DNF at 20%

I am just not able to get into this book. Right off the bat, I don't find either of the protagonists to be particularly interested. I also really dislike when the female protagonists in books are labeled as "Chardonnay slugging women" so it's just a pass for me.

Rowan McKinnon takes a job to help restore an abandoned vineyard after an academic setback. Harrison Brady, an obstetrician, comes to stay on his family’s new vineyard while he deals with the anxiety of having lost a patient. Rowan doesn’t believe in love, but she and Harrison have an immediate connection.

I wanted to like this book, but it was tough when I didn’t like either of the characters. They obviously had sexual chemistry, but I never felt it develop into actual love. I did love Harrison’s family, and I hope Jen Devon will write a sequel featuring Rowan’s friend Temperance! The vineyard setting sounded gorgeous.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Definitely wasn't a fan of this one. Just wasn't my style, couldn't get into it and was too series and not at all what I was expecting. I never share any negative reviews online, I just don't post about it. I appreciate the chance to review this one, but it overall just didn't sit with me and engage me. Not a fan, but thank you anyway.

The only issue I have is that the story took too long to get to the sweet point. The point where the couple' accepts the attraction is too strong to ignore. I just really wanted to get to know them as a couple before the bottom falls.

However, Harry and Rowan are sweet. It's the typical story of young-ish adults fighting to through their individual history. I enjoyed the sense of family as well. I come from a large family so I completely fell into the large dinners with a lot of opinions.

All in all- it's a sweet story. Great for the reader that wants to take their time on this journey without all the back and forward. Enjoyed the authors selection of words and bits of comedy.

Well you know I have some mixed feelings on this one. It was a cute book but it wasn’t very memorable. The main characters came off quite immature for having their doctorates. They were definitely imperfect but wasn’t expecting immature. I don’t tend to enjoy the no strings relationships when they clearly have feelings for each other. They gave me very toxic vibes.

I’m sorry but it was pretty predictable and forgettable. I liked Harrison’s parents but all the other characters were okay. I did like that Rowan was a botanist and she thought of plants as living things. She also made me think differently about spiders because I too have a giant fear of spiders.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this would be a cute and sweet rom-com and nice mental break after a string of heavy reads but this book had more emotional meat than I was expecting. I think Bend Toward the Sun had just the right amount of drama, angst, steam, and humor. I also really enjoyed the way Devon wrapped up the story of Harry and Rowan. The narration by Chris Brinkley and Erin Mallon was superb. Both characters had major likeability issues, especially Rowan and the story was a little long in my opinion. Overall, a nice debut.

Finally! I found a book I could give 5 stars! Rowan is working toward her botany PhD and would rather be around plants than people and when she arrives on farm with her friend for a party she does not expect to meet Harrison Brady. Harry has come home from California after losing a patient and needs to find himself and recover. What he doesn't expect is to find Rowan in the greenhouse. These two need each other and over the summer help each other heal and grow. When fall comes and Harry goes back to California will Rowan survive? But wait, where is Rowan going? She needs a job too? There are lots of twists in this story for everyone so make sure to read to the end.

4.5 stars

Brief Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book that I hope will be the start of a potential series of wonderful female characters and a delightful large family with lots of love and laughter

Bend Toward the Sun surprised me in all the best ways - this debut novel by Jen Devon has incredible banter, remarkable depth of character, and a fun setting and family in its pages. I *love* a good STEM-career-driven female main character, and there was a lot to love about Rowan and her tender fear of letting people in. Harry and his past brought a completely different element to this story and their meet-cute during a rowdy family time-honoured traditional game of hide and seek was hilarious and a great way to kick the book off. Some of my favourite heartwarming moments came near the end though, including the bit about the grape jelly (marriage is so complex and also simple that way!) and the elements of found family had me tearing up.

I can't recommend this one enough - it was lovely, and I look forward to many more books from this author in the future (fingers crossed!!!)

