"All her life, Annie Prideaux has suffered through her brother's constant practical jokes only he thinks are funny. But Jake's last joke is one too many, she decides when he sets her up on a blind date with his friend Drew Corbin--neglecting to tell his straight sister one tiny detail: her date is not a man, but a lesbian. Annie and Drew decide it's time to turn the tables on Jake by pretending to fall in love with each other... Only their common goal to take revenge on Jake unites them. But what starts as a table-turning game soon turns Annie's and Drew's lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur"--P. [4] of cover.

Something in the Wine

Cheri Fuller

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.

Megan Cooper

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. :)

Agus

Alex (They/Them)

All her life, Annie suffered through her brother's practical jokes. He sets her up on a blind date with lesbian winemaker Drew, even knowing Annie is straight. Annie and Drew turn the tables on him and pretend to be in love. But what starts as a revenge plan turns their lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.

Something in the Wine

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