What could go wrong (or right😉) with your ex bff’s older sister/your first real crush/world renowned winemaker coming back to your small town to moonlight as a winemaker at you family’s vineyard for months while your winemaker dad goes to his home country for an extended stay to look after your aging Nonna?!

This book was the best mix of funny, heartfelt, and warm, fuzzy, and spicy feelings in true @laurapiperlee fashion! Another absolutely wonderful 5 star read!

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book!

⅘ stars.

Tropes:
-childhood friends(ish)
-first crush EVER
-forced proximity
-workplace romance
-small town romance
-sapphic

Trigger/content warnings: death of a parent (off page), death of grandmother (off page)
*check all content warnings please!


Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee was SO fun. This book had a lot of moving parts but it really worked for me. Zoe runs a vineyard with her father. She has lived on the vineyard her whole life and when her mother passed away when she was twelve, she started helping her dad run it. The vineyard on the land right next to theirs is the rival vineyard that her ex-best friend runs so when a prestigious wine festival comes to town, Zoe must get the spot to host before her rival Rachel can. While all this is happening her first gay crush, laine, is back in town for a visit.

The side characters in this book are fun, and even stronger if you’ve read the first book set in this town, Hannah Tate Beyond Repair. The small town vibes are so strong and cozy and I'm trying to figure out how to join the ‘queer mountaineers’ group. Personally I felt this ending was a bit rushed, and the pacing was a little off but I was having so much fun with this book it did not bother me enough to stop reading, or to feel a certain way about the book. I really love how Zoe and Laine are written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square and co. publishing for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #sapphicromance #sapphicbookreview #sapphicbooks #sapphicbook #queerbooks #queerreaders

A cute romance that brings you the homey feels 💓

Enemies to lovers
Winery
Friends to enemies
LGBTIQA

This is a delightful and emotional read that will captivate fans of lighthearted, humorous, and heartwarming romance, particularly those who enjoy stories about found family, sapphic love, and overcoming grief, making it a perfect fit for readers who crave a feel-good, LGBTQIA+ romance with a touch of humor and a whole lot of heart.

A mix of tackling grief and insecurity with a high spice level that started at just 6% in. I enjoyed this one and it made me want to read the first connected standalone, as well.

This book was such a delight to read - it felt like a breeze getting through! It was witty, heartfelt and laugh out loud funny. The gay representation was done so well and the sapphic love story has quickly become one of my new favorites. It was definitely spicy but also done in what I felt was a tasteful way. The rivalry between Rachel and Zoe kept me intrigued and I was glad to see how it all resolved in the end. I’m so happy to have read an ARC of this and am definitely excited to now add Laura Piper Lee’s other books to my TBR! Her writing style was simply divine and so easy to digest. I need more to this story!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰. 𝐈 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞’𝐬. “𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐨𝐨?” 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭. “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜?”

OH MY GOD this book is so good. It's such a horny slow burn, which I am a sucker for. But it's got so much heart and love and passion.

Audio note - Lindsey Dorcus narrated this alone and was SO good. Absolutely loved her portrayal of Zoe.

This book is single person POV but I didn't even mind it. Zoe grew up on her family's winery and knew she was gay from her first look at her best friend's older sister, Laine. But when Zoe's family winery needs help and Laine is back from wine country in need of a job, Laine becomes Zoe's vitner.

Zoe has never had anyone stay for her, and Laine is out to prove that she's all in for her.

And did I mention it was horny? We have a blindfolded threesome, masturbation in front of a window, face sitting and so much sapphic goodness this book is equal parts sweet and spicy. I was laughing and kicking my feet and everything was just so good.

“𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰, 𝐙𝐨𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐝.” 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐈’𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭,” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞. “𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞. 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝?”

The added layer of grief from Zoey's mom and the fact that people don't stay for her brought me to tears at time. The book has so much depth and was really just lovely.

It will make you want the taste of a good wine and the love of a special person. I just absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the ALC in exchange for this review.

As promised, “Zoe Brennan, First Crush” is a spicy sapphic romance. It’s a companion/sequel to “Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair”, which I didn’t realize going in, but I don’t feel that I missed anything by not reading it first. Zoe is quite relatable and Laura does a great job of writing about anxiety and how it affects the character in a realistic way. Zoe and Laine’s relationship, though it had a bumpy start, grew into so much more, bringing out the best in each other. Their snarky-ness, banter and sexual tension is off the charts! This book has the perfect balance of many laugh out loud, sexy and sweet moments. The book is also hilarious and emotional while dealing with important and sometimes difficult topics (death of a parent, grief, difficult family relationships). Laura Piper Lee has such a way with characters. Everyone in this story felt authentic and stayed true to their motivations. Everyone NEEDS a Teddy in their life! One of the best parts of this book is the way the mountain towns of Georgia are so beautifully described like you're right there the golden hour as you read! I wish Bluebell Vineyard was real so I could go hang out with the amazing characters in this book and drink some good wine. If you’re a fan of romance, I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Laura Piper Lee, Sterling Publishing and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I will definitely go back and check out the first book in the series and I can’t wait for her next book!

