Sparrow and Vine is the first book in the Sparrow and Vine series written by Sophie Lark.

Publication date April 22, 2025

*Marriage of convenience
*Family rivals
*Forced proximity

This is my favorite Sophie Lark book to date!! Great new series featuring two feuding families that are trying to save their vineyard.

Monroe is an ex hockey player, Sadie is an ex artist. Together they have found love and a dream to save their families winery business, fighting the rivalry that was started by their parents.

No OM/OW drama, no third act breakup. Excellent communication between the main characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Sadie (FMC) & Monroe (MMC)

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I was so excited to get Sophie Lark new book!

I loved this book - it had me hooked from the start. This is the start of a Trilogy and Sophie Lark has laid a lot of groundwork for the next two books in this series. I had so many highlights

Sparrow and Vine follows Monroe Beaumont and Sadie Sparrow.

The story starts explaining the background of these two feuding families. Sadie’s grandfather, Ansel, and Monroe’s grandfather, Lionel were best friends and very successful business partners for years. They co-owned Sparrow and Vine - a winery and successful wine company. There only children Sabine (Lionel Daughter ) and Caleb (Ansel Son) were set to inherit everything- the wine, the business, the land, the awards, the label, the whole kit which was perfect as they were set to marriage in a huge wedding. That was until they got into got in a huge fight that nobody wants to talk about and never actually got married. The Sabine , ran off and married Caleb best friend Royce Hoffman. This caused a huge rift between the families. Then after Caleb and Sabine both ending having three children, who are all apart of the complicated inheritance which without the wedding that never was - Sparrow and Vine would be divided up and sold off.

In this ironclad contract of inheritance - it says that there should be a marriage between the two families but didn't state between whom. This is where Monroe comes up with the an ideal of a legal loophole - of marrying a Sparrow sister so they don't lose Sparrow and Vine now both their Grandads are not well. Sadie and Monroe are both the youngest in these complicated families and have known of each other their whole lives and both love this winery.

What started as a marriage of convenience soon blossom into a beautiful friendship and slow burn romance. The way that they both saw the other and loved them was heartwarming. I am so ready for more from this world and uncovering secrets.

Some of my favourite quotes from these two :

She lifts her head, locking our eyes. The smile that bursts across her face is exactly as I pictured it—unrestrained and elated. Nobody’s ever looked that happy to see me before. And we’ve only been separated five minutes. I’m grinning back at her, just as happy, just as foolish.

Monroe is kind. He’s a protector. He likes to teach; he likes to help. And he cares about me deeply and truly, has shown me that again and again—when he comforts me, when he builds me up, when he keeps his promises to me, when he works beside me all day long and holds me in his arms all night. Every time he smiles at me, I see the truth in his eyes. Eyes don’t lie. They can’t; it’s impossible. They’re not just a window but a door to the soul. I look into Monroe’s eyes, and I drown in the goodness he feels for me, in the love I feel in return.

“Don’t be sorry. You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s okay to take a little comfort too. I want to give it to you. I want to be here for you like you are for me.”

4.5 stars!!

listen, i will read anything sophie lark writes & eat it up !!! frankly, she writes in this very raw, sultry, seductive way... i don't know exactly how to explain it but every single emotion is enhanced. everything feels so potent & i looooove it !!! so of course i loved this book! a marriage of convenience to save the family vineyard but there's so much drama & secrets involved !!!! monroe & sadie are so cute & i love how they came to rely on each other and support each other. & the way they lift each other up!!!

i had a great time & i'm very excited for the next two books in the series !!

thank you Bloom Books & Netgalley for the arc! this is my honest review.

