Crushed, a Novel of Love and Wine
The Heart of Napa Series #1
By- Deborah Coonts
Genre- Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction
Publication Date-March 8, 2016
In Napa Valley, he who has the best grapes wins.
And in the pursuit of perfection, dreams and hearts can be crushed.
Sophia Stone is a widow on the brink of an empty nest, stuck in an unsatisfying job managing the vineyard for a mediocre Napa vintner. Faced with an uncertain future she wonders how do you choose between making a living and making a life? Between protecting your heart and sharing it? Five years ago, after her husband was killed in an accident, Sophia put her heart and dreams on ice to care for those around her. Now her home, her dreams, and her family’s legacy grapes are threatened by the greed of the new money moving into the Valley. Sophia has a choice—give up and let them take what is hers, or risk everything fighting a battle everyone says she can’t win.
Nico Treviani has one goal in life: make brilliant wine. A woman would be an unwanted distraction. So, while recognized as one of Napa’s premier vintners, Nico finds himself alone… until his brother’s death drops not one, but two women into his life—his thirteen-year-old twin nieces. In an instant, Nico gains a family and loses his best friend and partner in the winemaking business. Struggling to care for his nieces, Nico accepts a job as head winemaker for Avery Specter, one of the new-money crowd. And he learns the hard way that new money doesn’t stick to the old rules.
My thoughts:
I took a break from writing to read this wonderful story. What caught my attention was the that the story intertwines love and wine making. I LOVE both.
In the beginning of the novel, I felt we were given a lot of background information. Sometimes I think that can be overwhelming, but in this case, it works out beautifully. Sophia has suffered heart break before and here she is again… Then throw in Nico and his own struggles…and you have a story that is well written and emotional.
The descriptiveness of the story puts you right there as a character. You feel as you’re a part of the story because it ties in with problems we can relate to. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
4.5 stars – a must read!
About the Author-
My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I am the author of WANNA GET LUCKY? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel and double RITA™ Finalist), its five sequels, LUCKY BREAK, the latest and just out, and four between-the-books novellas. Currently I’m stretching my writer muscles working on a women’s fiction/contemporary romance series set in Napa—the first novel, CRUSHED, is out March 8th—a dark thriller, a romantic suspense series featuring a female helicopter pilot, as well as the next Lucky adventure—all very different projects. So, if you see me with a glass of Champagne in hand, you’ll understand. I can usually be found at the bar, but also at http://www.deborahcoonts.com.
Social Media Links-
Twitter: @deborahcoonts
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A. Gorman 
Thank you so much for hosting and for the very kind words!
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