A captivating tale of returning home. Family issues. New romance. Career problems. A few misty moments. As usual, I did skip over the intimate details. Maybe the one family issue I was curious to see resolved will be addressed in the next book of this series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It has a small town feel and the slow burn that we all love. It contains some spice and forbidden romance. Once I started reading, I did not want to stop.

Murphy returns home after a long run chasing her dreams. Feeling defeated she throws herself into coming home and assisting in opening a new restaurant on the property. Murphy quickly falls into her old feelings and realization of why she left in the first place. Can she build connections with her family? Will she be valuable? The one thing that piques her interest is Wes- who also happens to be her new boss.

Wes also has his own skeletons he is dealing with. He has a past that he cannot seem to get away from. Is this the new start that he needs? The moment he meets Murphy he knows that things will be interesting. He knows he should stay far away from her, but something about her keeps pulling him in.

I will say these two have great chemistry and banter. It was also great to see all the character growth that takes place throughout the story.

This is just the summer read we all need.

This is a sweet story of second chances and coming home. Murphy, having been gone for nine years, returns home after realizing her dream of being a singer might not be coming true. She has a meet cute with a man who turns out to be her new boss. Wes, starting over, after his own traumatic experience, finds himself looking for his second chance.
I loved their slow romance. They are the best support system for each other. It sets the beginning of a good series.
What I didn’t understand is, why didn’t she seek out another agent after what happened? There are a couple plot holes. For instance, does Wes ever speak to his father, What happened to Wes’s mother? What’s the status of Murphy and her brother? I feel this book needed more story, or less side stories that weren’t addressed.

What an amazing story Meredith and Jillian created. Bitter Truth is a beautiful small town romance filled with love, understanding, growth and human experiences. Wes and Murphy have such great chemistry and often didn't realize how similar they are. They both had some growing to do and learn how to deal with the many bumps in the road that life has thrown at them.

Bitter Truth was a perfect small town, second chance romance, that will immediately pull you in and consume you!

Bitter Truth is a small-town romance that captivates the senses.

As aspiring singer Murphy Hawthorne reluctantly returns to her home town and faces her family and the hurt she left behind and meets chef Wes. Who has been hired to help get Murphy's brother Memphis new venture off the ground.

But Wes too has a complicated history and when he finds out who Murphy is he's determined to keep things completely professional.

Yet, working together constantly has the pair getting close or so Murphy thinks.

But it's clear the pair do have lots in common and a spark and it's only a matter of time before it ignites.

And with a slow burn romance, with plenty of feels and themes including learning to move on from your past and appreciating life for the journey it is. This was a delightful read. That just lacked a little cohesion between the romance and the rest of the story for me to really love it.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Bitter Truth. ☺️

OH WOW.... The whole story of Wes and Murphy is amazing. Murphy feeling as though her whole life means nothing and she is a complete failure. Wes destroying his career and having to build his life back up. To their shared not the best childhood to that faithful day they meet at the gas station and from there TRY LIKE HELL to stay away from one another. They are each other rock, soulmate , and best friend. I loved this story.

Wes is a stranger that Murphy kisses when she ends up getting a flat tyre while coming home to her families vineyard and he helps her out. Turns out he is also the Head chef at her brothers new restaurant and her new boss. Wes doesn't want to run the risk of getting fired for sleeping with the staff but also can't deny their connection. It is a forbidden romance with a little bit of spice and a nice easy read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5

📖arc book review!

bitter truth by meredith wild and jillian liota

📚s e r i e s: 1️⃣st book in the hawthorne vines series

🏡 s e t t i n g: rosewood, california

💞t r o p e s:
•secret romance
•small town
•boss's sister
•workplace romance

❣️d e d i c a t i o n: "For anyone trying to figure out who they are when life doesn’t go according to plan. For Jillian, for your friendship and bringing your passion to the page when I needed it the most."

💬 t h o u g h t s: The push and pull between Murphy and Wes for the first half of the book really gives those slow burn vibes, even though it's not a slow burn book. I could have done without Wes pushing away Murphy so much when she was in such a fragile state, I really felt for her!
The setting is perfect heading into fall! I love a family owned winery story. Rosewood sounds like a place I want to visit. Overall, enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of this honest review:))
I think this is my first ARC that I truly, truly enjoyed. I found myself wanting to pick it up often in the middle of the day, when I normally only read romance before bed. I really loved the story and the romance.
Working in a restaurant myself, I found the workplace aspect to make it really hot and romantic. (Like omg, being fed by your chef boyfriend, the dream)
This romance really keeps you on your toes, cause he was so down bad but the literal worst at showing it and at trying to stay professional.
Lol
Really liked it:)

#netgalley #bittertruth

Murphy returns to her small hometown after a failed music career and meets Wes, a handsome good Samaritan who later turns out to be the new head chef at her family's restaurant. Despite trying to stay away from each other, their instant chemistry is undeniable. However, complications arise when Wes discovers Murphy is his boss's sister, making their relationship off-limits. Both have been wounded by past relationships and are looking for second chances. The story is a delightful blend of small-town charm, forbidden romance, and character growth, with themes of family, forgiveness, and rebuilding dreams.

