Title: Breathe, Book 1 The Crescent Lake Winery Series
Author: Lucinda Race
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Wine Romance
Book Blurb:
Romance and fine wine both need time to breathe…
Her family’s successful winery business in Finger Lakes New York should have gone to Tessa Price. She’d always dreamed of running the winery, but when the “prodigal son” returns to take up the reins, she boldly strikes out on her own, purchasing Sand Creek Winery—a cash-strapped competitor—right out from under her family. She can forge her own destiny, using her marketing skills and big plans to bring new life to the winery. But first she has a proposition for the sexy previous owner. And he’s likely to hate it.
Kevin “Max” Maxwell would never have willingly sold his winery to anyone named “Price.” Family always comes first, and if paying for his sister’s cancer treatment cost him his business, it was worth it. But when the new owner offers him a one year contract to stay on as general manager, with a possible bonus, he really can’t afford to turn it down. He can ignore the effect her deep brown eyes and heart-shaped face have on his senses for a year, can’t he?
Relationships, like slowly ripening vineyards, take time. But Max has been keeping a secret from Tessa, one that could destroy her hopes for their future. Will a terrible accident force Tessa and Max to face how much they have to lose, or tear apart their budding relationship forever? Sometimes a romance is like a fine wine. To be its best, it just needs time to breathe.
My Review:
Tessa Price never expected her life to change so dramatically when she bought Sand Creek Winery. She fully intended to take over her family’s winery but when her brother, the prodigal son, returned, her father snubbed her, choosing her brother instead. Branching out on her own drives her to make Sand Creek Winery a success. But in order to do that, she must convince the previous owner, Max, to stay on for one year. He reluctantly agrees and they discover they work well together. They can’t deny the heat which simmers between them. Like a fine wine, relationships need time to breathe and grow. But when a terrible accident takes place, they discover their foundation is not built on firm ground. Will it destroy their burgeoning romance or will they realize how scintillating love can be?
Breathe is one of the best romances I’ve read. As a wine lover, I was instantly transported to Finger Lakes, New York, and the wine industry. Every nuance, every detail of the winemaking business is beautifully described. Intricate narration allowed me to escape the cold and travel to lush landscapes. The plot moves at a great pace with a fairly large cast of characters. Since this is book one of a series, there’s a fair bit of background information but it’s done a little morsel at a time. Excellent work by Lucinda Race, to not info dump on the reader. Each character presented has its own voice and I found myself wondering if they will get their own story. Breathe’s couple is Tessa and Max. While combative in the beginning, love soon smoothes out the rough edges. The romance is sweet, slow-burning and I loved every minute of it. I sighed with contentment when I finished the book. A delicious romance to savor, Breathe is a must-read, perfect for wine lovers. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it Now:
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Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race
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Author Biography:
Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of romantic fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading romance novels and getting lost in the hope they represent. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dreams were to become a writer—a romance novelist.
As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for The Loudon Series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys as she weaves stories about strong women and the men who love them. Lucinda lives with her husband and their two little dogs, a miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing romance novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on. It’s too bad her husband doesn’t cook, but a very good thing he loves takeout.
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lucinda-Race/e/B00Q0MMNUM
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Reviewed by: Mrs. N