I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Night Crush is a fun, happily ever after love story between Holly and Cello (aka Baby).

*SPOILERS AHEAD!!!*

Holly and Cello's relationship was supposed to start and end with a very passionate one-night stand, but Holly and Cello are connected beyond their one-night stand chemistry and things get complicated fast. Holly doesn't realize it, but she and Cello already know each other. He's had a crush on her since she was his babysitter. And Cello’s family may be acquiring Holly’s family business. Understandably, this leads to Holly feeling betrayed and questioning Cello's integrity.

Things get more complicated when Holly and Cello have to travel together and compete against each other for a position. Things get even more complicated after real feelings develop between the two but Holly has doubts because of their age difference and because of how she thinks their families might react.

But what’s meant to be is meant to be! The boundaries and rules they establish to maintain a strictly professional relationship are no match for fate in the form of a quilt, silly pranks, a romance guide in the form of a romance novel, and their chemistry.

Holly's hesitance to fully fall in love made sense for her character, so I loved how certain and secure Cello was in their love and how he did everything he could to make sure she was as well. Their banter was well-written. It made me believe these two genuinely liked each other and were attracted to each other. For all of Holly's concerns about an age difference though, their age gap didn't seem to matter when it came to their maturity, ambition, behaviors or communication.

I also thought it was very cute that public indecency was their thing!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been looking forward to this book since I read the previous books in the series. I was ready for Marcello’s story.

Holly was in a bar, by herself, when she notices Marcello looking at her. They connect. He knows her but she doesn’t remember him. They spend the night together. It is supposed to be a no strings attached one night stand. Two days later, they are sitting across from each other in the board room. She finally remembers that she used to babysit him. He and his family are about to take over her family’s wine business. Next thing they know, they are competing for a job against one another.

I enjoyed how they had a connection. He had a crush on her since he was little. She is very attracted to him and can’t seem to turn her feelings off. I loved how he got advice from a stranger in a book store who ended up dating his best friend. She got advice from strangers at a winery who ended up becoming friends.

No matter how apprehensive she was about their relationship, she didn’t deny her love for him once she realized that she had fallen. He fought for her. He didn’t give up.

This was such a wonderful book. I enjoyed it a lot.

One Night Crush, the fourth installment in the Fortemani Family series, delivers a warm, witty, and slightly angsty summer romance featuring Marcello Fortemani, the youngest of the Fortemani siblings, and Holly Whitaker, a woman from his past who never realized she was the star of his childhood crush. Their passionate one-night stand turns into a complicated battle of business, family, and love when they discover they're on opposing sides of a vineyard acquisition deal.

What I Enjoyed:

Easy to Jump Into - I didn't realize this was the fourth book in a series, but regardless, it was easy to jump into. You don't NEED to read books 1 -3 to follow along with the characters.

A Refreshing Change of Pace – This book was a nice shift from my recent reads. It had a lighthearted, charming quality but carried enough emotional weight to keep me invested.

Engaging Characters & Setup – Holly, in her mid-forties, returns home to help with her family’s vineyard deal, only to find that time is running out on a crucial business agreement between her divorced parents. Meanwhile, Marcello is desperate to prove himself in the family business and sees this deal as his shot at recognition. His relationship with his mother, in particular, adds another layer to his personal struggle.

Meet-Cute & Chemistry – Their first encounter at the bar was sweet, and their rooftop moment had just the right amount of heat. The book has mild spice, and the tension between them is well-built.

Battle of Love, Family, and Self-Discovery – Marcello’s arc is compelling as he tries to shed his “baby of the family” image and carve out his own path. By the end of the Tuscany wine festival, he’s more self-aware, realizing his true passion might not be tied to his family’s business but rather to something he and Holly could build together.

Age-Gap Trope - I am not a fan of the age gap trope, but Mia makes this work. The concerns present were realistic and I enjoyed that. This trope doesn't work for me when the characters behavior doesn't fit their age. Marcello being naive, him playing into the rom-com book romances vs Holly's attitude made me love this! Their conversations were real!!!

What Left Me Wondering:

Holly’s Parents & the Business Deal – One lingering question: why wouldn’t Holly’s mother grant the extension on the buyout agreement, especially if it affected her own child? Holly seems close with her father, but her relationship with her mother is barely explored, making me curious about the deeper family dynamics.

Marcello’s Secret – His decision to keep his identity a secret after their one-night stand was a predictable misstep. Holly’s reaction when she finds out is completely valid—she feels deceived, and it puts their budding relationship on rocky ground. Honestly, what did he think would happen?

