Series: Silverado Lake, #3
Traits & Tropes: fake engagement; second chance
Publication Date: 12.28.21
Genre/Setting: Contemporary; Colorado, USA
Heat Level: 1
Rating: 4/5
Since completing her MBA, Lelia Valentino has moved home to Colorado and is doing everything she can think of to save her grandparents’ floundering winery. Unfortunately, that means a partnership with a corporate winery and working with August Harding, her first, and really her only, love. August promised Leila forever fifteen years ago, then left Silverado Lake and never returned. But now, Leila is forced to work with them if she has any hope of making the improvements necessary for her family to retain ownership of their winery and to keep her adoring grandparents from worrying about the business’ financial troubles, Leila demands August tell them he’s really there for her and that they’re engaged.
The takeover of Valentino Bellas winery is the only thing standing between August and a career-making promotion. He just has to make sure all goes well for his company, and not necessarily for Leila, so when Leila asks him to go along with a pretend engagement, he can’t say no. She hasn’t forgiven him for leaving without a word, and he can’t blame her, but the more time they spend as a fake couple, the more real it feels. Especially since August still loves Leila, he wonders if her feelings may be real as well, real enough for him to convince her to give him a true second chance.
I’ve come to realize that second chance is really just not my favorite trope. I usually spend too much energy dwelling on all the wasted time the couple could’ve been together and wasn’t, especially since it was usually for a stupid reason or ultimately caused by their immaturity at the time, and it just makes me sad. But I have to say, that wasn’t really the case here. The author did a good job of not really dwelling on the time these two were apart, only to say that they’d had other relationships and their feelings weren’t really engaged. This was slightly strange given that Leila is divorced but nothing is ever mentioned about what exactly happened there, though it’s glossed over enough that I didn’t much notice or care. What actually bugged me here was that this is a classic case of ‘let me fix everything by myself and not tell anyone what’s going on or ask for help, so the problem gets worse than it would have if I’d been straightforward about it.’ Fortunately, both the hero and heroine were guilty of this, so it helped when it came time for them to forgive each other.
The family dynamics here were heartwarming, but at times both sides of the family did get a little overwhelming and intrusive on the couple’s alone time and the potential for a second steamy scene was curtailed one to many times by an awkward familial interruption for me to find it charming. I also found that I wanted more comeuppance for the villain or at least more sense for his motives other than the basic need to drive the plot.
Overall, both Leila and August were relatable, especially August in his grief, and I loved that they were surprisingly open and honest with each other about their feelings. The tension between these two was great, but the romance itself was a little iffy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3329334408
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4406553784
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