Jasmine Guillory is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novels include The Wedding Date, the Reese's Book Club selection The Proposal, and By the Book. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appétit, and Time. Jasmine is a frequent book contributor on the Today show. She lives in Oakland, California. You can find her online at JasmineGuillory.com, or on Instagram @JasminePics. You can find more of my reviews of her work here.
Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she'll never have to see again. That is until the winery's newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expected. Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn't want to tell the world—or his mom—why he's now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son. How can he admit that the job she's so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with—even after he learns that she's his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn't be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout? Set against the lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love—even if it means changing all your plans.
Jasmine Guillory really dives into complex feelings in Drunk on Love with her two main characters, Margot and Luke. What I really love is how Margot is actually older than Luke, by a slightly significant amount (a little more than 5 years or so). And, Margot becomes Luke's boss. So not only does Margot dive into what it's like to be older, and worried about dating a younger man, but also what it's like for her to become his boss. I feel like that's a discussion in the workplace romance genre that never comes up—because usually the man is the boss, and usually there's never an issue. But here, Guillory really digs into the stigma around that, and really makes you think about what we love about the workplace romance trope, and how it works. And trust me, this one still works, probably more so because of the complications and complex feelings surrounding it all.
I also love how Guillory writes friendships, and there are two friendships in this one: between Margot and Sydney, and between Avery and Luke. The friendships feel just as dynamic and important as the romantic relationship, and you really do care about what's going on in Sydney's and Avery's lives as they help Margot and Luke end up together. It almost makes me hope that Guillory will write more in this universe, because I feel like there are more stories there. But, going back to friendships, I love how Guillory cements that Margot and Luke have chemistry, but then also goes back and makes sure we feel that within the friendship they form, too. It makes it almost more believable that they can be in love because of how they can talk to one another and have that friendship as well as the romantic relationship.
Not only is this a workplace romance, but it's a winery romance too, and I have a feeling these are going to become a whole new subset of the contemporary romance genre. I'm here for it! With Tessa Bailey's Secretly Yours coming out in February that takes place at a vineyard, combined with Drunk on Love's winery, I am loving this new setting of wineries and vineyards in California. Guillory is able to perfectly capture the magic of wineries, as well as the business side of running a small business in this novel. Following Margot as she organizes the party, and as she works things out with her brother Elliot, as well as tackling her relationship with Luke makes this novel feel like her best-balanced book yet. I can't wait for more.
Also, if you're a fan of Jasmine's other books, don't miss the cameo of the Monroe women! Definitely a highlight of the read for me!
Jasmine Guillory is an instant-buy author for me, so I can't wait for the announcement of her next book, whether it's in this new universe or not. Until then, you can find her online at JasmineGuillory.com, or on Instagram @JasminePics. You can find more of my reviews of her work here.
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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