Happy Wednesday, everybody! I'm so excited to talk books and wine again with you this week! Today's pretty pairing is brought to you by Romance Author, Eve Kasey's first book in her All In series, Falling like Stars, and one of my go to wines. Kim Crawford's Pinot Gris is the perfect accompaniment to this exciting contemporary romance. Falling Like Stars pulls you into a world of luxury, space tourism and heady romance with a group of endearing characters. So, find your favorite reading spot, pour yourself a glass and get ready to head off into the cosmos. Cheers, and as always, happy reading!

*Find buy links and my review down below.

“I’m afraid I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you for this. For everything.”

Elle’s fairy-tale is simple. Job, man, cottage by the sea. She just ticked the first thing off the list: a dreamy new job planning guest experiences for OrbitAll, the world’s first space tourism company. Cottage by the sea? More like an apartment in California’s Mojave Desert. And the only man in her life is Chen, OrbitAll’s annoying new astronaut, who also happens to be her (loud) upstairs neighbor. 
Chen’s always hated boundaries. He became an astronaut so not even gravity could hold him back. Unfortunately, his parents can. As the oldest son in a Chinese family, his fate has been decided since birth. When Chen gets an incredible offer from a space tourism company in America, he ditches his duties—for now. There he meets Elle, the eye-rolling beauty who lives and works ways too close. With her wild hair and fast car, she looks like freedom. Tastes like it, too. 
Together, Elle and Chen are hotter than the center of the sun. And they’re hurtling towards their deadline as fast as they’re falling. 
Falling Like Stars, Book One of the All In series, is a steamy contemporary interracial romance that takes place all over the globe and beyond, and guarantees a happily ever after. The All In books are standalones in a series with no trigger warnings.

From my review:

This was a great start to what promises to be an excellent series. I’m already looking forward to reading the rest of the books promised for couples introduced during the course of this first book because the author did such a great job of hooking us into their stories (I’m already smitten with Vadim *sigh*). But, ahem, let’s try to stay focused here and move things along to our star-crossed lovers from Book 1, Elle and Chen.
Oh, my goodness did I love these two! They were both incredibly interesting characters all on their own, but, together, the sparks absolutely flew. Right from their very first meeting, the tension between them had me reeled in and when they finally got together, it was epic!
Chen was a hero to die for. I loved his cocky side as well as his sweet one. He and Elle’s banter had me giggling on more than one occasion. And the cultural background Ms. Kasey put into his side of the story was really well done. A definite five star read for me. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Happy Wine and Books Wednesday! Welcome to the first Romance, Reads & Wine post of 2021 and the first one to be posted on my brand new blog page. This page will be devoted exclusively to my book reviews, book / wine pairings, what I'm reading and any other fun book or wine news I might find to share with you. As stated in my introductory posting, I may try to bring some of my earlier pairing posts over to this location at some point, but for now any RR&W reviews posted prior to 2021 can be found over on my author blog.

Now that that's out of the way, let me introduce you to this week's pairing. Romance author, Shanna Swenson's fourth book in her Abundance series, Stars Over Abundance, met up with a bottle of Angel's & Cowboys Rose for the occasion and, let me tell you, these to together are a delight! If you love contemporary western romance with a dash of glamour mixed in, this is the perfect romance read to try. So, this Winesday, pour yourself a glass and grab up your own copy of Stars Over Abundance and settle in for the ride.

Be sure to keep reading for buy links and my review.

Vivian Alexander- Hollywood’s Oscar-winning actress extraordinaire was “coerced” into coming to the Helping Heroes Ball by her manager, to make an appearance and save face after the interview that embarrassed her far more than she cares to admit. After all, she’s good at hiding her true feelings behind the radiant smile that’s made her famous. Well, she came, she saw, she made her appearance. Now it’s time for a quick and inconspicuous exit…until she sees a familiar face she never imagined she would.

Buck Jenkins- Retired football player/gridiron legend/playboy comes to the ball; for it’s a good cause, and being as he’s not too far from Dallas and all he really can’t pass up the opportunity— not when he’s been MIA from the limelight as long as he has now. It’s a good excuse to get out of town anyway, for a much-needed break from the grievous chaos ensuing his life at the moment. But he didn’t see the bombshell blonde starlet coming until she was directly in front of him. Now, his night just made a surprising turn for the best.

One unexpected night...

Two unsuspecting hearts...

Their paths inescapably intertwine and neither will come out unscathed.
***
Book 4 in the Abundance series follows the story of a one-night stand that becomes so much more for two broken-hearted lovers. Get swept up and head back to Abundance, Texas once more as Buck and Vivian take your soul on a journey through heartbreak, tragedy, new beginnings, and perseverance. You’ll be laughing, crying, and swooning for these two “stars” in Stars over Abundance.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZN3WZ9S

From my review:

Hollywood Meets Small Town…

… in our beloved Abundance, Texas. I just love the story world the author has created with this series. In these Contemporary Western romances, Swenson delivers each time on the hunky cowboys, hot romance and engaging storylines and Stars Over Abundance is no different.
Buck and Vivian’s story is the steamiest of the series so far so buckle up! Lol. We met these two in book one as sideline characters so I thought it was really fun to see them have their own story and get to know the town of Abundance from their perspective.  These two uber celebrities bring a different flair to the series, but the author did a great job of making them relatable and working them into the Kinsen / Butler bunch.
Even with all their fame and success, Buck and Vivian realize that their glamour-filled lives have been missing something. One hot night and Swenson’s welcoming, small town help them find just what they’re looking for.
I’m really enjoying this series so far and I can’t wait to see what happens next!