Realistic Relationship Hurdles – Holly raises valid concerns about their future. Marcello has been crushing on her for 28 years, and she questions whether his feelings are love or infatuation. She also points out major obstacles between them: their age gap, her lack of interest in having kids, and their conflicting business interests. This conversation was one of the strongest moments in the book, but I wish the resolution had been explored more thoroughly, especially regarding Holly’s long-term concerns.

Final Thoughts:

While I struggled to fully connect with some aspects, I appreciated the journey of both characters. Marcello’s evolution from the underestimated youngest sibling to a man forging his own path was satisfying. Holly’s hesitations felt grounded in reality, even if I wasn’t always sure the book addressed them completely. Their banter, chemistry, and the enemies-to-lovers competition at the wine festival added fun and excitement.

Favorite Scene:

The vineyard tour. My girl Holly took a moment to get frisky with Marcello in a secluded area in the vineyard. Marcello, sir, stop asking that lady if she's sure and give her what's she asking for....he was wasting valuable time!! But it was funny and sweet!

Overall, One Night Crush is a cute, enjoyable read with heart, humor, and a touch of spice. If you like romance with family business drama, second chances, and summer vineyard settings, One Night Crush is worth a spot on your TBR!

What a fun read! Holly and Marcello have such easy chemistry, and the pranks they played on each other had me cackling. It also partly takes place in Italy, which was a pleasant escape from the current wintry cold. I wasn't sure how I would like the age gap situation (it's not usually my thing), but I think Mia did a great job with demonstrating that a mature woman and a younger man who's figuring out his place in the world can work together, both professionally and romantically. Their romance was a bit quick--Holly and Marcello were saying I love you quite soon after they started acknowledging any feelings at all. But I guess that might just be the love epidemic/Nona's quilt is too powerful! Overall, enjoyed the book and I'm sure others will too!

This was the first book of the series that I read, and I didn't get lost, so this book can absolutely stand alone!

I have also never read an age-gap romance, but this book was good. It is a very light-hearted read where the chemistry between the two main characters is obvious from the start and I enjoyed them being together.

However, it lacked something for me, it was a little predictable and i felt it was all a little fast-paced halfway through. Whilst the book was an enjoyable, quick read, the book just didn't come alive for me, and it hasn't left a lasting impression.

Thank you to Tule Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Holly was Marcello's babysitter when he was young, and she doesn't recognise him when they meet in a bar. It is finally his chance with his dream woman, but what will happen the next time they meet and she finds out who he is? I liked the setting, split between Napa and Italy, and that it was told from both points of view.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op| Tule Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book! This was a cute story and I really enjoyed it!

This was my first time reading this author and she did not disappoint. This book is part of a series but I think it can be read as a standalone. Childhood acquaintances reunite in adulthood with one not recognizing the other for a no strings attached steamy one night stand but of course it does not end there and then they are always together. Seeing how they navigate the age gap (cougar tales), family and work is very interesting. Some parts I legit laughed out loud. So happy to see an age gap relationship where the female is older, rarely see that in romance books. Great story and now it makes me want to travel to Italy and find a half black/half Italian man with green eyes and is emotional mature -iykyk

— I had a time with Holly and Marcello. It was hot, steamy and a thoroughly enjoyable read. The reverse age-gap, forced proximity and workplace rivals to lovers, was beautifully written. Mia delivered the perfect banter and undeniable chemistry poetically on paper.

— Holly thought she was having a one-stand with a stranger. Cello felt he was having night-one with his lifelong crush. — I agree with Cello because after that night, I wanted more too. “Baby” isn’t a baby anymore, he’s Grown.

— This story was a ride, grab a glass of your best red wine and head to Tuscany with Holly and Cello, it’s worth it.
___
“I told you that first night—whatever you need, I want to give it to you, Holly. No number of birthday candles or passport stamps is going to change that. I’m yours.”
___
I would to thank NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub Date: 2/11/25

Holly Whitaker is a single and very independent career driven woman who is running the international business of her family’s winery. She returns home at her fathers request and finds that her family’s vineyard is being sold to a rival vineyard because her father owes her mother (his ex-wife) a large payment he can’t make. The night before she finds out this revelation, she has a steamy one night stand with a younger man, Marcello Fortemani who seems to know her even though she has no idea who he is. Turns out he is the youngest son of the rival vineyard and he is up for the same position after the purchase is complete.

This was a cute romance. Of course with any reverse age gap age is a factor but honestly the bigger hurdle was Holly and her independence, she struggles with her feelings and how falling for Marcello would damage or even stop her goals. I loved how Cello never gave up. He was determined to win her over despite the career obstacles. If you are looking for a sweet read with man who has had a crush on his dream girl for as long as he can remember finally gets a shot and uses all his charm, and sweetness to get his woman, this book is for you. It has the perfect amount of spice and a sweet HEA. Thank you to NetGalley and Mia Heintzelman for the opportunity to read and review this great read!

