3.75 Stars. I’m a Beers fan. It’s pretty hard not to be as she has had such an awesome career. I think this is the 10th book I have read by her. I have to admit I have not been as crazy about some of her more recent books. But I’m happy to say this felt much more like the classic Beers that we are used too. I believe romance fans will enjoy this one.

The story is about Lindsay Kent (great last name) who is given the opportunity to run a wine bar when her boss goes off on sabbatical. The only catch is she must run any financial decisions by the boss’ daughter before she can implement them. The reason this is an issue is the boss’ daughter Piper, does not seem to like her. Piper is not happy her mother has taken off to travel. Not only that but she has left a women who seems flighty, in charge. Piper realizes she needs to keep a close eye on Lindsey and her family’s business. But what if in being close to Lindsey feeling start to develop? Can these two strong women work together in wine and love?

This was a really nice slow burn romance. It went from two people who could hardly stand each other, to a chemistry filled romance. I want to be clear on this, the chemistry was turned way up in this book and I really enjoyed that. It went from these two women wanting to yell at each other, to ripping each other’s clothes off. I love books where the sparks are so brilliant you can actually see them. The romance was well written and classic Beers.

As much as I really enjoyed this read, I do have to mention my one main complaint. I was reading this book, loving all the characters, the storyline, the romance, everything was going great, but I was waiting for something bad to happen. I was looking down at my Kindle and it was getting closer and closer to the end. All of a sudden I got excited. It’s too late now to throw in some crazy angst for these characters to overcome. I started thinking if there is conflict, it won’t be much and maybe the characters were work together and it will strengthen their relationship. Yay, this is going to be one of those books filled with good feels. Nope, all those happy thoughts hit a wall, very close to the end. Wow, if felt super late to throw in all this forced conflict. And forced it really seemed as half of it didn’t even make sense. Unfortunately, because of this late conflict, the ending felt extremely rushed and the HEA balloon was slowly leaking all over the place. I really was so disappointed because this was going to be at least a 4.5 star book before the rushed ending.

While I was personally quite disappointed towards the end, I still really enjoyed this read. We all have some pet peeves, and this book just ended up hitting some of mine. However, I really think overall, romance fans are going to enjoy this book. Most of it was wonderful and classic Beers. So while I’m a bit bummed, I still recommend this to Beers and romance fans.

Mrs B, owner of wine bar Vineyard, calls Lindsay in and tells her that she is taking an extended holiday and is leaving Lindsay in charge of the wine bar in her absence. There is one catch though; every change that needs financial input needs to be agreed upon by Mrs B’s daughter, Piper. Piper hates Lindsay, Lindsay thinks Piper is a stuck-up control freak. Any hopes Lindsay had of making changes are waning right before her eyes.

This is well-written with a great cast of characters. Lindsay is fairly easy-going as well as motivated and professional. Piper is beautiful, highly-polished but not particularly nice to Lindsay. There is a nice tension which builds into great chemistry between them. All round this is a good read with a lovely comfort in its predictability.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Georgia Beers is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books (including this one) are well developed, with characters you can relate to and root for.

A really good romance with two interesting leads and some well done minor characters. One of the leads was initially difficult to like but she grew on me after a while. The story worked for me and I enjoyed it without any real complain. Recommended to all fans of romance novels.

It's hard to find a Georgia Beers book I’ve not enjoyed but this one blew the rest out of the water. I absolutely loved it.

Lindsey loves her job as manager at the local wine bar. She has big ideas that could really bring in the younger demographic and now that the owner is taking an extended trip and leaving her in charge, she has free reign to turn her ideas into reality. The only issue is that the boss’s daughter, Piper has to sign off on any big changes to the bar and she’s already not a fan of Lindsey...

I adored this book. Firstly the characters were written beautifully and the whole opposites attracts thing always does it for me. Piper gives off the air of being an uptight ice queen but she’s really tormented by her fathers death, which when she describes their relationship I could really understand her cold personality. Lindsey is the complete opposite; she’s fun, social and loves her job. She’s a little closed off to love but definitely has her reasons. On paper these two should not work but they do... they really do! And the connection is palpable. You can feel the chemistry, it radiated off the page.

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say Georgia Beers writes the best kisses in Lesbian Fiction. I mean they are sensual while being extremely hot so I kind of knew that would be the case and she didn’t let me down. What I was blown away by was the sex scenes in this book. Wowser! I mean it came out of left field but it was amazing. Best Beers sex scene to date. Period.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book especially Bridget and Angela. I think these ladies need a happy ending of their own... but that gives us two more books (one at a bare minimum).

All in all, I was blown away.

5 stars.

I think at this point I need a template to write all my Georgia Beers reviews. Phrases like "she has done it again", "she doesn't disappoint", "can't wait until the next one" are usually what I write on my reviews for her books. And what can I say this time? She has done it again, she doesn't disappoint and I can't wait until the next one :)

Georgia Beer's characters always feel like "real people" with "real chemistry" and after you finish the novel you wish you could spend more time with them and this time is no exception.

