Drunk on Love Review

Summary (from the publisher): Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she’ll never have to see again. That is, until the winery’s newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expects.

Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn’t want to tell the world–or his mom–why he’s now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son–how can he admit that the job she’s so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with–even after he learns she’s his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn’t be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout?

Set against a lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love–even if it means changing all your plans.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Jasmine Guillory is a contemporary romance staple. Her debut novel, The Wedding Date, is on so many ‘new-to-romance’ reading lists and I’ve personally loved the companion novels in the series, Party of Two and While We Were Dating. I also really enjoyed her installment in the Meant to Be series, By the Book, based on Beauty and the Beast. That being said, I was excited for her to venture into a new storytelling, as Drunk on Love is its own standalone novel (although I could foresee spin-offs featuring Margot’s brother, Elliot, and her best friend, Sydney??).

Drunk on Love is set in the Napa Valley and is told from the perspectives of Margot, a co-owner of a winery, and Luke, an ex-software engineer who has a one night stand with Margot…and then realizes that Margot is his boss when he starts working at the winery the next day, much to Margot’s shock. Margot is set on convincing her brother that she is as serious about the winery as he is and is trying to convince him to have a huge party to draw in new customers, so Luke doesn’t exactly help her cause. The two decide to hide their prior meeting from everyone, but their chemistry just can’t seem to keep the two away from one another.

Drunk on Love was a sweet read with many nods to some classic romance tropes. The book could be categorized as a workplace meets miscommunication romance. Luke and Margot feel like they can’t be with another especially because of their work, with Margot being Luke’s boss, but (no spoilers) their relationship evolves to a point where they let other factors influence their relationship, such as their age gap, Luke’s tension about going back to his job, his relationship with his best friend, Avery, and Margot’s complicated relationship with her brother. I will say that the book felt formulaic – then again, we almost always love the happily ever after that comes with romances – but I feel like I wanted some more action or tension surrounding the will-they-or-won’t-they moment in this book. The book is a little steamier than some of Jasmine Guillory’s past work in the Wedding Date series. In addition, of course, one of the signature hallmarks of Jasmine Guillory’s books is the inclusion & focus of food, with Drunk on Love being no exception. In addition, the winery and Napa Valley setting was something that I haven’t really seen done before in this genre, and I loved Jasmine Guillory’s exploration of the setting and the business side of the winery.

Overall, Drunk on Love was a solid contemporary romance. If you’re a fan of Jasmine Guillory’s books or are looking for a cute romance with some classic tropes, then this is the book for you!

This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher. By no means did receiving this ARC affect my thoughts & opinions.