Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Oh. My. Gosh. This audiobook gave me LIFE. I was not prepared for this book and I'm honestly still trying to soak it all in. First off I really recommend the audiobook, the narrator is perfect for this book and I can picture her as the voice of Zoe perfectly. I understood and felt for Zoe and her personal struggles relating to worth and feeling loved so much, as well as the struggle with realizing your sexuality in your 20's. And I absolutely adore her and Lane's love story. I loved how they both were able to struggle with their own things and deal with them both on their own and with each other. The little found family they have at Blue Ridge also gives me life and melts my heart simultaneously. I look forward to their hopefully being more books for this series so we can continue to see this found family grow.

I loved this one! From the setting to the chemistry between the MCs, I was hooked the whole time. I also just loved how truly queer this was.

I did feel like the drama with Zoe’s ex best friend was a little juvenile and I wasn’t a fan of Laine’s nickname for Zoe being ‘boss’.

Other than those two things, this was fantastic and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Also, Lindsey Dorcus who did a fabulous job.

I stopped with about 2.5 hours to go because the impressive overuse of the thesaurus just got to be too much for me.

There is a lot to like about this book but ultimately, I stopped before finishing it.

I had so much fun with this one! Zoe is funny and relatable while also being a strong personality. Lane is someone I would want to be friends with. They have made their mistakes but are learning from them and seem to be such a fiercely loyal person. The backdrop of this story is in one of my favorite areas of the country and is beautiful described. There is a fair amount of spice in this one, but the story itself holds its own to me. I was rooting for the FMC's the whole time. This story has heart, romance, humor, found family, a funny goat, and more. I highly recommend!

I was so excited to have a chance to listen to this audio arc! I really really enjoyed Hannah Tate Beyond Repair, mostly for how lovable and unique the characters were. I do think the plot of this book was more unique and compelling, but I felt like I got just a little bit less of the endearing character in this one. Overall, I had a good time and will hopefully continue to read Laura Piper Lee's books!

This was a light hearted rom com. Sure there are some emotional stories and situations, but they are written well and keep the story upbeat. There were so many times I laughed out loud. LGBTQ cast of characters who were fun with big personalities. Many spicy moments. The narrator did a good job and made this an easy listen.

A Delightful book to read! It had some humor and great romance. It had a good amount of steam throughout the book, which was nice. The conflict was minimal and was resolved quite quickly, which I didn't mind. I loved how this book showed a great and well balanced community Zoe had for her and her vineyard. It talked about some sensitive subjects in a caring and compassionate manner. Overall this book was a joy to read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Laura Piper Lee for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'll just start by saying the "re"meet cute had me: gasping, gagging and speechless. Wow. What a happenstance that was!

I loved the found family, the reconnections and growth. This is a sweet & spicy book that deals with grief, moving forward and finding your place/purpose.

Lindsey Dorcas did excellent narration. I've enjoyed her before this- and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.

Sparks fly and drama abounds when Zoe's childhood crush becomes her vintner at her family's vineyard.

A spicy yet cozy read about old crushes, new love, wine, misunderstandings, love, and family is one I definitely enjoyed!

Wonderfully written characters, emotional and engaging. Spicy and fun. I enjoyed it greatly and immediately borrowed the author's other novel from the library.

Zoe Brennan runs her Georgia-based family vineyard with her father. Her mother passed away years prior, and the winery is Zoe’s way of staying connected to her. Zoe’s dad must return home to Italy as his mother’s health is failing, and a replacement vintner is needed ASAP. Enter Laine Woods.

Laine is the daughter of a neighboring, rival vineyard and also Zoe’s high school crush. Laine is the older sister of Zoe’s former best friend, Rachel. While this isn’t a grumpy meets sunshine kind of story, it is a kind of melding of two different types of people who are both very prideful and both very opinionated. Their romance starts with a surprise three$ome twist and EVENTUALLY unfolds from there. The sweetest part is how Laine wants to “court” Zoe so she’ll treat the relationship as more than just physical. The blossoming romance between the two forces a reconciliation not only between Laine and her family but also between Zoe and Rachel.