Great read as usual, it was nice to spend a weekend with these characters. Again, I can't wait until her next one :)

Review of 'Blend' by Georgia Beers.

'Blend' is set in Vineyard, a wine bar property of Piper Bradshaw's mother who decides to take an extended vacation and leave her daughter in charge along with general manager Lindsay Kent. Piper has a full time corporate job and very little interest to liaise with Lindsay as they seem to be completely opposites. Piper is a control freak, distant person while Lindsay is creative and cheerful. Will they be able to manage Vineyard without conflicts? And what if opposites attract?

Lately I've been a bit disappointed with Georgia Beers's novels, I rated her previous one 'Right here, right now' 3.5 stars and I've never got invested in her Puppy love series either. Fortunately for her many fans, Ms. Beers is back! 'Blend' is a fantastic book with lovable but realistic characters, slow build-up sizzling romance and an expertly crafted plot. The book is a perfect blend (pun intended) of wit, humour, romance and conflict that keeps the reader turning pages and wanting more. The dog character is superb with his own personality and 'voice'. The landscape descriptions are picturesque and the wine metaphors are strong and well rounded, like a good Malbec. This is an easy 5 stars book for me and will be in my list of best lesfic books of this year.

Overall, a very entertaining and beautiful novel for all lesfic romance fans. Georgia Beers at her best. 5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Georgia Beers is back with the original charm I fell in love with a few books ago. Her last two novels were a miss for me, but with this one she's back.

I loved the two protagonists and felt their natural draw to each other as they worked more and squabbled less.

The story was well done and though I'm not a fan of their contrived separation, I'm glad it was resolved in an adult manner with serious grovelling and understanding.

The epilogue was a nice touch.

I usually really like books by Georgia Beers but this one left me disappointed. It was too slow and the two main characters had no chemistry. Their whole attraction and relationship seemed forced to me....

I have to say I'm becoming aficionado of Georgia Beers' books with all the credits. I was always a fan, she was always in my Top 5 lesbian fiction writers, but, unlike some that go from great books to mediocre at best, she's getting better with each book. I can honestly say that "Blend" goes up on my Beers' books, and very high on the list! Piper and Lindsey are such great characters, with so much chemistry between them! Plus, you know, it's always the little things that makes your heart warm up towards the certain book. Here, I was in love with descriptions of Lindsey, seen through Piper's eyes - the little details about her hair, her smile, her moves when she touches the hair... Those parts are the ones that give a book depth, soul, attraction...
Well done, Georgia Beers, well deserved 5 stars!

Georgia Beers is one of the reliable lesbian romance writers. Beers can write a good plot, infuse it with enough detail to be believable, and embed characters appropriate to the story. She’s done all that in this book too.

Lindsay Kent is the general manager of Vineyard, a wine bar. Trusted by the owner to run everything while they go on extended leave, Lindsay is busy making changes to improve the business she loves.

Piper Bradshaw is the super organised daughter of the owner of Vineyard. A VP at a large tech company, Piper hasn’t shown any interest in the business since her dad died a few years ago. For her, Vineyard is intimately tied up with memories of her dad, and she’s been avoiding it. Now she has to face those memories, as she is tasked with financially guiding Lindsay in the management of the wine bar.

When Piper and Lindsay are thrown together, sparks fly, and not all of them in a good way. Will they realise that under the prickly outside is warmth between them?

It took me a little while to get into this book. The plot felt awfully familiar, as I’ve possibly read a few too many of these types of books for this one to be fresh. However, Beers has a good grasp on what is needed and the characters naturally seem to gravitate towards one another. It is still a romance with a fairly common storyline, but the characters lift the book above the mundane. The book seemed to improve as I read it, largely due to my increasing connection to the characters. It started as a 3 star read, but finished as a solid 4. It is worth sticking with this book as it improves page by page.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This author has a knack for writing deep character development and Blend is no exception. Piper is the star of this story with Lindsay circling her orbit as their relationship slowly builds. I must admit, it was a real stretch at times to like Piper, who is a raging Ice Queen with the relationship skills of an angry hornet compared to the easy-going and lovable Lindsay. It’s the central theme, that they are so much more together than standing alone, and it is written so poignantly that you can’t help but root for Piper. The more I think about it the more nuances and layers can be discovered. Piper is probably one of the more troubled characters we’ve seen from this author while Lindsay might be one of the more delightful and likable characters. It’s the way their two lives blend together that will hook you in to this emotionally charged story.

Blend some wine with romance or some romance with wine. Either way, it’s a winning combination. Ms. Beers’ latest novel is a blend of good, witty, emotional dialogue, great and memorable characters, a well executed plot, and of course, the ultimate setting- a wine bar. When these components blend together, the end result is a very entertaining novel that perhaps will put you in the mood to…visit your local wine bar!
Highly recommended!

Blend by Georgia Beers is another solid romance from this popular, lesfic writer. While it follows the time honored romance formula, Beers keeps it fresh with interesting main characters that are compelling because they are so relatable.

