This one was on the read now opinions. I loved that. I loved the small town vibes. It was a cute grumpy sunshine vibes for me. I saw the cover thinking it was cowboy romance.. i loved the funny and wittiness it in it. Then mixed in some spicy scene. I loved it. Thanks again ARC.

Forbidden romance is all the rage and Meredith Wild leans into it fully with Bitter Truth. From the gorgeous backdrop of a small-town to the found family vibes of the close-knit characters, Wild transports readers into a world they'd like to live in for awhile. The main characters are relatable and their backstories are fleshed out. While the hero was mysterious and aloof, I appreciated the development of his character with the secret of the plot twist. The story was a bit too contrived since attraction-at-first-sight is a weak pillar to rest the entire plot on but the development of the romance was tastefully written. Look forward to more releases from this author in the future!

Bitter Truth. A story about new beginnings, family, and coming to terms with one's past. What happens when a promising romance novel fails to deliver on its tantalizing premise? As secrets loom large and complex backstories unravel, this novel promises an emotional rollercoaster but ultimately leaves readers hanging.

Bitter Truth follows Murphy's return to her family’s vineyard with her dreams in tatters, and the immediate connection she forms with Wes. In the beginning, we meet Murphy making her way home from LA, looking to heal and rebuild. Her misfortune takes her straight into the path of Wes, in more ways than one. The attraction is instant and the readers are promised a delight as it unfolds, except it doesn't.

Both main characters harbour significant secrets that the authors attempt to foreshadow. Initially, this adds intrigue, but by the midway point, there is barely an interaction with either character without them foreshadowing their ‘big secret’. It gets to a point where it's talked about so much, that it doesn't just fail to add to the story, you end up not caring. Then comes the big reveal! Without delving into spoilers, the secrets of the talented singer and the famous chef, so famous that he was hired just to attract people to the restaurant with his name alone, were disappointingly mundane. Both 'secrets' are things that are more commonplace for people in their chosen careers. But this is a romance novel so none of that matters, right? Oh well, onto the romance.

The romantic arc begins with an instant attraction that quickly evolves into a forbidden love/enemies-into-lovers/slow-burn dynamic. When Wes and Murphy finally come together, their chemistry diminishes. Wes vacillates between seeing Murphy as the love of his life and merely a sex object, making their relationship feel disjointed and awkward. There is some spice, but it feels very forced. Like cinnamon candy, some people will love it but in all honesty, it would be a better product without the spice. This book was written by two authors and you can tell. It comes across as disjointed and as though the authors had completely different ideas about what they wanted to do with the characters.

The main characters both have fascinating backgrounds. Murphy: A tragic childhood left her with trust and daddy issues as well as a fractured family. Wes: A fascinating family background that initially suggests a compelling 'damaged hero' backstory. His father’s story is so important to him that we learn early on that it is the sole reason he took the position and moved to the town. The book does a good job of building it up until… he gets distracted and then forgets all about it existing. So much groundwork is put in to state the importance of it and then, nothing. The reader is left hanging and the story line never finished. We see more of his mother and brother’s side, but it is a very complex backstory. It could be a whole book unto itself. It covers heavy topics such as addiction and abandonment, childhood trauma and the continued repercussions.

With only 268 pages to cover two detailed backstories, secrets and a love story the storylines feel flat, rushed and unrelatable. If anything the romance feels like an awkward addition to an already compressed storyline. While the characters exhibit decent chemistry when apart, their interactions together feel forced and overall the book feels like the weird feeling when families are forced together over holidays; It's just awkward.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for providing me with an e-arc - all opinions are my own

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc
After nine years in LA, aspiring singer Murphy Hawthorne leaves behind her broken dreams to return to her family’s vineyard. But as she helps open the property’s new restaurant, she faces a family still bitter about the fact she ever left, and old wounds quickly resurface. The only refreshing note is the handsome head chef, Wesley Hart.
Only he needs this job and can't afford to be dating his bosses daughter.
This is a heartwarming story dealing with so many issues that honestly the author dealt with huge empathy
Wesley's mother is an alcoholic and he tries his best to deal with this harrowing disease and our adorable FMC has had to deal with rejection and sexual unwanted advancement to become signed it made my stomach churn just thinking this can actually happen. They're both broken and fragile yet find something in each other that pulls them closer together.
I loved the author's writing style, the way she keeps you invested in her beautiful characters.
Wholeheartedly a warm romance. I can't wait to read more of her work
Kerry Kennedy Author

Overall: 4/5
Spice level: 2/5
Tropes: small town, coworkers to lovers 

CW: discussion of parental neglect and alcoholism, discussion of sexual harassment among the entering industry 

First of all, it was great to see Meredith Wild writing again! Liota is a new to me author. 

