I wanted to like this will book so much.

There’s just a number of things that really irritated me. First of all the main character describes the romantic interest is butch and there’s no way that she’s Butch. And anyone who is a culture knows what a butch woman looks like. And it is not Laine.

Also, you can’t feel tattoos. And if you can, that means there’s something wrong.

I also really just found Zoe annoying. She’s incredibly whiny.

And for a small southern town that supposedly has a ton of queer people, I find it completely unbelievable that the largest vineyard owner is ridiculously homophobic.

I got through about 70 pages before my annoyance made me give up.

It wasn’t for me. But if you don’t read a lot of queer literature, and you’re just in it for the romance, I can see people liking this book.

Laura Piper Lee has done it again! After a ripper of a debut with Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair, I had no idea how this follow up could top it but holy red wine this was bloody fabulous. I am so thrilled Zoe Brennan got main character treatment as she was one of my favs from Hannah Tate and the Blue Ridge universe. Zoe Brennan, Beyond Repair is must read, it has off the charts sexual chemistry, perfectly timed humour, and a shit ton of heart. I will follow Laura Piper Lee wherever she wants to take me next.

When the book starts with a blindfolded threesome, you know that you're in for a real treat! The spice staarts and continues throughtout the book. When Zoe agrees to a blindfolded threesome with a friend and a stranger, she has no idea that the stranger is actually, Laine! Laine was Zoe's first crush. Zoe saw Laine as the ideal woman, as she watched her soccer games and hung out with her in high school. Now, Laine is the sister of Zoe's ex-best friend.

Zoe is also shocked to find out that she has to work with Laine, as Laine is set to take over at her family winery. Laine is helping out as Zoe's dad goes back home to Italy to see his family. Zoe and Laine agree to put their hookup (as steamy as it was!) behind them to try to work together.

The side characters are so much fun, and I loved all of the shenanigans at the winery too. It was so great to see Hannah and River from the first book in this series. I love seeing the Queer Mountaineers.

Overall, this book was spicy and sweet. The romance felt authentically queer, and it didn't fall into stereotypical tropes. Their banter was sexy, and they also had so many emotions too. I loved this book!

Come for the blindfolded sapphic three-way, stay for the cute and comedic moments...

Firstly, a little commotion for the cover!?!?!? Love it!

Secondly, I think I'm finally admitting to myself that butch/femme romances are my current catnip and so this scratched all my itches in all the right ways.

A slickly written, and hella queer, contemporary romcom Zoe Brennan, First Crush had lots to offer. Loved how deeply researched the wine side of the story was and although I did spend the first chunk of the book wishing Zoe's crush was actually her nemesis Rachel (I'm a sucker for a true enemies to lovers), by the end of the book it was very clear Laine was the woman for Zoe.

Yes, this book had lots of light, comedic moments but there was also depth to the story too, especially in regards to dealing with loss and grief, and learning how to confront the past and practise forgiveness.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. In fact, it was a bit like a roller coaster: It felt very good at the beginning, a little strange in the middle, and then good again at the end.

I will say that whilst I did love these together at the beginning, what made me a bit iffy was how much Zoe had been obsessed with Laine before. I mean, some of it I read and was left thinking, "This is a little terrifying?" But, alas! Laine did not think it was weird and seemed to think it was a little endearing, so who am I to argue with that?

Despite that, I thought they were adorable together. I loved their character development, and the plot of the book was very enticing.

It was a good and easy read that I enjoyed for the most part.

I would give this book a good three stars. If Zoe's crush had not seemed so obsessive in the first place, making me a little uncomfortable, I would have rated it higher.

As much as I wanted to enjoye reading this book, it wasn't for me. I didn't find any connection between Laine and Zoe. Most of the time it felt like Zoe whined and complained about everything. The tension between them was non existant to me and I was not interested to everything that was going on with winning that wine competition.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This was a really cute queer romance to begin 2025 with and I loved the originality of it taking place at a vineyard! Some of the characters and plot points felt a bit contrived to me at times but I enjoyed the sentimentality of the vineyard’s history and all that it meant to Zoe. Overall it was a fun (and sometimes spicy) read with a sweet underlying message.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush is a swoony entertaining romance story which balances emotions and laughs. Beginning with some spice, we love a good childhood crush returned. There's something not only about your first queer awakening, but also crush to haunt us again. At its core, Zoe Brennan, First Crush is about facing our fears. About realizing that we don't have to be in control all the time, that we can let others take care of ourselves. Our job isn't all of us, even if it's in the family.

