Slow Dancing at Sunrise (Rendezvous Falls, Book One)

JO MCNALLY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, HQN, 2019.

How acquired: Via Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss, the best subscription box around.

First line: Whitney Foster was stuck in a traffic jam.

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

My thoughts: I've had a run of really good books recently, with my beloved enemies-to-lovers trope, from new to me authors! Halfway through this book I already knew it was going to be a five star read.

After losing her job under very trying circumstances, Whitney is taking temporary refuge at her Aunt Helen's winery, but is shocked to see the shabby state of the place. Uncle Tony passed away a couple of years ago, and the winery seems to have gone downhill since then. And Whitney is sure that the hired hand, Luke, is taking advantage of her aunt. So of course from their first meeting she and Luke clash, and clash hard.

I loved Whitney, and Luke, and Helen. Helen and her book club group of friends set out on a hilarious matchmaking scheme, trying to find dates for Whitney in hopes that she'll fall in love and make Rendezvous Falls her permanent home. It never occurs to them that she will fall for Luke, since those two obviously do not get along. They must not read a lot of romance novels in their book club!

It's always refreshing to not have a hero who is rich and successful. In addition to shouldering the burden of running the winery after Helen checked out in her grief over losing Tony, Luke works a second job as a bartender in order to pay rent to Helen for his apartment over the tasting room. Whitney puts her accounting skills to the test and begins going over the winery's messy finances, and when she discovers Luke's solution to how to pay the bills, I was a bit horrified and admiring at the same time. Not to mention very amused.

Once they finally give in to attraction, there was steam coming off the pages, very well written steam, without being crass or too graphic. The whole book is just delightful, and I'm glad I haven't used up the B&N gift card I got for Christmas – I'll be looking for the next Rendezvous Falls book, “Stealing Kisses in the Snow”, on my next trip to the bookstore! 

Goodreads synopsis: When accountant Whitney Foster's carefully calculated life blows up, she escapes to the one place that's always felt like home. But Rendezvous Falls has changed since she's been away. Her aunt Helen's winery is in trouble. And she doesn't trust the sexy, surly stranger working the vineyard as far as she can throw him.
Luke Rutledge would do anything for Helen, who's been like a mother to him. Revive the winery? Sure. Repair her property? No problem. Tolerate Helen's infuriating, big-shot niece? Well...maybe. But as he and Whitney are forced to work together to rebuild the business, her chilly facade reveals a woman as complex and intoxicating as a fine merlot. Throw in a matchmaking book club hell-bent on happily-ever-after and it's a potent cocktail.
Love should never be calculated. But it doesn't take Whitney's math skills to see that this is adding to up to one tantalizing adventure..