Let the wooing begin!!! I really enjoyed this sapphic novel set at a Blue Ridge vineyard. Zoe Brennan doesn’t have much of a life beyond her beloved Bluebell Vineyard. It was her mother’s dream and it has become the connection to her after she died when Zoe was twelve. When Zoe’s dad unexpectedly goes to Italy he arranges for Laine Woods, a trained and skilled vintner to work at the vineyard. Laine was Zoe’s first crush as she became aware of her own sexuality. Zoe was once best friends with Laine’s younger sister who is now an arch enemy. Her family runs a more successful neighboring vineyard.

Zoe meeting Laine again is an unforgettable moment in the story. I love the extended community feel in the book. There were several side characters that give the feeling of a found family. They brought extra humor and warmth. Also I noticed two were previously featured in the author’s first book Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair (Feb 2024). I’ve already put that book on hold at my local library.

The author writes with a lot of descriptions. Some of it felt repetitive (colors, flavors), but now I want to visit the Blue Ridge mountains and see them in the sun setting. I also want to sample the earthy wines and I don’t drink alcohol. LOL. I loved how worn down Zoe is and yet she doesn’t give up. She is lonely and you feel it. I love the wooing between she and Laine. And they really connect over time without jumping to intimacy.

I enjoyed this romance and appreciate the extras including; friendship, family, grief, and community. (4.5 Stars)

Zoe Brennan, First Crush is another amazing title by Laura Piper Lee.
This was a really fun book! I pretty much knew from the first page that I was going to enjoy the writing style. The characters were really well developed, the plot was paced perfectly, and the romance was swoon-worthy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Release Date: January 21st, 2025

Huge thanks to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for a review!

This book was a freakin delight from start to finish. I LOVE when I get to read a sapphic romance, but a femme and a butch lesbian falling in love in a shared Appalachian workplace amidst a cast of more queer characters? I COULD SCREAM.

I am a SUCKER for yearning and tension, so I was pumped to see that this was a childhood crush on a best friend’s older sister being brought full circle.

I loved the wine culture and Bluebell as the scenery - between the time we get around the vineyard and the story of Zoe’s parents, it felt so homey and like a lovable side character on its own. Also, Zoe’s friends were so much fun, and I can’t wait to go back and read Hannah’s story now!!

The romance with Zoe and Laine was such fun to sink into - I genuinely kept giggling and kicking my feet ant their chemistry (and groaning while covering my face at the embarrassing moments). You could feel the appreciation and love of 🤌🏻women🤌🏻 in this, and the spice felt both authentic and hot.

I highly recommend this if you love:
🍷 Sapphic romance
🍷 Childhood crush
🍷 Workplace romance
🍷 Forced proximity
🍷 Ex-best friend’s older sister
🍷 Queer cast of characters

Laura Piper Lee had me hooked from the beginning with this fun light-hearted sapphic romance about an unlikely pairing set on a winery. I had such a great time reading this book. While I did put it down a couple times due to me being a mood reader I enjoyed the story so much as a whole. I love a good rom-com and the author granted us that. An awkward hook-up turned into love. It's just TOO good! This was my first Laura Piper Lee story but it won't be my last. I've already added Hannah Tate to my to be read list!

This was a very fun Sapphic romance that felt so realistic. I adored Zoe and Laines dynamic and tension. It was also very funny which is always a plus for me when a book can make me laugh out loud.

It’s Wine O’clock, hooking up with Chaotic exes, Winery Rivals & Long-time girl crushes.
Tropes: Forced Proximity-Boss|New Employee, Blindfolded threesome(all female), Save Family Business
Description:
Zoe Brennan is juggling a lot trying to save her family winery, dealing with the fall out of a blindfolded threesome with her chaotic ex, Harlow. While being reunited with her first ever girl crush, Laine, in a less than ideal manner. To make it even more awkward Zoe is also Laine’s new boss.
What I loved 💜:
💜Text message threads
💜Chaotic Ex
💜Banter between characters
💜Reunited with her first girl crush
💜 Forced proximity set up
Not my cuppa ☕️:
☕️ Using first & last names for characters
☕️ Wine Snobbery
Ideal Reader:
✨ Fans of romance with a lot of romcom drama
✨ Fans of ‘Lovers by Rebekah Faubon’

Laura Piper Lee captivates once again with her sophomore novel, Zoe Brennan, First Crush. Set in the charming Blue Ridge community and featuring familiar, beloved characters from her debut, Hannah Tate Beyond Repair, this novel masterfully balances laugh-out-loud humor with heartfelt emotional depth, solidifying Lee’s place as a standout voice in contemporary romance.