Get excited to go back to Blue Ridge in this interconnected standalone following Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair! If you haven’t read Hannah Tate, it’s not needed to enjoy Zoe Brennan, but I HIGHLY recommend it so you can get a hilarious and heartfelt intro to Blue Ridge.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee is full of humor, love, drama, and wine. In this spicy sapphic romance we follow Zoe as she runs a small winery in the Blue Ridge Mountains that her parents started. She’s dealing with the weight of keeping her family legacy going while working through her anxiety about finding love. The heavier topics are balanced out with the humor that Laura Piper Lee is a master at weaving in. It is impossible for me to sum up the journey this book takes, you’ve got to read it yourself - trust me, it’s worth it!

It was a nice read. I enjoyed how the interactions led Zoe to overcome her anxieties and see how capable she is. Her relationship with her dad is beautiful he's just so considerate and open to her feelings. There were many moments where Laine annoyed me, but I'm glad that her relationship with Zoe was growing despite the obstacles. I think one of my favorite parts, aside from Hannah's wedding, was when Rachel finally opened up to Zoe and voiced her insecurities and the reasons for their strained relationship.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced e-arc!!

Okay first things first- a blindfolded threesome in chapter TWO?!?! Amazing

This book was hilarious!! I was absolutely cackling at the bar scene, the goat, redneck wine tour, and when they had to pull off the tour for Everyday Bon Vivant drunk as hell! I was DYING

Not only was this book hysterical but it also showed beautiful found family and learning to let people in. Zoe and Laine were everything. I about died every time Laine called Zoe “boss”

🍇Small town romance
🍇Sapphic romance
🍇Workplace romance
🍇Enemies to lovers

Laura Piper Lee delivers another novel that had me laughing out loud often and falling in love with all the characters from page one. This novel is set in the beautiful Blue Ridge vineyard and tells the love story of Zoe Brennan, who is Hannah's best friend from Laura Piper Lee's first novel 🥰

Zoe & Laine have a "meet cute" in one of the most unique plot twists I've ever read and it just set the tone for this novel. I had so much fun reading about Zoe & Laine as they navigated relatable and realistic relationship hurdles and life events. This LGBTQ romance has sizzling chemistry and is moderately spicy (🔥🔥🔥🔥/5).

This novel has a small town feel with the plot of saving the vineyard with a contest and I was here for it 🎉 I absolutely loved Zoe's friends Teddy and Hannah, they just brought this book to life and I hope we get Teddy's story at some point 🤗

If you enjoy spicy rom coms with lovable characters and laugh out loud moments you need to add Laura Piper Lee's novels to your TBR list!

Thank you Union Square & Co for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Laura Piper Lee, and Union Square and Co for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

LOVED!!!! I've definitely been in a romance mood this year (bonus points if it's sapphic), and this was such a delightful read in the genre!! As much as I've been wanting to read romance, I still can't get behind anything that is too cheesy/Hallmark-y, and this was not at all. Not only did the chemistry feel real and believable, it was also SPICY!! How the book opens had me hooked immediately, and I knew I was in for treat of all sorts. I was pleasantly surprised that Lee really goes in depth in the viniculture aspects of the book; I felt like I learned a lot about winemaking both as a whole and specifically in the Blue Ridge region. The side characters were also all great and had wonderful chemistry with the main characters as well. Everything just read really authentic, and while still cutesy-romantic, there was surprisingly a lot of depth and character growth. I'm excited to check out more from Lee as this book was exactly what I wanted out of a sapphic romance!!

This book was adorable. From finding yourself and healing to an epic love story what more could you ask for?

This book was like a breath of fresh air and got me out of a reading slump! I loved the idea of reuniting with your first childhood crush in adulthood without making it a standard second chance romance. Zoe truly got to know Laine as an adult and it was fun to see their relationship evolve from reluctant antagonizing coworkers to friends to lovers. I loved the little waiting game Laine played to ensure Zoe truly went into the relationship in the right headspace. Plus I loved all the cameos from Hannah and River! I also loved the nuance Laura brought to the complicated relationship of having an ex-best friend which is a concept I don’t see often in romance novels. The sting of the loss Zoe felt with her friendship with Rachel is a feeling so many young women go through it was a thoughtful addition I hadn’t seen before in a romance novel. Overall I loved it and look forward to Laura’s next works!
Thank you Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for my advanced and copy.

4.25 stars!

To say I was excited to receive the ARC for Zoe Brennan, First Crush is an understatement. Everything about the description of a lonely winery owner in the mountains of Georgia in this childhood crush to lovers romance was everything I needed this holiday season. Oh this book is wonderful! This was a goddamn delight. Every single part of it. The animosity between Laine and Zoe at the beginning made for a really playful “enemies” to lovers story. With many complexities of loneliness, fear of abandonment, inability to recognize the love in your life, sprinkled amongst a lot of good humor, strong wit, and lovable characters. This story was unpredictable (and boy did I try to predict some plot twists) and I loved that. Every twist and turn made sense but it wasn't something I knew would be coming until we were in the moment. This sapphic romance is everything and more and will be one I’ll be recommending time and time again!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of this book for an honest review!