This story is not only funny meets romance at its best but also addresses life as a widow, life without a mom, repairing broken friendships, and dealing with perfectionism at its worst.

I normally find Lindsey Dorcus narrating my YA and NA reads so it was nice to find her over in my more adult sapphic indulgences. Lindsey did a spectacular job not only with this wide cast of characters, she also brought the humor/sarcastic wit of the characters and sexual tension as well. Lindsey’s accents ranged from Italian (multiple characters) to Georgia Southern. This was an excellent performance and really showcased Lindsey’s talents. I highly recommend this as an audiobook as it adds to the flavor of the entire story.

I am not surprised I enjoyed this book, I loved Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair. This was a great continuation to the series. It was full of love and heart. The chemistry between Zoe and Laine felt so authentic.
Zoe’s high school crush turned employee at her family winery, Laine Woods, reappears in Zoe’s life after more than 10 years looking better than ever.
I always expect the MC to be the hopeless romantic and the love interest to be the one keeping them at arms length, so it was very interesting to me to see that turned on its head in this one, especially after Zoe’s crush on her throughout high school!
The growth that Zoe and Laine undergo individually is an important part of why they are able to come together so well in the end.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee is a delightful and witty sapphic romance that combines heartfelt storytelling, laugh-out-loud humor, and a healthy dose of sexual and professional tension. Set in the beautiful backdrop of Blue Ridge vineyards, this story delivers a refreshing take on enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes, with plenty of authentic queer representation to make your heart soar.

Zoe Brennan is a hilariously relatable protagonist. Her mix of snark, pride, and vulnerability makes her a delight to follow, especially as she tries to juggle her family vineyard’s future, a prestigious wine festival, and the unexpected return of her first crush and one-night-stand partner, Laine Woods. Laine, a talented Napa-trained vintner, is the perfect foil to Zoe’s stubbornness—snobby, confident, and just as prideful. The banter between them is sharp, biting, and downright hilarious at times, yet it’s filled with an undercurrent of longing and unresolved feelings that keeps the tension alive throughout the story.

One of the standout aspects of this book is how well the queer representation is handled. The romance feels incredibly authentic and avoids falling into stereotypical tropes. Instead, the story is layered with genuine emotional depth, exploring what it means for two women to love and navigate complicated histories together. The chemistry between Zoe and Laine is electric, and their growth as characters—both individually and as a couple—is deeply satisfying.

The humor in this book is spot-on. The antics of the Queer Mountaineers and the colorful cast of family and friends are laugh-out-loud funny, adding levity and charm to the story. At the same time, the book doesn’t shy away from deeper themes, like facing the past, forgiving mistakes, and learning to let go of pride to find peace and joy.

The vineyard setting is another highlight, immersing readers in the competitive world of winemaking while adding a layer of richness to the plot. Watching Zoe and Laine work together to prepare for the wine festival adds both professional stakes and intimate late-night moments under the stars that make the romance all the more compelling.

If there’s one critique, it’s that some of the conflicts feel slightly drawn out, and a few plot points could have been explored more deeply. However, the charm of the characters and the humor of the story more than makeup for these minor things.

Zoe Brennan, First Crush is a heartfelt, hilarious, and tender romance about growth, forgiveness, and finding love where you least expect it. With its realistic characters, witty banter, and swoon-worthy tension, this book is a must-read for fans of sapphic romance and anyone who loves a good laugh alongside their love story. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley. & Laura Piper Lee for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy your books starting with a bang, this one does NOT hold back. By chapter two we already have a threesome which also coincidentally serves as a meet-cute. Yep, you read that right. And it’s 🥵 and also super smart!

This book was the perfect sapphic small town romance I didn’t know I needed. Zoe and her father are barely keeping her family winery in the Blue Ridge Mountains alive with limited help, but a whole lot of heart. When the opportunity arises for tiny Bluebell winery to win the featured spot for the Bon Vivant showcase, Zoe thinks this opportunity could give exposure to Bluebell and grow their customer base. But Zoe doesn’t expect her dad to have to suddenly return to Italy, or for him to hire her first crush as the temporary winemaker, causing Zoe to feel even more off kilter than before.

