ZOE BRENNAN, FIRST CRUSH

When a vineyard owner reunites with her first-ever female crush, complicated feelings arise.

Zoe Brennan has turned the family vineyard she runs with her dad into her whole life—as a single woman in a Georgia mountain town with a tiny queer community, she doesn’t really have a choice. She focuses on Bluebell Vineyards and tries to ignore her loneliness, even though it “feels like a boulder inside of [her], separating [her] from everyone [she] love[s].” But when her dad decides to return to his native Italy to see his dying mother, Zoe’s world is thrown into chaos. She’s trying desperately to get a fancy wine festival to hold its showcase at Bluebell, but with her dad—Bluebell’s vintner—gone, she’s not sure how she’ll ever make it happen. But luckily—or unluckily—her dad has just hired a talented vintner to be his replacement: Laine Woods, also known as Zoe’s first crush, her mortal enemy’s sister, and the woman with whom she accidentally had a blindfolded threesome (it’s a long story). Clearly, Zoe and Laine have some history, but even aside from their one-night stand and Zoe’s sexual awakening, it’s not clear if they’ll be able to work together. Laine has been in Napa, far away from Blue Ridge, Georgia, and she brings in a ton of snobbery around the tiny vineyard. Zoe’s not sure she can handle the changes Laine wants to make to her family’s wine—it feels like Laine is stomping all over her parents’ history. However, neither of them can deny their potent chemistry. Zoe has to decide if she’s willing to open herself up to love, even if it involves the risk of being crushed. Lee creates a lovely, cozy world in Blue Ridge’s wine community. Zoe’s zany friends add a sparkle to the story, while her relationship with Laine is full of intense longing and creative sex scenes.

A funny and very steamy romance about the importance of being open to love and all that life has to offer.