Member Reviews
Your So Vine follows Cam and Ava and is the second story in the series. I didn’t read Corkscrew you so maybe I missed some important backstory, but I felt like I was missing history or more information on their feelings before getting together. I’m all for a quickly developing love story but it felt like there was a missing link.
That said I liked them together and I definitely wanted to keep reading to find out where the story went. A cute 3 star romance.
Thanks Netgalley and Catherine Robinson for the ARC!
Thanks to Net Galley and to Harper collins for the EARc of this book.
I really enjoyed this book as it was lighthearted and funny as well as a bit sad at times. I loved the relationship between Cam and Ava and it was so sweet and i enjoyed their banter and how their relationship grew as the book progressed. Avas inner thoughts were so well done and funny and wild in places.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves fasted pasted, friends to lovers, found family and funny banter.
You're So Vine was almost a DNF for me, but I stuck with it and finished. The story started out well enough with MF pining for MM from afar after he'd turned down her request for a date. It's not clear how well she knew him, if at all, but she's encouraged to try again at her brother;s wedding reception so they end up dancing together. Things go wrong for me when she faints on the dance floor and it's serious enough to send her to the ER and this guy she barely knows goes with her. Then, he takes her home to HIS place. Then they get all cozy and intimate like its the wrap up to a hot Tinder date. Then she has a follow up with the family doc and date boy is in exam room getting private medical info along with her.
I know this is a lot of 'thens' and I could on and on too. Overall, four days pass where some very personal, private and intimate things happen while MF's family is on the sidelines waiting and wondering. We are told the Durant family is tight-knit so why weren't they involved? Or informed? Oh yes, she'd so independent?? Not buying it when it comes to medical emergencies or serious health concerns. It's never clear what the health concern is but it doesn't interfere with bed time.
The other main element that bothered me is MF's jealousy. The MM has a long standing friendship with an older woman who is the mother of MF's new sister-in-law. He's apparently suffering from ex-military traumas and the woman became a confidant. The MF become GF is insanely jealous of this friendship/relationship to the point it should have become a deal breaker for an actual relationship with MM. And given that she's got this medical emergency going on maybe she has bigger fish to fry.? There were a lot of gaps in MM's reasoning about why he went military but I won't go into that. MF tries to be sympathetic when he tells her what traumatized him but it's obvious by then she's too self-centered and privileged to get it. She's mouthing platitudes.
So overall, this was not my type of book. The writing was not bad, just the storyline just didn't jive for me.
There were a lot of serious issues that were represented in the story but I sometimes felt like they weren't developed, perhaps that's because I did not read the first book in the series. The relationship between the main characters also developed rather quickly- almost unrealistic- which could be impacted by the fact that I did not read the first book in the series. While the overall plot and details left something to be desired, I enjoyed reading this book and it was a quick read.
Pick up this gorgeous hug of a book and get transported to a beautiful place wraps itself round you like a cosy blanket. It has warmth, charm, laugh-out-loud moments and a wistful nostalgia. I absolutely loved it.
Overall, I enjoyed the story.. but I often felt it was a choppy read and the timeline didn’t make much sense to me. It was a lot happening in a short period of time. It was a cute romance though!
Your so Vine
Catherine Robertson
This is the second book in this series.
The main characters are Ava Durant and Cam Hollander. She takes one look at Cam and falls in love. He is the quiet type.
Ava is at her brother’s wedding when she first sees Cam. It was difficult to get to know him because he was so reserved. Cam volunteers to take care of Ava when she becomes ill with chronic fatigue syndrome.
This book has romance and humor. The plot moved a little fast. It would have been better if the romance was allowed to build to a crescendo.
This was a really cute read with two very lovable main characters. However, it felt very disjointed and disorganized as a whole, and their relationship progressed so quickly. I feel like a little restructuring could go a long way to fix the pacing.
1⭐️
ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGally for an honest review.
DNF @ 43%
This book was not it for me. At less than 20% of this book they are already in a relationship and it was a very FAST burn. Ava being hung up on Cam being friends with Lee went on FAR too long and was an issue that shouldn’t have even been an issue. Although it seems to be a book that can be read as a standalone, if you decide to read this i would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before jumping into this one.
After reading both books currently in this series, I think I can definitely say that this author needs a tad bit of help in the romance part of her books. When I finished reading Corkscrew You, I was really excited for this one because I loved Cam, and Ava seemed like one of Nate's more competent and mature siblings, and she did prove in some ways to be pretty mature, in the way she was honest about snooping through Cams phone one time, but she really did not handle Cams friendship with Shelby's mom well. She was jealous and pushy, and she really made him do a lot of things that he clearly did not want to, or at the very least, wasn't ready to do. She made him go to her hospital appointments with her, despite knowing hospitals were a PTSD trigger for him. She was really inconsiderate of his wants and needs, and when he said "no I don't think this is a good idea", she'd push until he said yes anyways, on several things. Now, he wasn't an angel either, he dropped everything to be with his best friend that he knew his girlfriend was jealous of, and he, on more than one occasion, definitely should've not done what he did and explained himself instead of keeping secrets, but I think she gave it to him a little bit worse. I enjoyed this book more than Corkscrew You, and I wished to have seen more of Ted, Chiara, Jordan, and Braden. While the romance is not really a pivotal point for me, I would happily come back to more from this series for the humor and the love emanating from the side characters.
