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mothmans_mum's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a beautiful story. So much warmth and love and humour. I’m also pretty sure that this is the first “toaster oven” romance I have read where the protagonist, rather than realising she is bi, realises she is a lesbian, and as a lesbian myself I love the representation. I think this has possibly overtaken Bachelorette Number Twelve as my favourite of Jae’s novels.
joanna1905's review against another edition
3.0
*Rating closer to a 3.5*
Another great lesbian romance from Jae. I loved the concept of this story and I was pretty happy with how well it was executed, the fake dating to friends to lovers storyline is always a fav of mine and this was no exception.
I really loved Drew as a love interest, and while I liked Annie too she isn’t my favourite of Jae’s protagonists.
I was pleased that Annie finally went off at her parents for treating her like shit but I honestly wish she was more brutal. It felt too soft considering how much they neglected her and I didn’t really get the feeling that anything that she said actually sunk in.
However, it was pretty much only her parents she told off, I was waiting for a grand scene where she told off her brother, and I really hoped for a scene of Drew passionately telling him off since he probably wouldn’t listen to Annie anyway. Considering he’s the one who treats her the worst, he pretty much got off without even a telling off.
My main criticism for this book isn’t really related to the content but the narrator whose SO BAD. She makes what should be a fairly light hearted romance sound so serious all the time and it really sucked the fun romance out of it. She also had a big problem with inflection and pacing which disrupted the flow and made the book almost boring at times.
All in all this is another good book from Jae. I 100% think I’d have at least given this book a 4 stars if I’d read it instead of listening to the audiobook. But the narrator just spoiled it for me.
Another great lesbian romance from Jae. I loved the concept of this story and I was pretty happy with how well it was executed, the fake dating to friends to lovers storyline is always a fav of mine and this was no exception.
I really loved Drew as a love interest, and while I liked Annie too she isn’t my favourite of Jae’s protagonists.
I was pleased that Annie finally went off at her parents for treating her like shit but I honestly wish she was more brutal. It felt too soft considering how much they neglected her and I didn’t really get the feeling that anything that she said actually sunk in.
However, it was pretty much only her parents she told off, I was waiting for a grand scene where she told off her brother, and I really hoped for a scene of Drew passionately telling him off since he probably wouldn’t listen to Annie anyway. Considering he’s the one who treats her the worst, he pretty much got off without even a telling off.
My main criticism for this book isn’t really related to the content but the narrator whose SO BAD. She makes what should be a fairly light hearted romance sound so serious all the time and it really sucked the fun romance out of it. She also had a big problem with inflection and pacing which disrupted the flow and made the book almost boring at times.
All in all this is another good book from Jae. I 100% think I’d have at least given this book a 4 stars if I’d read it instead of listening to the audiobook. But the narrator just spoiled it for me.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
I'm conflicted in my star rating for this one. I finished the book a minute or two ago so I'm caught up in the emotion of it but I'm still going between 3 and 4 stars.
I had a very hard time getting into the story, even though I liked the characters quite a bit. The writing, itself, was what made it difficult. I need to work through my impressions more but, I think, if it had been written by anyone other than Jae, I probably would have put it down after the first couple of chapters.
Am I glad I stuck with it? You bet. Around mid-way through, I cared about the characters and enjoyed the journey they were taking. I thought Annie's responses to her feelings and the way she processed her emotions felt honest and real. The same with Drew. There was humor and angst and I could feel the tension between the characters.
If you're a Jae fan, you'll want to read it. If you're not a Jae fan yet, start with Backwards to Oregon and work your way through her books.
I had a very hard time getting into the story, even though I liked the characters quite a bit. The writing, itself, was what made it difficult. I need to work through my impressions more but, I think, if it had been written by anyone other than Jae, I probably would have put it down after the first couple of chapters.
Am I glad I stuck with it? You bet. Around mid-way through, I cared about the characters and enjoyed the journey they were taking. I thought Annie's responses to her feelings and the way she processed her emotions felt honest and real. The same with Drew. There was humor and angst and I could feel the tension between the characters.
If you're a Jae fan, you'll want to read it. If you're not a Jae fan yet, start with Backwards to Oregon and work your way through her books.
kazik's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jcurry447's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rogue_lurker's review against another edition
3.0
Hovering between three and three point five stars. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for a romance when I read this one.
This is not like Jae's other novels. No crime scenes, no wagon trains, no Wrasa. But that's not a bad thing. Something in the Wine starts with a ridiculous premise but provides a sweet, slow paced romance between two engaging characters.
In the latest of her brother's pranks, Annie is set up on a blind date with his old college friend, Drew. The prank being that Drew is a lesbian and Annie is not. Both Drew and Annie have been the victim of many of his practical jokes and decide to turn the tables on him and pretend to fall in love. Silly premise ... but it works. :)
There's a slow development of the relationship between the women and no instantaneous "you're my soulmate" moments and it was nice to see Annie's awkwardness with Drew in early on. There were a few things that irked me in the book but overall a good read.
