Forever with You

This light-hearted romance was just what I needed. I have been in a bit of a reading rut lately, unable to concentrate & uninterested in anything too complex, or politically or socially charged. Basically, uninterested in most of the books that I typically read. Both my virtual & physical TBR piles are brimming over and yet I could not stay focused. This sweet story was uncomplicated & I knew that it would have a happy ending. Sometimes that is just what you need. I enjoyed the characters, their backstories, & how they both had weaknesses that they could help each other with, not just a heroine that needed to be saved.
I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

I enjoyed this book! Barb Curtis does a great job of developing the characters and helping you understand how their lives are connected and how that affects their story. It was intriguing to read about a winery and learn a little about caring for a vineyard. I thought the relationship between Leyna and Jay was really sweet -- as well as Leyna's friendship with Emily. It's a great small-town, second chance romance with a little mystery involved -- if you like romance, you'll like this read!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.*

This was such a cute little romance. It reminds me of one of my greatest joys - hallmark romance movies (although I always feel books are so much better). Jay and Leyna have great chemistry. I love their story arc. I also adore how Jay's initial leaving wasn't played off as a mistake. Instead, most characters looked at it as something that needed to be done in order for the two characters to grow. I think far too many times books romanticize this "high school sweetheart" romance. Instead, Forever with You gives the trope it's due while also underscoring the need for individual growth when coming into adulthood. I absolutely loved that.

I think the pacing of the story was perfect. I never felt like we were just getting unnecessary cutesy information, but seeing real growth in the characters and their relationship. I also thought the overall story arc was interesting (and included a twist I didn't see coming). Such a fun read that left me grinning from ear to ear.

This is a charming second chance romance set in a small town. Jay left the family winery business to make it in his own. He is now back and has to face his high school Leyna as well as now work with her. Leyna is not thrilled with Jays return especially while trying to open a new restaurant. The romance between Jay and Leyna was not rushed. They took their time to get through their history together and found themselves falling for each other again as adults. It was a sweet romance with wonderful side characters and the obstacles were realistic. It was fun read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This book was a perfect debut and start for a new romance series! I absolutely loved the backdrop of the winery/vineyard alongside the Italian restaurant and adored the way the second chance romance unfolded between the two main characters, Jay and Leyna. Both were very likable as well as relatable and what I greatly appreciated was that they behavior and reactions in the story totally made sense given their history and how their lives unfolded since the first time they were together.

The importance and love of family in this book is a reoccurring theme that develops very nicely from start to finish. The author takes the time to delve into familial histories of the characters just enough, giving the perfect amount of backstory without weighing the book down with too much characterization. I appreciated that the author allows the minor characters to push against the initial expectations created and grow, investing the reader even more deeply into the relationships with them as well as the overall community of Sapphire Springs.

There is a little mystery to this book that I didn't see coming but greatly appreciated as it was wholly entertaining and brought everything together in the end. I also love how well the author trickled in information on certain characters, leaving breadcrumbs to what will surely be upcoming novels in the series (which I will most definitely be reading!).

Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read that kept me hooked from the beginning. It is an impressive debut and I am so glad I have a new romance series to enjoy.

Forever With You is a sigh worthy novel. Leyna's ex returns after almost twenty years, He stomped on her heart then and she's not about to give him a second chance. Jay has ran long enough from his demons, it's time to face them, but does he have the courage. The story has all the curves: lies, theft, death, love, and redemption. My two favorite scenes were in the Board room and the Lawyer's office because each was pivotal. I'm pleased this is the first in a series because Sapphire Springs is the place to be.

Forever with You is the debut novel from Barb Curtis and such a wonderful debut it was! This book had come recommended to me and I'm glad I was able to read it and enjoy the trip to Sapphire Springs for myself.

Jason (Jay) Wynter left Sapphire Springs nearly two decades earlier so he could earn his own way. While it would have been easiest to stay and automatically work at the family vineyard, he went to France to work for vineyards there and to learn about the craft of grape growing. Although when he did that, he left a lot of things back at home, namely the woman he was head over heels in love with.

Leyna Milan has always been second best to her brother. It wasn't until he voiced that he didn't want any part in the restaurant that her grandfather had owned and run for so many years that she was actually considered. She's a great business woman with fantastic instincts and now that she's inherited the business she's trying to navigate what the best next steps are.

When Jay's grandfather falls ill, it forces him to come back home. He learns he's next in line to take the reins at the vineyard, but is that really what he wants? Couple that with the fact that Leyna and his grandfather have an agreement to open a second location of her restaurant at the vineyard, meaning he's going to have to work with his ex. Is that going to cause problems or will it reignite what has never gone away between the couple?

This is an amazing small-town romance that has a bit of mystery thrown in as well, which I loved. The characters were well fleshed out and before I was even done I was wondering if others characters were going to get their own stories!

While this may be Barb Curtis' debut, it doesn't read that way and was fantastic. It's one that I would highly suggest picking up!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This was such a heartwarming and cute romance. If you are a fan of Annie Rains and Hope Ramsey you'll love this book! I loved the setting and the how the relationship progressed with these two! I will for sure be reading the rest in this series!

This was a delightful debut by Barb Curtis! I was fully invested in this second chance romance that follows Leyna and Jay, who were high school sweethearts but haven’t seen each other in 18 years when Jay broke Leyna’s heart by breaking up with her and heading to France. Leyna has recently returned to Sapphire Springs from New York City to take over her grandfather’s restaurant and when Jay’s grandfather has a health scare, he returns to Sapphire Springs to help out at his family’s vineyard. Leyna and Jay’s grandfathers had hatched a plan to open a restaurant on the vineyard which means Leyna and Jay will be business partners, yet Leyna wants nothing to do with Jay.

I liked that Curtis had Leyna and Jay both work through obstacles as they reunited with each other and that Jay was willing to admit that he may not have handled things the best when he left 18 years ago. Both Leyna and Jay needed the time apart to grow and I liked that Curtis made that part of the storyline. I enjoyed the characters you meet along the way including Emily, Tim, Rob and of course Jay’s grandfather Stefan! Knowing that there will be another book in this series, I can’t wait to return to Sapphire Springs for Emily and Tim’s story and to catch up with Leyna and Jay!

This was a wonderful debut novel. The relationship between estranged high school sweethearts Jay and Layna was well fleshed out and believable, and the setting made me thirsty for pinot noir! Often in second-chance romances, the conflict that keeps the couple from reuniting feels contrived or inconsequential, but that wasn't the case in this novel - the stakes were real. A major plot point made me so sad, but it was necessary to move the story forward. The secondary characters were well developed. There was even a point where I almost felt sorry for one of the villains - almost! Finally, I appreciated the way the author sprinkled hints about a potential love story between Leyna and Jay's best friends Emily and Tim throughout and am excited they will be the focus of book 2 in the series.

For those who care, the sex is off-the page.

This is a sweet second chance romance set in the lovely town of Sapphire Springs- at a winery! Jay left his family's vineyard and his sweetheart Leyna twenty years ago to study and work in France. She stayed in town, working with her grandfather's restaurant Rosalina. Turns out their grandfathers had a deal to bring a second restaurant to his vineyard. Jay comes home when his grandfather falls ill and well, you know what happens next. I liked this for these two characters, as well as for the setting. Then there's the storytelling, which keeps you reading past when you should have put it down. The fact that Leyna is sharp at business is an extra- she's got clear eyes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a nice start to a new series and I'm curious who in Sapphire Springs will be the subject of the next installment.