Thank you Meredith Wild, Jillian Liota, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute small town romance about new beginnings, family, and coming to terms with one's past, with a lot going on (almost too much). I feel like the characters backstory could have been more developed and more complete at the end of the book. There was just a lot going on in such a short book that it all felt a bit rushed.

Coming back home is hard to do when you left for a reason, worse when your family doesn’t welcome you with open arms. Meredith and Jillian have written the story of one such woman, coming home and finding her family less than welcoming. While the new chef, Wesley, seems inclined to go along with Murphy’s family, Wes soon has a change of heart. This beautiful love story is of ones letting go of the past and open themselves to love.

This was a great story! I enjoyed Wes and Murphy’s story. Both of their struggles, even if they were traumatic for each of them, eventually led them to each other.

I loved this story! I found it so interesting how Murphy and Wes had such parallel experiences in their pasts even if it was in 2 different work environments. I loved the bench-the chats had there, the reason it was made and placed there. Overall such a well written story.

2.5⭐️

I was immediately intrigued at the beginning of this book. It looked like it was setting up to be an emotionally rich romance story full of heart and depth and it did provide some of that but this story did unfortunately leave a lot to be desired. I loved the setting of a family vineyard in a small town and the premise of a romance between a down on his luck chef and the outcast daughter returning home after nearly a decade to an unwelcoming family.

I do wish some of the character’s backstories were developed a little more and it was a little insta-lovey for my taste. I personally found some parts of the book dragging in the middle.

I could see someone who is a big fan of your average no frills contemporary romance enjoying this a lot, but since contemporary romance can be a hit or miss genre for me I was looking for a bit more substance.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eArc in exchange for an honest review*

Bitter Truth by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota is set in one of my favorite places, California Wine Country. Hawthorne Vines is located in the fictional small town of Rosewood and it is the perfect backdrop for Wes and Murphy’s story.

Wes Hart is the head chef at the new restaurant set to open at Hawthorne Vines. He is looking to start over after some professional difficulties and Rosewood seems like the ideal place to do it.

Murphy Hawthorne is returning home to her family’s vineyard for the first time since she moved to LA years ago to pursue a music career. Things in her life have gone sideways, and she feels like the only place for her to go is home. She is almost there when she finds herself in need of assistance and Wes steps in as Good Samaritan. Their initial meeting is one of my favorite scenes in the whole book. The connection between them is real from the first moment and I was immediately invested in their story.

Wes is surprised to find Murphy pull up to the vineyard and he makes some unflattering assumptions until he realizes that she is the younger sister of his boss. Then he finds out she will be working at the restaurant with him, and she immediately becomes off-limits.

Murphy doesn’t understand why Wes is acting like a jerk, but she has no intention of putting up with it. The push and pull between them is maddening, but it makes it all the sweeter when they finally give in to the deep connection that has developed between them. Their conversations on the bench are also some of my favorite scenes in this book.

This is a bit of a slow burn, but the chemistry between Murphy and Wes is ever present. The butternut squash scene will live rent free in my head. The “Yes, Chef” moments are superb.

There is family drama all around on both sides. Murphy and Wes are both dealing with painful things in their past. They reveal their secrets to each other over time with no real relationship drama. It feels a little drawn out, and there is one plot point that doesn’t get resolved for Wes, but I was happy to see the level of care they show each other during difficult times.

The setting really shines for me in this one and I hope we get to see more of Hawthorne Vines and Rosewood in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

Oh i love love loved this! Loved everything about the story and the characters it was such a fun and cute read! I couldn’t put the book down!

I really tried to get into this one - But I couldn't. I would rather not rate it low or leave a not so great review since I am feeling in a bit of a slump myself and it might be affecting my opinion.

I need to choose a star rating to submit, but it feels unfair to do so - since I did not finish the book

3⭐️

Tropes:
Small-town Romance
Close proximity
Forbidden romance (?)
Boss/employee

Bitter Truth by Meredith Wild has Murphy, a talented singer who returns home after failing to succeed in LA and runs into Wesley, a disgraced Chef from Chicago who is itching to make a comeback into the food industry.

This book had the potential to be a 5 star book but I had some issues, and the main one was the pace. With only 212 pages, there really isn’t much room for improvement or in this case, character development seemed rushed. Micah (one of her brothers) was important but he was in and out, her resolution with her dad was rushed, how she fell in love with the MMC was abrupt like I think it needed more room to breathe.

I also had a love/hate relationship with Wes. I understand being so desperate in ensuring your success that you can’t afford distractions but his mood swings were giving me whiplash in the beginning. Like dude, lowkey uncalled for but whatever.

Murphy’s story was unique and I liked being able to read about her. I appreciate the no third-act break up because it seemed like it was gettting there at one point lol.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this free arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Immerse yourself in a beautifully written, deeply emotional, and heartwarming romance that captivates readers from beginning to end! This delightful story features an array of irresistible tropes, including the ever popular slow burn, second chance, and a bit of forbidden love, all set against the charming backdrop of a small town. Brimming with angst, chemistry, banter, love, forgiveness, family drama, and romance, this novel is a compelling read. The authors skillfully craft real and relatable characters that you can't help but cheer for. It's a story about moving forward from the past, overcoming the fear of failure, and following your dreams on your own unique journey. Overall, I was completely immersed in the story from start to finish! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️