Cover Image: Blend

Blend

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Member Reviews

The story is basically about an ice queen that thaws with a few glasses of wine. There is enough there to hold your attention throughout the whole book.

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Wow this one was good as well Piper ambitious and right down judgemental especially towards Lindsay. She assumed Lindsay was lazy, hippy and to happy for a liking and couldn't see why her parents hired her in the first place. Given the chance Piper began to see what her parents and her sister Gina saw. She was what Piper needed even when she didn't know it.

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ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like Georgia Beers, and I’ve read most of her books. This one was ok, but not great. I liked both main characters, but for some reason they didn’t click for me as a couple.

The plot is fairly formulaic. Lindsay is a nice, sweet woman who manages a wine bar, and Piper is the owner’s (corporate big wig) daughter, when said owner decides to go on a months long holiday she leaves them both in charge, but they don’t like each other (mostly Piper doesn’t like Lindsay) but are attracted to each other anyway. I’m sure you can figure out what happens from there. I know I could.

Their relationship does unfold over a good length of time, but it still felt superficial. Even though the two characters do interact a fair bit, they still don’t really get to know each other, and yet they manage to fall in love. There’s also a ridiculously contrived breakup that involves a storyline that does not get wrapped up, it was literally just shoehorned in to provide ‘drama’.

There’s also a boring corporate storyline for Piper (in place only to show her ‘emotional growth’) and both women seem to talk to their respectively pets more than to each other. Secondary characters mainly show up just to give pep talks to the MC’s.

And then there’s the wine. A lot of wine. So. Much. Wine. Drinking wine, talking about wine, talking about the people drinking the wine, talking about the place where you drink the wine. I don’t drink, and I don’t know anything about wine, which isn’t an issue, lots of books have characters working at or doing stuff that’s not familiar, and if done right, it can be interesting and you feel like you learned something. Here I just felt like I read more about wine than I did about the characters.

All in all, this is average, it’s not Beer’s best book by far ([book:Starting from Scratch|6906054]), if you like wine, then maybe you’ll enjoy it more than I did.

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Wow, I liked everything about the book -> it's setting, te slow-build story and the chemistry between the two main characters is like drinking a good bottle of wine. Once you uncork the bottle of wine, you will enter a world of infinite possibilities that will delight your senses and the magic starts to happen ;)

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I really enjoy reading this author's work, particularly of late. She combines just the right amount of humor, heat, and heartbreak to make me want to continue reading. Reading this book was a very slow start for me. I loved the premise, but when I began reading, it just didn't hook me at first. May just have been me, but I would read a chapter and put it down, not really vested in the story...at first. If you're feeling the same way, stick with it - the good stuff comes quite a few chapters in, and once I got there, I couldn't put this down. Very well done.

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Lindsay is happy to take on the responsibility of the wine bar she works at, but the owner's daughter, Piper, seems to have a problem with it.
Both woman a wonderful characters and the chemistry is intense. The emotional development and the unfurling of the romance is very convincing and captivating. One of Georgia Beer's best books.
I loved every moment.

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Blend is my first novel by Georgia Beers, but it won't be my last! It's a beautifully written story that's a perfect blend (forgive me, I had to because it's just so accurate) of everyday life, heartwarming friendships, and a begrudging coworkers to lovers story. It's a remarkably relatable romance that's well-paced and nicely wrapped up. It's soulful enough to stick with you, but not excessively dramatic--a perfect rainy day or vacation read.

I loved the dual POV narration and getting inside both Piper and Lindsay's heads, and Vineyards seems like a lovely place to stop for some wine and cheese.

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Georgia Beers hits all the right notes with this romance set in a Wine Bar. Like the title, Beers’ novel blends the storylines of her main characters Piper and Lindsay in her signature style. The story is subtle, yet compelling as the lead characters grapple with issues of self-esteem, grief, and ethical dilemmas. A low angst read it still delivers a story rich in heart-rending moments before the characters get their happy ever after. A well-crafted novel, Blend is a marvelous way to spend an evening curled up with a large glass of your favorite vintage.

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I just love Georgia Beers books. This was my 17th book by her. Her writing just works for me, and it appears to be getting better with every book. I enjoyed her earlier works, but I love her newer books. It isn’t a new idea but the whole dislike to love romance really worked with Lindsay and Piper. Lindsay’s character was awesome. She was trusting and full of ideas to bring the Vineyard back to life, while Piper is trying to hold on to the past. I loved the setting, I loved the buildup of the relationship and for me this one just worked. Chemistry is well written and I had trouble putting it down once I started. Saved this one for my weekend read, so if you want to relax with an awesome book written by a never fails to deliver author this is the one.

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Reading this book was very much like watching one of those feel good movies. You can’t help but enjoy the journey Beers takes us on. Lindsay Kent has found her dream job, managing the Vineyard, where wine rules. When she is asked to look after the bosses pride and joy she looks on it as a chance to spread her wings and grow the business to new heights while keeping her regular customers happy while bringing in some new clients. Piper Bradshaw loves her mother but having to help Lindsay with the actual day to day running of the Vineyard isn’t something she looks forward to. She has her own life and work to keep her busy. Lindsay and Piper couldn’t be more different but this is what makes for a good read. Simply another great read by one of my favorite authors.