I also really loved the dual narration audiobook told from both main characters' perspectives - so well done.

"Bend Toward the Sun" by Jen Devon is a Romance and Women's Fiction story!

Rowan McKinnon has a PhD in botany, two loyal besties, and prefers relationships with no strings attached. Too many lingering memories of a 'not-so-great' mother and a 'game-playing' fiancé have left her emotionally spent and distrustful of love. What Rowan doesn't expect is meeting someone like Harrison Brady!

Harrison is an obstetrician who is mentally and physically distraught over the loss of a patient. He doubts he's capable of being the doctor he always thought he could be. He leaves his work and his failing relationship in L.A. behind for his parent's new winery in Pennsylvania. The physical labor of rebuilding the winery for opening is sure to help clear his mind and heal his soul. What Harry doesn't expect is meeting someone like Rowan!

An undeniable connection happens between these two people but...

Rowan's counting on the challenge of restoring the grapevines of the abandoned winery to their original glory to keep her distracted from the pull she feels toward Harrison. She wants to keep things casual!

Harry soon discovers that it's not the physical efforts of rebuilding the winery that's having the biggest impact on his frame of mind and perspective; it's Rowan. He wants things to start getting serious!

Will Rowan be able to resist Harry's persistence? Will Harry be able to break-through Rowan's walls?

The writing of this novel is bright, descriptive, and emotional. I enjoy all the characters and feel they all contributed to the family dynamics of this story. However, I want to know more about both Rowan and Harry and I need more details about their families. It didn't feel like enough was offered for this family centric novel.

I read the digital copy and listened to the audiobook choosing to switch back and forth between the two formats. The audiobook has two narrators, Erin Mallon & Chris Brinkley, who give a unique voice to each of the main characters. Erin happens to be one of my favorite narrator's, so listening was a special treat for me! With the digital copy, the visual experience of reading the printed word will always be comforting to me!

Although it was a pleasant experience to both read and listen to this book, there wasn't anything unique to this story and, as a result, nothing new and different stood out to me. An enjoyable read but a little too reminiscent of the 'Hallmark Channel' to me. If that's your preference, I do recommend it as one for you.

Thank you to NetGallley, St. Martin's Griffin (widget) for a free DRC, McMillan Audio for a free ALC of this book, and Jen Devon. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

This was such an amazing debut novel. I was so excited to learn that this author is also from my hometown! I enjoyed the slow burn romance of Harry and Rowan. I also thought it was so comical how they met each other. This book was born light hearted and a bit heavy because of the emotions and internal battles Rowan and Harry dealt with. However, there is also quite a bit of comedy too especially with all of the little games they played together. I loved learning about them history if each character and a little bit of their friends stories as well. I greatly enjoyed this audiobook and would definitely read the physical copy and recommend it to others.

Rowan and Harry meet in random game of hide and seek. Rowan never played it as a child so now as a adult she's trying to prove something. Harrys family has a winning streak to keep. After Rowan wins the game for the girls. She official meets Harry.

They both have a past they are running from or over come. They have a instant connection. And ones Rowan starts working for Harrys family at the family vineyard all bets are off.

I was hooked very early to a no strings attracted romance. But one is more invested in there being strings than the other.

BUT the will they wont they get together to the will they date became real repetitive and I started not caring. I felt like some of it could of been cut. It came around for me at the end but it took to long for me in the end.

I felt like if they would of talked to each other instead of hiding everything from each other would of had a chance to be together.


Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this Audio Arc copy in exchange my honest thoughts.

Fun, sexy, and that perfect STEM-inist novel for those looking for something after reading Ali Hazelwood. I am obsessed with Rowan and Harry--I need to know what happens after the book. I was enraptured by the Brady family, everyone was so nice and friendly. It was a lovely contrast for Rowan, and I enjoyed seeing her lower her hackles with them. It's the found family for me!

This was a delightful debut! I'm really hoping for more of the Brady family. I can't wait for more books by Jen Devon.

Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon was the best book I have read this year, in fact the best book I have read in awhile. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking and had just the right amount of spice to it.

Rowan McKinnon is a botanist with a PhD, but unfortunately her thesis had issues with the data so it couldn't be published and she was stuck until she was able to correct the data. Rowan doesn't have any family because her mother was very hands off and her grandmother who cared for her died when Rowan was 12. She retreats to her two college friends who unbeknownst to her summited her resume to the Brady family's new vineyard to help rebuild a once beautiful vineyard that has been neglected for many years. Harrison Brady is an OB who lost a patient and retreated to his parents' new vineyard to try to heal. Harrison is the relationship type of guy and Rowan is a don't trust anyone casual relationships only type of girl. Can they get passed their individual issues and make a relationship work?

I loved that this was not an instalove type of book. The characters had to work for everything they got which made this book so realistic. It was not a love conquers all type of book, the characters had to actually develop through a very realistic timeline. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait until Devon's next novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this debut book about a romance between a botanist and a physician. A STEM somewhat steamy romance. It’s the type of book I like to read and would buy.

The audio book is read by a female and male narrator. I enjoyed both voices. However, the female voice was distracting in that the narrator often held the last syllable of the last word in a sentence for about 2 to 3 seconds with no change of tone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary audio book.

📚 B O O K. R E V I E W 📚

Thank you to @netgalley for my ALC copy of BEND TOWARD THE SUN BY @kisscrafter ! This one publishes last week, Tuesday August 9, so you can fend your copy now!

Fans of The Love Hypothesis will love this book!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this story. At first, the audio didn’t capture my attention like I had wanted, but I kept going and I’m so glad I did! I devoured this one basically in a day! Rowan and Harry are 😍😍

This debut romance tells the sorry of two people who are imperfectly perfect for each other. Rowan is a botanist and Harry is an OB. They are both on their own path to figuring out how to find happiness, after events in their past made them believe happiness was out of the question.

I loved how vulnerable Rowan and Harry were with each other, and Laos with themselves. They both had things in their past they were dealing with, but found that by being vulnerable with each other, they could heal and find happiness together.

This book has a found family element to it, and with all big families, family meals are important. The pancake scene was one of my favs! #iykyk

This is an open door romance that has some full on spicy 🌶 scenes! It was 🔥🔥🔥 if you don’t like this kind of romance, then you are warned!

Read if you like:
💐 forced proximity
💐 opposites attract (botanist and OB)
💐 only child > big family
💐 found family
💐 open door, steamy romance
💐 all the angst
💐 goats

I can’t wait to see what Jenn has in store for us next!

In the years since I joined NetGalley, I’ve strayed from one of my original intentions - to discover new, first-time authors. So when I came across this one from a debut author I decided to take a chance.

And when the book started out with a humorous meet-cute, followed shortly by some dialogue that made me laugh out loud, I knew I was in for a good ride. I mean read. But also listen, because I did both with this one!

There was so much that was great about this story: a heroine with a unique science-based career, a lovely and well-developed vineyard setting in Pennsylvania, lovable side-characters in a large family that eats dinner around a big table, and beautiful writing with fantastically witty dialogue (I will forgive a world of wrongs if your dialogue is top notch). I loved that this story takes place over the course of a year and doesn’t rush the timeline. I could envision myself wandering the vineyard looking over the vines and trying to keep up with all the sarcastic banter during a dinner with the family.

But this wasn’t a romantic story where loved conquered all. Both characters had deeply wounded hearts that kept them from having a healthy relationship and their interactions frequently just made me sad. I found myself so frustrated with the heroine - there was too much take and not enough give to the hero. And I was frustrated with the hero who was willing to settle for scraps and let the heroine be so wishy washy. With the characters' inability to have open and honest conversations, this reads more like a young adult novel than one about people in their 30s and I am not at the stage in my reading journey where I have patience for that kind of drama llama.

