The Flora Valley saga continues to be uninteresting, especially now that Con and Ava have had their story. As for the latter, an insta-love tends to be not very believable, and indeed the author must have thought so too, considering how many other protagonists she has slipped into their story.

La saga di Flora Valley continua ad essere poco interessante, specialmente ora che Con e Ava hanno avuto la loro storia. Per quanto riguarda quest'ultima, un insta-love tendenzialmente poco credibile ed in effetti deve averlo pensato anche l'autrice, considerato quanti altri protagonisti ha infilato nella loro storia.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Something about Cam and Ava was just so good. They weren’t perfect but they tried and I loved watching their relationship grow and evolve!

An insta-love, found family romance. Cam turned Ava down for a date once, but when they're reunited at a wedding and Ava literally faints in his arms, their relationship goes from strangers to lovers quickly. But with Ava facing a health scare, can the two find happily ever after?

Pros:
- Cam's backstory is heartbreaking and believable.
- Cam's relationship with Lee and the Armstrong family is beautiful
- The siblings are great! I love Cam's found siblings (the Armstrongs) and Ava's siblings! They are fun, the banter is excellent, the relationships feel authentic, and the sibling rivalry paired with the sibling support is portrayed well.
- The health related tests and fear were treated and written in a conscious and empathetic way.

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!!!

Opportunities:
- The timeline is much too short. Ava and Cam go from "Hello again" to "I will be by your side through any health condition you have and I love you" in less than four days.
- There is an allusion to something in Cam's past and a reason he requires they use condoms... but then it is never explained or followed up on.
- Ava's jealousy over Cam's friendship with Lee is very demanding. Within hours of them even kind of being together she started asking him to choose her over the woman who has been his rock for 10 years and helped him recover from his military induced PTSD.
- I found Ava and Cam's entire relationship hard to stomach - Cam gives up so much for Ava and does so much for her while she just takes and takes and takes and expects and expects. She wants him to give up all of his priorities and his life story to her within 48 hours of even kind of being together.
- The housing situation at the end is confusing. The Armstrong siblings agree to rent it to Cam but Ava and Cam talk and act like it's a gift they've been given and Ava even calls it their forever home.

Overall - the characters were really well developed and written and the story had some great parts but but the relationship between the two main characters was off and needed more time and development.

Start off saying, I liked the second book more than the first, characters were more relatable to me and enjoyable to read. BUT still felt the same as the first book to me, they hardly knew each other and are in love, didn’t make a lot of sense but I really wanted to like this book too. I mean I love wine and a romcom around a winery sounds so good. I felt the lee’s sister part of the book wasn’t needed. The ending was abrupt and left me wanting more. Overall liked it more than the first, but still not anything I’ll be recommending. Thank you to netgalley and publishers for the early read for my honest opinion. 3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a fun and sexy romance. It is the British equivalent of a Hallmark channel movie (albeit steamier). I loved the chemistry between the characters. I hope Catherine Robertson writes many more books as cute as this one!


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I really enjoyed the banter between Ava and Cam, Ava is very lovable and strong. Catherine uses great descriptive language and really sets the scene in the book.

I enjoyed this one more than the first which was a pleasant surprise! The characters were more relatable for me and I found myself enjoying their relationship more as well.

I received a copy of this for my honest review

This book, just, ugh, wasn't for me. I finished it, but realized I hated the characters and the plot.

So fun and so relatable! Family maybe crazy, and friends might be frustrating but if I just pretend they are Ava and Cam’s family I’ll be okay

Catherine Robertson's latest novel, You’re So Vine, offers a marked improvement over her previous work, Corkscrew You, yet still faces some familiar challenges. The story centers around Ava Durant, who is smitten with the strong and silent handyman Cam Hollander and has asked him out once before she sees him again at her brother’s wedding. Despite Ava's vivacious and impatient personality clashing with Cam's reserved demeanor, their relationship deepens dramatically when Cam steps up to care for Ava during a health crisis.

The novel's premise promises an engaging dynamic, and Robertson's ability to craft hot and compelling sex scenes adds a steamy layer to the romance, which many readers will appreciate. However, the development of Ava and Cam’s relationship feels rushed. The intense bond that forms within a short timeframe lacks the depth and gradual build-up that would make their connection more believable.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

You’re So Vine was a cute and easy summer read! I loved the main characters; they were really charming and relatable. However, the pacing felt a bit off. The story moved too quickly for the plot elements, making some parts feel rushed and less developed than they could have been.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Even though Ava had already tried to ask Cam out on a date and he rejected her right away, that doesn't stop her from trying to at least befriend him at her brother's wedding. It might still be a bit difficult for her, but it somehow turns out well. Known for being reserved, Cam makes communication challenging for Ava. However, when Ava falls ill, Cam steps in as her unexpected caretaker, altering their relationship dynamics. Despite their differences, sparks fly between them in the cozy intimacy of Cam's home.