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Georgia Beers is onto a winner with Blend. Absolutely loved the story and the characters were just great. I just loved both Lindsey and Piper and was rooting for them from the moment they met. This is an enjoyable story and a sweet romance. Would I recommend.....yes I would

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Beers is easily one of my favorite authors and like all her others this short novel did not disappoint.

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This is the second book I’ve read by Georgia Beers, and I think she’s fast becoming my favorite f/f writer. Ms. Beers has a knack for creating characters that feel like real people, with families and pets and backstories and all the general messiness of life. One of my favorite things about romance novels is watching how two people in a relationship grow and change and form a new dynamic, together and separately. Since that is exactly what this book is about, I was a very happy reader!

When the widowed owner of the Vineyard wine bar decides to take an extended vacation, she leaves it in the capable hands of her general manager, Lindsay, and her daughter, Piper. Piper is, to put it mildly, an uptight control freak, to the extent that Lindsay and some of the other employees at the wine bar call her “Queen Elsa.” Piper has a good reason for it, though – she’s a manager at a financial company, and her ice queen armor is what she needs to be successful in a dog-eat-dog, male-dominated workspace. Piper instinctively dislikes Lindsay because she’s “too friendly” and “she smiles too much.” On top of her dislike of Lindsay, Piper has a lot of complicated feelings around Vineyard because it was her father’s business, and she hasn’t dealt with her grief over his passing. Lindsay is, well, pretty much what Piper thinks of her – she’s generally optimistic and a people person, Piper’s opposite. She’s wonderful with Vineyard’s customers, even the really trying ones, and has tons of ideas for how to attract new clientele. Piper’s holding the purse strings, though, so can they work together to do what’s best for Vineyard?

“This was obviously her sole purpose in life: to kiss this woman senseless, to be kissed senseless by this woman.”

Well, I’m sure you can guess what happens! Piper and Lindsay have a wonderful chemistry with each other, and it’s such a sweet slow-burn romance. From enemies to friends to rip-your-clothes off lovers, they run through the whole relationship span. There’s quite a bit of angst as well, as Piper has a lot of deep-seated grief and anger, from her father’s death to a work merger to her mom gallivanting all over the place, and adding the stress of a new relationship on top of that causes Piper’s ice castle to crumble. This is great for their relationship, but how will Lindsay’s “invasion” play out in the rest of Piper’s life?

Overall, this is a sweet and steamy read, with two people who find that a good relationship blends the best bits of each of them together. Highly recommended, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Ms. Beers’ books!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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I absolutely loved this book! The flow, the characters, the setting, everything! The book is about Lindsay who is the manager of a wine bar. It is owned by an older woman who has decided to go on an extended vacation and leaves Lindsay in charge and her daughter, Piper in charge of the finances. Piper is not happy about these circumstances and is not thrilled about Lindsay, whom she does not have positive thoughts about. After many instances, Lindsay is able to change Piper’s feelings and the feelings the women have toward each toward began to intensify.
It is a wonderful book, filled with romance, turmoil and wine. What more could you want? And with writing such as Ms. Beers delivers, it is a magnificent read that will be read again and again. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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I haven't read anything by Georgia Beers in a while so it was a treat to read this entertaining love story filled with women I’d like to meet and a wine bar I would love to frequent.

Lindsey Kent is all optimism and great ideas when Vineyard’s owner decides to take a sabbatical leaving Lindsey in charge of the wine bar. She knows she can grow the business and attract a younger, hipper crowd. Too bad she is handcuffed by Ellen’s request that her daughter Piper be included in financial decisions involving Vineyard. Piper has a pretty low opinion of Lindsey and is less than enthusiastic about any changes she wants to make to the wine bar designed by her late father. The clashes are inevitable and sparks do fly when Lindsey and Piper are forced to work together.

No spoilers when it's obvious these two strong independent women will eventually learn to respect and admire one another. Lindsey has to wear the Teflon undies for a good portion of their story while Piper reigns in her anger and bitterness towards just about everyone. At first I thought two years was a long time to mourn the loss of her father but then I remembered how devastating the loss of a parent and confidant can be. Kudos to Beers for giving us characters we can relate to, even if we don’t match their beautiful bodies and athletic pastimes.

Tuck into Blend and pair it with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and some appropriate cheeses and enjoy this sweet traditional romance.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39359152-blend" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Blend" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521858766m/39359152.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39359152-blend">Blend</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/41784.Georgia_Beers">Georgia Beers</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2359620400">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
An ARC was rec'd from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for an honest review. No synopsis necessary. <br />A very believable and intriguing romance with a wine tasting bar setting that gives what would normally be a "run of the mill" story with leads Lindsay and Piper - oomph! Ms. Beers builds her storyline in a plausible, realistic way with just the right amount of angst/sex to hold one's attention. Kudos!<br />4 stars
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

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This was a fun romance with two likable protagonists who had certain struggles but achieved a predictable end. It was perfect light reading for a weekend day.

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Really liked this.

Complex characters, lovely setting, charming writing. I was so here for this.

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Blend is a prototypical Georgia Beers book, and that’s a good thing. She is a master at character development and story arc. Even when the characters are troubled or flawed, you still find a way to like them even before the conflict is resolved. This is an enemies-to-lovers story, with a nice slow build. Naturally, once the two main characters get together, there’s a misunderstanding that breaks them apart, and to me this misunderstanding is a little farfetched. Georgia Beers usually sets her stories in upstate New York, and the setting almost acts as a character here with the vivid descriptions of the lake and surrounding areas. An additional side bonus is learning about wines!

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