Zoe Brennan, First Crush
By Laura Piper Lee
Narrated by Lindsey Dorcus
4 ⭐️

The book felt joyful. It just made me happy - I adored Zoe. Loved her, faults and all. This is a rather spice forward book with the spiciest scene happening almost immediately. I fully appreciated the banter, push/pull tension, and dorky puns. It felt like brunch with all of your queer best friends. The audiobook was great to listen to. I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Piper Lee, and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook ARC. 🍷

Beautiful setting, Sapphic longing, and expertly crafted writing. I loved every minute of this audiobook and look forward to reading more from this author.

A vineyard? Check. Wine? Check. Small-town vibes? Check, check, check. And the laughs? Oh, so many laughs! Zoe Brennan’s First Crush had me hooked from the start with Laura Piper Lee’s sharp, witty writing and a story that was equal parts heartfelt and downright horny...in the best way possible .Zoe and Laine’s sapphic love story is everything I wanted and more. Their chemistry was electric, their banter had me grinning, and I won’t be forgetting them anytime soon. They officially live rent-free in my brain...welcome, ladies! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVED THIS. The characters were so real and compelling. Their individual stories complimented each others so well and I love that Zoe and Laine shared parts of their girlhood together and eventually ended up falling in love. I also really enjoyed the setting of the vineyard. I also thought the rivalry between Zoe and Rachel added the perfect amount of tension for the story.

The audiobook narration was very well done and kept me engaged the whole time!

I would definitely recommend this book/audiobook.

4.25/5!

I adored this book! It is rare for a book to make me both laugh out loud and cry, but this novel managed it! It was heart-warming, emotional, and funny.

The story starts with a blindfolded threesome, which might lead some people to assume that this story prioritizes physical chemistry over emotions – that is not the case! I felt like I understood the internal world of both characters and how their past experiences made them who they are. The spice was delightful when it happened and had an emotional resonance that I appreciated.

I also found the side characters, community, and setting well-developed! It felt like a real town, full of real people. The pace of the story was great, and the narrative never felt predictable.
This book is the second in a series, but I read it without reading the first and don’t think that detracted from my experience at all.

I listed to an audiobook version of this book, and I adored the narration.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it.

Highlights:
- 5 stars!
- made me laugh & cry
- butch/femme lesbian romance
- amazing narration
- spicy & fun

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A fun and spicy sapphic romance. I loved the Blue Ridge vineyard setting.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Sapphic romance
Enemies to lovers
Small-town romance
Fun romcoms with emotional moments
Quirky characters
Sweet, slow burn romance
Winery settings
Somewhat spicy reads
Mad goats
Themes of growth and forgiveness

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The winery setting was fun

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
There could have been a little more depth/ character development
A little slow at times

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “Sometimes, the best love stories start with a little bit of awkwardness.”
★ “Love isn’t perfect, but it’s worth fighting for.”
★ “You never know how your life will change until you take that first step.”

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(:

This was so good. A well done sapphic spicy romance novel. will leave you wanting a good glass of wine and your own wine scientist. Also there were multiple interesting plot lines to keep the story moving and I felt like they were all well done. loved the side characters and will be reading the rest of the books in this series!

Loved this book! I had lots of fun and learned so much about the wine making process! The LGBTQ rep was wonderful and effortless

I thought this was a fucking blast!
And when I say that I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading this book, I am not exaggerating.

I enjoyed so many aspects of this book,
From the romantic story between Laine and Zoe to the side characters and their journey through the movement of the plot, to the atmosphere of the vineyard and the small town, all the way to the deep messages of grief, loss, pride, and insecurity that shown beneath the laughter and hijinks in this story.

It had just the perfect balance of romance and depth mixed with lightheartedness (and yes there were moments that I cringed, but it's a rom-com to a T so it's all part of the fun)

The author puts so much work into making you truly feel the tension, love, and devotion between Laine and Zoe, and the way the setting was utilized to push their romance forward was beautifully done. It felt like a movie in my head and that's some of the best types of book in my mind.

I thought the pacing was perfect for this type of book, none of it felt like it overtly dragged, and each conflict was handled in a way that felt honest and real.

I truly enjoyed all the incorporations of the side characters in the story of Laine and Zoe, and I think my only issue is with the fact that some of the dialogue and the way characters responded to certain situations felt unrealistic and a bit cartoonish, but I suppose that is meant to add to the romantic comedy magic.


Laine's character can come off as frustratingly arrogant, but as we move through the novel you can't help but fall in love with her, and I absolutely love the way her story was explored and the message about how you can do stupid things out of love was tied up well.

Overall 4.5 stars, and I hope these horny lesbians get the long beautiful life they deserve!

Thank you to Netgalley, The author, and Dreamscape Media for giving me an ARC of the audiobook, this is my honest and willing review. 😊

I absolutely ADORED this book. It made me laugh, cry, and kick my feet like a little schoolgirl. I usually don’t enjoy second-chance books, but this was a fresh perspective that won me over.

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 listening to it.

This was such a delightful read! It was spicy and fun, with a unique setting down in a Georgia vineyard. I appreciated the references back to Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair (also a great book), but reading that previous book definitely wasn’t a requirement for this one. The love story had strong development, and I appreciated that there wasn’t a big, manufactured third-act breakup. The support between the two partners made this feel warm and happy.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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

This book was adorable. The characters felt real and relatable, but not cringey. It had me giggling and kicking my feet. The writing balanced heartfelt moments with snark in a way that felt effortless. The queer rep was done right!!! No weird forced dynamics, just two women falling in love like actual people.

