Having no idea how the races work, this was a very interesting learning chance for me. I enjoyed reading about Lucy and Nate, her childhood friend/ occasional hookup when coming home. Lucy is a very head-strong woman that knows what she wants in life but sometimes it just felt like she was too stubborn for her own good. It started off with a bang, where I felt a lot of character history was missed and just popped into the storyline for the sake of the story.

I struggled with the manner in which the book was written, sometimes the sentences were too long and I had to go back and reread it.

The story is fast-paced and enjoyable.

I enjoyed this book! It was entertaining as I have never came across a book about the Kentucky derby and the upper class southern society. To see inside the scandalous lives was a thrilling adventure and I was rooting for Nate. I took off a star because I thought it could have been lengthier, by adding more background and more obstacles instead of them just falling for each other. I would definitely read again!

Fun and cute rom com! Certain parts were a little confusing on who was talking but overall enjoyed the book

Summer is my favourite season and this book summarized the summer feeling for me. The pure euphoria of being able to go to events, see friends, and just indulge.

I loved Lucy and Nate. This is a classic friends (frenemies?!) to lovers. Nate and Lucy grew up together, a series of events pushed them apart, and now they get together (literally) once a year at the Kentucky Derby. I’m not a horse race gal and I truly know nothing about them. Thankfully, @ did such a good job explaining the fancy weekend events and the timeline that I wasn’t confused! Both Nate and Lucy had their flaws but as a reader you were given their backstory and instantly felt connected.

I recommend this if you love friends to lovers, fancy parties, elaborate outfits, and a good beverage.

The only thing missing from my experience reading Win Place Show was a mint julep in my hand.

As someone who grew up watching their derby this book checked a lot of my boxes. I loved the setting, enjoyed the flirtatious banter, and was fascinated by the fascinators.

Crowe had me so hooked on these characters I’d have read another hundred pages, easy. Lucy is childhood best friend turned girl who got away. She is happy, living away from her glamorous yet unfulfilling past. Nate, the hometown charmer, meanwhile has propelled his family distillery to the next level.

This is a light hearted read about the weekend where worlds collide.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was interested in the setting as it revolved around the Kentucky Derby, but I couldn't get into the romance.

Nate and Lucy were childhood friends who grew apart when Lucy hit puberty. They make out at a party in high school and when they are caught Nate claims he kissed her out of pity to his jock friends. Lucy is understandably upset by this but remains his friend after she moves away to college. Nate visits Lucy and sleeps with all her friends, including her best friend, who he also proposes to, though they eventually break off the engagement.

So basically he acts like he has zero interest in her beyond just being her friend but also supposedly is in love with her the whole time. By the time his motivations are made clear, around 95% into the book (which were incredibly immature), I was beyond frustrated with him and with Lucy for continuing to have interest in a guy who acted like that.

Beyond the problems I had with the romance, I also was frequently confused by the POV and the overuse of pronouns. I constantly had to stop and figure out which he/she the author was referring to.

The story line fell flat for me. It is injected with a lot of information about the business that Nate runs. I wouldn't have minded some info about it but by the third time he explains in his POV chapters why he isn't a sellout and his deal was good for business, I was over it.

I did appreciate that LGBTQ relationships are represented in the story.

Overall, I had a difficult time with enjoying the characters and their motivations and behaviors, which were often nonsensical to me. The romance lacked depth and left me feeling frustrated, which is one of my least favorite feelings that a book can give me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Win Place Show is a cute second chance romantic comedy.

Lucy and Nate grew up together, but Lucy has moved away from her hometown. They only see each other once a year when Lucy goes home for the Kentucky Derby, and they’ve started a tradition of hooking up for that one weekend only. This year, however, things go deeper and they have to resolve their past issues if they want a chance for a future…

Like I said, this is a cute story. I found it to be a quick and easy read and while it didn’t blow me away I’ll probably read more Liz Crowe in the future.

Such a good read! A good rom-com wrapped into the world of the Kentucky Derby. Take to the beach and dive into the world of horse raises and Louisville. Easy read and very well written. Character development throughout the book. Multiple storylines that keep you invested and make you want to root for the main couple.