Lindsay Kent manages Vineyard, the local wine bar. When the wine bar’s owner decides to take an extended vacation, she leaves Lindsey in charge with the added bonus of letting Lindsay make the changes that she has been chomping at the bit to implement in order to make Vineyard more hip and more profitable. The only caveat is that Lindsay has to run any changes that require significant expenditures past her daughter, Piper Bradshaw.

These two women are like night and day. Lindsay is laid back, warm and a real people person who seems to put everyone around her at ease. Piper is aloof, frosty and the picture of control. Needless to say, her people skills leave something to be desired.

No surprises here, the first kiss is going to happen half-way into the book, they fall into bed about three quarters into the book, the relationship turns into a disaster due to one character’s bad choice soon after that and then everything comes together because love, especially their love conquers all.

So this should seem like the same old, same old, right? Not so. The slow burn going on between them is palpable. Both women are written with subtle layers that get peeled away throughout the course of the story. They each have well developed back-stories and the changes in both characters feel organic rather than forced. I usually balk at whatever event (usually non-event) that causes the breakdown in the relationship in these romances. Even though I knew it was coming, I was still surprised with how it did and the “why” of it really touched me. I could feel the pain that drove the main character to behave the way she did and the resolution was touching and believable. I could have done without the “You know?” at the end of most of Lindsay’s observations, but I chalk that up as part of her character.

Beers didn’t force the characters to give up all the quirks that made them so unique. She simply allowed them to see that together they made the perfect blend. (Yah, I did that.)

As usual, the sexy bits are sexy.

I recommend this book and as always, you can’t go wring with Georgia Beers.

I was provided with an ARC of this book from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in return for an honest and fair review.

I really loved Blend, it was definitely better than all Georgia's latest books. In the first part of the book we really get to know the main characters and we understand why especially Piper is the way she is. It's a slow burn even though the spark between Piper and Lindsay is there since the beginning. After the first half of the book, the sexual tension between them rises until it explodes in a steamy scene. You could really feel their craving, longing and hesitation-this book reminded me a lot of Beers earlier works like Starting from Scratch-their scenes together were so hot when they finally decided to acknowledge their attraction.
The only thing that I would say that I didn't like was how short was the ending and the resolution after Piper messed up. I felt that Lindsay forgiven her very easily and I don't say it because I would like to see more angst but the whole thing felt rather unrealistic.

* I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange of a honest review.

I really like the way Georgia Beers writes. I love the way she develops characters that are interesting, dynamic and well, hot. It's been a while since I have read her stuff, the reasoning, I have not a clue why, but I am so glad I picked up her latest novel, Blend. This is a fantastic romance novel. So good, fabulous!

Lindsey Kent is the general manager of a wine bar, Vineyard. Lindsey is likable, cheerful and always has something positive to say. She loves her job. She lives and breathes wine and has an amazing relationship with Ellen Bradshaw, the owner of Vineyard. When Ellen tells her she is taking a sabbatical to explore the world, Lindsey is truly excited for the widow. What is is not excited about is learning that she will need to run all of Vineyard's business decisions through Ellen's youngest daughter, Piper.

Piper Bradshaw is the direct opposite of Lindsey. She is an ice queen with a hard, no-nonsense personality. Her job is in the financial sector, and she has learned to be hard-nosed and closed off to thrive in this male-dominated field. Piper's work and the loss of her father two years ago has hardened Piper's heart. She is a closed off control freak. Having to work with Lindsey throws her orderly world off-kilter.

These two get off on the wrong foot. Neither is excited about working with the other. Lindsey has big ideas of how to take Vineyard to the next level and draw in a younger hipper crowd. Piper is hesitant to change anything, not wanting to change anything her father created when opening the business. The butt heads, but as their time together increases the begin to see each other in a new light. The walls fall, and perceptions fall away. The chemistry between these to is dynamic and sexy.

You know a book is good, first when you don't want to put it down. Second, you know its damn good, when your reading it and thinking, I'm totally going to read this one again. Great read and is absolutely a 5-star romance.

I loved this book from start to finish. Lindsay and Piper’s story is quite delightful to read. Lindsay runs the bar that Piper’s mom owns. When she goes on a vacation with no return date set, she leaves both in charge. Their relationship (or lack there of) in the beginning is quite tumultuous. I enjoyed watching the relationship grow with the running of the wine bar as a backdrop. Piper’s deep rooted issues were developed throughout the book. There were times that I wanted to smack her (that’s the sign for good writing). This is one of my favorite Georgia Beers books and I’m so thrilled I was able to review it. Blend is most definitely on my reread list!

This is probably one of my favorite books that Georgia has written over the last few years. The chemistry between Piper and Lindsay was perfect. I felt the sexual tension through the pages and liked the gradual change in their relationship. It was one of those books that I was surprised I was towards the end because it was such an easy read and that I was completely lost in the story.

My one thing that I always struggle with Georgia Beers is her endings tend to be quick. I found that there were things that I wanted to know how things turned out but never found out. A little more details to tie up the storyline for me would have made it a 5 star book.

Really good read that I highly recommend, honestly I'm not sure if you can go wrong with a Georgia Beers book!