This is a good book. The two main characters are Rowan and Harry. Rowan is botanist and Harry is a doctor. Harry family bought a vineyard and one of Rowan’s friends sent her resume to them for a job. Harry had a patient to die and is on a leave of absence. They meet at the vineyard and they have an attraction. Rowan has issues with an ex who was married but didn’t tell her. Harry is having issues with his patient’s death. They fall in love, after they work out their issues.

[ 4.5 out of 5 ] Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

"Bend Toward the Sun" was an emotionally charged story with an electrifying romance that was painful, exhilarating, and deeply personal.

This story wears its heart on its sleeve as Rowan and Harry struggle to reconcile with their pasts in the wake of the instant attraction and affection they feel for one another.

The main characters had polar opposite upbringings. Rowan is socially awkward and understands plants far better than people. She had her beloved grandmother Edie who fostered Rowan’s love for nature - which led to Rowan becoming a botanist - until age 12 when she was then left in the uncare of her estranged mother. Meanwhile, Harry is one of six in a very close and loving family. This major difference is one of many roadblocks in Rowan and Harry’s relationship.

But I love how these two lost souls find their way again through love. It’s a painful journey and several times you’ll question in chest-tightening worry if their chance at true love and happiness will burn away.

Past intimate relationships have not gone well for either (an understatement). So to have such strong feelings feels right, wrong, and terrifying all at once. Plus, they both can be very, very, very stubborn.

I felt those months and months worth of time skips, which made their back and forth will-they won’t-they arguments seem redundant and a tad frustrating. Post-read, Rowan and Harry’s romance is really well fleshed out with all the necessary growth, drama and angst you’d want in an enthralling love story. Time just dragged some.

In the end (oh my goodness!), Rowan and Harry filled my heart with such joy and fondness. The chemistry between them was sizzling, the banter endearing and funny, and a satisfying conclusion worthy of a standing ovation.

I had a good feeling I would end up truly enjoying "Bend Toward the Sun," and I did! I loved the story and all of the characters. Rowan was my favorite because I could relate with her and she’s unexpectedly hilarious. Jen Devon wrote a wonderful, heartfelt romance. I highly recommend this novel.

This better be the start of a series because I loved these characters and need books about the rest of the Brady family immediately. Rowan and Harry have both hit pause on their life plans and both found themselves helping Harry's family build their B&B and vineyards. Drawn to each other from the moment they meet neither of them knows what their future will hold. Rowan doesn't trust often or easily and Harry has owns his own wounds to heal. However everyone can see their chemistry even if they are reluctant to act on it.

The Bradys are the type of loud, loving family I have always wanted to be a part of (no disrespect to my small, quiet one). I could have read about their family dinners forever as I speculated about the love lives of the single siblings. Rowan was very much a heroine after my own heart. Smart, introverted, and cautious, she still had so much heart and care to offer everyone around her. Her banter with Duncan made me chuckle out loud (definitely ready for his story). My only quibble was how tiring I found the back and forth self-sabotaging of their relationship. It went on.a bit too long by the time it was Harry's turn to take a stand.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

What an emotional, charming, funny love story. Rowan is a botanist stressed about completing her research and finding a post doc placement. Harry is a doctor who recently lost a patient and is taking a break being hiding out at his family’s vineyard. Their attraction to each other was one for the movies and the as one of the most authentic romances I’ve read recently. The setting was also excellent with amazing descriptions that brought the vineyard to life. I definitely recommend this book!

Second book to make me cry this year!!😭😭

I'm an emotional reader so when a book gives me all the emotions, you know it hit the heart and that it made me feel something. Rowan doesn't trust easily because of her past, so when she meets Harrison Brady and his loving family, she doesn't want to like him, let alone fall for him, she doesn't want complicated while Harrison wants her in his life as more. I like how their relationship isn't romanticized, rather the author takes you through all the emotions, all the ups and down and the fight and pain that comes with love along with the beauty of it.

This story was very emotional, passionate, and very cinematic. It truly feels like you're watching a movie, and it's a full experience. I can see why many love this book and I think it's a must read for sure! It's a great debut!

I also loved learning about plants and how they played ab important role in this book🌱

This book reminded me of Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese. That was a book many people loved and enjoyed, so if you like Chloe's book, you'll enjoy this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Bend Toward the Sun was an incredible novel by Jen Devon. I heard about this book from a few friends and was elated to receive an ARC from Netgalley. Main character Rowan is about to put her hard earned PhD in botany to work once her final paper is published. She found solace in a career that allows her to focus on plants, as Rowan prefers solitude. Most of her socialization occurs only when forced by her two closest friends. Which is how Rowan finds herself volunteered to aid the Brady family in the development of their new winery. Harry Brady, one of the grown sons is back home in Pennsylvania with everyone wondering why a successful OBGYN left behind a glamorous LA life. Rowan and Harry have instant chemistry, but their complicated pasts and Rowan’s distrust in the world settles them on a rocky path, working together mainly for success with the winery. Bend Toward the Sun is complicated, heart wrenching, lovely, endearing and so very rewarding. I am confident that this will be one of my top reads for 2022. Harry and Rowan are impossible to forget and their story should not be missed.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had to mull over what I would say about Bend Toward the Sun, by Jen Devon. I don’t appreciate reviews that start out telling me what a book is not, but what it’s not is what made me adore it. It is not a contemporary romance shoehorned into a romcom format. It is a straight-ahead full-blown romance and I cannot tell you how much I have been craving this. Give me a bit of angst. Give me the terrifying swoop of helplessness when the hero realizes he is toast. Give me the heartache and the bliss and the singular confusion of the moments before you give your heart away. Don’t hide it behind jokes we don’t need or references to pop culture that no one will remember in ten years’ time. And I am predicting we will still be reading this book in ten years’ time.