Friends to enemies to friends with benefits with a healthy dose of spice? Yes, please! This is right up my alley. So why didn’t I love it?

Lucy and Nate have been drawn to each other since the moment they met as kids. But after they each get their heart broken, their friendship has been reduced to one ended a year where they revisit the past in a steamy tangle of limbs with plenty of drama.

To me, Lucy came across as childish and selfish. She held onto grudges from her teenage years while refusing to see any other sides to the story. And while I don’t think there’s much in terms of character growth, I did really like that all the supporting family and friends were honest with her, sometimes brutally so, and helped her see where she needed to make improvements in her own life.

Nate is the ultimate good guy. He attends charity events, works tirelessly on his business, and goes after what he wants. He admits to making mistakes in his past, owns up to it, and wants to fix things with Lucy. His character arc is pretty much done by the time we meet him. But he’s not done with Lucy yet, so he’s got her in his sights.

“I don’t bite.”
“Maybe I want you to. Maybe I need you to.”
“Lady, I will do any damn thing you want me to do to you.”

What I loved:

The outfits! The class! The atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby and the people within it was entrancing. It’s about one long, super exciting weekend where family and friends draw together. It’s not your usual backdrop for a romance book and it’s so much fun!

Lucy and Nate’s families are wonderful and diverse, which is appreciated. They’re easy to relate to and I really liked that Lucy’s mother wasn’t the my-way-is-law type of Southern mom. While still the matriarch of the family, she listened and told her daughters the truth as straightforwardly as she could. And the same goes for Harrison, Nate’s brother. They helped so much at just the right times that I found myself cheering for them.

What I didn’t love:

It’s written in third person from each of their perspectives along with some bits of inner monologue which are funny. The problem I had was when they were together and the inner dialogue came into play, I didn’t know who was thinking that or why. And it seemed like sometimes the dialogue went out of order, but I know I’ve had conversations like that where you start talking about something else while still talking about the first thing. I’ve just never read it like that before, so it was strange at first.

The lack of communication frustrated me when it was happening over and over again - especially when it prevented the story from progressing. Instead of talking things through, they got physical at every point. While I’m all for that, it just reminded me that they’re stuck in the past in their teenage years using physical intimacy as a replacement to emotional intimacy. So when the physical part was done, they were right back at the same trouble they had before they started. And the ending didn’t sit well with me. That might just be a me-thing, though.

All in all, it was a fun and enjoyable story. I loved the world building and you know I loved the drama that ensued with having all of the family together for a weekend! If you like forced proximity, second chance, and miscommunication tropes then this is definitely the book for you.

I couldn't put this book down, but not really in a good way. I had to know how it ended but I cringed the whole time. Soooo tropey and just dripping with Southern stereotypes that made me cringe as a Southerner. I didn't find myself invested in any of the characters except for Harrison and Dante and found myself pretty strongly disliking Lucy and everything she said and did. I'M SORRY I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ABRASIVE IT'S JUST HOW I FEEL. While the glitz and the glam of the Kentucky Derby seems like a fun draw, the whole thing ended up falling too flat for me to enjoy this from any angle. 2 stars for an honest try but I shall not return to this book. Many thanks to NetGalley for access to an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Mea culpa!!

Win Place Show is the perfect spring read. It looks into a world of the elite since it derby season. Reading about Lucy feeling the pressure to be the golden couple with Nate and the secret hookups. You can tell that their is true romance heating up with Nate but like all relationships their are ups and downs. Without giving to much away it is a true romantic and thrill chaser.

I am a sucker for a great cover and I was instantly pulled in here! This book was a nice short read! I even ended up reading it in the perfect time of May! I have never been to a derby and honestly I had a great time just reading about it!

I didn’t really relate much to either of the characters so I have a hard time getting into it. There was a lot of on the surface content but there was not much to really grab into. There was a lot of mentions of history between the two main characters but since we don’t experience it, it is hard to really dig into the story. There was 🌶spice🌶 in the book but it wasn’t very descriptive.

Even though I have criticisms, it defiantly was great for what it was! I give it a solid 3/5 stars because I hit a point where I was enjoying reading!

This is my first Liz Crowe book and I will say, I will be reading another! Lucy and Nate had so much chemistry and the spice was all there!

