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A review by snipinfool
The Bluff by Emma St. Clair
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Winnie agreed to help James open his expanded brewery business. James had been a successful home brewer, but decided to take that a step further. Winnie knew nothing about creating beer or opening a brewery, but she was good at learning on the fly. James intended to do the project by himself even though he had no idea how to turn an old warehouse into a ten thousand barrel enterprise. Winnie planned to make herself useful and create Dark Horse Brewing’s website. After that, she would notice where James seemed to need the most help and cover that angle the best she could.
James started to think he had made the wrong choice deciding to ramp up his beer brewing business. One of the things James enjoyed the most about brewing was that he was solely in control of the operation. That control was going to be difficult to maintain when the business was expanded. He agreed to temporarily hire Winnie as a favor, but they were polar opposites. She rubbed him the wrong way. Winnie was always upbeat and he was a bit of a grouch. As long as she stayed out of his way, they should avoid any major disagreements. One of the first steps was for them to attend the Craft Brewer’s Annual Conference. He hoped Winnie didn’t plan for them to attend the sessions together.
I liked Winnie’s character. She was kind, thoughtful, and open to learning new things. She wanted to help James be successful with his business. James, on the other hand, was written too “grumpy” for me. He was frequently mean, thoughtless, and angry. I spent a lot of the book wondering why Winnie didn’t quit. I guess she thought she could change James or get him to see he needed her in his life. I enjoyed the secondary characters in the story. James’ family, Winnie’s friends, and the people living in Sheet Cake were interesting. This was the second book in the series centered around the town. I doubt I’ll decide to read any of the other four books. This was just ok.
James started to think he had made the wrong choice deciding to ramp up his beer brewing business. One of the things James enjoyed the most about brewing was that he was solely in control of the operation. That control was going to be difficult to maintain when the business was expanded. He agreed to temporarily hire Winnie as a favor, but they were polar opposites. She rubbed him the wrong way. Winnie was always upbeat and he was a bit of a grouch. As long as she stayed out of his way, they should avoid any major disagreements. One of the first steps was for them to attend the Craft Brewer’s Annual Conference. He hoped Winnie didn’t plan for them to attend the sessions together.
I liked Winnie’s character. She was kind, thoughtful, and open to learning new things. She wanted to help James be successful with his business. James, on the other hand, was written too “grumpy” for me. He was frequently mean, thoughtless, and angry. I spent a lot of the book wondering why Winnie didn’t quit. I guess she thought she could change James or get him to see he needed her in his life. I enjoyed the secondary characters in the story. James’ family, Winnie’s friends, and the people living in Sheet Cake were interesting. This was the second book in the series centered around the town. I doubt I’ll decide to read any of the other four books. This was just ok.