If you like romance - definitely pick it up. If you like Jae - you probably have already read it. :)
This is not like Jae's other novels. No crime scenes, no wagon trains, no Wrasa. But that's not a bad thing. Something in the Wine starts with a ridiculous premise but provides a sweet, slow paced romance between two engaging characters.
In the latest of her brother's pranks, Annie is set up on a blind date with his old college friend, Drew. The prank being that Drew is a lesbian and Annie is not. Both Drew and Annie have been the victim of many of his practical jokes and decide to turn the tables on him and pretend to fall in love. Silly premise ... but it works. :)
There's a slow development of the relationship between the women and no instantaneous "you're my soulmate" moments and it was nice to see Annie's awkwardness with Drew in early on. There were a few things that irked me in the book but overall a good read.
If you like romance - definitely pick it up. If you like Jae - you probably have already read it. :)
regalrogue's review against another edition
5.0
great romance book
it's a light read and is one of my go to books for fluff
it's predictable but i love it
it's a light read and is one of my go to books for fluff
it's predictable but i love it
bridance's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
sil_the_lobster's review against another edition
4.0
This book is exactly as sweet and heartwarming as I had hoped. It’s the story of a late bloomer, and that of a slow-burning, carefully developing relationship. It’s very well written with likeable and believable characters and thankfully there’s no overkill on angst and drama. There is the occasional oh-dear-Lord-what-am-I-doing moment but it’s relatable and very life-like. No nasty stereotypes, no man-bashing, no straight woman-hating, and shy Annie doesn’t turn into a hardcore feminist gunslinger either. She remains Annie, only with a newly awakened self-awareness and a new facet to her personality.
I especially liked the relationship she and her brother have with their parents. No, wait, I didn’t actually like it, how could I. What I mean to say is this: this is the story of a coming-out which is a big thing in itself. In a lot of f/f and m/m stories, this almost always comes with family-related drama; mothers bursting into tears, fathers disowning their children, the ‘come-outer’ being thrown out of the house, banned from the family etc. Here, it’s parents who are so busy with their own egos that both their children are something like an add-on, and so it’s not surprising that Annie’s coming out causes not much more than a parental harrumph. It’s certainly not a healthy environment for a child’s development but it’s a refreshingly different family setting.
One thing did annoy me, though, and it’s not even a big thing, and it certainly has nothing to do with Jae’s storytelling abilities. It’s more like the sound of a dripping tap—you know, drip drip drip until you turn into the Hulk—and it’s the word ‘slacks’. It’s become a buzzword for me as I kept reading. Seriously, isn’t there any other word? Pant? Trousers? Chinos? Slacks here, slacks there, black slacks, blue slacks, elegant slacks. I know it’s ridiculous to get all revved up over one single word but sometimes something just rubs me the wrong way, and it’s SLACKS all over the place here.
But apart from that, I really liked the book. Also, I can very much relate to Annie. In more ways than having an annoying brother (I have two brothers but while they are as annoying as only little brothers can be, they’ve yet to play a prank on me and I wouldn’t recommend it and they well know it, too) and being something of a loner. Guess I, too, have learnt a thing or two about myself over the last couple of years. Let’s just say I wouldn’t mind meeting a Drew myself.
If you’re looking for a light and highly enjoyable read, this is definitely the book to pick up!
I especially liked the relationship she and her brother have with their parents. No, wait, I didn’t actually like it, how could I. What I mean to say is this: this is the story of a coming-out which is a big thing in itself. In a lot of f/f and m/m stories, this almost always comes with family-related drama; mothers bursting into tears, fathers disowning their children, the ‘come-outer’ being thrown out of the house, banned from the family etc. Here, it’s parents who are so busy with their own egos that both their children are something like an add-on, and so it’s not surprising that Annie’s coming out causes not much more than a parental harrumph. It’s certainly not a healthy environment for a child’s development but it’s a refreshingly different family setting.
One thing did annoy me, though, and it’s not even a big thing, and it certainly has nothing to do with Jae’s storytelling abilities. It’s more like the sound of a dripping tap—you know, drip drip drip until you turn into the Hulk—and it’s the word ‘slacks’. It’s become a buzzword for me as I kept reading. Seriously, isn’t there any other word? Pant? Trousers? Chinos? Slacks here, slacks there, black slacks, blue slacks, elegant slacks. I know it’s ridiculous to get all revved up over one single word but sometimes something just rubs me the wrong way, and it’s SLACKS all over the place here.
But apart from that, I really liked the book. Also, I can very much relate to Annie. In more ways than having an annoying brother (I have two brothers but while they are as annoying as only little brothers can be, they’ve yet to play a prank on me and I wouldn’t recommend it and they well know it, too) and being something of a loner. Guess I, too, have learnt a thing or two about myself over the last couple of years. Let’s just say I wouldn’t mind meeting a Drew myself.
If you’re looking for a light and highly enjoyable read, this is definitely the book to pick up!
the_kara_kara's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0