Thank you St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for my advanced e-copy.

I'm not gonna lie, I 100000% judge my romance books by their covers and this one did not engage me whatsoever but the synopsis (and it being a read now) intrigued me just enough to request it. I ended up listening to the audiobook and I was not at all disappointed and honestly kind of surprised with how much I enjoyed this. The story had depth and healing and dealt with a different aspect of grief that often gets overlooked. I was fascinated with this random vineyard being owned and operated by people who had no idea what to do but had the passion and drive to get it done anyways. Rowan, being a botanist, with that name? Truly main character behavior. They were both so stubborn and their refusal to back down until they absolutely had to was not as annoying as other stubborn characters can be. These two were messy and adorable and now I kinda wanna marry a botanist who works at a vineyard.

cw: traumatic birth (flashback, not super on page), post-childbirth death (flashback), anxiety and panic attacks, cheating (past - not between MCs)

Over the years, I've realized my favorite kind of romance books are those that have a slow burn and tension. The type of book that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering when the characters will finally figure out their feelings for one another. Bend Toward the Sun is that exact kind of story and I absolutely loved it.

Not only did I love the plot and characters, I felt like I learned a lot about botany and horticulture, which was great since am lacking a green thumb.

While the story is mostly about the relationship between Rowan and Harry, it also dives into deep issues of grief, PTSD, loss, and family. It's a beautifully written story and I highly recommend checking it out.

Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

4.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this debut romance novel about two characters who each have their own emotional baggage. I was completely wrapped up in Rowan and Harry's story. There were a few times when I found myself frustrated with them and wished they would just communicate, but overall I enjoyed the drama and angst.

This book also had excellent side characters in the form of Harry's family and Rowan's friends. I really enjoyed the whole dynamic of the Brady family, and they had me laughing out loud several times with their interactions. The book also sets up some future potential relationships, so I could see sequels as a possibility and would definitely love to revisit these characters again.

Overall, a solid debut that has me looking forward to reading more of Jen Devon's work in the future.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

Bend Toward the Sun is an emotional contemporary romance that I would also classify as part women's fiction.

The book is divided into 3 parts. There are two 3rd person POVs (Rowan and Harry). Much of the story takes place at a winery in rural Pennsylvania.

Rowan is a botanist and finishing her PhD. I loved her job. And I adored her friends Temperance/T.J. and Frankie.

Harrison Brady/Harry is an obstetrician from L.A who is part of a big family. His family was everything in this book! And the winery setting was amazing!

I was a bit frustrated seeing the characters running away from commitment. That part of the story went on too long. But the last part of the book was definitely the strongest. And overall I did enjoy the book.

My friends all raved about Bend Toward the Sun, and I am so glad I listened and picked this one up! It was sweet, and tender, and a slow burn -- in all the best ways! I loved this book and Rowan and Harrison's love story!

Two imperfect people. One year under the sun. A love story you won't ever forget.

Rowan McKinnon doesn’t believe in love. With a botany PhD, two best friends who embrace her social quirkiness, and some occasional no-strings sex, she has everything she needs. But she hides deep wounds from the past—from an emotionally negligent mother, and a fiancé who treated her like a pawn in a game. When an academic setback leads Rowan to take on the restoration of a winery's abandoned vineyard, she relishes the opportunity to restore the grapes to their former glory.

She does not expect to meet a man like Harrison Brady.

An obstetrician profoundly struggling after losing a patient, Harry no longer believes he is capable of keeping people safe. Reeling, Harry leaves Los Angeles to emotionally recover at his parents’ new vineyard in Pennsylvania.

He does not expect to meet a woman like Rowan McKinnon.

As their combative banter gives way to a simmering tension, sunlight begins to crack through the darkness smothering Harry’s soul. He’s compelled to explore the undeniable pull between them. And after a lifetime of protecting herself from feeling anything, for anyone, Rowan tries to keep things casual.

But even she can’t ignore their explosive connection.

I adored this story! The vineyard setting, the close-knit Brady family, the friendships with Frankie and Temperance, it all came together to keep me engaged throughout the entire book. Every piece of this story was uplifting, gorgeous!

I am full of lovey dovey mush. I really enjoyed this story of Harry and Rowan. It was a love story full of steam and tenderness. I couldn't help but have a smile on my face rooting for them. Gave me Ali Hazelwood romance vibes!! Highly recommend if you are looking for a good romantic read!

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

With so many great reviews I kept waiting for this book to get better but I didn't. The story is overwritten with nothing really happening. Time passes but the characters don't grow until the end of the book. They both had issues that never felt resolved to me.

I am still processing all my feelings about this book so this will be a shorter review until I come to my final conclusions. Bend Toward the Sun is a beautifully written romance. Both Rowan and Harry are complex people who are dealing with their own trauma. I really like that their story was set on the background a gorgeous vineyard. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel from Jen Devon as the writing was top notch.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-book in exchange for an honest review!

If you enjoy forced proximity romance with a dash of spice and bantering, meddling families then this is the book for you. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book especially the Brady family. I really enjoyed despite this being a cute romantic story, Devon did an amazing job writing about two badly damaged MCs who help one another heal from their traumas. I highly recommend this book!

What a wonderful book! I loved the raw emotion, the character’s journeys, how smart this book felt. An amazing read and I would definitely read this author again!

Set to be released on August 9th, Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon is a long-haul love story chronicling two very different people trying to heal old wounds and find comfort in one another over the course of a year.

This book took me a little while to get into but the ending was worth the trudging to get to. I got a little frustrated because it felt like Rowan and Harry’s pasts got a little too in the way of their romance, but I guess that was probably the point, right?

