I am completely smitten with Heath and Polly...when the challenges they encountered to their HEA seemed insurmountable was when the story took off for me. Heath was a heartbreak for me...his personality, his demeanor literally came off the page. His self isolation was what really broke my heart. Polly's yin to HeathHeat's yang was executed perfectly as too draw me into their relationship with such an investment to their outcome.

Ms Heyford did a remarkable job of creating characters who were easy to relate and create an emotional attachment to. As I kept reading I grew frustrated waiting for the couple to let all the extraneous factors of their lives to fall away...when they did, I was left with a lightheadedness in their finally realizing their priorities.

I realize that all the emotions I felt during the reading of this story were created by an author who is gifted in transporting her readers into the lives of her characters. I'm glad I've discovered Ms Heyford and know I'll be looking out for more of her stories.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I received a ARC from Netgalley for a honest review
I have this book a time now in my Kindle and don't have the time to start it. I start reading one afternoon and can't let it down until finished it.
Poppy is a strong women, I enjoyed reading about her struggle to be someone capable and important.
I recommend this reading.

This is my first book of Heather Heyford and certainly won’t be my last.

The characters are endearing. Heath is adorkable. He has lost so much and doesn’t really think anyone can love him. This stems from his past and he is crushed by it. His dad has never recovered from the past and heath has paid the consequences. He is such a sweet and caring man. Very loyal and giving. successful and happy with where his life is but very quiet and private. he has also been in love with Poppy forever and didn’t know it. She was his bestie and now he sees her in a new light. But is conflicted because she needs his help so she can move on to a new career.

Poppy is precious. She has overcome so many obstacles and even though she doesn’t see it is successful and loved by everyone. She is bubbly and sweet. Precious and real. She is honest and loyal as well. She also feels that she need to prove something to her town and herself. this does hurt Heath because she keeps reeling him in and rejecting him but he supports her because they are friends and he loves her. I hated to see what happened after she got her results. I didn’t like that Poppy. We get a glimpse of her life after when she is Oregon and she isn’t the same. heath changes as well. He grows and expands.

Poppy does finally see the light and I was so glad Heath was always there for her and we get a HEA.

The story is sweet and tender. We see growth of the characters and the journey of self discovery and what matters in life: friendship,love, and family. the love and friendship seen throughout this book is special and complete. It warms the heart and also seeing where Demi is in the end is awesome. Poppy and heath apart are adorable but together they are so dang cute. They belong together-always have been there for each other and always will. Poppy and Heath both learn so much on their way to finding each other and the journey is entertaining and endearing to read.

Really took a while to get through the intro info to the main plot/conflict, but other than a few pacing issues, this was a great small-town, friends to romance story. Very enjoyable.

This second book in Heather Heyford’s Oregon Wine Country series is a nice second entry. So far, Poppy Springer has lived up to what the entry in her high school yearbook, and that isn’t a good thing. When the editor wrote that Poppy would be the “girl most likely to be a waitress at her hometown café”, a decade later is has proven true. Poppy is back home in Clarkston working in her family’s restaurant. But, Poppy has dreams that only her closest friends know about – she wants to become a female sommelier, and best friend Heath is just the person to help her. Only, Poppy can’t figure out why Heath doesn’t seem to be enthusiastic about helping her.

Heath isn’t good with change and when he sees that Poppy is really serious about passing the sommelier test and moving to Portland, he is at a crossroads. He wants Poppy to be happy, but he also wants her to stay in Clarkston working at her family’s restaurant so that he can finally pursue his growing feelings for Poppy.

Watching these two struggle to overcome their own personal challenges while coming to terms with their feelings for each other at the same time kept me engaged throughout the book and crossing my fingers at the same time. Watching socially-awkward introvert Heath force himself out of his comfort zone a bit to support outgoing Poppy was sweet and shows just how far he was willing to go for her.

The author writes about so many issues, yet they fit the story well and are written with grace and hope. Well done!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to review it.

