4.25 Stars

I honestly thought this was a great book. I enjoyed the characters all round, including the side characters even the ones we see briefly.

Josie Sanchez is the head winemaker at Cadieux Vineyards set in Willamette Valley, Oregon. She is 40 and has everything riding on this seasons winemaking. Hank Layton, the owner, promises Josie her own wine label if the harvest and wine is a success. She has worked for him for 15 years and has elevated his wines to new standards. The drawback is that her new intern doesn’t have any experience with wine making and happens to be his niece MacKenzie (Mac).

The book cover is amazing and I look forward to reading more from Ana as this was my first book of theirs.

Josie is a winemaker who works exceptionally hard in the winery with the dream to make her own wine label. Her boss hires his inexperienced niece for the busiest time of the year, in the hopes of having an extra set of hands to speed up the process, Despite how frustrated Mac makes her, there's a strong attraction between the two women immediately.

I loved the idea of this novel from the blurb, but unfortunately was let down by the execution. I feel like this story was written a little too simply for me, and a lot of the dialogue felt a bit unnecessary. I'm always one for a WLW romance, and it was sweet, but overall it felt like there was almost too much wine! And I can't get behind the fact that they would often end up driving home after drinking.

Overall, this one wasn't for me even though I loved the tropes at play.

I rated Crush 5 stars because it is a truly unique love story that I never knew I needed. Crush was an incredible book! I loved this so much. I thought it was a completely unique take on a sapphic love story. Probably my favorite part of the book was learning about the chemistry of wine making. The author clearly must have some experience or did some incredible research, because it was really cool to read about what makes wine taste the way it does. It was a unique little snapshot into the wine industry and what goes into producing that bottle that we all love to enjoy. I appreciated the main character. They call her cold and closed off in the industry, but really she is much deeper than that. Her life experiences in being the only woman in the room really resonated with me. Honestly, I fell in love with Josie a little bit alongside Mac. I also loved how the other turned the concept of a nepo baby on its head. Did Mac get the job because she was the winery owner's niece? Yes? Did she work her ass off and prove every one wrong? Also yes. Really both main characters are completely badasses giving the middle finger to misogyny and falling in love with each other. There were also some very spicy scenes of sapphic love, so if you're into that there's a little interest for you. It also wasn't too much spice that I didn't like it either. It was a really nice balance.

"Crush" by Ana Hartnett Reichardt is a good fit for those seeking a romantic and lighthearted read that explores the blossoming relationship between two women in the picturesque setting of a vineyard, with a focus on their personal and professional growth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Crush was archived before I had a chance to read it. Congrats on publishing! I look forward to reading it soon as Ana's books are some of my favorite!

Crush not only centers around the crush of the grapes at the vineyard Josie has put her heart and soul in for the past 15 years but it's also about her crush on her boss's niece Mac.

There is a lot at stake this crush as it is Josie's chance to prove to her boss she is ready for her own wine under her own label. Obviously she wants everything to go flawless but then her boss throws a wrench in her plans by giving her an inexperienced intern in the form of his niece who is infuriatingly cute.

We see how both Mac and Josie are into each other and try to fight their feelings for obvious reasons but the heart wants what the hearts wants and then can't resist each other. Cue the consequences of their actions.

An entertaining read with a very detailed description of wine making.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

‘Crush’ is Ana Hartnett’s breakaway from her award winning YA sapphic ‘Alder’ series and it reads like a true representation of how her style and confidence has grown since her debut.
For me Hartnett has a natural ability to create vivid characters and sincere interactions between them that keeps you turning the pages and Josie and Mackenzie’s story is no exception.
The setting for this forbidden romance is Cadieux vineyard where Josie is working on what should be another wildly successful harvest, a stepping stone to creating her own label, but there is one small spanner in the works. Cue Mackenzie, Mac, an inexperienced and often infuriating harvest intern.
The banter and tension created with Mac and Josie is so palpable and although it airs a little on the side of a slow burn, the pacing throughout is balanced and the chemistry never feels forced between the MCs. One thing I have noted from Hartnett’s previous works is that she always rounds her cast of characters out with as much care and detail and she uses them to maximum effect to move along the story in ‘Crush’.
I will say that you can tell that Hartnett has a clear passion and expansive knowledge about wine and its production but as someone who knows nothing about wine I never felt lectured to or bewildered with the technicalities. There’s a warmth to the way Hartnett writes that draws you into the story and feel so connected to her characters, her writing style really adds something to the sapphic romance genre that can sometimes feel formulaic. Although there is nothing overdone when it comes to the undeniable chemistry between the MCs, Hartnett leaves no question as to her stylistic move out of YA in that area!
A sweet, funny, sexy and super smooth sapphic romance that I couldn’t put down. (Definitely should be accompanied by a buttery chardonnay…)

This book was really good, though I found it difficult to read from time to time. I don't know a lot about wine, and I found that to be confusing to need to look things up often.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Plot summary: Josie is a winemaker who wants her own wine label. Her boss hires his inexperienced niece, Mac, as her intern for the busy 'crush' period. They’re immediately horny for each other, but there's frustrations around Mac's inexperience, although she learns quickly. Feelings develop and they all live happily ever after.

