Welcome to another edition of Wine and Books Wednesday! Today's pairing is brought to you by the amazing Cassie Laelyn's first-in-series book, Unforsaken, and Callaway Winery's Cabernet Savignon. If you love hunky angels swooping in to save the day, you'll love Unforsaken. Read it while sipping on a glass of Callaway Cab Sav and you have the perfect reading experience. Read on for buy links and my review!

Hidden deep in the Snowy Mountains, lives a brotherhood of immortal Guardians, banished from the Heavens. After centuries of exile, Head Guardian Raven can taste Hell. One wrong move could destroy his soul. When Fate assigns him a female mortal to protect, his forbidden desire becomes a distraction he can't afford. Giving in to temptation risks plummeting into the fiery pits of Hell, dragging her along with him. 
 
Tayla Eason is on the run, escaping a horrific attack on her life. When she lands in the arms of the sexy, alluring man who saved her, the shadows of her past swiftly close in. But when Fate throws a twist, Tayla's forced to choose between saving Raven's soul or fleeing before the creatures strike again. 
 
In an ultimate test of love, the two must battle against the almighty Fate. But will it be enough to save them both?

Continue this action-packed series with Unforgotten, Book 2 of The Fallen Guardians - OUT NOW!
 
Winner in the 2019 best Demons, Devils and Angels romance.
 - The Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewer's Choice Award
 
Best 2019 Paranormal Romance (finalist)
 - Australian Romance Readers Award
 
Best 2019 Australian Debut Author (finalist)
 - Australian Romance Readers Award

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KNPXDDL

From my Review:

I haven’t read too many angel romances, but I’m so glad I picked this one up. Laelyn’s characters were fun to read about and I enjoyed watching Raven finally come out of the shadows of being Tayla’s sworn Guardian so that they could pursue their soulful attraction to one another. I really liked how the author handled the mythos of her angels. Guardians, Fallen and mortal Chosen are all tied to the demands of fickle Fate, trying to fulfill their, sometimes, perilous destinies. I loved all of the supporting characters as well and am anxious to see what they’ll get up to in the rest of the series. Can’t wait to read more!

Happy Wine and Books Wednesday, everybody! I have a beautiful, fantasy romance pairing for you today. Author Jeffe Kennedy's The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince is the first book in her Heirs of Magic series and is a steamy, whimsical ride. If you love high fantasy and sexy, mythical shifters in your romance reads, give this book a try. Add a glass of OVUM Wine's Off the Grid Reisling and you're all set for a truly, magical escape. Keep reading for buy links and my review. Cheers!

Book One in the adult Fantasy Romance adventure series from award-winning, bestselling author Jeffe Kennedy. The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon in the Under a Winter Sky fantasy holiday anthology.


A Legacy of Honor

Crown Prince Astar has only ever wanted to do the right thing: be a credit to his late father’s legacy, live up to his duties as heir to the high throne of the Thirteen Kingdoms, and cleave to the principles of honor and integrity that give his life structure—and that contain the ferocious grizzly bear inside. Nowhere in those guiding principles is there room for the fierce-hearted, wildly free-spirited, and dizzyingly beautiful shapeshifter, Zephyr. Still, even though they’ve been best friends since childhood, Astar is able to keep Zephyr safely at arm’s length. He’s already received a list of potential princess brides who will make a suitable queen, and Zephyr is not on it.

A Longtime Obsession

Zeph has wanted the gorgeous, charming, and too-good-for-his-own-good Astar for as long as she can remember. Not that her longing for him—and his perfectly sculpted and muscular body—has stopped her from enjoying any number of lovers. Astar might be honorably (and foolishly) intent on remaining chaste until marriage, but Zeph is Tala and they have no such rules. Still, she loves Astar—as a friend—and she wants him to at least taste life before he chains himself to a wife he didn’t choose. There’s no harm in him having a bit of fun with her. But the man remains stubbornly elusive, staving off all of her advances with infuriatingly noble refusals.

A Quest to Save the World

But things change when a new terror threatens the Thirteen Kingdoms. Following prophecy, Astar and Zeph—along with a mismatched group of shifters, warriors, and sorceress friends—go on a quest to stop a magic rift before it grows beyond anyone’s ability to stop. Thrust together with Zephyr, Astar finds himself increasingly unable to resist her seductive invitations. And in the face of life-and-death battles with lethal monsters, he begins to lose sight of why having her, just once, is such a terrible idea…

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSXS6JN

From my review:
 
When I saw the beautiful cover on this book, I had to have it! The gorgeous, fantasy romance style really caught my eye. This is my first read of Jeffe Kennedy’s and, I have to say, I’m already intrigued by the story world involving all of these magical, shifter characters. The writing was lovely with rich world building and some harrowing action scenes. I did have a bit of a time connecting with the heroine at first, but I was glad to see Astar and Zephyr find their happy ever after in the end and now I’m looking forward to reading about some of the other characters in future books.

Happy Wine & Book Wednesday! Meet my favorite new couple. This week's pairing is brought to you by Author Nikki Kardnov's Midlife Wish and Elio Perrone's Sourgal Moscato d'Asti. Both are sure to bring you a reading experience full of enchantment. Midlife Wish is the first book in Ms. Kardnov's Blackwell Djinn series and now that I've read it, I'm hooked! The story world is sexy, fun and magical. I fully recommend that you grab a copy of Midlife Wish, pour yourself a glass of Sourgal and dive right into to the mysterious realm of the modern day Djinn. Cheers, and happy reading!

*If you are looking for some of my older wine / book pairing reviews, they can be found on my original author blog tab.

When your life is a mess and you need a quick fix, what’s a woman to do? Strike a deal with a smoking hot djinn who might just be able to give you some new perspective on life...along with three wishes.

A few months ago, Ashley Laurent’s husband said he wanted to take a break. With their passion fizzling and their marriage on life support, Ashley thought they’d just hit a midlife rough patch. She didn’t realize break was code for I’m having an affair with the receptionist.

Now she’s got divorce papers and a whole lotta heartache. Desperate to heal, Ashley is willing to believe in the impossible. Because there’s a rumor floating around Blackwater that the very family the town was named after might just be a family of djinn.

Surprisingly, Dae Blackwell doesn’t laugh Ashley out the door when she asks if he can grant her a wish. In fact, Dae seems all too eager to strike a deal. When the things Ashley wishes for start to come true, she’s quickly converted to a believer. Except...now that she has the world at her feet, she realizes she’s not sure what she wants anymore.

With only one wish remaining, Ashley has to make a decision—does she want to return to her safe, mundane life? Or take a leap of faith and forge a new one?

NOTE: Midlife Wish was previously published under the title Three Wishes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TJCX1SX

From my review:

So much fun!
I loved this book and cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Djinn are a new type of paranormal character for me to read so I liked the difference to begin with. And Dae is just so swoonworthy! I also really liked that this book dealt with a mature FMC. Ashley is super cute. Right away I was rallied to her defense in the situation with her cheating ex and was so glad when she got involved with Dae. Great story world, fun characters—I can’t wait to read more about these sexy Djinns!

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!

All the Romance, Reads & Wine posts will now be posted right to their own page. I thought this would make finding them a whole lot easier. I'll may try to migrate some of the older R,R&W posts to this location eventually, but for now if you're looking for anything older than a 2021 review, it will still be over on my author blog page.