Guest Reviewed by Ami
Title: A Taste of Chardonnay
Author: Heather Heyford
Series: The Napa Wine Heiresses #1
Heroine/Hero: Chardonnay St. Pierre/Ryder McBride
Genre: MF Contemporary Romance
Length: 206 Pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Release Date: October 13, 2014
Available at: Kensington Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Chardonnay St. Pierre’s father is as infamous for his scandals as he is for his wine, and it’s up to Char to restore the family name. The Challenge, an elite charity competition held in Napa, seems like the perfect opportunity for the socialite to cement her image as a philanthropist. But all eyes—including Char’s—are on the Hollywood heartthrob who’s also entered the race…
Long before his face was splashed across the gossip magazines, Ryder McBride grew up in a working-class family in Napa. He knows all about the St. Pierre sisters and their notorious father, and when he learns he’ll be up against Char in The Challenge, he assumes the grape doesn’t fall far from the vine. But the more they get to know one another, the more they begin to realize that nothing pairs better with a heated rivalry than a healthy pour of flirtation…
Review: This was a debut novel from Heather Heyford, and I admit that I was a bit unsure about this when I decided to ask for copy, but I was intrigued with the idea of ‘heated rivalry’ promised on the blurb. I was expecting some banter and a quick pace, especially when an heiress was dealing with an actor.
While I didn’t dislike it, unfortunately, the story also didn’t exactly win me over. I thought the rivalry between Chardonnay “Char” St. Pierre, the daughter of a notorious vintner who seemed unable to stay away from troubles and scandal and the rising actor, Ryder McBride, wasn’t as heated as I thought it would be. In fact, I thought Char and Ryder slightly lacked chemistry, and they didn’t spend enough time together to make me care for them emotionally.
In addition, I was having trouble connecting on the level of these socialites and famous people with the parties, the winery, the charity and the paparazzi. I guess there is a reason that Hollywood and socialites look good for me on television only but not something I could see myself enjoying within the limitation of book (virtual) pages.
I did think that both Char and Ryder had interesting backgrounds – how Char had deal with the scandal of her family and how Ryder had to step up to practically be the head of his family when his father died. The ‘secret’ that somehow connected Char’s father and Ryder’s father was also interesting. It wasn’t really revealed (or clued in) from early on, so it was a nice surprise to read about and added a drama to the story.
It was a nice start of a series (the price was quite affordable too, by the way) but for me, personally, I was not intrigued enough to check the story of Char’s other sisters.
Overall Impression: It was good!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
The Blogger Girls 