What a gorgeously romantic story with such well-rendered, complex characters and a warm, beating heart. You won't want to leave the vineyards. Jen Devon is wildly talented -- can't wait to see what she does next.

Jen Devon's author bio states that she likes to write romances about imperfect people who find their perfect matches, and that is exactly what this book is all about! Rowan is a scientist who doesn't believe in love, and Harry is a doctor suffering from anxiety after losing a patient. When they meet, the connection is immediate but the trauma of their pasts makes it difficult for them to open up to each other.

I loved Rowan with all her angst and prickliness and Harry with all his anxiety and sadness. They were definitely imperfect characters, but all I wanted to do was cheer for them to make peace with their past and find love with each other. The secondary characters were also amazing. I loved the whole Brady family and Temperance and Franki, and I hope that Devon writes more stories with these characters. There are some steamy scenes in this one, which is not really my cup of tea. But the characters and story were so good!!

I was really liking the book and thinking it would be a 4 star read. Then I got to the ending, and it was even better! I loved the final 70 pages so much. It was the perfect ending to this story.

In romances, it's fairly typical to see a third act breakup, followed by a reunion and a happily ever after. I often feel like the reunion/happily ever after part is rushed and unsatisfying. Too much time is spent on all the angsty questioning of will they/won't they, and then when they finally decide to be together, it's all rushed at the end.

However...Bend Toward the Sun did not fall into this category. The finale was a perfect ending that did not feel rushed at all. This book is definitely full of angst and questioning, but it all pays off with an excellent ending! I cannot say enough good things about the ending. I may just go back and read it again right now!

WOW WOW WOW. This was the perfect book to transition from summer to fall. We follow Rowan and Harry through a year at the vineyard. From the witty puns and banter, some very spicy spicy and emotional scenes, this book has it all! The instant connection between Rowan and Harry is brilliant, but also I loved getting to see each of them breakdown the barriers of themselves for the other person. As someone who doesn’t know a lot about plants, but does drink a lot of wine, I loved all the plant talk and learning about the damaged vineyards.
If you have read this one, don’t you want to be a part of the Brady family?

A stunning, breathtakingly gorgeous read that will steal your heart and remind you why you love reading love stories. I was lucky enough to receive Bend Toward the Sun as my very first ARC, and let me tell you - this one set the bar for every future ARC I will ever read.

We begin this love story as Harry and Rowan's worlds collide (literally) in a dusty abandoned greenhouse. Rowan is a botanist PhD student with a lifetime of emotional damage that has made her closed-off and doubtful of anything claiming to be love, and Harry is reeling from a traumatic event in his first year of medical residency that makes him question his entire path forward. A series of events brings them together on the vineyard that Harry's family just purchased, and though Rowan tries to keep her distance, even she can't deny the spark between them. But will either of them be able to confront what’s happened to both of them so they can move forward together?

I’ve tried for months to figure out the words to describe this story, and none of them do it justice. Harry and Rowan have the most swoonworthy chemistry, and from their first moment together you just KNOW they have something special. They're flawed and imperfect and make mistakes. But at their cores, they're both so utterly lovable that you can't help but root for them.

Through Jen Devon’s ethereal writing, you immediately see the ways that these two fit together, while also seeing the ways they'll have to confront things about themselves that they've long buried away—from Harry, with his heart-on-his-sleeve vulnerability (which was SO refreshing to see in a male hero) to Rowan, whose lifetime of hurt and betrayal has caused her to build impossibly high walls around her own soft heart. I also absolutely adored Rowan's friends and the entire Brady family, and the scenes of them all together just felt so natural and warm and welcoming and I just wanted to live in those moments on the page.

Bend Toward the Sun is a romance in the truest sense of the word. The setting is magical. The writing is gorgeous. It's angsty, and heartbreaking, and so, so beautiful, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance review copy!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! I like that this book got into the story right away! I will say this story is heavier on the emotional struggles of the main characters than the romance aspect in the beginning. I felt as though the book had too much description of everything. This book is definitely kind of an instant love story. I was kind of upset that she was so closed off to the idea of love and being with him but the tension during the fight they had was amazing but it did bug me with how cold she was. The first kiss was at the perfect moment like a scene in a movie! I definitely see more books about the Brady brothers finding love with Temperance and Frances! I just don’t understand why Harry can’t see that he deserves better! I think I just felt like Rowan was an Unlikable character due to being so cynical. This book was definitely a deeper type of romance and in the end I actually liked that about it. You end up understanding the characters and wanting them to finally get the happy ending they deserve.

A beautiful love story - you'll wonder if its going to happen, but its lovely to watch unfold! Plus the main character shares a name with someone close to me so of course I couldn't put this one down!

Bend Towards the Sun will give you all the feels as we get to know Rowen and Harry through their year in the Vinyard. Finally a love story with some more complicated baggage. Both Dr's one is a botinst, one is ob and a life time of different way of being shown love.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own

I ended up not quite finishing this one in the time allotted between receiving the ARC and needing to review it because it was a heavier book than I was really able to read at that time. However, I love the characters and ideas present, and I am going to buy and return to this text soon! I have continued to hear excellent things about how well done this romance is, and I can't wait to be in the brain space to give it another go.