This book was fine but it almost felt like an epilogue. Like an entire epilogue. I found myself more excited for Hazel and Heath than the actual main couple, mainly because the tension just wasn’t there. They got together really quickly and just kind of stayed together so while it was nice, it was boring and I expect more from Sophie Lark! This definitely wasn’t an enemies to lovers, the hockey didn’t feel meaningful, and there just wasn’t much conflict. But I think the rest of the series will be more interesting so I’ll stay tuned 3.25 stars

Things I Liked:
🍷 The beautiful NE winery setting
🏒 Monroe was a fine book boyfriend. Just fine lol, though very nice
📈 Reviving the business was nice and it was nice to see Sadie grow in her business aptitude
💼 Grayson being all prissy
🍇 Hazel & Heath’s budding relationship

Sparrow and Vine was an atmospheric read. The story, set at a failing family vineyard with a two-family rivalry, felt slightly dark, dramatic, and always on the verge of falling apart. Everything felt depressing except for Sadie and Monroe. Their unexpected marriage and subsequent relationship brought lightness to the dark. They put their trust in each other and fell in love in the sweetest ways. I adored them together. Their families were filled with interesting and entertaining characters with intriguing connections. I'm really excited to find out more about their siblings. That all being said, I did feel that the story felt almost too even keel. The big climactic moment felt like it was missing a little pizazz. Maybe I was just so lulled by the atmosphere that I didn't feel the intensity at that time.

Chock-full of sweetness! This romance follows the fight between two families feuding over a vineyard, but the real juice is in the secret of why their respective parents called it quits before the day of their wedding thirty-odd years ago. Now two of their off-spring have hatched a plan to save the vineyard and solve both their problems by getting hitched themselves.

I found this silly and cute, in the way that Hallmark movies are adorable. Sadie’s love of coconut treats, snuggies, and 2000’s romcoms is definitely relatable to me. The characters are likable, even the surly ones, they just aren’t incredibly deep. It’s a very relaxing read. The author left some mysteries unsolved, so there is sure to be some intrigue left for book two. While I find the setup of likely paired couples a bit cheesy - no spoilers here - I would be interested to read the upcoming books to find out what happens! I enjoyed my time with Monroe and Sadie. They have each other’s backs in a way that is heart-warming. I’d give this book a rating of 3.6 and rounded to 4.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Sparrow and Vine is my first book I've read by Sophie Lark, and I have to mention: I might have made the wrong choice. I really enjoyed the plot, it was really creative. It was nice to see something original. However I did not like the female main character: Sadie Sparrow. Sadie came off as childish and younger than she should have been. The other characters seemed fine, nothing really stuck out about any of them. I didn't hate the book, it wasn't a bad read, I would just do some things differently. All in all, I recommend this book if you like her other stuff.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Lark is a newer to me author and I was very excited to see this one Read Now. Wineries, dueling families, a wedding that never happened and secrets from the past kept this story moving. Unfortunately overall it isn't my favourite book, however, there remains a lot of questions in the family mystery that will get me reading book 2.

Sparrow and Vine was such a different story from Sophie Lark. Monroe and Sadie were a sweet couple who were seeking a way to save their families legacy. I loved how they worked to bring about change and I enjoyed many of the secondary characters. My biggest problem with the story was the pacing. It seemed like the story moved very quickly and I often was unsure of how much time had passed. However, I really loved watching Sadir become more confident in herself and I liked this new story/voice from Lark.

This was so cute!

I wasn't sure to expect for this. I've read Sophie Lark before, but her "darker" stuff like the Brutal Birthright series or Love Contract. Not totally dark compared to similar books in the genre, but definitely different than this more contemporary romance. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. Sometimes interconnected standalones in the contemporary romance genre have a very very loose plot tying them altogether, and most of the time, it's not even that, it's just a friend group or a family. But this book really built the world for a series that feels just like that - a world!

There's mysterious histories, mysterious relationships, broken relationships, mended relationships, business drama, personal drama, the whole nine yards. Yet, it doesn't feel like a book that's weighed down so much by plot that we can enjoy the lighthearted and fuzzy romance happening. And that's exactly what it is!

This book does a trope you don't see very often, which is sunshine/sunshine couple. They're both positive, loving, honest, upbeat people who have their own problems they're working through - but they do it together. I loved watching these two love and take care of each other, rather than fight the entire time. This book starts as enemies to lovers, but really, that's over in the first five minutes. The second they decide to do a marriage of convenience, they recognize that they're on the same team and should act accordingly. And I love that so much! I wish more characters in books realized that they're on the same team instead of needlessly fighting each other half the time. Sophie Lark used that precious time much more wisely - building a friendship and establishing a love and trust that's rooted in wholesomeness. These two were honestly just two golden retrievers happy to have found each other. It felt like every other character in this book and in their families was full of doom and gloom and angst (aside from Hans of course), but Sadie and Monroe never let it get them down. They don't get enough appreciation from their families for who they are.

