Book review for Drunk on Love
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I am not a huge fan of romance novels. I’m sure some people are gasping right now! I do like to read one once in a while but I don’t find myself reaching for a romcom type novel.

With all that being said I am a big fan of Jasmine Guillory and her writing style. I have finished all of her books. When I was given the opportunity to review this new book by her I was very excited!

So the book is centred around Margot who is co- owner of a winery she inherited with her brother Elliot.

Margot goes to her best friend’s bar one evening and meets a charming man by the name of Luke.
Luke is charming and sweet and not someone she knows in Napa Valley. One thing needs to another and Margot ends up spending the night with Luke and wakes up at his place the next morning. Luke drives her home and she prepares for her day.
Two hours later Elliot is introducing Margot to their new employees and Luke is one of them.

The book details the back and forth of feelings they share with one another and how forbidden it is while working together. Margot ignores Luke and her feelings for him.

The dialogue with Luke and Avery centres around how much Luke likes Margot and hopes she feels the same. And the dialogue with Margot and Sydney is much of the same.

Eventually they figure out how they feel about one another and explore a relationship together.

I didn’t love or hate this pick. It was predictable but cute at the same time.

If you love romance novels I’m sure you will enjoy this one as well!

Margot Noble owns a winery with her brother in Napa Valley. She’s always working to ensure the business is successful, but she doesn’t get a lot of time to relax and have fun.

Luke Williams is back home in Napa to help his best friend rebound from a bad breakup while also running from a job he hated in the tech industry. He needs a release so heads to the local bar where he happens to meet Margot. One thing leads to another and the two have a fun night. Unfortunately, through a lot of interesting coincidences and mishaps their fun start can’t last! Can they recover that original spark?

I enjoyed this one well enough because I liked both main characters. They each had their flaws, but they genuinely cared about the people in their lives. A Napa winery was a good location for a romance and I loved the strong female empowerment vibe. I liked the strangers to lovers trope, but miscommunication is one of my least liked tropes. I just wish some other plot devices could have been used to sew the discord and get to our resolution. It was fun and cute, but at the same time not anything new.

Rating 4/5
Plot 4/5
Spice 3/5
Writing 4/5
Character Development 4/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“Drunk on Love” by Jasmine Guillory tells the story of Margot Noble and Luke Williams. Margot is a co-owner of a family winery alongside her brother. Margot goes out one night to relieve some stress and she meets a handsome stranger called Luke. They have major chemistry and this leads to a very hot one-night stand. The next day, Margot goes to work and learns that Luke is the winery’s newest employee and was hired by her brother. Luke had it all at his high-salary tech job, however, he quit because the job burned him out. He moves back to Napa Valley to help a friend out (Margot’s brother) and even after having a one-night stand with Margot, Luke wants more and doesn’t care that she’s his new boss. Although Luke has strong feelings for Margot, he questions if a successful woman like her would be interested in a tech dropout like him.

Overall this was a good book! Although the plot was a bit predictable, I still loved the workplace romance trope! I loved the Napa Valley setting and reading about it made me want to visit as soon as possible! Luke’s character was so relatable and I loved how real the story felt. This was an enjoyable read and overall, I found it fun, hot, and a good read!

I love how Jasmine Guillory writes her characters. They seem like they're your best friends and you're just naturally falling into a conversation with them. However, having the whole conflict of your book rest on having your two MCs not communicating with each other and their loved ones isn't my favorite.

After a much needed one night stand, Margot Noble discovers that the handsome night stand also happens to be her new employee, Luke Williams for her winery. But, their chemistry and memories of that hot and steamy night can’t seem to be forgotten by both parties, especially now that they are seeing a lot more of each other than they thought.

I gave Drunk on Love four stars, really enjoying the growing relationship between Margot and Luke and loved that they were just so attracted to each other. It was a fun relationship that both of them needed, especially since both of them needed to have the one day where they didn’t worry about everything. Their chemistry was amazing and together they were absolutely a fun pair. They simply fit really well.

Something I liked about Drunk on Love is how you can see Margot’s turmoil over the fact that she was deeply attracted to Luke and the fact that he fit somewhat well working at the winery Margot and her brother owned, and the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about him. You could tell there was something more between Margot and Luke and it it brought them together in the best way possible. Even when Margot was stressing over the winery and the business, Luke was there for her and helped her ease her stress and also aid her in success.

Margot and Luke were amazing together and I found that they were compatible with each other as they both supported one another.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for and eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What to do when your one-night stand shows up the next day at your winery as your newest employee?

Drunk on Love is everything I've enjoyed in past Jasmine Guillory books, plus the wonderful Napa setting and multiple strong Black women who run their own businesses.

Two things did not sit well with me. Occasionally, Luke acted immaturely. I was puzzled when he behaved this way since it was inconsistent with his overall personality. Their age gap could have been shown in a better way. Secondly, miscommunication was overused. I have a pet peeve about that one. It was hard not to yell at Luke a couple of times to talk to Margot already!

Overall, I loved Margot and Luke as a couple. Not only do they have steamy chemistry, but they also support one another. I liked how they seemed to get to each other even early on when they didn't know each other well.

Grab your favorite bottle of wine and savor Margot and Luke's wonderful romance and the great side characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital copy of this book.

I am sorry, this was not for me. I have tried reading this author before, but I don't think we vibe.

The story repeated itself so many times. I get it, you work together!

It started off like Grey's Anatomy, we all know the scene. It can be done again and I will love it, but dang these people were immature. There is nothing more that I hate, than adults not communicating! I am over it. It seems like a very immature plot.

