A Reunion of Rivals. That title practically screams some of my favorite romance tropes, and Reese Ryan certainly did them up right. So, we have a workplace romance with a second chance, and given the way things happened on the first go-round, we get some enemies to lovers fun too. This is part of a series, but I didn't have any problem following the story or the characters, so I would say it works as a standalone. I really liked the setting for this one. As a Kentucky girl, I know my bourbon, so the distillery was interesting to me. Of course, some pretty great characters didn't hurt either. All in all, the story is engaging and fun, the characters were likable and relatable, and now that I've met the Abbott family, I want more. I guess I know what I need to be reading before the next book is out.

Reunion of Rivals is another great addition to Reese Ryan’s impressive romance catalog. I featured it as Book of the Day on all my social media platforms. .

A Reunion of Rivals is sweet but sexy story that I very much enjoyed.



Like all Harlequin books, this one was a short read. Good thing it was because I ended up hooked on the story and couldn't put it down.



I do recommend it.



I give this 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Romance and Reese Ryan for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
A Reunion of Rivals is book number 4 in The Bourbon Brothers series by Reese Ryan. Two sexy and strong-willed business executes meet head to head in the office... and in the bedroom? They have a past that leaves not only readers, but themselves confused. Were they or weren’t they? Will they or won’t they?
This book was fast paced and I finished it in a few hours. While the storyline is a quick six weeks, the characters background is well built and readers are given the feeling of a slow burn second chance romance. My favorite!
I love romances, but I don’t see enough people of color as the lead characters. I was happy to hear this is book number 4 with one on the way! Reese Ryan has been added to my list of authors to keep my eye on after this one!

A Reunion of Rivals is the fourth in Reese Ryan's Bourbon Brothers series, about the Abbott family who runs the world-renowned King's Finest Distillery in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. This stands alone well, as I read it and enjoyed it immensely without having read the previous stories in the series.

Max Abbott is the marketing VP at his family's business, and feels ambushed when he returns from a wild weekend celebrating a friend's upcoming wedding to a company meeting about a new product that he and his sister have been pressing to add to the lineup. He's thrilled about the fruit bourbons but marketedly less excited that this will involve partnering with a local orchard owned by Quinn Bazemore's grandfather. Quinn's a collaboration expert, and it makes perfect sense for her to work side by side with Max to ensure the partnership is a success.

While Max's got nothing against the orchard, he and Quinn share a secret past. Except that their shared history was a bust. Well, it was a raging success until Max blew it up, and the two haven't so much as laid eyes on each other in the intervening years.

Ms Ryan does a great job with this secret former relationship story, with loads of simmering passion balanced with fantastic family and friend dynamics. Max and Quinn are both strong characters with big hearts. A Reunion of Rivals is a terrific page-turner, and I look forward to going back to read the previous books and to the upcoming titles.

Ex-Lovers Must Cooperate on a Business Project

Max Abbot and his sister Zora have been working for two years to convince their father, Duke Abbot head of King’s Finest Distillery, to open a line of fruit brandies. The fruit would come from the Bazemore orchards and would be a cooperative venture. Finally, Duke agrees to start the project. Max is pleased until he discovers that Quinn Bazemore, the grandaughter of the owner of Bazemore orchards, will be heading the project.

This is a problem for two reasons. Max doesn’t want the project he nurtured for two years being done by someone else. More important, Quinn and Max shared a summer romance when he was in college. He couldn’t trust his feelings and broke up with her. Now he sees the beautiful woman she has become and all the old feelings are awakening. Quinn is likewise drawn to Max, but she’s afraid of being hurt again and refuses to accept his apologies. Still the old pull is there.

I though Max and Quinn were realistic characters. They are strongly drawn to each other and are obviously right for each other, but each is having trouble getting over the past. I particularly liked the fact that both were loyal to their families and wanted the best for the business.