Now how do I get my hands on nonas quilt?

Holly is put for drinks when she sees this gorgous man. He sweeps her right off her feet for a night of fun on the rooftop. The next morning, Holly just finds out her family's winery is being bought in an attempt to help her father's financial issues. It's being bought by her family's friend the Foremanti family, but it's her surprise to see the man that swept her off her feet is none other than Marcello 'Baby' Foremanti the baby of the family and someone she used to babysit. Feeling bamboozled she puts her foot down and works her ass off to prove that out of her and Marcello she should be the new director.
Marcello has had the biggest crush on Holly for as long as he can remember. After one night with the girl of his dreams he's determined to prove to her that there should be more nights between them. But he also needs to prove that he's worthy of being the director too. This leads to some competition between the 2 but Marcello can't fight his attraction to Holly and begins a new plan. Win Holly's heart.
This was a cute story. I loved the supportive friends surrounding these 2. They were awesome helping them get their heads on straight and figure out what they wanted. I loved Marcello's growth. He felt like he didn't belong and was trying to find his footing and boy does he. He morphs into a man i want I swear when he gave his mother the ultimatum I had my bags packed and ready to go 😂😂

Baby was down bad, and has been for almost 20 years, and that’s what I live for
Marcello, ready to shed his nickname Baby by showing his family he’s an adult that has a place in their company agrees to a one night, no strings attached arrangement with the woman of his dreams, Holly, only to find out days later they’ll be competing for the same job after their companies acquisition. The pranks were hilarious, the meddling siblings, the last victim to Nona’s quilt. This was a perfect ending to the Fortemani siblings stories, and the switch to Tuscany?! Made me very hungry.

Thank you author Mia Heintzelman and Net Galley for the free copy of One Night Crush in exchange for my honest review.

One Night Crush is the story of Holly Whitaker, a strong and independent 44 year old career woman living in Tuscany and running the international arm of her family’s winery. While back home in Napa to do some business with her Dad, she meets a gorgeous and charming man Cello (a decade her junior) at a bar and has a steamy incredible one night stand with him. A couple days later, she discovers that the same man she had the hot tryst with is also the youngest member of the Fortemani family- a fellow wine making family- and that her own family winery is set to become an acquisition of theirs or be merged. She and Cello are then tasked with a may-the-best-win competition for director of their family vineyards set in the romantic city of Tuscany. Will they be able to keep their eyes on the prize, or will they succumb to the romance of Italy?

This story checked all the boxes for a sweet and sexy romance. The banter between the main characters was perfect, the sweetness and sexiness was equally balanced, and both characters were likeable and had me cheering for their happily ever afters. I love that this story is very sex positive, and it is refreshing to see a woman be comfortable and confident in her sexiness and needs. I love the character Holly for many reasons. First, she is career and dream driven, and does not sacrifice what she wants for herself and for her legacy. She is also honest in her emotions and needs, and also does not sacrifice herself or her boundaries for love. Marcello is also a great character in that he is passionate and charming, and also very honest and open with his emotions. The dynamic between the two characters did not feel forced and I didn’t feel like any tropes or themes were repeated or played out.

The story was paced well, keeping me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. It was easy to get attached to the characters and their stories, and to feel the emotion evoked by the authors words.

The spice was also perfectly timed and beautifully illustrated in words, not overly vulgar, and was instead sweet and sexy.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the characters created by Mia Heintzelman. This book will be released February 11, 2025 in perfect time for Valentine’s Day!

This was the first book of the series that I read, so I appreciate that you didn’t need to come in with prior knowledge to understand the setting of the book. I am not usually a fan of age gap romances, but I did enjoy this one. It’s a very lighthearted but relatable plot I enjoyed the flow of the story from the supposed one-night stand to the competition. I do feel like it was a little rushed at the end but this book was a nice quick read. I will definitely be picking up the first book of the series.

Since I am a woman in well into the "over 30" age bracket, I find myself increasingly drawn to books with more mature protagonists, so when I read the synopsis for "One-Night Crush" I couldn't sign up for the ARC fast enough! While this is the last book in the Fortemani Family series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

I loved Holly and Marcello so much. Holly's a total boss babe in all the best ways: confident, competent, classy and sassy. Marcello is such a cinnamon roll and he's been absolutely gone for Holly for almost his whole life.