Lastly, I love the set up for what are obviously the next two books. June and Grayson already have me hooked - something about June's personality is so addictingly charming, even though that's not what she's meant to be at all. The little sneak peek at the next book had me so excited to learn more about her and figure out her deal. And Hazel and Heath, what's there really to say? We obviously have some angsty, messy, delicious history between those two to dissect. I'll be ready for it!

Another masterpiece by Sophie Lark! Anything she writes I will read! This is a story of marrying for money and trying to keep it that way. I was glued to this book beginning to end.

🍷💍 Sparrow and Vine by Sophie Lark is a rival families, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience romance that pours the tension as thick as the wine!

Sadie Sparrow has one goal, which is to inherit Sparrow and Vine, the overgrown, breathtaking winery that’s been in her family for generations. But when the family trust demands a marriage to secure the inheritance, she’s forced into the last thing she ever wanted: a wedding to Monroe Beaumont.

🏒 Hockey playing, broad shouldered, grumpy as hell Monroe.
🔥 The enemy. The family rival. The man who smells like cinnamon and refuses to sleep on the couch.

Their fake marriage is a battlefield—full of sharp words, fiery tension, and undeniable attraction. But as Sadie fights for her family's legacy, she starts to wonder… is Monroe fighting for her, too? And beneath the lies, secrets, and vineyard stakes, could there be something real growing between them?

💥 Tropes You’ll Love:
✔️ Marriage of convenience (but oh, the tension 👀)
✔️ Rival families & deep rooted history
✔️ Romeo & Juliet vibes but way steamier
✔️ Small town winery setting with all the drama
✔️ Hockey boy who plays just as rough off the ice

With a mystery brewing that feels far from over, Sparrow and Vine is lush, angsty, and intoxicating—a romance as rich and dangerous as the wine they make. 🍷🔥

I am excited for this series and this was the perfect first book set up! It is a little different from Sophie Lark's previius books but I really love this new direction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Lark, and Bloom Books for the eARC of this book.

Sophie Lark is one of my auto-buy authors. If she writes it I'm gonna read it and probably own multiple different copies of the book. Sparrow and Vine has been on my radar from the second she announced it even existed.

Sparrow and Vine was not what I was expecting but it didn't fall short at all. This story was not a typical Soohie dark romance this was a bittersweet love story. Monroe and Saide were absolutely perfect for eachother. I loved that they came together to try and save their families legacy and Vinyard. I loved the all the scenes that too place in the Vinyard and how you can see these characters at work making wine. I loved the side characters and everything that this story brought with it. I can't wait to read the next book!!

DNF @53%. I just couldn't get myself to finish this book. Nothing was really captivating me. I wasn't the biggest fan of Sadie and Monroe. I felt like their characters were one-dimensional, especially Monroe. It seemed like all of Monroe's personality was being a hockey player. Although the chemistry was there (at some points), I didn't feel invested in Monroe and Sadie's relationship. I wanted it to be more layered. I thought the writing was a little weak. IMO, the story felt like a rough draft. I was not a fan of one of the author's lines: "shouldn't there be a crew of people with questionable work visas picking these grapes for us?". That did not sit well with me. The family side characters felt a little stereotypical. Despite that, I did find myself being more intrigued by Sadie's sisters and Monroe's brothers compared to the actual main couple. I'm not sure if I would give this author another reading chance. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloom Books for an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review! This was a fantastic contemporary debut from Sophie Lark! A humorous take on the marriage of convenience trope between two family rivals, Sadie Sparrow and Monroe Beaumont, to secure an inheritance and save the family winery. Sadie and Monroe were incredibly delightful to read about! I appreciated that Sophie Lark made sure to center more on the conflict of saving and refurbishing the winery. Not so much on trivial matters (miscommunication, jealousy, etc.) which I believe helped reflect the maturity and security of Sadie and Monroe’s relationship despite how comical they were together (we LOVE a healthy relationship built upon communication). I found the family dynamics and complex relationships (so much lore) so fascinating (if occasionally a bit overwhelming) that it was difficult not to become too attached to the characters. The messy family drama made the book hard to put down! I can’t wait to read June and Grayson’s book!

