Classic romance tropes, a gorgeous setting and lots of details on winemaking add up to a delicious romance. Zoe and Laine have sparks from the moment they meet, but can they work through their issues and find love or will it just be sour grapes?

Thank you so much to ‘The Nerd Fam’ and Laura Piper Lee for this ARC. I’ve done a few MM romances but this was my first FF romance, which I was very excited about.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush was fantastically light, filled with amazing banter and humor, so witty and beautifully heartwarming.

I loved the writing. The vineyard setting was so magical. The characters were so well developed. Zoe and Laine made my heart flutter in the best way so needless to say the romance and spice did all the things.

I loved every second.

This was a very enjoyable romance about 2 enemies who realize they may be perfect for each other.. I liked the characterization of both Zoe and Laine and felt the world building was top notch. I like romances that don't solely focus on the couple and this book had plenty of family drama to keep me interested and add to the emotional depth of the story. Not super spicy but very romantic. Highly recommend.

Beautiful setting, well-plotted characters, and a giant helping of Sapphic longing. I really enjoyed the plot and the details of winemaking that were included. I also loved the lesbian longing for your (ex) best friend's older sister. I look forward to reading more from this author,

There was definitely a lot I liked about this book! I loved our main character, Zoe. I felt seen in a lot of her need to make everything perfect, do everything herself, and make everyone else happy. I loved all of the various townsfolk. The small town this was set in was a joy. I also somehow am a sucker for a romance set on a vineyard. I ultimately like the conclusion Zoe gets to at the end but not without a few bumps in the road!

I don’t think I liked the love interest, Laine. Maybe that was because the book is written as a single POV, but I couldn’t really wrap my head around the decisions that she made sometimes. She felt condescending towards Zoe for A LOT of the book and I just can’t with that. I would’ve loved more story with Laine reconnecting with her family, but alas, none of this book is in her POV.

Thank you Union Square & Co. for the arc and Dreamscape Media for the alc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my. So I knew there would be a threesome right at the start of this one but somehow I still didn't expect this level of heat?! Let me tell you, it was spicy, steamy, angsty, allll the things, but still tender and humorous -- a very well rounded romance. Plus, there are many cheesy moments to be found, which I love in a romcom.

The odds of having a one night stand, blindfolded threesome with your first crush? Not high but highly entertaining! And then finding out she's your new vintner? I love it. I really liked both FMCs and definitely could relate to Zoe as someone who also stayed in their hometown and some of her feelings about it. Also her inability to believe people are really interested in her long-term and being used to people leaving made me feel for her and want her to get her happy ending. Laine definitely frustrated me at times but was also a relatable character in many ways and I think readers will agree that both her and Zoe feel realistic and human, flaws and all, and that makes them easy to love and root for. Their chemistry is palpable from the start and I love all the awkward hilarious moments that follow Laine's return. Zoe's group of friends and the town in general are lovely and there's definitely lots of found family there which is something I love to see in my books.

It's light and fluffy, but with some heavier backstory and a bit of conflict to keep the plot moving. The wit and humor is really well done and kept me pulled in the whole way through and the TENSION *chef's kiss* will have you waiting for them to give into what they really want.

The audio is fantastic, easy to listen to, and flows well. The narrator, Lindsey Dorcus, does a great job and helped make a quick read an even quicker listen. If you prefer audios or a mix of both reading and listening, I definitely recommend!

*ex best friend's older sister
*saving a family business
*small town romance
*sapphic romance
*a bit of enemies to lovers

OH and if you read Laura's first book Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair then you will be happy to see Hannah & River pop up in this one(:

I want to say Laura Piper Lee puts the COM in RomCom because this book was funny as hell, but you know what? She put the ROM in full force also! This book was full of steamy scenes and brilliant one-liners, I had a blast reading it. I hope we get more books about the other friends in this crew, because they were all a blast, and I loved seeing more from Hannah and River!

I really enjoyed Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair & was super stoked to get the ARC for this book! This one started out promising but quickly went downhill for me. The plot was moving too slowly, Zoe's reactions to things were a bit much/over the top and some things were just a bit too ridiculous for me to be able to continue. My favorite part of this was the queer rep! Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

This is a fairly amusing romcom, mostly fluffy but with some sadder emotional beats. It feels very cinematic and I could practically picture myself sitting in a movie theater and watching the antics play out. This was a cute, fun, spicy sapphic romance. Overall if you're looking for a sapphic romance story based at a wine vineyard, this would be a pleasant one to pick up.

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know whether I’ll remember much about this story in the future, but I had a lot of fun listening to it. From the very beginning. I didn’t expect a super hot blindfolded threesome in the first chapter and it kept me entertained during my daily elliptical trainer session. I mean, I just had to know who the third woman was, or rather, get confirmation, and so my exercise stretch that day lasted longer than usual. So yeah, Zoe Brennan, First Crush starts with an almost literal bang. Since her mother’s death when Zoe was twelve, her dad has worked hard to keep their Georgia winery going, to keep the dream alive. Now thirty, Zoe is in charge of marketing, and doing her best to put their small vineyard on the map. Hosting this year’s edition of a huge wine festival would be an amazing opportunity and Zoe won’t let Rachel, her ex-BFF turned enemy, steal it from her. Alas, her father is suddenly called to Italy to be with his sick mother, and to replace him as vintner, he hires Rachel’s Napa-trained older sister and, more importantly, Zoe’s first crush.

The chemistry between Zoe and Laine is electric and I love that the one night stand to forever trope mixed with a dash of enemies to lovers turns temporarily into a very slow burn, testing Zoe’s limits as well as the reader/listener. The pacing is a bit uneven but the quick-witted dialogues sprinkled with slapstick comedy kept my interest up. The narration by Lindsey Dorcus works perfectly, each voice fitting its character well, in turns mischievous and vulnerable.

If you’re into quirky secondary characters, mad goats, sexy athletes turned vintners, and Nellie Oleson wannabes, this book is for you.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Read all my reviews on my website (and please get your books from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers copy of Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee!

Unfortunately, this one was a DNF for me. I tried multiple times, but just could not feel any connection to the protagonist... and the writing just did not hit for me. A lot of it did not feel true to my personal experience as queer woman, but that's just me! I appreciate what the author was trying to do, and think this one could be great for other readers. Thank you for the chance to read and review!

Unfortunately this book was boring to me. It is possible I just wasn't in the right mood to read it, as the premise sounded really cute. I am dissapointed but I may come back to this one in the future.

This was my first WLW book I’ve read and I loved it!!! There was something so palpable, real, and beautiful about the love story and the connection between our main character and love interest. I enjoyed the plot and the banter. The side characters were hilarious and charming.

• when tasked with managing her family’s vineyard, zoe is surprised when the temporary vintner replacing her father is the sister of her ex-bff-turned-business-rival, laine. not only is she zoe’s queer awakening, but they also had a surprising one-night-stand the day before laine’s first day. can the two of them put their differences aside to save the winery?
• this book was such a delightful surprise??? i was really rooting for zone & laine, and even though this book had a third-act breakup (*eyeroll*), the ending was very satisfying!
• this was a lot smuttier than i was anticipating, so be aware if that’s not what you’re looking for in a romcom!

This book gives all the feelings! It's funny and angsty and sizzling 🥵

It flowed well and kept me interested. I really love the setting! Like hellooo? I'm packing my bags 😂

It should go without mention that I looooved seeing sapphic love 🧡🤍🩷

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.