If they’re not making wine, they’re drinking wine. Seriously, there is SO MUCH WINE. And then they just casually drive their cars after drinking? I wanted to DNF this early on, ngl. I didn't find it that compelling and I was bored by the constant wine. I even tried drinking wine during it, but it didn't help. It honestly became quite dry - I feel like the learning process for Mac/overall winemaking should've been condensed, or more suited to a visual medium honestly (sometimes I had no idea what was going on). Their lives outside their job were naturally more interesting to me, like Jack's place or Erin and Georgie. I ended up skimming the wine scenes to be honest, but it did become a bit more balanced towards the end.

As a queer person, I love lgbt romance, but this just didn't hit for me. It seems to rely on the grumpy/sunshine trope, except Josie isn't that grumpy, she's just rightfully stressed. There was an initial attraction, Mac getting wet over folding Josie's underwear (it was weird), and 'we work together, we shouldn't date' but I just really didn't _feel_ any of it. I wasn't excited, rooting for them, or warmed by the fluff (but this could also be from the predictability/inevitable happy ending). The 'conflict' around Josie's panic attacks was quite uncomfortable - Mac says she should have therapy and Josie shuts it down (which I don't think is unreasonable or unrealistic) so Mac thinks she's an arsehole and they don't really talk for over a week until Josie has a migraine and Mac demands (again) that she calls a therapist? Idk it was all weird. The first kiss was weird and felt forced. This continued when they then have sex because 'it's just as bad as kissing your intern'(?????) and then declare love(?????!). Aside from the constant mentions of wine, the next most frequent was 'wet panties' (or that kinda wetness in general, including leaving a wet patch on the kitchen countertop), and it was just as grating at best. I did warm to Josie, but it was hard to be invested in the story when it was obviously all gonna be okay.

Other than the dry winemaking, and overuse of certain phrases, I found the writing style a bit basic and forced at times. There was also weird summaries after paragraph breaks or in a new chapter of stuff we've literally just read.

Overall, I just wasn't into any of it, and the overarching plot was predictable. Others have given good reviews, so maybe it just wasn't for me.

Additionally, the change in POV could've been made clearer. It was written in third person but shifted perspectives and at times it was unclear.
AND WHO CUTS UP A POPTART??

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a romance that takes place at the Cadieux Vinyard. The two main characters are Josie Sanchez and Mackenzie Layton. Josie has worked at the vineyard for many years as the head winemaker. She has been told by the owner that she will be given the opportunity to have her own label if she can produce a gold medal pinot noir. That makes this year’s “crush” (harvesting) extremely important. She can’t have any distractions or added responsibilities.

Mackenzie (Mac) is the niece of the owner of the vineyard. She has recently graduated from college with a degree in marketing. Mac is expected to join her father’s marketing firm, but the thought of this career path does not excite her. Mac is thrilled about the wine business although she has limited experience in this industry. She decides to contact her uncle and ask for an internship. Of course, her uncle gives her the job.

Josie is not happy with his new hire because Mac is taking the spot of someone who would have more experience and would not need to be trained. Now, Josie feels the extra pressure of training Mac while trying to focus all her energy on making the best wine.

The attraction between Josie and Mac begins early on in the story but it can’t go anywhere because Mac is an employee. As we soon realize, however, the pull is too great to ignore.

I enjoyed the interaction of the two characters. The author did a good job of creating interesting supporting characters. It also helped that Ms. Reichardt has a background in the winemaking industry and was able to add valuable information to enhance the readers’ understanding of the process.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Reichardt books. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ana Hartnett’s slow-burn romance Crush is chock full of really interesting info about winemaking. I enjoyed Hartnett’s descriptions of the process, as well as all of the characters in this charming place.

Crush is a forbidden lovers story, so there's naturally a bunch of tension in the first half of the novel. Once these two firely ladies get together, the whole tone changes and it was fun watching them find their happily ever after.

I’m giving this book 3 stars, though I feel a bit ambivalent. On the one hand, the content was engaging enough that I kept on reading (and I have so much respect for writers who can format a book. I certainly haven’t.). On the other hand, I didn’t really love the overall story and not to sound prudish (or to sound exactly that) the romantic content was a bit too much for me (and not really necessary). I’d therefore say this one isn’t for those new to sapphic novels.

A sweet romance that promises on what it delivers: a slow build between two characters who get off to a rocky start, but slowly begin to fall for each other. Both characters were sweet and went through individual journeys and journeys together over the course of the novel. At times the conflict felt unnecessarily dragged out, but not very much so. It was really interesting to learn about how wine is made and these characters definitely made it a joy to experience the process alongside them. This is a cozy-ish, not very high stakes romance, so it’s the kind of thing that I’d love to curl up with on a vacation but probably wouldn’t hook me again after that. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about winemaking and enjoys sapphic romances with a bit of tension but not hugely high stakes. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

*thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review."