Despite the things I didn’t enjoy about this book, I think this author has a lot of potential. Her world-building was incredible and with all of the Brady siblings, I hope Bend Toward the Sun is just the first in the series!

And I hope if there are more audiobooks, Erin Mallon and Chris Brinkley are available - these two narrators are FANTASTIC! Their inflections, the way they convey emotions, the comedic timing when needed, all

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
* thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

"It wasn't that she made him forget his pain; she helped him see life beyond it."

The emotionally charged yet sweet and sexy romance Bend Toward The Sun by debut author Jen Deron is an honest portrayal of us flawed humans just trying to figure it all out without feeling more pain.

Rowan McKinnon is a brilliant academic with a PHD in Botany. A scandal sets her career path back and she takes a temporary job restoring a newly bought vineyard for the Brady family.

When Dr. Harrison "Harry" Brady returns home from his residency after a traumatic loss the last thing he expects to see is the red headed Rowan playing games with his large, loud and loving family.

Having been burned before and growing up with a toxic mother Rowan doesn't believe in love and definitely not relationships. Harry has stopped believing in himself but Rowan is making him believe in a possible "them."

Listening to narrator Erin Mallon pour out Rowan's fears, her confusion, her love made me feel like I was ease dropping on someone's private thoughts. When narrator Chris Brinkley speaks of Harry's panic attacks, his self doubt, but most of all his feelings for Rowan I believe it.

I loved that it isn't the female having panic attacks, being scared of spiders or feeling unrequited love, it is Harry, the strong handsome sexy doctor. When she helps him through an episode he is grateful not annoyed or all alpha male embarrassed; he appreciates her being there for him. It's a nice change of pace.

The descriptive scenery is beautifully written. I felt the sun on my face and smelled the flowers. The love scenes were honest and very HOT. I hope there are more stories about the Brady family and advise you all to bend your ears and listen to two scarred people fall in love.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Chris Brinkley and Erin Mallon narrate Jen Devon’s beautifully written contemporary romance Bend Toward the Sun. The novel explores the profound connection between a botanist, who doesn’t believe in love, and a grief-stricken obstetrician who has PTSD after losing a patient. I love this novel/audiobook so much! The writing, characters, story, and narration are breathtaking—another surprise read this year to add to my all-time favorites!

Rowan McKinnon believes her life is complete with her botany Ph.D. and two best friends who love her no matter how quirky or socially awkward she can be. Engaging only in occasional no-strings sex, she does not believe love is real. How could she? Rowan’s only ever known the love of her grandmother Edie, who taught her to care for all things that grow—inspiring her deep love for nature. Unfortunately, an emotionally negligent mother and a fiancé who treated her like a pawn left her emotionally compromised, hiding deep wounds from the past. After a chance encounter with a stranger at the vineyard leaves her out-of-sorts, Rowan agrees to manage the restoration of the Brady family’s abandoned vineyard, immersing herself in nurturing the grapes back to their former glory. Though she tries not to think about Harrison Brady, who is no longer a stranger, yet still makes her want unexpected, new, and dangerous things.

The loss of a patient causes obstetrician Harry PTSD/panic attacks and a crisis of faith, leading to a spiral of doubt about his ability to keep his patients and family safe. Reeling from that loss and a failed romantic relationship, Harry leaves Los Angeles for Pennsylvania to emotionally recover at his parents’ new vineyard. From their first meeting, something in Rowan calls to Harry, helping him heal—sunlight breaking through the darkness smothering his soul. Harry cannot resist exploring the undeniable pull between them. But after a lifetime of protecting herself from feeling anything—for anyone—Rowan pushes to keep things casual after fighting and failing to ignore and deny their explosive connection.