Anyone who knows me, knows I am a fool for skillful prose and Jen Devon has made me giddy. To my great delight, Bend Toward the Sun is a beautifully written book as well as a compelling romance. The two don’t always align these days, so when they do, it’s magic. Devon’s command of prose keeps it lush and evocative without tipping over into purple and saccharine. That she’s set this romance in a vineyard not in California made the wine geek in me so freaking happy. I also loved that this is an adult romance. These are grownups here, folks. Characters you can trust will continue to grow and learn and deepen in love long after you’ve finished the book and moved on.

I cannot recommend this book enough and would also give it to that friend who makes disparaging remarks about romance novels without ever having read them. This will shut them up because they will be too busy doing a second read to open their mouth.

This was a great book!! This is a first time author for me. I thought the plot was well developed and the characters were enjoyable. I will look for more books by this author.

I loved Bend Toward the Sun for its lush prose, STEM rep, and big dramatic arc. Jen Devon does an amazing job creating a big loud family full of fully realized personalities - I’d compare her secondary characters to those from early Kristan Higgins romances for their vitality, banter, and sly sibling insults. For me they might even have stolen the show from the beautifully drawn MCs. I’m definitely looking forward to the next books in the series (two and possibly three other couples are brewing).

Although this one started a little slow for me, I was captivated by the sweet story of Harry and Rowan. Both have walls up from troubles in love in their pasts, but together they work to tear down walls and build a firm foundation for a lasting relationship. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this beautiful ARC. Bend towards the sun is a debut novel releasing in august 2022 by Jen Devon. It’s a heart warming story in a picturesque land becoming a vine yard. I liked that it helped on mental health issues and that it wasn’t necessarily a slow burn. The couple definitely seemed meant to be, but had a lot of obstacles to work through. Harry’s family I also loved for their unending support. The characters felt like real people I could know. Check it out in august !

While this book started off a little slow for me once it hit its groove it was simply stunning. I loved these characters and I am already excited for Jen's next book. If you loved The Love Hypothesis for the STEM factor and want something even steamier pick up this book!.

WOW! Where to begin? I LOVED IT!!! At first, I was thinking "oh great another nerdy girl gets hot doctor" but it turned out to be so much more. This book gave me all of the emotions. When I reached half way, I was yelling "just let him love you already!" Rowan kept Harry at arms distance because of the heartbreak she suffered before. Then finding out that he was basically still married when they had their first kiss really added a blocker. What Harry didn't know is that Rowan was the other woman in a previous relationship and didn't know it. Harry had to break through a lot of emotional barriers for Rowan to see his deep love for her. I loved all of the supporting characters and in the end, I wanted to be apart of the Brady family and live at the vineyard. Now I will be impatiently waiting book 2 because there must be a sequel to feature Duncan and Temperance.

Oh man, oh man is this book good! For a debut novel, this will completely blow you away. This book doesn’t come out until August 2022, but you need to go ahead and add this to your 2022 TBR. It was full of a delicious romance, was hilarious, and overall SO FREAKING GOOD. This book was well written and very engaging. Like I said, go ahead and add his to your books to be read once it’s released. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley, Jen Devon and St. Martins Press for the ARC of Bend Toward the Sun. This is my personal review.
Rowan McKinnon and Harry Brady have serious issues in their past that keep them from being able to open up to others. The pull towards each other was amazing. They need each other but can’t quite deal with their past until the romance between gave them the push to feel what inside of them.
There were so many emotions bubbling up in me as I read this amazing book. I had to lay the book down and I stared into space to go over what I was reading. This book was a wonderful written by an author that I will definitely read more books from.

Great book! Super steamy, characters had great chemistry! Romance fans, you will love this! Characters are very fun to read about.

I wanted to like this book more. But Rowan drove me nuts for most of the book. She had boundaries and baggage that she expected Harry to respect and understand without even the smallest hint or detail. Her constant back and forth with Harry made me want to scream at her to just give him an inkling as to why she struggled with opening up her heart and it made me want to stop the roller coaster ride. And I found it frustrating that everyone around them - mostly Harry’s family - seemed to find nothing wrong with any of it.

I did like the set up for future books in the series especially Duncan and Malcolm’s stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s for the arc.

I love this book! Jen Devon's BEND TOWARD THE SUN is a beautifully written story of two damaged people who heal themselves and each other in the sunlight of a vineyard. Every single sentence in this book is gorgeous. Devon's words echoed in my mind long after I read the last page. I saw recently that Rachel Lynn Solomon blurbed this book, and I agree with what she wrote: "This is a book to be savored."

While the prose stands out here, but the characters are wonderfully crafted as well. Rowan is an academic and green thumb who takes a job working at the Brady family's farm/vineyard/bed and breakfast. There, she meets Harry Brady, one of the siblings, who is home for a while recovering from the loss of a patient. Both of their stays on the Brady compound are meant to be temporary, and neither expects to fall in love, especially Rowan, whose past wounds have her believing that love isn't for her. Harry and Rowan's journey is wonderful and heartwarming and sweet.

I also love the cast of supporting characters here, which include Rowan's two best friends and Harry's innumerable siblings. I can see Devon setting up at least two more books in this universe, and I hope I'm able to read those someday. This book is really, really special, and I'm so glad I got to read an early copy.

Thank you to St. Martins and Netgalley for the ARC!

The only murders I gotta is a girl who has been in a bad mood and it is so pretty but i was a good night I had to sneeze it all over the world and it is a good place and it is still the same as it was kind and

If you want to read a beautifully written book - Bend Toward The Sun is for you. Loved the main characters, loved the setting, loved the supporting cast. Jen Devon knocked this debut novel out of the ball park. Hoping there is a series adapted from this book!