While Zoe Brennan, First Crush features characters from Lee’s debut novel, this story can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair for the best reading experience!

Zoe Brennan is so relatable—a woman grappling with the weight of family obligations and unhealed wounds from her past. Laine Woods is sexy, shy, and bit mysterious. As they are forced to work together in hopes of securing the wine festival, their rivalry-turn-romance creates the perfect blend of electric banter and steamy romance with the perfect hint of vulnerability. These characters and this story are absolutely intoxicating.

Pour yourself a glass and savor this one—it’s a treat from start to finish!

Absolutely cute, sweet, and we need more of this in the world! Both of the main characters were well-balanced, and were able to shine in their own light. I deeply appreciated that being queer was woven into the story naturally, and it didn't feel forced. The storyline progressed at a great pace and flowed wonderfully! The spice was on point and so, so good.

My only complaint is that at the beginning of the story, in a spicy scene, no safe words were established in a moment when they should have been present.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for everyone! So cute and such a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square for the advance copy of this book!

I was so excited to jump back into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia with this one and it did not disappoint! More laughs. More crying, and so much more emotion! I loved every second.

I am going to be considering Zoe a long-lost cousin from now on because that is how much I want this woman in my life. There was just so much about her I loved and connected with. Her fight and tenacity. The love she has for her friends and family. Her healing journey. Finally allowing herself to love. I was excited for her, sad for her. I just felt like I was with her every step of the way.

Laine was such a fun wrench in Zoe’s life and plans. And what an entrance she made. I really enjoyed watching how they played off each other and how Laine drew out the parts of Zoe that needed to be healed. And she even got a great healing journey of her own. Watching her try and fail and step back into the light was awesome. And I never even got her POV, but I didn’t need it. She was just one of those characters.

I loved that we got to see the world created in Hannah Tate expanded. Characters we know and love made appearances. Ones we only got glimpses of played larger roles. New characters came to play. Oh my goodness did I want to punt Rachel across the vineyard! And the themes of community and found family continued into this book which I loved. There were so many instances of everyone coming together and the outpouring of love was beautiful.

Laura Piper Lee writes such beautiful, real, complex characters. They grab me from the start and I just want to hold them tight through their journey. And because of that, the stories she writes become beautiful, real, and complex. I can’t wait to see what she does next!


Thank you to NetGalley, Union Square & Co., and NerdFam for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was witty, entertaining, funny, and beautifully atmospheric following the sapphic romance between Zoe and Laine.
I love the winery backdrop and attention to detail, it felt authentic when Zoe talks about it being her love and her parents legacy, and I love the winery competition.
Touches of drama come from her long time rival Rachel, ex best friend turned enemy who runs the competing vineyard, as well as family tensions, and all the angsty feelings for her new employee and first crush.
The workplace tension was layered between animosity, pride, stubbornness, vulnerability and trying to remain professional. I loved their chemistry together, and how supportive Zoe's friends are.
The goat was hilarious, and I loved the sass and charm. It also has fab queer representation and I adored Zoe's best friend and his hilarious honesty.

This book is DELICIOUS. I don’t know how else to describe it better than that! I loved Zoe and Laine soooo much. I adored everything about this book. The storyline, the redemption arcs, the personal growth, the hotness of both characters, the way they met, the connection and how they built it, the First Lesbian, all the bits about Appalachia and redneck wine tours and growing wine…oh my gosh ALL of it is just so exquisite. I hope this author writes more sapphic romance because I will devour it!!

thank u to netgalley & the publisher for the arc :)

i overall enjoyed this book about two lesbians making wine, but struggled with the writing at times and the depth of the characters

zoe is struggling to save her family’s vineyard. as her dad, the vintner, takes a leave of absence, he hires laine woods to take his place. laine was not only zoe’s first crush as a newbie gay, but also the older sister of her ex-bff

sometimes the characters didn’t feel super fleshed out to me? idk how to explain it. there was some miscommunication happening in pretty much all sides, and zoe worked through it all in the span of the last 10% of the book, so it felt a bit rushed

overall, it was a fun and easy ready. i know nothing about wine and don’t drink it either, but it was still fun 😂