Ultimately, this book shows how important it is to reconcile with your past so that you can’t move forward into the future. Additionally, it also highlights how you have to love and accept yourself before you can love and accept another person into your life.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming read that deals with deeper topics, this one’s for you!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

I snagged this book to read since it takes place in a vineyard, and I feel a personal connection since my family has a small vineyard. Rowan and Harry are well-developed characters who I kept rooting for, no matter what turns they took through out the story. The setting was beautifully described, and I could feel the love for the land that both of the main characters felt, the vineyard truly felt like a supporting character! I can see this novel turning into a series with all of Harry's siblings taking center stage, and I can't wait to read more.

Rowan!!!! Ugh I LOVED this book. It put me in the feels and I’ve re-read it twice now. I highly recommend.

Jen Devon’s Bend Toward the Sun delivers ALL THE FEELS in an emotional love story about loss, healing, and human connection. When Harrison Brady leaves LA in the wake of losing a patient, he thinks he’s going to help his parents renovate their new bed and breakfast. He never expects to meet beautiful Rowan McKinnon, a somewhat socially-awkward botany Ph.D. who avoids serious relationships and rarely lets people get close.

The Brady family convinces Rowan to help them restore the vineyard on the sprawling old estate, setting the stage for an epic year-long romance.

This book gave me low-key Colleen Hoover vibes without the surprising plot twists. If you like slow-burn romances, big emotional drama, and HEAs, I’d definitely recommend this book! (Content warning: It’s a bit spicy.)

Thanks so much to Net Galley and St. Martin’s for the advanced reader copy of this book!

#netgalley #stmartins #arc #advancedcopy #bookreview #romancebooks

What a gorgeously romantic story with such well-rendered, complex characters and a warm, beating heart. You won't want to leave the vineyards. Jen Devon is wildly talented -- can't wait to see what she does next.

Jen Devon's author bio states that she likes to write romances about imperfect people who find their perfect matches, and that is exactly what this book is all about! Rowan is a scientist who doesn't believe in love, and Harry is a doctor suffering from anxiety after losing a patient. When they meet, the connection is immediate but the trauma of their pasts makes it difficult for them to open up to each other.

I loved Rowan with all her angst and prickliness and Harry with all his anxiety and sadness. They were definitely imperfect characters, but all I wanted to do was cheer for them to make peace with their past and find love with each other. The secondary characters were also amazing. I loved the whole Brady family and Temperance and Franki, and I hope that Devon writes more stories with these characters. There are some steamy scenes in this one, which is not really my cup of tea. But the characters and story were so good!!

I was really liking the book and thinking it would be a 4 star read. Then I got to the ending, and it was even better! I loved the final 70 pages so much. It was the perfect ending to this story.

In romances, it's fairly typical to see a third act breakup, followed by a reunion and a happily ever after. I often feel like the reunion/happily ever after part is rushed and unsatisfying. Too much time is spent on all the angsty questioning of will they/won't they, and then when they finally decide to be together, it's all rushed at the end.

However...Bend Toward the Sun did not fall into this category. The finale was a perfect ending that did not feel rushed at all. This book is definitely full of angst and questioning, but it all pays off with an excellent ending! I cannot say enough good things about the ending. I may just go back and read it again right now!

WOW WOW WOW. This was the perfect book to transition from summer to fall. We follow Rowan and Harry through a year at the vineyard. From the witty puns and banter, some very spicy spicy and emotional scenes, this book has it all! The instant connection between Rowan and Harry is brilliant, but also I loved getting to see each of them breakdown the barriers of themselves for the other person. As someone who doesn’t know a lot about plants, but does drink a lot of wine, I loved all the plant talk and learning about the damaged vineyards.
If you have read this one, don’t you want to be a part of the Brady family?

A stunning, breathtakingly gorgeous read that will steal your heart and remind you why you love reading love stories. I was lucky enough to receive Bend Toward the Sun as my very first ARC, and let me tell you - this one set the bar for every future ARC I will ever read.

We begin this love story as Harry and Rowan's worlds collide (literally) in a dusty abandoned greenhouse. Rowan is a botanist PhD student with a lifetime of emotional damage that has made her closed-off and doubtful of anything claiming to be love, and Harry is reeling from a traumatic event in his first year of medical residency that makes him question his entire path forward. A series of events brings them together on the vineyard that Harry's family just purchased, and though Rowan tries to keep her distance, even she can't deny the spark between them. But will either of them be able to confront what’s happened to both of them so they can move forward together?

I’ve tried for months to figure out the words to describe this story, and none of them do it justice. Harry and Rowan have the most swoonworthy chemistry, and from their first moment together you just KNOW they have something special. They're flawed and imperfect and make mistakes. But at their cores, they're both so utterly lovable that you can't help but root for them.

Through Jen Devon’s ethereal writing, you immediately see the ways that these two fit together, while also seeing the ways they'll have to confront things about themselves that they've long buried away—from Harry, with his heart-on-his-sleeve vulnerability (which was SO refreshing to see in a male hero) to Rowan, whose lifetime of hurt and betrayal has caused her to build impossibly high walls around her own soft heart. I also absolutely adored Rowan's friends and the entire Brady family, and the scenes of them all together just felt so natural and warm and welcoming and I just wanted to live in those moments on the page.

Bend Toward the Sun is a romance in the truest sense of the word. The setting is magical. The writing is gorgeous. It's angsty, and heartbreaking, and so, so beautiful, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance review copy!