This is a fun book to read, if you enjoy sizzling romance.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

"A Reunion of Rivals" by Reese Ryan featured a slow burn, second-chance romance and mature, likeable lead characters in Quinn Bazemore and Max Abbott. Quinn and Max found themselves in an awkward situation when they met again thirteen years after a youthful breakup and were forced to work together to launch a new fruit brandy co-produced by their families' companies. They soon discovered that they were still quite attracted to each other even after all of that time apart, but both fought their feelings for as long as they could. I loved the way that Max and Quinn worked through their issues, both past and present, to reconnect and find love again.

The family dynamics in this book were also very interesting, particularly between Max and the other Abbott siblings. For example, there seemed to be a lot of tension between Max and his brother Cole because of the fact that Cole chose not to work in the family business. Cole seemed like a good guy, however, and I hope to learn more about him and the rest of the Abbott family in future books.

Overall, "Reunion of Rivals" was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy the second-chance or workplace romance tropes. I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Ryan's books in the future!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.25⭐️.

Tropes: workplace romance; second chance; enemies to lovers.

🥃 Q: have you read any romance novels set where you live?

Max Abbott is a bit taken aback when Quinn Bazemore, the woman he fell in love with 13 years ago & then DUMPED, matter-of-factly strides back into his life like the Business Queen she is & says hi, everyone, I’m working with you on a new product roll-out.

Max and his family own King’s Finest Distillery & they’re going to use fruit from Quinn’s grandfather’s orchard to produce fruit-flavored brandies. As a PR pro Quinn’s got a lot to add to their initiative...even if Max doesn’t want to bring her on-board.

But Quinn’s determined to ignore the memories of their one summer, even if that’s proving impossible for both of them.

This second chance romance is a scrumptious, dishy treat with lots of layers. Reese Ryan crafts a story that feels complex despite it’s shorter length—there’s the history between Quinn & Max, their efforts to roll-out their product, & a family rivalry that I think will get more air-time in the next book.

There are some elements of Quinn & Max’s story that feel a little thin to me, but for the most part I felt satisfied by the emotional depth of A Reunion of Rivals, particularly after Max starts opening up.

That guy took a little while for me to warm up to—until his secrets started spilling out. Then I discovered he was mushy soft on the inside & as emotionally devastated by Quinn as I had hoped.

And Quinn—what a woman. I love her professionalism, her confidence. There are a couple of times where she puts Max in his place & I was so happy to see her standing up for herself and for the younger woman whose heart had been broken.

A Reunion of Rivals is a great intro to the Abbott family and their distillery. I’m definitely coming back for more (ya know, at some point. Anyone else’s TBR getting out of control?).




CW: the heroine was previously harassed & lied about at work and resigned (off page)

A Reunion of Rivals is available now. Thanks to Harlequin Publishing and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

This book was amazing! I haven't read a book with this much steam in a long time and this was so much fun!

Max is everything you want in a romantic Hero. Quinn was a strong, independent woman and no pushover; I loved her! More romances like this please! I felt like these were two equals and watching them fall back in love was a complete joy.

I am going to go through Reese Ryan's backlist and read everything she has written because I need more romance books like this!

I am not usual a fan of the second chance romance trope but this book had me swooning over Max and Quinn. I loved each of them separately and the sparks between them jumped off the page. I really appreciated how they slowly built back the foundation of friendship that they had lost thirteen years prior. Ryan did an incredible job of telling an entertaining story filled with lots of fun characters and interesting drama but she excelled at putting surprising reveals throughout the story. The more that was revealed the more I was rooting for Quinn and Max to be together. This was my first Reese Ryan book but it is far from my last. I love this world of Magnolia Lake that she has created and I will be catching up on the books that I have missed while eagerly anticipating the next story in this series.

This has been my favorite Reese Ryan book to date. It's a second chance love story between Max and Quinn, who are unexpectedly reunited when Quinn becomes the PR lead on a joint project between their two family's companies. It was an incredibly abrupt ending between the two of them and there's a lot of tension because Quinn is none too pleased to be around Max again, but she's also determined to excel at her job.