Before getting into the story, I must say the cover and title didn't exactly go together, in my opinion. Their vines are different. 

That being said, the book itself is pretty low angst for the most part but has just enough to create tense moments that help avoid a 3rd act breakup up trope.

Without giving too much away, there's family drama/trauma for both Wes and Murphy, past and present. 

I would've liked to have seen actual date scenes and for the chemistry to feel a little more urgent and explosive. It was there but felt more cozy than fiery. Which is fine, because it fits the cover's vibe more. The spice is pretty mild. 

I did like how Wes and Murphy were confidants for each other and sought vulnerability and comfort in each other without judgment. They joke about being each other's therapist, but they truly do open up to each other and allow space for frank and honest conversation. 

I saw some definite character development among both and a decent plot. 

I'm intrigued for what's next.

Until you heal the wounds of your past, your present is in limbo...

This story will give you all the feels that a small town romance is known for. Reluctantly, Murphy returns home with her tail between her legs after her hopes and dreams in L.A. are shattered. She is met with cold shoulders and resentment from family members for leaving home in the first place 9 years ago. Helping out in the family 's restaurant, she hopes to connect with them once again. She does not expect her boss and head chef Wesley Hart to be so gorgeous. This could be a problem.

Wes Hart wanted a fresh start. He is hired by the Hawthorne Vineyard to attract more tourists. He is immediately attracted to Murphy She is a red flag as she is his boss's sister, in other words, hands off.

A passionate emotional journey as Wes and Murphy navigate their pasts and futures together.

Overall I found this romance enjoyable and quite sweet. The couple's meet cute was fun and I very much enjoyed watching their connection grow. And the setting was just perfect. I felt like I could really picture the vineyard and restaurant; it made me want to plan a trip to northern California immediately.

Bitter Truth is a quick romance set on a family run vineyard in California’s wine country. Murphy and Wes share an immediate attraction to one another, but once they realize who each other are and that the family vineyard is at stake they try to put up a professional boundary. Both of them have pasts that they are secretly carrying with them and once they drop their guards to lean on one another there is nothing they can do to stop the sparks from flying. You truly root for these characters to come together! Thank you for the advanced copy to read and review.

2.7⭐️



Murphy fue a los Angeles para volverse cantante, durante nueve años intentó cumplir su sueño y un día conoció a Paul un agente con un sello discográfico, todo parecía ir bien hasta que le dijo que la única manera de triunfar era con favores sexuales. Ella le dijo que le daba asco, que no haría eso y el asqueroso lo puso en la lista negra por lo que tuvo que regresar a su pueblo porque nadie la iba a contratar.

Murphy tiene mala relación con su padre y su hermano mayor, Memphis, porque están enojados porque se fue por muchos años, Micah, el hermano menor tiene una buena relación con ella.

Memphis tiene un año para que el viñedo sea un éxito o el padre lo venderá por lo que empieza a implementar nuevas ideas como poner un restaurante y contrata a West un chef famoso.

Ya me había espantado cuando West empezó a contar porque dejó su trabajo, pero resultó que no fue tan malo lo que hizo.

La relación entre West y Murphy es un tira y afloje repetitivo.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great story! The fight for this love story captivated me! Meredith Wild is one of my go-to authors when I’m looking for a book that’s an easy read that I don’t want to put down & the team up with Jillian Liota brought something else to the book! I am excited to read more from Jillian!

When Murphy returns to her family vineyard, she falls for Wes who happens to be the new chef there. This is a lovely romance full of second chances and family bonds. The writing was good, and the characters were enjoyable.