Sparrow and Vine is a fun, sweet, and spicy blend of a good time.

Our lovable leads Sadie and Monroe shock their respective families when they enter a bit of a fraudulent but oh so convenient marriage in a bid to save a long disputed vineyard from being sold. Forcing rival families to come together, however not every family member is for this, in fact some may plot against the abrupt couple, placing hurdles along the way. But those hurdles will have a formidable match facing the partnership of Sadie and Monroe.

Sadie and Monroe are two lovely, funny, and heartfelt leads. They’re immediately drawn to one another— and perhaps have been for years— but more importantly, they are willing to set aside years long familial animosity to save what they love. A vineyard, a business, a home.
Their fake (but certifiably real!) marriage is one tested time and time again, but what I greatly enjoyed is how much stronger they were together than apart. A realization they themselves become aware of quickly. What was once a business deal starts to become something far, far more. I swooned watching them get to know one another on a deeper level. For Monroe to appreciate all of Sadie’s quirks and true beauty; and for Sadie to appreciate the heart and loyalty deeply rooted in Monroe. They are a wonderful pair to root for.

The supporting cast is quite an eclectic one, and the leads’ respective siblings certainly stand out. The narrative reveals just enough depth of each to start the foundation of their future stories, but it leaves just enough off the table to tantalize and tease the reader to eagerly anticipate more to come. My eyes drifted most to Hazel. I find her such an intriguing character and I’m eager to learn more about her!

The book features some fan favorite tropes and themes, it’s sure to bring a smile to every reader's face. That said, this is where I found a hiccup in my own engagement. It’s no surprise the use of these tropes can arise predictability in story beats, and I don’t mind that at all, as long as they are infused with their own unique charm. This charm felt missing at times in the narrative, diminishing my engagement. The book is very well written, and it’s a breeze to read and enjoy, but I did find my gaze wandering off page at times. However, this isn’t a lasting feeling, especially at the end when a familiar plot device is subverted to great delight. This particular moment is all Sadie’s and I absolutely love what she does with it! I’m being quite vague but I think it will be obvious which moment I’m referencing once you read it. And I certainly believe this a book worth diving into!

I’m desperate for Hazel’s story, but I think if June is up next, and it’s sure to be a grand ol’ time. If you want a romance that brings the fun, a cast that brings the allure, and the start of something promising more sweetness and spice, then buckle in for this one! I definitely plan to stay for the long haul.

There’s something about a marriage of convenience that leads to a HEA, I love it. Sadie and Monroe were perfect for each other, their family history is complicated to the extreme and they needed each other. I loved the communication between them, it was such a sweet story.

Now Monroe’s brothers on the other hand got on my nerves, but Grayson has partially redeemed himself. Heath, we’re all looking at you.

PopPop and Lionel, brb I’m not emotional stable enough to handle their situations.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!

This book is such a bold departure for Sophie Lark that I had to double check that I wasn't actually reading a Tessa Bailey. But what Lark creates in Sparrow and Vine is both sweet and spicy, with enough plot and tension to keep the reader invested. In fact, I was so invested that I read this one in almost one sitting on a snow day. I'm so glad we will get to see the other siblings in future books, I am SO GRATEFUL that there was so third act breakup--just mutual growth in the relationship together. Sadie and Monroe's relationship is very romantic and very realistic.

My biggest gripe is the deus ex machina ending, which I am hoping was really more a set up for book 2 than a satisfactory conclusion. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc
Sophie lark never fails to bring a bingeble and very easy to read book to the table. This was no different, it was very fun and fast paced however I wanted the enemies to last longer or be more intense before they became lovers p, cause it felt like they were on the same page ferromagnetic the begging Nevertheless I do enjoy interconnected series with siblings because you can always explore and get to know the characters better so l'm excited for the next one to release

I thought that this was a great start to a new series by Sophie Lark. This book really introduced all of the charters well, and I cannot wait to read all of their stories!