I don't know that I can fully articulate why I enjoyed this book so much, but it was just such a delight to read. I don't normally like second chance romances, but something about this one just really swept me away. I absolutely adored what Max did after their breakup, but I won't spoil anything. I loved seeing the family members in the background and I'm anxious for the next books in the series. I love Cole, but I think Reece Ryan is saving him for last.

I just really liked this one and would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a quick category romance to hit the spot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I would put this in my liked pile not my loved pile for the simple reason I'm about to explain.

When I started reading this book I was like yessssssss a second chance romance. I'm sooo here for it but as I kept reading I felt like nothing much was happening with the storyline. No exciting events or any significant progress was happening 45% in and I was really disappointed.

I felt like the book was more about the company than about Quinn and max hence, giving this book 3 stars.

A Reunion of Rivals is my first Reese Ryan romance and I loved every moment of it. It is actually my first Harlequin Desire novel also and I have totally been missing out. This is the 4th book in The Bourbon Brother series but I can completely be read as a stand alone.

Quinn and Max had an unforgettable secret summer before they began college and when things became to real, Max walked away from them and has regretted it ever since. Now over a decade later they are forced to work together in order to save both their families legacies and their own job positions. But the connection between them is as present as it ever was but can Quinn risk mixing business with pleasure when her job on the line and more importantly her heart.

Quinn was the star of this book for me she was so assertive and brilliant. She held strong around Max and protected her heart until he deserved for her to open herself to him. Max was also a great character because of his faults. He was business smart and confident but when it came to Quinn he was unsure and insecure. Some of my favorite moments were him showing his vulnerable and asking Quinn to take the lead. The slow burn romance between them was worth the wait and when they come together it's passionate and emotional.

A Reunion of Rivals by Reese Ryan is second chance / enemies to lovers romance that is guaranteed to entertain you from beginning to end. All the characters are wonderful from the main ones to each and every side characters, especially Cole - I need more of him <3 . It made me go back and buy the other books in the series to satisfy me until the next book releases in 2021.

I am a huge fan of the office romance trope, so A REUNION OF RIVALS from new-to-me author Reese Ryan was right up my alley. This is a quick-paced read that truly captured my attention. The story flows effortlessly from beginning to end, and I loved getting to know the characters. This is the fourth book from THE BOURBON BROTHERS series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

The Abbot family and the Bazemore family have been the best of friends for many generations. About thirteen years ago, Max Abbot and Quinn Bazemore had a summer romance while Max was interning on the Bazemore’s farm. Although they were young, they fell madly in love. Unfortunately, Max abruptly ended their relationship when his internship came to a close. Quinn was devastated to say the very least.

Quinn is a public relations guru and Max is the VP of Marketing for his family’s successful distillery. After years of not seeing each other, they find themselves working together on a lucrative deal. Even though they both deny their feelings, the old spark is still alive and well. Over time, they evolve their work relationship into much more.

Quinn and Max are a hot couple, and the author does an excellent job of balancing their sexual tension with their sexy times. The supporting characters add a lot of personality to the plot, and I can’t wait to read their respective stories. The Abbot brothers and their sister Zora are a captivating bunch. Overall, a solid romance that nicely combines the love of family with the sexiness of romance.

Complimentary copy provided by Romance Junkies, romancejunkies.com.

After her last job ended badly Quinn finds herself back in her hometown helping her Grandfather’s fruit orchard as he collaborates with his long time friend to create fruit flavored drinks. The only drawback is that it will mean working with the man who ended their relationship years earlier with no warning or explanation.

Max is a VP at his family’s company and is shocked to see Quinn when he walks into the boardroom. He was happy to find out that his grandfather had finally agreed to the new product but he isn’t looking forward to working with the woman he hurt especially when he has his own reasons for managing the project on his own.

As they work together the chemistry between them ignites but when you throw in some jealous rivalry between brother’s and the fact that Quinn isn’t about to let him break her heart a second time their journey will definitely have it’s obstacles.