This book is a little bit about growing up, a little bit about dreams, and a lot about family and the people you let get close to you. I felt that Zoe and Lane were authentic characters, both having their own self-worth struggles and both having to work at being open to change. Laura Piper Lee is fantastic at writing small town characters and eccentric personalities from the evil “warning! It’s that bitch Rachel!”, to Teddy, to even a goat. This book is in the same world as Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair with cameos from many characters, but could still easily be read as a standalone. I listened to Zoe Brennan as an audiobook and thought Lindsey Dorcas did a fantastic job of narrating voices for everyone. And that’s no small task! Keeping distinctly different voices for two FMCs as well as a whole slew of townspeople could have gone very gimmicky, but I thoroughly loved each personality trait she brought out with the dialogue. I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌛
Narration: 📣📣📣📣📣
Humor: 🐐🐐🐐🐐
Likeability of characters: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Steam: 🪭🪭.5

this was so good!! dare i say better than the first one!! it had me laughing, crying, and laughing again! i can’t wait to see what comes next for laura piper lee

I almost DNFed this audiobook twice. The first chapter was almost unbearable. The main character muffling through her dialogue in a dentist chair is… unappealing, to say the least. Then to immediately jump into the threesome in chapter two without any build-up felt out of place. But I kept listening! A lot due to Lindsey Dorcus, the narrator. She was talented and did a great job at the character of Zoe and her voices for the other characters. I also stayed because I love a good enemies to lovers (even if this wasn’t exactly that). I enjoyed the pacing of the book and how utterly romantic Zoe’s love interest, Laine, was. After getting through the beginning, the book actually turned out to be one of my favorite romance novels of the year.

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.

This second chance, enemies to lovers romance is fun. She falls first, at like 16; they fall harder.

I don't know anything about wine and was happy to find that I could still follow the goings-on at the vinyard.

For me, the emotional revelations and reciprocal support in the last third of the book make up for what felt like a lack of character development in the beginning. It helped support the romance that, at the start, felt very fantasy-fueled.

There's also very much a through-line of overcoming misperceptions and misunderstandings amongst people you love, and how sometimes youe own internal work is the obstacle.

Random observations:

Not as much spice as I would have expected from a book that begins with a blindfolded threesome.

There are a few stray body talk comments.

Teddy is written in a very two dimensional way and comes across like a stereotype of a gay man.

Laine introduces herself with the pronouns she/they, but Zoe never uses they to refer to them.

If my dad didn't talk to me for two months after I asked about a way to honor my dead mother, I'm not sure our relationship would recover without an apology.

The scene with the window, after hosting a large event on the property, was...odd.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC.

I don't really have a lot to say about this book except that it was a fun sapphic romcom. When I started the audiobook, I didn't think that it would be so much about wine. It felt like 90% wine and 10% romance and drama and everything else. A lot of times I kind of lost the plot of what's going on when they kept talking about all the different kinds of wine and how they were made. I'm sure that everyone who loves wine and likes to learn new things will love this book!

The characters were (most of the time) strong-willed and knew what they want. They still weren't able to really communicate with each other for most of the book. There were moments where I just wanted to shake them and tell them to talk to each other. Zoe was a good main character. She had her flaws and even in the end she wasn't the perfect character but was able to admit her flaws.

Overall it was a fun book with some very spicy scenes! It was way spicier than I thought it would be. The story gave me a queer Emily Henry vibe!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audibook ARC!

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

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

This was an interesting story with a pair that is easy to like at the center of everything. Both women are smart, strong-willed, talented, loyal, caring, ambitious, kind and both have their own set of issues. These two are clearly right for each other from the beginning.

The idea of later in life falling for the person who was your first crush is utterly compelling.

Parts of this story are slow. This is not an action packed book by any means. This is a story to savor slowly like a good bottle of wine.

I highly recommend this book to wine lovers, anyone who has had their dreams crushed and gotten up and tried again, romance lovers, and lovers of a heartfelt lgbtqia+ romance.

I feel absolutely swoony after listening to this audiobook!