I am loving the Flora Valley series. I really enjoyed Nate and Shelby's story but I gotta say that I did like Cam and Ava's story even more!
After asking Cam out during the grape stomp all Ava wants to do is clear the air. She definitely intends to do just that so that she can get over feeling awkward but when she approaches Cam and they are interrupted by Lee, Shelby's mom and Cam's only friend she decides to walk away. Of course it's when she walks away after apologizing that Cam realizes he does want her but is just standing in his own way... as usual. Determined to have that conversation he approaches her on the dance floor and asks for a dance. Neither one is expecting to be thrown together with a health scare but they quickly find that even though they're opposites they can't get enough of each other.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series (please be Jordan and Brendan) overall they have been quick and great reads!
This was not the book for me. I found Ava to be brash and over the top. She can in way too strong. Cam was quick to change his feelings. I did not read the first in the series but I don’t know if that would’ve helped much with their back story. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
While the writing style of You’re So Vine is so different than what I’m used to, this story was really cute in its simplicity. Cam and Ava are so sure of their relationship, despite all they’ve been through previously, and all they go through just as their relationship kicks off. This is a great read for anyone who’s looking for a simple, quick romance with lots of quirky side characters and a fast paced story.
Than you Catherine Robertson, NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, and One More Chapter for an advanced ready copy (eARC) in exchange for my honest review.
*ARC review thanks to Netgalley and the publisher*
This is book 2 of the series, following Corkscrew You - although they are interconnected they are standalone so you can read one without the other.
In this book, Ava has a crush on Cameron, broody and lonely worker and the Flora Valley vignoble, but he’s turned her down before. So when her health is bad and she needs support, what a surprise to find Cam offering to help her and house her in the meantime…
The one thing that was pretty off-putting in the beginning of the book, is that it starts with Cameron clearly stating he wants no relationship at like 7% of the book, and then 3% later he realises he made a mistake and has feelings for Ava, even though he only spoke to her twice before. The switch was way too brutal and with no good reason to be credible. Not every book needs to be a slow burn, and this one very much wasn’t, but went a bit too far in the opposite direction. Overlooking this point, the book was mostly good.
On the plus side, given how fast the relationship started, there was more focus on the beginning of a new relationship and how to build a stable basis for it to grow, with mistakes along the way but both acknowledging when they were wrong and trying to make it better, which was refreshing to see. A lot of books are all about how the couple get into a relationship and none of the work that comes after that, so I did enjoy this. However, Ava’s jealousy felt completely out of proportion and very repetitive so that irritated me a bit.
Also I’m not going to lie, as I said in book 1, Chiara is the most interesting character of the group. I would read her book, but everyone else’s I care a lot less.
This book was ok. I thought the character development was a little odd. Just that the narrators didn’t even have a relationship before they basically moved in together.
"You're So Vine" is a delightful rom-com that explores the dynamics of opposites attracting. Set against the charming backdrop of a small-town vineyard, Ava and Cam's whirlwind romance unfolds swiftly. While this rapid pace may appeal to fans of fast-paced romance and steamy encounters, those seeking a slower burn might find the pacing a bit rushed. Nonetheless, the novel is imbued with warmth, humor, and themes of love, friendship, and personal growth. Fans of romances featuring quirky characters, fast-paced plots, and humorous dialogue will find much to love in this charming tale.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really good book. I loved the romance and it was very fast paced and I could not put it down. I really loved the setting also.
This was such an emotional book! I loved that the characters were so emotionally honest with one another right from the beginning.
Cam and Ava were such opposites but they really made it work, I loved that they brought out a different side in each other.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next couple in the Flora Valley series!
YOU'RE SO VINE is an opposites-attract, dual POV rom-com (and maybe even second chance as Ava had already asked Cam out before only to be rejected by him). Cam is the silent and reserved type while Ava is the lively and outgoing one. Together they navigate Cam's traumatic past and Ava's uncertain future. Cam volunteers to be Ava's nurse after recovering from fainting at a wedding, and things progress quickly - It is a definite fast burn if you're into that! It was a little too rushed for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Catherine Robertson for the early access copy of You're So Vine.
You’re So Vine is the second book in the Flora Valley series that follows Cam and Ava. At Ava’s brother’s wedding, Ava can’t keep her eyes off Cam. Cam is the strong-silent-type who turned Ava down the last time they saw each other. Cam, sees Ava for her direct and confident self. What he doesn’t see is the possibility of himself deserving to pursuit a relationship. When Ava suddenly experiences a health issue, Cam steps up to help. Thus, begins a dual POV, small-town, opposites attract romance.
The romance is anything, but a slow burn. It was a fast read, and hard to put down.
Trigger warning, topics of illness and death.
Catherine Robertson has a way of getting the readers invested into her secondary characters. I would LOVE to read more about Jordan and Brendan.