The chemistry between them is intense, the characters are captivating and there is a great cast of secondary characters that enhance the story.

We’re back in Magnolia Lake, Tennessee, home of King’s Finest Distillery and the premiere family who run it, the Abbotts. Book Four features Max Abbott, the savvy marketing VP of the family business, and Quinn Bazemore, a public relations expert. Max and Quinn have history. When they find themselves reunited after a secret affair, the readers are treated to an emotional and enthralling second-chance-at-love story.
The storyline has a well-written flow that clicks with the theme. Ms. Ryan does an awesome job of stirring in a little sibling rivalry along with some messy family drama, and as they say, “the plot thickens”. The HEA is gratifying. I look forward to reading Zora’s story, the next Abbott sibling on deck.
A REUNION OF RIVALS is an enjoyable contemporary romance with a hot cover that is as appealing as the story itself. I recommend this book for your reading pleasure.

4.5 Stars

Reese Ryan’s Bourbon Brothers series centers around an African-American family who own a bourbon distillery in Magnolia Lake, Tennessee. A Reunion of Rivals is the fourth book in the series and is a standalone read.

It’s been 13 years since Quinn Bazemore and Max Abbott have seen each other. They shared one magical summer together. Then he returned to college and broke up with her because he couldn’t trust his intense feelings. He never told her why they broke up. He just left her feeling used and heartbroken. Now the two are reunited when their families form a business partnership.

Max is the VP of Marketing for his family’s company, King’s Finest Distillery. For over two years, he and his younger sister Zora have been working to convince their father Duke, the CEO, to make fruit flavored bourbon a permanent addition to their bourbon line. Duke and Joseph, his father and company founder, finally agree to add the flavored bourbon to their line for a test period. The catch is that Max will be working with Quinn, who will be representing her grandfather’s fruit orchard, Bazemore Orchards. As the two work together, old romantic feelings resurface.

Max and Quinn are both characters I liked immediately. They’re afraid of making the same mistakes of the past. They’re both career-driven, but on the personal front, they’re both vulnerable. Both love their families beyond measure. I loved that when they finally sat down and talked about their past that they were able to truly reconcile.

Reese’s Bourbon Brothers series is one of my favorite series because it’s all about family. The Abbott family is truly my dream family. I love the close-knit bond the parents and siblings all share. Yes, there are times when the siblings don’t get along, but there isn’t any scheming or backstabbing going on. For this group, family is everything.

I think there are two books remaining in the series, featuring the remaining Abbott siblings, Zora and Cole. Over the course of the series, readers have been given a glimpse at these two. I can’t wait to see how these two finally fall in love, Zora with her close friend and Cole with a mystery lady.

~ FAVORITE QUOTES ~
“Fear is a piss-poor decision-maker. Don’t ever make a decision strictly out of fear.”

Included as a top pick in bimonthly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

Quinn Bazemore and Max Abbot were high school sweethearts. One beautiful summer and wedding bells were ringing in the distance but as it turned out that was very distant since Max chickened out and left Quinn behind. Of course Max soon knew he had made a mistake and has never forgotten Quinn so he's floored when she walks into the boardroom at King's distilleries to support him with the newest marketing campaign.
Quinn is recently recovering from a broken heart and not even sweet feeling about her years old romance with Max is going to derail her plans to get her back on her career track. The chemistry between them is insane and soon they find themselves in and out of bed succumbing to their chemistry.
This is a well paced second chance romance story that I enjoyed.

Reese Ryan writes delicious and amazing category romances (Oh these Bourbon Brothers), and Reunion of Rivals was a perfect slump buster for me.

A perfect trope-tastic blend of all the things I adore, Max Abbott having to contend with the very real feelings he still feels for Quinn Bazemore while also realizing he has some things to grovel for was so much fun to read.

Also fulfills the "Apple Orchard" square on my Ripped Bodice 2020 Summer Reading Bingo Card, yay!

Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy!