for pleasure, but her best friend convinces her to explore the instant connection she feels with Luke Williams. At a crossroads in his tech career, Luke views the job he spontaneously took at Noble Family Vineyards as something interesting to do while pondering his future. Neither knows who the other is when they hook up. Although Luke wants more than one night, Margot is torn, but their working relationship gives them the chance to get to know each other. Their professional scenes crackle with sexual tension and, once they are free to be together, it's a pleasure to witness them be each other's refuge. Still, the clandestine nature of their relationship's beginning colors how they interact and leads to some momentous revelations about themselves and their families. VERDICT Guillory's (By the Book) latest, imbued with her signature heat, wit, and scene-stealing secondary characters, is sure to be popular.--Nicole Williams
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2022
Best-selling romance writer Guillory (By the Book, 2022), a book contributor on the Today show, sets her entrancing new novel among the verdant vineyards of Napa Valley and inside the wine business. Margot Noble and her brother are fractious co-owners of the Noble Family Vineyards and among the few Black owners in Napa. Although she oversees the business and personnel, her brother hires someone to work in the tasting room. She is peeved. Luke Williams loves software engineering, but stress and racism lead him to abruptly quit his prestigious tech job and seek a change of pace in Napa Valley, where he grew up. Picking up a stranger in a bar is not a habit for either of them, but Margot and Luke are hooked from the first "hello." Imagine their shock the next morning when Luke walks into Margot's office as her new employee. Brilliant character work by Guillory steers their ethical dance in an office romance with imbalanced power dynamics. Since quitting Silicon Valley, Luke has felt like a failure, so to avoid disappointing his mother he fabricates a story about taking a sabbatical and reconnecting with his high-school girlfriend. This lie snowballs into major trust issues between Margot and Luke. Suffused with tenderness and delight, this is Guillory's best book yet.
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