This is a debut book by Ms Devon, so I really didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. I was very pleasantly surprised. This was such a beautifully written, intense love story, I got swept right into it from the very beginning. The development of characters was well done and I immediately fell in love with Rowan and Harrision. They were so realistic and relatable, it was easy to get pulled into their story. Both have their own challenges to deal with. Rowan has been burned by love in the past and made up her mind that she will not allow anyone to get that close to her again. But when she meets Harrison, she knows she is in trouble. Harrison has been hurt by love, but is not opposed to it. What does rattle him is the painful loss of a patient. He begins to doubt his abilities as a doctor and decides to take a break at his family's new vineyard. Rowan is hired to help with the restorations of the vineyard, and the two are immediately drawn to each other. The two had such amazing chemistry, you could feel the pull between them. Ms. Devon does a very nice job of bringing the story and the characters to life with her vivid descriptions and attention to details. This is a heartwarming story filled with emotion, angst, and romance and was just such a pleasure to read. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read this and I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Devon's work in the future.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I love this book so much. I read it slowly to savor it until I couldn’t any more. It was a beautiful story & so well written. I know Rowan, Harry & the Brady’s will stick with me for a long time.

I knew I needed to read this book when someone else reviewed it and said "holy shitballs" :) I loved this book. It is a perfect rainy day read because you can't stop reading it. I haven’t read a romance novel in a long time and this is a classic novel that made me remember why I liked them soo much. I felt like all of the characters were very relatable and like people that I knew in my life.
It was beautiful and heart breaking and makes me want to visit rural PA on the off chance it’s real.

Rowan and Harrison...two people with a lot of heartbreak and baggage. They meet in an unexpected paradise where they both found themselves for healing. They can't fight the undeniable connection as much as they try. A soul satisfying romance you don't want to miss! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a cute book overall! It was perfect to read it when I needed something other than a thriller. It took me through multiple emotional rides but overall I really enjoyed it in the end! Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

☀Bend Towards the Sun by Jen Devon may be mine. I've been pondering my thoughts for SO LONG because I have all of them and cannot put into words how lush and captivating this angst fest was. SO romantic, yet also tore my heart up a bit; stay tuned for more I need a re-read.

if you've read this already, how would you sell it to a friend? I'm telling them it is Nora Roberts found family and just good, decent men meets Kate Clayborn's lush writing and emotions.

Thank you to @macmillanusa for the early copy, and cannot wait for @kisscrafter's next!

This book is about two people who have their own personal struggles and meet each other only to find out there is a connection between them. This was such an adorable book and I enjoyed Devon’s writing style. Their writing style was amazing as it just hits you in the right places. I really enjoyed the setting, pacing, plot structure in this book. Everything was well done with the writing and the vibe of the book totally matches the cover.

The main characters in this book are Rowan and Harry. Rowan was in a toxic relationship which is why she keeps people far away and Harry is grieving, wanting a permanent relationship. Both are amazing characters and develop a lot throughout the book. I enjoy their bantering between each other and the connection they form throughout the book. There were also amazing side characters in this book like Rowan’s besties who were supporting and loving. The trope was a bit of opposite attracts and had some steamy scenes that will live rent free in my head.

The ending was well done with a happily every after. After first I was a little but nervous to pick this book up but I’m glad that I did. The only reason it didn’t get full stars was because I have to say that the story isn’t original. I have read many books like this. Yes the writing was amazing and all but not as original and special. This book is perfect for fans of Virgin River and It Ends With Us.

All my friends were talking about this one, but it just didn't work for me. I wanted to like it, but I just wasn't in the right mindset for this book. It was too sad, and I needed something with a little more humor. This doesn't mean that down the road I won't try to read this again and like it, I just couldn't get into it at this time.

This was a beautiful book about love and healing and finding a family, and so much more. I really enjoyed Jen Devon's writing style. I'm assuming from the large cast of characters that was introduced, that this will be a series, and if so, I look forward to future books by this author!

Great romance set in the ultimate of romantic settings with two great main characters, what is not to love?! This had a very realistic feel and I felt fully invested in the outcome of this romance.

What a great debut novel! This is a romance story set in a beautiful scenic vineyard. I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of gorgeous descriptions about gardens and vineyards as Rowan is a botanist. Rowan and Harry are both wonderful strong characters. Harry comes from a big boisterous and fun family and it was fun to see all their interactions. The love story was very well written. Overall this was a great book and there are so many supporting character’s backstories that I hope the author will write about in a sequel.

Bend Toward the Sun is a charming slow-build of a debut that captures your heart in the first few pages. The novel follows botanist Rowan and handsome doctor Harrison as they navigate the hurts of past relationships and career hiccups, finding solace amongst the withering grape vineyards and Harrison’s large family. Their relationship is angsty and steamy, and Devon does a great job of expressing the complex emotional baggage that abounds when there are past hurts. I enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jen Devon for an advance copy.