The vineyard setting was sooooooo cute. I feel like I know everything and nothing about wine after finishing this. One of my only complaints is that I dislike long romance books. Some of the parts felt like they dragged out and lulled a little... but listening to the book and loving the characters so much kind of made up for it!

Overall, this was charming, funny, and full of tension (we need to see more of this in our books!!!). Highly recommend for anyone who loves sapphic romance with banter.. Also.. thank you Dreamscape Media and Laura Piper Lee for the ARC :)

Laura Piper Lee is great at writing giddy romances that have me wanting to devour the book. This was no exception!

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! I was anticipating your typical romance and was surprised to find how deep and intricite the book and its characters were

I loved this book! It was such a sweet story about one's gay-awakening, and it was so relatable all the way through. It also tackled tough topics like family tragedy, broken friendships, managing a business, and the struggles of capitalism. This twist on enemies-to-lovers was a thrill to watch play out, and will definitely have you rooting for the characters. I also enjoyed seeing the well-developed side characters come into play throughout the book, and I personally would love to read a spin-off about Teddy!

Zoe Brennan, First Crush has a lot going for it—a charming small-town setting, a winery backdrop, and a main character, Zoe, who is so relatable in her need to prove herself and make everything perfect. I loved the cast of side characters, from the supportive friends to the hilarious goat, and the humour and wit made this an entertaining read. There were moments when I was giggling away or cringing on Zoe's behalf. I also really enjoyed the workplace tension between Zoe and Laine after their blind-folded threesome. This romance definitely had plenty of chemistry.

That said, I struggled with Laine as a love interest. Because the book is told entirely from Zoe’s POV, it was difficult to fully understand Laine’s decisions, and at times, she I wasn't impressed by some of her behaviour towards Zoe. For me, this made it hard to root for their relationship. While their romance had its moments, I would have loved more depth in Laine’s backstory—especially her reconnection with her family—so her actions felt more fleshed out.

Despite my mixed feelings on the romance, the book was still a fun and engaging read with great queer representation, strong friendships, and an entertaining rivalry with Zoe’s ex-best friend turned vineyard competitor. If you enjoy witty banter, a touch of drama, and a cozy small-town atmosphere, this is definitely worth picking up.

Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention Lindsey Dorcus' amazing narration. She did an exceptional job at portraying the characters for the audiobook I listened to.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Piper Lee, and Dreamscape Media for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wooooo!!! What a good book!! This book is funny, surprising, sexy, emotional, exciting, and made me kick my feet. I adored the setting of the book taking place at a family vineyard in Georgia (instead of the classic Napa) and seeing a bit behind the curtain in the wine making process. Blue Bells held a lot of importance to our main character, Zoe, and it really deepened the emotional aspects of the book while also raising the stakes as she tried to best to keep the vineyard afloat. I loved seeing Zoe grow as a character and face some of her traumas that she didn't realize were impacting her relationships with her loved ones.

What I think really worked with this book was the chemistry between Laine and Zoe. I think it was super smart to have the meet cute happen as a sexy little encounter in Chapter 2, so that that steam permeated through the rest of the book without them actually hooking up again until at least half (or maybe 2/3) of the way through the book. We get the best of both worlds with this set up: instant-lust, and a slow-burn. I think those are tropes hard to pull off well together, but Piper Lee really delivers! It also helps that I have a serious bookcrush on Laine, lol. Give me more butch representation!! I think another aspect that really made the spice in this book GO OFF was the constant battle for dominance between Laine and Zoe. As a bratty little bottom myself, I was GAGGED between the power play between our two MCs, lol. Give me two tops duking it out any day, please and thank you.

This book has a lot of heart and complex characters. Even Rachel (the villain in our story) holds nuance by the end. This book drew me in deep and didn't let me go until I was done. I was opting to listen to the audiobook over reading a digital copy of another book which is really saying something for me, as ereading is my preferred way to read. The audio version of this book (and the book in general) was really spectacular that I was finding reasons to keep listening! (My dog thanks you, Piper Lee, as she got to enjoy extra long walks as I just couldn't bear to pause the story.)

I'm a big theme / seasonal reader where I love it when my books match either an activity I'm into or the season I'm currently experiencing. If you're also like me in this way, I would say that seasonally, this book would fit PERFECTLY if you're doing a holiday to a vineyard during the warmer months. That way you can pick up your fave bottle from the winery and sip on it while reading this book. Honestly, a dream. Or if you're going to a pre-wedding party (bachelor, bachelorette, bachelorex) at a vineyard/winery this book would suit it so well because queer friendships play a big role in this book, and the peachy Georgia Girls wine sounds like a delectably sweet party wine. This book would also suit fresh spring, sweet summer vibes. Think greenery with a refreshing breeze on your skin while the sun keeps your warm type of atmosphere. This book also features Italy (Tuscany specifically) so take that into consideration if it potentially fits a theme or vibe you're looking for.

Buy this book if you love wine, lesbians, sticky family situations, hot butches with professor vibes, Top Energy, and a cast of queer friends. Can't wait to see what Piper Lee releases next!

Note, this is 2nd in the same world, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I didn't even realize this was a 'sequel' until about 3/4 of the way through. Obviously, I didn't read the first book "Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair" before reading this, but I would love to go back and check out Hannah's story.