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A review by displacedcactus
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I've been hearing good things about Guillory for years, but didn't decide to read one of her books until I saw that this one was set in a winery. Since I'm getting ready to write my own beverage industry contemporary romance, I figured this would be a great excuse to finally check out an acclaimed author while doing some market research.
I feel like this book did a great job of adding just enough industry insight for the winery to feel like more than just set dressing. Margot is the co-owner and CEO of the winery, and a lot of her duties lined up perfectly with what I'd recently read about the owner of a small local distillery handling, too. Guillory doesn't get bogged down in the details, but Margot's work feels authentic.
The other half of the couple is Luke, the newest tasting room employee. The twist is, Margot and Luke hooked up the night before his first day at work, neither one of them realizing their impending connection, due to Margot's brother hiring Luke while she was out of town. Being mature, responsible people, they realize the inappropriateness of an employer/employee romance, so there's a whole lot of tension and longing until a solution presents itself.
Over all, I enjoyed this book, even though the workplace romance is not my favorite trope (I wouldn't have read it at all because of that, if not for the winery setting). There were a couple of things that fell flat for me, which would really require getting deeper into heteronormative romance tropes and capitalism than I really want to get in a quick StoryGraph review!
That said, I can see why Guillory is a popular author. The love scenes in this book really sizzle, and if you like bedroom talk, you'll love this. The characters behave like adults, generally displaying good communication throughout, except for over a couple of issues that lead to a late-in-the-game fight to add some tension about how they'll work it out before the end. Over all, it's a pretty low-angst romance, but just grounded enough in reality to not feel "fluffy" (not that there's anything wrong with fluff). And while the main couple is M/F and pretty much straight (Margot does make one off-handed comment suggesting she's either bi, flexible, or comfortable enough to casually joke about female attraction), there are a number of queer side characters.
I feel like this book did a great job of adding just enough industry insight for the winery to feel like more than just set dressing. Margot is the co-owner and CEO of the winery, and a lot of her duties lined up perfectly with what I'd recently read about the owner of a small local distillery handling, too. Guillory doesn't get bogged down in the details, but Margot's work feels authentic.
The other half of the couple is Luke, the newest tasting room employee. The twist is, Margot and Luke hooked up the night before his first day at work, neither one of them realizing their impending connection, due to Margot's brother hiring Luke while she was out of town. Being mature, responsible people, they realize the inappropriateness of an employer/employee romance, so there's a whole lot of tension and longing until a solution presents itself.
Over all, I enjoyed this book, even though the workplace romance is not my favorite trope (I wouldn't have read it at all because of that, if not for the winery setting). There were a couple of things that fell flat for me, which would really require getting deeper into heteronormative romance tropes and capitalism than I really want to get in a quick StoryGraph review!
That said, I can see why Guillory is a popular author. The love scenes in this book really sizzle, and if you like bedroom talk, you'll love this. The characters behave like adults, generally displaying good communication throughout, except for over a couple of issues that lead to a late-in-the-game fight to add some tension about how they'll work it out before the end. Over all, it's a pretty low-angst romance, but just grounded enough in reality to not feel "fluffy" (not that there's anything wrong with fluff). And while the main couple is M/F and pretty much straight (Margot does make one off-handed comment suggesting she's either bi, flexible, or comfortable enough to casually joke about female attraction), there are a number of queer side characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Racism
Margot and Luke have both experienced racism in the workplace, but there are no racial slurs or charged language on the page.