Even though circumstances pit them against each other professionally, it's so satisfying to see them work through the professional and personal challenges to get their happy ever after. 💜

If you like:
- Age gap romance where the woman is older
- rivals to lovers
- emotionally mature cinnamon rolls
- competent and confident FMCs
- protagonists over 30
- stories set in wineries
definitely pick up "One-Night Crush".

It was cute ! I enjoyed reading this book and discovering the Fortemani family. I might read the whole series.

I liked Holly's character, she’s career driven, passionate, good at her job. She and Marcello are great together, they have good chemistry, almost like magnets, they need to be together.

I am not an age-gap girly but, it didn’t annoyed me because one, she was older and two he was old enough in my book. I liked how the book discussed the way women especially black women have to choose between building a career and their love life. I’m happy they found a way to make it work without loosing Holly's sense of self.

I wish they had discussed the children part though because we still don’t know where they both stand on that.

This book was so cute and sweet. Holly and Cello were perfectly matched. There is an age gap of older woman, younger man. The connection between these two was beautiful. The twist of Holly being Cello's babysitter when he was younger was definitely different. Cello has been in love with Holly since his childhood, so he was all in when he got his one night with Holly. Holly fought it once she realized who he was. Cello is determined to win her over, but they have many obstacles in their way. The main one is Holly can't get over the age difference also Cello's family company is in talks to buy Holly's family wine company. The banter and comedy in this book was so cute. I could not get enough of these two. The ending had me smiling from ear to ear. I will definitely be reading more from this author

I'm sorry how is this my.fiest by this author. What a stellar read! And now I feel like I've been robbed of an author. Anyone want to donate her others in the series?
This was such a lovely book. I've got to admit at first I was a bit "eeech" about an age gap romance. It's.NOT that I have a problem but I've seen it used for inappropriate reasons alot and that's given me shivers when I see a pltoline with it in now. But here we are the author has somewhat healed me.
This is a true book of love. Of equals. Of connection. Age gap is actually just their number.
I loved how they both gave something to eachother broken parts. But e.boldened eachother and lit eachother up too. There work drive heightened their banter and chemistry buzz.
But they both want the same thing. And this could leave pur already scared Holly feeling even more distrustful and afraid to let anyone in never kind care for her. But oh Marcello is just so lovely. And yes dare I say it swooooon.
These two work agaisnt eachother at first but it soon becomes clear how good they'd be alongside and I was begging for a happy ending.

.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
One-Night Crush is the fourth book in Mia Heintzelman’s Fortemani Family series. It can be read as a stand-alone, although I do recommend reading the others due to the recurrent family dynamics playing a role throughout the series.
While one-night stands, especially at the beginning of the book, can be a hard sell for me, I found I got along much better with this setup, especially compared to the “accidental pregnancy” curveball in book two. Marcello and Holly are both driven, passionate people, and their attraction to one another was palpable from that initial first encounter. And this passionate first encounter is wonderfully juxtaposed with their dedication to their work that feeds into their professional rivalry, as a result of his family’s acquisition of her family’s vineyard on less-than-ideal terms. It was fun to see them in a battle of wits, all while that initial tension simmered. However, things develop beautifully, with Marcello in particular being an absolute sweetheart, becoming dedicated to winning Holly over, even as she tries to remain focused on her career.
This was such a fun read, and a satisfying conclusion for the series overall. I’d recommend it to readers interested in contemporary romance with an OWYM (older woman, younger man) age gap dynamic.

I love Mia and her books; her books are always the sweetest and romantic!
This is an age-gap story with all the romance!

First let's talk about Holly, she's a 43 woman whose mind is focused on her life and her business while remembering what her grandmother taught her as a young girl. "Never depend on a man, you are a strong and independent woman." (Something I heard my mother would always remind me of growing up)

Marcello is a younger man who knows what he wants in life, (don't you love it when you come in contact with a man who is self-driven, motivated, and knows exactly what he wants. (The biggest turn on right)!

Marcello and Holly, this started as a hookup with a man Holly thought she would never see again, but it turned into something she never imagined. How did Cello end up being the little boy she use to take care of when she babysat. Holly doesn't want to let her guard down, so she stays strong and independent and Cello does whatever it takes to win her heart, and he does, lol. Will Holly keep a level head, or will she take a chance at once in lifetime romance?

I love how this story was centered around Tuscany, Italy, which sets the mood for them, it's the perfect place for a steamy romantic love affair! If I could go anywhere in the world Italy would be my 1st choice!

My favorite quote: Mind the business that pays you!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Mia Heintzelman for the ARC of this amazing book! I will be purchasing and adding it to my Fortemani Collection.