I am rounding up to 4 stars. I gave this 3.5. I just feel like alot of the conflict was overbearing (and I love myself something conflict in a story) and the ending was super rushed to me. I wish it would of been drawn out a tiny bit more.

Overall, it was a great story!!

Is it hot in here or is it just me???? This book is deceivingly spicy but no complaints here. It was funny and relatable and `overall a good time. Lucy and Nates chemistry was palpable and had me screaming from start to finish. I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed but other than that I adored this read.

This was my first read from Liz Crowe and I wasn’t disappointed! I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, and I often found myself calculating how long I had left of work, housework, etc. until I could read the next chapter. I’ve never visited Kentucky but the atmosphere and setting were certainly rich with derby vibes and festivities. I enjoyed all of the fashion talk even though I definitely cringed at most of Nate’s choices, lol.

The friends-to-lovers trope was enjoyable, but Lucy and Nate could wear me out sometimes. Some of their conflict was just kind of silly(?) and dragged on without any resolution. The ending wrapped up SO quickly, which was a bit of a let down.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this book and would read more from Liz Crowe in the future! If you love books about the South with lovable characters and a bit of spice, this one might be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for the advanced reader copy!

This book is about childhood friends who discovered more in themselves and skirt around their attraction for a long time. They finally ‘succumb’ only to not willing to take it further. We land at that point in time to push things further. We have both set of parents, siblings, friends and even paramours on our side. Only people not complying are the couple in question. So many words and pages and much sexy talk later….you will have to read to find out.

I was sent this via netgalley and was excited to dive in as I have just began using the site and its services. The description of the book was something that peaked my interest and while the actual writing of the book was sometimes hard to follow and confusing due to the constant changing of POV and narration, the characters are likeable. I enjoyed the setting of the book as it is a nice change, and who doesn't love bourbon, derby and small town romances. Spice level was mild so I am not sure I would classify this as erotica by any means as it was categorized on netgalley. I also was a bit disappointed with the ending, while it wraps the story up nicely, it felt a bit rushed. Still, a quick and sweet read.

Mediocre.

I took a chance on this book as the description was not that intriguing, but ultimately was left disappointed anyway. Character development and history was just not there. All characters in this novel were spoiled and pretentious and absolutely unrelatable. Story was fast-paced and lackluster. The level of "spice" was mild and blunt.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for this advanced digital copy.

A genuine light read with one of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers - sprinkled with complicated history. While a bit predictable the story has likable characters and the fun setting of the Kentucky Derby, that created an easy escape for a quick read. Even as I sometimes wanted to shout at the main characters for repeating dumb mistakes, I enjoyed watching them continuously fall together, and sighed a relief when they finally got it right.

All bets are off when it comes to bourbon, love, and the Derby. It’s Derby time and Lucy is back home celebrating with her family and friends. She’s also trying to figure out what Nate wants. Nate, her childhood friend slash occasional hookup, is harder to determine than what to wear on Derby Day. To say their relationship is complicated is the biggest understatement of the year. Both her family and his family insist on Lucy and Nate coupling up. It’s no wonder Lucy lives far away. But between the clothing, mint juleps, and living up to family expectations, there’s romance heating up between Lucy and Nate. Can past mistakes be forgotten when Lucy bets on Nate and his love for her or will she lose it all in one race?

Win Place Show is a laugh-until-bourbon-goes-up-your-nose romance. Be warned: have a tissue handy and only drink bourbon in between chapters. From the first page to the last, Win Place Show is an unputdownable romance. I connected with Lucy and her conflicted heart. The long, complicated history between her and Nate had me glued to the story and I couldn’t put it down. The descriptive narration is rich in detail and brings the city of Louisville to life. For those who have never been to the Derby or the city, please savor this book. By the time you’re finished, you’ll feel like you’ve experienced it all. The lure of the Derby and bourbon country is poignantly portrayed in Win Place Show. The romance was such fun to experience from both Lucy’s and Nate’s points of view. There’s a lot of subtext and tension that needs to be resolved before the end, but Liz Crowe handles it beautifully. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. If you call yourself a romance reader, you need to read Win Place Show. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5+ stars