Thank you Meredith Wild, Montlake, and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was sweet but short. I feel like more length needed to be added for all the events going on between the characters. This was a slow read and took some time to get into the book. Once I was halfway through the book, if not more, I was invested in finishing the book.

The book started out really good. But Murphey isn't a character that resonated with me after that. Instead of being strong willed or head strong, she just became bratty! The story line itself was good and I quite enjoyed Wes!

these two authors coming together was such an amazing surprise and they just wrote such an amazing book together. perfect for going into the summer time. this one will pull at all the heart strings but it is so heart warming too

I really liked this book! It had such cute small-town vibes, a bit of forbidden love, and a slow buildup of romance. Super enjoyable! But I took off a star because the steamy scenes felt a bit too much. I mean, I'm all for a spicy story, but it felt kind of forced in this one. Maybe just one spicy scene at the end would've been better.

When a top chef and an inspiring singer cross paths as they reset their lives in a small town vineyard, truths are destined to be revealed. Wes has learned from his lessons but so has Murphy and they both set their sights on new goals, but can they work together to achieve them?
The pain Murphy has endeavoured by losing the trust and pride of her family makes her bitterness drive her to heal the wounds of the past, while Wes is battling things that are out of his control now but he can't seem to escape.

I couldn't put this one down and read it in one sitting for the most part. I really enjoyed the ease of the the storyline, building the characters naturally and following their story unfold. Spoiler - did shed a tear or two!

This book was AMAZING! I was hooked the entire time, and Wes and Murphy's dynamic was to DIE FOR.
Murphy moved back home to help her family out with their vineyard and open a new restaurant in hopes that they could pull together enough money to keep it afloat. On Murphy's trip back to the vineyard after spending a long time trying to make it big as a singer, she has some car trouble and shares a kiss with a handsome man who helps her fix her car. But what she didn't realize at the time was that man would soon be her boss at her family's new restaurant. The kiss that they share makes both of their heads spin, and they need to determine what they are gonna do about it and if it's possible to keep the tension away from their work environment.
I really enjoyed reading this book and think that it was written very well. I gave it 5 stars because the plot was very interesting, and I wanted to see what would happen with the vineyard, Murphy's singing career, and the chemistry between Wes and Murphy. Overall, this was a great read!

Bitter Truth by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota
Rating: 4/5
Tropes: Small town, slow burn, forbidden romance,

Murphy is on her way back to her hometown after being left high in dry with the music industry. On the drive, she gets a flat. In steps our MMC, to help solve her problems, and the chemistry just fills the pages. They got their separate way only before Murphy finds out that he is in fact the new head chef for her family’s restaurant.

I loved this story and I love the journey they took to reach their eventual HEA. This romance book is definitely worth the read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Montlake Books for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The story drew me in at the beginning with the meeting between Wes and Murphy and Murphy’s return to her family home. I liked the characters but I lost interest in their story. The situations that led to the main characters ending up in Murphy’s hometown are not as deep or complicated as they are made out to be. If you’re interested in a quick uncomplicated read, then give it a try.

This book gave me a lot of mixed feelings. There were a lot of things I did really enjoy about this book, but I feel like it was missing a few things for me. So first, this book is a romance between two people who both have troubled pasts and learn how to cope with their new realities. Murphy and Wes have an adorable meet-cute when Murphy is on her way home and has some car troubles, and Wes ends up helping her out. They later realize Wes was recently hired to work for her family Vineyard, and she is returning home to help out too. There is a lot of family animosity going on from Murphy returning after nine years away. Wes and Murphy at first try to focus on work and deny their attraction, but Wes can't stand how Murphy's family is treating her and decides they can at least be friends. Friends, of course, grow to more. I did love the romance between Wes and Murphy with the way they support each other and help each other achieve their dreams and want the other to be happy. However, the family being so constantly mean to Murphy made me so upset and I know she left but you don't get much detail why it was so upsetting and then they were so fast to be forgiven but no really gives a good explanation or background to these issues happening. I think I would have just liked more character development in the family. This is a very cute romance and such a quick, easy read if you are looking for a feel-good romance novel.