Reichardt's Crush is a charming WLW romance that takes place on a wine vineyard.

The author did an amazing job explaining the winemaking process, displayed how well they understood the hard work, dedication, and also skill that comes with it, and even all the little details about varietals and seasons. I also liked the portrayal of two older main characters, as there needs to be more room to showcase how finding true love happens at any age.

However, for all the build up and tension and issues that come with them getting together, it seemingly fizzles out and resolves itself rather quickly. A strong area of tension was the risk of either of them losing their jobs, but then when push comes to shove, there is this perfect happy ending after not much conflict.

Same can be said for the romance at times. There was chemistry and tension, but then for all the build up, sometimes it was unclear why their feelings were getting as strong as they did. And once they've kissed and made love, they soon then progressed to being in love... and it just felt so very fast that the reader did not get to enjoy seeing them grow to love each other.

I would have loved to have seen a more developed second act of the story, one where there is more time and development given to not only the romance, but also the solving of the core issues of the book. It presented such a strong and fundamental reason to keep them apart, and I had wished the story had honored it a bit more by giving it time to really stay as a conflict before it got fixed.

I received an e-arc of Crush by Ana Hartnett Reichardt for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

This is a very niche interest, but I absolutely love stories that feature sapphics and vineyards! I think it combines my love of queer stories and one of my favourite films ‘The Good Year’. The concept reminded me of It Started With A Kiss by Clare Lydon so I knew that this was going to be something that I was going to love.

This was such a well written story! I was immediately hooked in and connected to the characters. Plus the chemistry between them was noticeable from the first moment they met! The slow burn was delicious and so well done plus I loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic and how Jos made a found family at the winery. This book literally hit all of my favourite tropes and gave me great characters we well - it’s no wonder I loved it!

This was such a cosy read and so cute, it was the perfect for book as summer is winding down! I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Ana Hartnett Reichardt is one of the most talented young writers in our community. I was thrilled when I heard she would be releasing her first adult romance and I was not disappointed. Reichardt's writing has a maturity and depth that is usually only found in someone who has been writing for decades. And I know she will be writing many more wonderful books as the years go on.
Josie Sanchez is determined to make the next crush at Cadieux Vineyards the best ever so she can get her own wine label. When she has to take on the owner's niece as an intern, she fears her chances of succeeding have just dried up like grape vines during a heat wave.
Mac Layton is looking forward to working at her uncle's Oregon winery and isn't bothered by the hot, cranky woman she has to work with. In fact, she relishes getting under her skin. Mac and Josie have fabulous chemistry and I was invested in them individually and as a couple. As a wine lover, I was drawn into the story not just for the romance, but also for the extensive knowledge of wine making Reichardt incorporated into the story.
This was yet another well written book from Ana Hartnett Reichardt and I can't wait to see what she brings us next.

An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

Good story, but the characters seemed a bit immature. There's a lot of back and forth between Josie and Mac, these two had quite a bit of angst and drama. The wine making parts of this story was really interesting and I learned quite a bit from that. The romance between these two was a slow burn one that could have been smoother if they'd just talked to each other and avoided all the drama. Otherwise this was a good story and I would recommend this to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author

Crush offers a delightful journey into the world of winemaking through the eyes of its compelling characters, Josie and Mac. Josie is a seasoned winemaker waiting for her big break, while Mac is the well-meaning but inexperienced niece of Josie's boss, thrown into the deep end as Josie's intern. What starts as a classic grumpy/sunshine dynamic soon morphs into a meaningful connection, complete with palpable chemistry that does justice to the "crush"—both the grape harvest and the growing attraction between the two women.

The real standout, aside from the budding romance, is the immersive winemaking backdrop. As a lover of wine, I loved the intricate detail that the author relays throughout the novel. This added an extra layer of engagement that complemented the already smoothly-flowing narrative.

This is a great slow-burn romance though that I definitely recommend - particularly to those that like to learn the ins and outs of a new vocation.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I went into this one with high hopes. The plot sounded adorable, the backdrop of a winery gave it even more potential, and I always want to live a WLW story. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I didn’t even make it all the way through. The characters had no development. They felt very one-dimensional, and went back-and-forth between absolutely heading each other, and randomly thinking the other one was hot with no rhyme or reason is the actual writing itself and dialogue between the characters was painful more than anything I think the author could’ve used a good editor.

3 stars. Josie Sanchez is a head winemaker and wants to make an awarded wine. She needs an assistant for the wine making season, and her owner tells her to hire his niece, Mackenzie Layton. Mac is willing to learn and wants to get into the wine industry. All Josie wants is her own wine brand and to be able to make things her own way. She does not want an assistant who does not know anything about wine. They both feel a chemistry with each other and do not know what to do with it.

I thought this book was fine, I did not hate it but I did not love it. I thought the chemistry between the two characters was fine but I felt like it ramped quickly and it had a lot of drama I did not like. I would recommend this book if you like the author, I am not sure I loved this book. This book was a little forgettable and I am not sure I would read it again, It was just an average book with not a lot too it.