Just another reason to fall for Heather Heyford. Intoxicating is adorable, lovable and charmingly irresistible. Not only does it entertain but inspires by shine a light on relevant subjects like self - esteem, success and making dreams into reality. With Heath and Poppy, I found that something special that brightened up my day.

This book two of the The Oregon wine country. I've read just about all of the wine books and I enjoyed this one but not as much as the did the first one. Poppy is trying to make something of herself. She voted most likely to be a waitress and that's exactly what she is but she has a chance of a life time to change that. She will need help though and The most wanted man Heath is looking to help her get the job as lady sommelier in a new trendy restaurant. They two had some steamy scenes and the writer know how to make the reader feel like they are right there with characters. The is what I enjoy most about Heather Hayford books. I'd recommend it as all of her other books in the wine series. "I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

The second book in the Oregon Wine Country is just a great at the first. Heyford has a new fan

I really enjoyed this one! Heath and Poppy were two intriguing characters. Heath is the local science guy who made good with his microbrewery. Poppy is a waitress in her parents diner and is loved by the whole town. She struggles with self esteem though. Partly because of mean girl nastiness in high school and partly because of the dyslexia she's battled her entire life. Now she has a chance to make it on her own as a sommelier for a fancy new restaurant in the city. The only thing standing in her way is getting through the written test for her designation and she needs Heath's help studying for it. Will she be able to walk away from the town and Heath when the time comes or will she listen to her heart?

A recommended read!

Poppy is the epitome of the favorite small town girl. She is bubbly, outgoing, and a genuinely nice person who cares about the people in her small town. She is well liked by everyone (except Demi) but has severe self-esteem issues. She has worked in her family’s diner her whole life.

Poppy is dyslexic and struggled to get through school. If it wasn’t for Heath, her best friend, she probably wouldn’t have graduated. Her small group of friends have graduated, found careers and moved on with their lives, finding their place in this small town. Poppy left town for a brief time to manage a wine shop, but ended up back at her family’s diner when the shop was sold. She’s feeling bad about her accomplishments. She has been offered a chance to be a sommelier at a famous restauranteur’s new restaurant, only she has to pass the test first. Heath once again offers to help her study.

Heath is very bright, a chemist, who turned down college in favor of starting his own very successful brewery and taking care of his dad. He is socially awkward and not good at small talk. Poppy has always dragged him along to all the get togethers, making sure he was included. Heath’s twin died young, his mom couldn’t handle it, so she left. He has been his dad’s keeper ever since. He has major trust and abandonment issues. He’s in love with Poppy but doesn’t know how to tell her. He wants her to succeed but he doesn’t want her leaving town.

When she passes her test and leaves town, Heath is devastated. Poppy becomes very successful at both her sommelier job and her modeling career. However, she soon learns success comes with a price. She has no free time, even spending her days off at parties promoting her boss’s business. On the rare occasion she does get home, she feels like she’s missing out on so much of everyone’s lives. She’s missing her hometown, her friends and family, but most of all, Heath.

I haven’t read the first book in this series or any other books by this author. I started and stopped this book many times, moved on to other books. I just wasn’t getting into it. It was taking too long to set the story up. I was having trouble relating to Heath and Poppy and I already intensely disliked Demi Barnes, recognizing her for the bully she is. I finally started liking it at around 46% and I’m glad I stuck with it. The characters developed, working through their issues and I found I liked the small town and the people in it. I’m interested in seeing where the author takes this this small town crowd next.

I gave it 3 stars because it took me so long to get invested in the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

I was very happy to read Poppy's story. Poppy is back home working in her parents diner but studying for her sommelier exam which once passed will get her a job she's been wanting. Heath has been her best friend forever and doesn't want her to go anywhere, doesn't understand why she'd want to leave but does what friends do and helps her study for her exam. The story takes them through the changes to their relationship from current to when they were younger and back. The author knows how to bring her characters to life to her readers. I loved seeing characters from the 1st book and I already have 3 characters that I want to read their stories. Totally recommend!