Brinkley and Mallon’s expressive and lively narration complements Devon’s storytelling and writing style, bringing her novel brilliantly to life. Narrating in dual POV, Brinkley and Mallon excellently provide distinct voices that perfectly capture Rowan and Harry and the secondary characters. Using cadence, accents, dialects, and expressiveness, they nail their personalities, moods, and each scene’s emotional highs and lows. Brinkley and Mallon’s performances are emotionally intense, moving, and spot-on, and their narration for the hero and heroine interchangeably is well done. Because Harry’s PTSD/panic attacks are authentic, visceral, and heartbreaking, I will have to look into Brinkley, who’s a new narrator for me. I also like how natural his voice/narration sounds for Rowan and the other female characters.

Devon’s writing is gorgeous, with lush and vibrant descriptions incorporating all the senses. I couldn’t put this compelling audiobook down. Her authentic and dynamic dialogue and fantastic worldbuilding draw you into her novel, making you feel as though you are right there with the characters from the first scene to the last. Most of all, I love her storytelling and narrative style. I am so not an outdoorsy, nature person, but her descriptions, writing, and protagonist make me long to experience that same sense of comfort and peace she feels. Filled with emotional intensity and vivid and visceral description, Devon excellent writes the scenes when Harry experiences anxiety and panic attacks. Likewise, Devon deftly captures Rowan’s emotional immaturity and struggles with feeling emotions, especially love and the growth inspired by her relationship and interactions with Harry and his family. Despite her efforts to keep them out, they sneak behind her barriers.

Devon deftly develops fascinating, imperfect, relatable, genuine characters through humorous, snarky, emotionally intense, intimate, flirty, sexy banter, dialogue, and interactions. The profound emotional connection and sexual attraction between Rowan and Harry is a living, breathing entity because of Devon’s fantastic description and narrative style. I love their banter, interactions, love scenes, and relationship development, which also reveal their characters. I don’t know if she intends to come back to this world. But Devon also invests time in developing all her characters and having Harry and Rowan interact with the secondary characters, which helps to reveal more about them and further their development and the plot. It’s a world rich with fantastic characters and possible stories I’d love to read.

Poignant, sweet, sexy, angsty, and steamy, Bend Toward the Sun is a family-centered and profoundly romantic novel. It explores themes of taking unexpected paths, self-discovery, finding where you belong, falling in love and how it changes you, taking risks to experience happiness and love, friendship, grief, loss, healing, and acceptance. I highly recommend this captivating novel in audio!

Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley for review.

This book is truly one of the best books I have read this year. I am in awe of the writing by Jen Devon.

If you want to read about how two characters who have some intense life traumas find love with one another and heal those traumas with some humor thrown in and a big huge adorable family, then this is the book for you. It was for sure the book for me!

The lyrical flow of the book was beautiful. Jen captures everything so eloquently without being over wordy or creating any unnecessary content. I could picture the characters, the vineyards, and all the nature easily from her wonderful descriptions. The chemistry between the characters was prevalent from the beginning. I've heard Jen describe them as horny for each other, and that was definitely the case. The slow burn of this was perfection. It gave all the build up you needed and exploded when the characters finally came together.

Rowan McKinnon has a PhD in botany and has recently faced a huge setback in her career. While trying to get her research in order, she ends up taking a job at the new Brady vineyard. She does not believe in love because she has suffered through abandonment in her childhood and then a serious relationship that went completely wrong.

Harry Brady is an obstetrician who recently lost a patient. He heads home to try and recover and regain his career. He is instantly gone for Rowan once he meets her. As Harry keeps pursuing her, Rowan keeps telling him all she wants is casual. It's a lie though, because Rowan starts to melt her hard outer shell for Harry. She lets him in, and they end being able to heal one another.

The Brady family is amazing and I'm ready to head to the vineyard and hangout with them. I loved Rowan's friends and I am hoping there are going to be more books that connect some more Brady siblings to Rowan's friends. There were several hints!

The audio narration by Erin Mallon and Chris Brinkley was fire. They were both amazing and some of my favorite narrators to listen to for romance books.

I'm already ready for Jen's next book. She's a phenomenal writer and I can't wait to read her next one!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.