What to expect:
- small town
- forced proximity on his family's scenic vineyard
- she's a singer-songwriter
- a dash of enemies to lovers with bickering and flirty banter!
- friends with benefits (one night turns to two and more)
- spice, emotional depth, and character development
- great narration

The second book in the series and it’s FINALLY HERE!!!!

I’m obsessed with this series by Meredith Wild and Jillian Liota. An absolutely beautiful small town romance that captures Memphis’ story better than I could have ever imagined!

We first met Memphis in book one and I just knew he needed someone who showed him how to enjoy life! Enter his younger sister, Murphy’s best friend: Vivan. A celebrity musician, Vivian has chosen to escape to Hawthorne Vines to put distance between her life, her toxic ex, and what she wants for her future. Putting things in perspective proves to be just what both she and Memphis need, since he’s also struggling with how much he has on his plate with his family business.

Especially when they decide to *enjoy* what little free time they have with one another. I mean, what better way to avoid life’s problems than to enjoy a rather delicious distraction? HA!

I loved the cameos from Murphy and Wes, I loved watching these two characters help one another see what truly matters and also just how much more they deserve out of life, and I loved revisiting this town and this family.

You can definitely read them as standalones, but I recommend reading them in order to avoid spoilers! And the audio is FANTASTIC, so definitely check it out!

You’ll love this one if you enjoy:
- Best friend’s brother
- Forced proximity
- Fling to forever
- Only you
- Grumpy hero
- Sassy musician heroine
- Celebrity romance
- Small town vineyard
- No strings attached

This was my first book by this romance author duo and I liked it. As the second book in a series, it still worked as a standalone. It had spice, emotional depth and strong character development and the narrators were good too, making the audiobook an enjoyable experience. Would definitely recommend to fans of authors like Laura Pavlov. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is the perfect small-town romance. A singer songwriter, heads to her best friend’s family hometown to get away from a bad breakup and find inspiration for her music that she is lacking to create on a tight deadline. She doesn’t expect to get tangled up with her best friend’s brother who is trying to save the family business.
Their chemistry is instant and their no strings arrangement quickly turns into something real. I loved how the story balanced fun banter with emotional depth. Both characters have their own personal struggles, and watching them support each other was such a treat. The vineyard small town setting really gave this book a cozy, heartwarming vibe.
I wasn’t ready for the emotional ending! If you’re into small-town romances with a bit of heat and heart, definitely check this one out.

Thanks you to the publisher for the ARC through NetGalley!

Sweet Escape was a delightful, charming and heartfelt small-town romance! This book does an excelled job at transporting you to the vineyards of California’s wine country. Vivian is a free-spirited singer/songwriter who escapes LA to visit her best friend Murphy’s family vineyard. There she meets Memphis, her best friend’s brother and is instantly attracted to him. Memphis is a workaholic and trying to save his family’s vineyard from going under. He has no time for distractions. However, when he meets Memphis, he can’t ignore their electric chemistry, and both agree to a no strings attached arrangement.

Vivian and Memphis have sizzling chemistry and great flirtatious banter. I loved when they started to develop a meaningful connection as they got to know each other better. Sweet Escape is the second book the Hawthorne Vines series. The audiobook is narrated by Marcio Catalano and Carly Robins. They both do an excellent job at bring the story to life! They embodied Vivian and Memphis so beautifully.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🩷 Small Town Vineyard
🩷 Best Friend’s Brother
🩷 Hate to Love
🩷 Grumpy Hero
🩷 Sassy Heroine
🩷 No Strings Attached

Holy smokes this was so great! I absolutely loved this book.

Vivian and Memphis gave me everything I needed from this book. The way it was instant lust to benefits to lovers. I loved how well they worked together and how they let each other be who they wanted and needed to be without ever pressuring each other for more.

I usually dread the third act breakup but this one was so good. I love when a girl goes after what she wants for herself.

I only wish wed gotten a tiny bit more of the Hawthorne family and more of the vineyard.

Overall really enjoyed the audiobook! The narrators were both so great and made the story that much more enjoyable.

Finding love was the last thing Vivian had on her mind when she takes a getaway to her best friend Murphy's family vineyard. Immediately Memphis, Murphy's brother, and Vivian cannot resist and stay away from each other. With Vivian only being in town for a short time and all the problems of a struggling business, Memphis absolutely does not want to start anything that will likely only end up in broken hearts all around. The banter was perfection! You can clearly see that Vivian is attracted to Memphis, physically and as a person immediately after their first meeting. I loved the small town vibes of the vineyard and how it can make even a big city girl fall in love with the small town life. I also loved the family dynamics in this book. I did a combination eyeball read and ALC and enjoyed the narrators. Thank you to the authors for the free eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review will be live approximately 31Jan25.

I enjoyed this romance with our forward and fun female main character Vivian. The way she dominated the beginning of the relationship with Memphis had me giggling and cheering her on. The two of them when they got together were on fire! They had so much chemistry that I felt it oozing out as I listened to the audiobook (discreetly turned down at times while the kids were around!). I can't wait for the next installment in this series.

The story definitely had its ups and downs. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was engaging, but at times it felt a little predictable. There was tension between the characters, but I kept wishing for more depth in their interactions. Some of the moments that were meant to build up their chemistry just didn’t land as strongly as I’d hoped.

As for the "a star is born" vibe, it was a great concept, but I think it could have been developed more. While I could see the characters pushing each other to grow, their evolution didn’t feel as impactful as it could have been. Overall, I enjoyed the journey, but there were moments where I felt like the potential wasn’t fully realized.