Zoe is the "one before the one" she has a robust queer community around her in Georgia mountains near her family's winery, but still she is so lonely. In a turn of events after agreeing to a blindfold hook-up it turns out to be her childhood crush, the queer woman of her dreams when she was 16, her childhood best friend turned rival's older sister, Laine. Andddd Laine is taking over as Zoe's vintner as her dad needs to go back to Italy for the foreseeable future.

I loved how much time this book got to breathe. The romance could really develop from tentative dislike post-hook up turned boss/employee. So much angst in a short amount of time before they find their stride as workers then friends then lovers.

This book has so much about dreams and choice and I loved how Zoe and Laine helped each other. The descriptions of the daily operations at the winery were also seamless throughout and so interesting, the scenery, side plots, and resulting hijinks were SO vivid. I loved this book.

Thank you to Union Square for the eARC. First for me by this author!

Zoe Brennan, the lonely owner of Bluebell Vineyards, is determined to win a prestigious wine festival and outshine her ex–best friend’s vineyard, but when her father leaves town, she’s forced to work with Laine Woods, a skilled vintner and her first crush. As the two clash over their professional differences, their undeniable chemistry threatens to reopen old wounds and complicate their chances of success—both in business and in love.

I loved this book. It was so witty and heartfelt and so damn RELATABLE. I literally highlighted a paragraph on my kindle and sent it to @laurapiperlee asking if she lived in my brain. The description of loneliness hit so hard in this book.

The field day had me cracking up. Zoe’s friends were incredible. Laine calling Zoe boss. The red neck wine tour. The blindfolds (iykyk). The SPICE. I have the most massive crush on Laine. I loved seeing Hannah and River and the crew!! The showcase was amazing. The found family!!!! I am in love with this book.

In a word - obsessed.

eARC Review: Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee
Pub Date: January 21, 2025

This book truly starts with a BANG! And I was so here for it. Zoe Brennan is just trying to keep her family's vineyard afloat while trying to manage her dad's grief over her mom's passing and his absence as he travels home to Italy to care for his mom at the end of her life. Zoe is very integrated into the very queer mountain community but that also means she's dated or slept with basically every available woman. But there's a new (old) face in town - Laine Woods, the butch sister of her childhood best friend. Though Zoe is now estranged from her friend, Laine is in town to be a temporary Vintner for Zoe's vineyard. That means a whole lot of forced proximity - add that in with the fact that Laine was Zoe's first girl crush? It's chemistry just waiting to explode.

I really enjoyed this one! I love how queer Laura's books are and how much found family exists. The relationships in her books always feel incredibly authentic and realistic and so do the characters. The characters may not be perfect and they may make decisions that frustrate you as a reader, but such is real life! The chemistry and banter between Laine and Zoe is deliciousssss.

Truly recommend both of Laura's books! Check it out today - there's still time to preorder!

Thank you to Union Square & Co for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush 🍷🍇
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
Coming in January, Zoe Brennan, First Crush stole my heart so thoroughly I know I’ll be revisiting it every year! This sapphic romance set in a gorgeous Georgia vineyard is sentimental, sexy, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny.

We follow Zoe Brennan, a lonely 30-year-old lesbian who believes no one will stay, haunted by the loss of her mother and the struggle to keep her family vineyard afloat. Enter Laine Woods: a bossy, butch, emotionally mature vintner with turtle-shell glasses and a high school soccer star past.

Laine, the older sister of Zoe’s childhood best friend, was Zoe’s very first crush, and their reunion is electric. As Laine steps in to save Bluebell Vineyards while Zoe’s dad goes to Italy (don’t worry, Italy lovers, there's a trip for you too!), their dynamic goes from bossy bickering to undeniable passion. Laine is a southern gentlewoman with a sexy-scientist devotion to wine, and she peels back Zoe’s hardened shell with such care and chemistry.

The found family shines just as brightly: Teddy, the sassy gay dentist BFF; Zoe’s cousin and his wife Hannah; and the fiercely loyal locals bring humor, warmth, and joy to Zoe’s world. Their witty banter, unwavering support, and community spirit make this story so vibrant.

Laura Piper Lee's writing beautifully blends professional and personal growth, offering a love story full of healing and hope. The emotional connection between Zoe and Laine? Perfection. And the spice? Just the right amount. Laine may not have truly seen Zoe when they were young, but now? She absolutely sees her, and I AM HERE FOR IT.

This book even inspired me to finally try red wine! 🍷 It’s an absolute feel-good gem, and I can’t wait to hold a physical copy in my hands. Mark your calendars, because you don't want to miss this! 📆💫