Intoxicating by Heather Heyford
Oregon Wine Country #2

Personable Poppy Springer is a ray of sunshine in any group. She has worked in her parents’ café for years BUT she feels there should be more than that to her life so she sets about proving just that to herself and everyone else. In need of assistance to prepare for her sommelier exam she calls on her best friend and owner of a micro-brewery, Heath Sinclair, to help tutor her with the parts of the exam that will cause her the most trouble. With the support of Heath and her other friends she is hopeful she will pass, move on to something bigger and better, and in so doing be happier within herself.

In the limited time before the exam Poppy and Heath spend a great deal of time together and as they do their friendship begins to take on a new depth that isn’t always easy for them to deal with. Both Poppy and Heath have baggage that stands in their way and whether or not it can be overcome is what lies central to the story. Besides the plot based on friends becoming lovers and then more the issues of dyslexia, abandonment, self-esteem, friendship, bullying, home, community and success are mentioned or dealt with.

I enjoyed the growth of and insight gained by both characters and although I wish that the time of separation could have been avoided it no doubt was necessary for both characters to finally be the people they became by the end of the book. I am now looking forward to finding which of the group of friends will find their happily ever after in the next book of the series. AND I have to say this author has me feeling and wishing and wanting for the characters…felt I was in the story experiencing as it occurred ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books –Lyrical Shine for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Intoxicating is the second book in Ms Heyford’s series titled Oregon Wine Country. Book one of the series was the first book I had read by this author and liked it enough , that I wanted to read book 2.
Though it started slow, I was not disappointed. Once she presented us all the characters, their personalities , backgrounds etc, it moved swiftly.
Our main characters are Poppy and Heath. Poppy is a young woman who throughout school had to deal with her dyslexia not only as a student, but as her feelings of insecurity and worth. Heath , a young man who is brilliant and currently owns a brewery, had many losses in his childhood and if not for Poppy’s friendship, would have been a total loner.
Opportunities present to Poppy and not only her life , but the life of those around her will change.
Aside from an interesting plot, it’s a story about how childhood losses, disabilities and our perception of ourselves, affects us later in life. That friendships are to be treasured and that sometimes that friendship can develop into our true love, and that sometimes we need to spread our wings far away to realize that what we wanted was always within reach.
I am hoping Ms Heyford will give us more stories in this series.
I was gifted this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was a nice read with some steamy scenes. It focused on a young woman trying to prove her worth to everyone and not really staying true to herself. Poppy and Heath still live in small town Oregon where they graduated high school each with a secret crush on each other. Heath works hard to help Poppy get certification to work in a new winery which she thinks is her dream. Lots of small town interference and help. Didn't read book one and didn't have any trouble with this book. It's a perfect read for those who like small town romances with a little heat.

Poppy needs to find herself and her self-esteem. In doing so, she leaves her home, her friends and her new relationship with Heath. Did she do the right thing?

Cute little love story that will make a great beach read.

I've only read two of Heather Heyford's books, but one thing I can definitely say is that she makes you FEEL for the characters. In both The Crush and Intoxicating, there are moments when the characters, male and female alike, are presented with something unexpected, and her writing made me feel what they were feeling. That doesn't happen to me very often. I enjoyed this story, but not as much as I did the Crush. I felt like I didn't get to know Heath and Poppy as well as I did Junie and Manolo. I also felt that it ended very abruptly, and would have liked to read a little bit more about what happens at the end. I have not read the author's other series, and am looking forward to that while we wait for more from Clarkston, OR!

a cute read I liked

I wanted to like this book - it had beer and wine and the pacific northwest! But the characters seemed off. I appreciate that the author presented a diverse cast, including someone with dyslexia and someone who is probably on the spectrum, but something about it made me uncomfortable. I gave up about 15% through.