The queen of romance is back again and this time the story is set in and around a winery in Napa Valley. After a one night stand orchestrated by her best friend, local winery owner Margot, discovers the next work day that her co-owner brother has hired her one night stand and she’s now his boss. The tension between Margot and Luke is palpable and maintaining a professional relationship is a challenge for them both.

4.5 stars. Hardworking Napa winery owner Margot takes a rare night off and has a one-night-stand with the cute man sitting next to her at the bar. Luke is sweet and wants to see her again, but she's not looking for anything complicated. And then he shows up as the new tasting room employee her brother hired. Suddenly, things are very complicated indeed, as the two do their best to pretend there's no shared history or mutual attraction between them.

Guillory has set up another charming set of characters, and I hope she's planning to make a series out of the Noble winery (starting with Margot's driven brother). She does such a nice job of writing characters who are passionate about their careers, and don't sideline their own ambitions for love--they just have to figure out a way to make room for it. Luke and Margot have some very sweet moments, as well as several too-spicy-to-read-in-public ones.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Drunk on Love is a contemporary romance novel that places in Napa Valley. This book explores the winery business, finding your identity, burn out, and joy. I love that each of her books focus on a certain place in California and was excited that this one takes place in Napa. Overall, I found this to be a decent read. I loved that it was a lighthearted, quick, and easy read. This was one of those instances where I loved the backdrop more than the characters. The characters were fine individually, but I was craving more depth and chemistry between the main characters. In terms of the narration, the day narration was done well and kept me engaged with the story. If you’re a fan of Jasmine Guillory’s previous books, you may enjoy this one.

The author wastes no time having the main characters get hot and heavy. Both are very likeable. The setting of a winery is a plus. Friends on both sides are interesting allies. Good romance.

I was drawn in by the winery setting and because I haven’t tried Jasmine Guillory before. Unfortunately sometimes workplace romances don’t work so well for me, and this one made me more tense and anxious than felt fun or entertaining. Yes, I’m a wimp about this.

Jasmine Guillory has never disappointed me and I know every time I read a story by her, I'll devour it and love every second of it! This quickly became one of my top 3 reads (The Wedding Date, The Proposal and then this are my absolute favorites. I loved Margot and Luke so much, they had really great chemistry. Although there was some internal miscommunication (if that makes sense) that would happen through out the story, once they voiced one they wanted it was well communicated. For example, if Margot was maybe a little nervous that they were spending too much time together and afraid Luke would get tired of her, Luke would quickly assure her that wasn't the case. These two respected each other so much and it was evident throughout their entire friendship/relationship.

Also the cameo in this story made me SO happy! I know to expect them but I always am so surprised and excited when they pop up.

10/10 Recommend this!

Thank you #Netgalley for an early read of #DrunkOnLove

A steamy story of workplace romance, set amidst the wineries of Napa Valley. Margot Noble, co-owner of a family winery, has a one-night stand with a hot guy she meets at a bar, only to discover the next day that he’s her new employee. The book explores the intense connection and chemistry between Margot and Luke, but also delves into family dynamics, career frustrations and expectations, and issues around honesty and self-awareness. The romance is steamy but also sweet, and I loved the dynamics between Margot and Luke.

There was definitely a lot more that I wanted from this that sadly, fell flat for me. As someone who lives in the Bay Area like JG, I definitely always want to support her and her books, especially this one that takes place in Napa! But I was hoping for something to happen, something more than the tension that it kept building for pages and pages long, that I wasn't really in the mood to wait for. Maybe if there had been more stakes I would have loved this book because I definitely loved the premise, but alas I can't say there was a lot that I was excited about.

The chemistry is strong and hot in this fun love story. The setting, the wine, the romance, the characters, the humor all combine to create an entertaining escape for a few hours. Sit back, grab a glass of whatever you prefer and enjoy!

I very much enjoyed my time spent with Margot and Luke in this nuanced yet fun romance. The older woman, younger man is always refreshing, as was seeing a professional woman co-running a winery and dealing with both her success as well as it's impact on her dating life. The book also included the complexity of how we portray ourselves to family when the perception of our success and abilities get twisted into the relationship. Margot co-owns a winery with her brother, Elliott, who we know has mixed feelings about being business partners with his sister. Luke has walked away from a successful tech job since he wasn't happy due to the unsupportive and racist culture in the company. Margot and Luke meet before learning he's about to be her newest employee in the wine tasting room, and sparks fly before they know it needs to stay professional.
Both of these characters learn a lot about themselves, their family, and each other while navigating this entertaining and believable obstacle course with the Napa wine country as the perfect backdrop for romance.

Interview with the author will appear this fall on The Secret Library podcast.
https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes

And this was just what I needed. A great setting plus that fun trope I most identify with Grey's Anatomy. I don't love this power dynamic in real life, but in fiction? Have at it. Workplace hijinks!

We picked this for our store romance book club and I think it will be great for a group discussion. I really enjoyed this novel, and read it quickly. Couldn't wait to get back to my book to see what would happen between Luke and Margot. Loved the dual points of view and the winery setting!

Margot is fighting to prove her worth as a new co-owner of her family winery. She takes one day off for self-care and has a steamy one night stand with a hottie from the local bar. But she should have known Napa Valley was too small for anonymous sex. The next day, she finds out her brother just hired Luke, the very same hottie, to work in their tasting room, making Margot his boss.

Jasmine Guillory is one of my must-read authors, and I always love how she balances dreamy romance with grounded, real-life conflict. I had the great joy of reading this book while visiting Napa, which was a total delight. It's a super fun backdrop for this story, and I adore the chemistry between Margot and Luke. This is the perfect romance for wine lovers!