This book is sweet, a small-town romance where Ava and Cam "try again" after she falls ill at her brother's wedding. The characters are connected to the first book, and I appreciate that there's enough explanation about who is who, so this book can be read as a standalone. Cam and Ava are interesting characters, and I like how well-developed they become over the course of the book, even though it spans only a few days. Initially, the writing style felt a bit odd, but I quickly got used to it, and it’s easy to follow. The sex scenes are engaging and well-presented. I like how much Cam and Ava try to make the relationship work, even at the beginning, with small dramas that kept me glued to the book until I finished it. Although I've mentioned many positives, something feels missing. I didn't expect this kind of ending—it feels incomplete, as if many things are left unresolved. I still recommend reading the book; despite being part of a series, it’s easy to follow and perfect for a summer beach read.

This is the second one I've read by Catherine Robertson and although the books are technically standalones, I'm glad I read the first one since there were a few scenes from the first mentioned in the second (minimal scenes... nothing major). But, even the second chance, this still wasn't my favorite book to date. It was rushed, written with so much dialogue (like book 1), and the characters just moved so quickly. I appreciate the author's willingness to try and write out a love story.. it just didn't work as much as I'd hoped. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review You're So Vine by Catherine Robertson. This is the second book in this author's new series; the first was Corkscrew You. This was a quick, enjoyable rom-com, but as an American reader, I have to say it was extremely distracting that these two books set in America featured so much dialogue and narration that were clearly NOT written by an American author. There were so many colloquialisms and turns of phrase that would never be heard in a conversation with an American English speaker that it actually detracted from the story for me. If a non-American writer is going to set their story in America, they had better get an American editor to fix all of the dialogue and narration so that it actually sounds American.

loved this book, very cute and easy read, would definitely recommend in store and hand sell to romance lovers! thank you so much for letting me read this book early, i really enjoyed it !!

I was willing to try this author again as I think they are interconnected standalone rather than a sequential series. And this book just did not do it for me. Another count except I wanted to love. she chose the wrong characters to continue on the story about. Unfortunately, another disappointment.

Review to Come

I love the cover design ❤️
The description peaked my interest…
This is a new author to me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

I know I was not a fan of book 1 but the cover and concept once again stole my attention.
This books concept is more grumpy sunshine (Military PTSD) named Cam and a love struck Ava
Ava sees Cam at her brothers wedding and absolutly is lovestruck and done for with a look from Cam and Cam is not into it.
While this book is short, descriptive and keeps a steady pace it felt way too rushed for the very important and serious aspect of the book so i feel the pace of the book should be tweaked becuase even the characters special time was sped along. This issue really kept you from bonding with the characters and I think with how conversational this book is the POV style chosen doesnt really work.
But this book didnt have any of the things I hated from book 1 and they can both be standalones.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for access to this digital arc!

This small town romance opens from the perspective of Ava Durant, a woman on the brink of disaster. Despite her young age and presumed health, Ava has been feeling drained lately-- so tired in fact that she had to leave a job she was passionate about, because she simply couldn't make it through the day. With her dad's recent health scare in mind, Ava returns home to her family's mansion-- thinking she can just relax and her problems will disappear (ahh, privilege).

On top of her looming health issue, her personal life has been less than stellar. She was recently turned down by the handsome but aloof Cam, who is a good friend of the family her brother Nate just married in to. When she runs into him at Nate's wedding, Ava decides to try and put the whole thing behind them and befriend Cam. This backfires when Ava collapses after a few dances and is escorted to the hospital.

This is the point where the story went downhill for me, but I do still think it holds a lot for people to enjoy depending on tropes you enjoy! What happens next is a montage of insta love, trauma bonding (Cam dumps all his ex military trauma), an insane amount of jealousy, and confusingly a storyline that feels forced, in which there is a dying family member who is being kept a secret (no one knows this family member exists, save one person) who comes out of the woodworks to wrap up a happily ever after for Cam and Ava.

I won't share too many frustrations about storyline in order to keep from sharing spoilers, but for me this story moved too quickly- glazing over aspects that could definitely be expanded on. I could certainly see fans of Virgin River enjoying this series, particularly if it becomes a long series, as you will get to know and love the characters of this charming small town over the course of the series.

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.