In Vino Veritas (book 1): Wildfire by Garrett Leigh
A gorgeous new sexual awakening romance with sizzling first times, snarky British banter, and off-the-charts chemistry.
Life doesn’t always pan out as you expect. When it explodes in my face, literally, an old friend offers me a place to heal and a job renovating the kitchen of Burlington’s coolest wine bar.
V&V is a chill fest. Living above it should be a blast. But I’m not built to be a social butterfly. Not anymore. I’m a damaged man.
And I’m not its target clientele.
At least, I think I’m not until I come face to face with the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. Joss is the new chef and my roommate. He has hair like spun gold and it’s as pretty as the rest of him. Crystal blue eyes. Megawatt smile.
I can’t stop staring. Or thinking about him. He chases my nightmares away. And when he spots my crush a mile off, his solution to our chemical attraction blows my mind.
An experiment of sorts. Science. Is this sexual exploration or sex education?
Either way, Joss is only here for the summer. He’s leaving.
I can’t fall in love with him.
I can’t.
Shame my foolish heart never got the memo.
WILDFIRE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort romance in the True North world, with a brooding lumbersexual, a wild-hearted chef, sweet angst and all the Vermont food. Content warning: contains mentions of depression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, and PTSD recovery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61400549-wildfire
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August 23, 2022
My Review: 5/5 Stars
So happy to be back in the World of True North! Specifically this fun series set at Vino & Veritas. We get to see some favorite characters return and get some pretty awesome new ones. Like our leading guys Kai and Joss. Kai has been in a funk. He is suffering from PTSD after experiencing something pretty traumatic at his last job. Lucky for him, his friend Tanner is there to help Kai keep afloat and be there for him while he sorts himself out and gets back on his feet. What he doesn't expect is for Tanner and Jax to hand him a new roommate. Joss is a longtime friend of Jax and comes to be the new chef at Vino & Veritas. Joss never stays in one place long since he always has an itch to be on the move along with being diagnosed with ADHD. He has long since accepted that there are things about himself he can't change and is happy to be who is he. Though, when he meets Kai, for the first time ever he wonders if he found a place to stay for good and someone to stay there for. What I absolutely loved about Kai and Joss is that both have these pretty big issues but instead of it hurting any chance of friendship between them, it just brings them together. Kai understands Joss way better than anyone ever has besides Jax. Kai has the patience to wait Joss out and figure out what he needs when his brain is going a mile a minute. He doesn't try to change Joss or fix him because he truly doesn't see anything wrong. Then Joss watches Kai and knows he is dealing with some pretty big stuff but makes himself available in whatever form he thinks Kai needs. Feeding him or sitting there and talking with him. He understands Kai just as well as Kai gets him. I loved their story and how these two guys can truly look past everything that makes them different and care about one another with no reservations. You don't want to miss this first book bringing us back to this world!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Never thought I'd meet you here
Never thought I’d meet you here
An : you’re a cowboy like me
**********
He couldn’t help but be excited to see the lights flash before his eyes. Though he is afraid someone may see how, just how excited he is.
“And action,” says the man behind the cameras.
Well he just met him like..a year ago? But he could actually swear he met this old man he now adores and respects head over heels yesterday. Just yesterday he thought this was gonna be
just a fun clip to make and now he was there. Right there. Re shooting a movie he only would imagine to be watched by him while he made the bbc gig his dad helped to get and think about how great it would be to side act in a movie made by none other than Ang Lee, let alone star as the lead.
They finish the scene. And he gets called by the director.
“It’d be great if you focused young man”
“Yes sir” he agrees. He really should focus. But he just couldn’t but think about how weird it is to be this excited still brushing his thoughts off he tries to focus on the shoot.
“Those last bits are kinda the worst '' garrett, his co star sighs.
“The worst bits to shoot are the best” he smiles
“well yk what is the worst worst one?”
Joe gives garrett a confused look
“What? You don’t?”
“You know the best,” he shrugs at his co-star.
“C’mon! The sex scenes!” he winks at him
Joe couldn’t help but blush. He was right though, they are the worst and the..well…the most awkward scenes.
“C’mon,” Garrett drags him to a bar.
It was already like 8pm. “Wow” he says to himself looking at the clock in the bar. It’s crazy how each day just goes flying. He could feel the ache as he remembers how he hasn’t texted any of his friends or literally anyone back home in the past busy week. And another busier week is to be looked forward to. Change. Something he is afraid of. Gets the best outta him.
“You know what place this is?”
“A dive bar?”
“Hmm..a celebrity friendly dive bar”
“Like echo friendly?”
“Yup!” Garrett says popping the p in the end
they both chuckle. Seriously though. He could get just by the looks of this a rich people’s bar. And it would definitely be a crime to say it’s a drive bar. Because a dive wouldn’t give me a chance to breathe . He smiled to himself thinking about the days when he and his friends would finish bottles together.
“Hey guys” garrett yells at a couple…well..he assumed they were one as the woman was sitting on the man’s lap in a counter , half facing the counter.
“Hey garrett” they say in unison as joe and garrett stand in front of them
“Meet Joe” Garrett introduces Joe to his fellow friends. “ the new star”
“Hello” says Joe, offering his hand, blushing.
“I am Caleb” caleb shakes his hand with gratitude , “ and this is my wife, lily”
“Nice to meet you” Joe shakes Lily's hand.
“Nice to meet you too” lily smiles at him. “And this is my friend , Taylor” Lily shows an empty spot beside her.
“Uhh” Joe , who was certainly in an awkward position, hesitated.”Hello I guess?”
Everybody laughs.
“Wait..sorry.no I’m not crazy, .maybe she is taking a call”
“It’s fine, '' Joe says with a grin. '' besides you're too pretty to be a sane person anyway”
“Uhm” Caleb coughs. “Well you're not wrong though” he says, earning a grimace from Lily.
“Can I get another?” a platinum blonde asks while sitting on the counter and the bartender gives her a bottle. “Thanks”
She looked familiar to him. He couldn’t put his mind to it though. She had a very deep shade of red painted lips. He kept staring at her trying to remember who she was until it was awkward and he moved his gaze. Only to be uncomfortable. He blushed as the group of three were looking at him.
“Wachcha looking at joe?” Garrett coughed. And it was clear he was high.
“nothing” he mumbles
“Ok you don’t have to hide it haha” lily scuffed. “Like we all know she’s pretty”
“Ok you guys are high” joe chuckled to himself
“Well, not enough to ignore what you were just doin’!” Caleb trolled. “You were definitely checking taylor out”
That’s when it hit him. Shit. of course! It was taylor. Taylor swift. Shit. and he couldn’t recognize her. Shame.
“That’s taylor..like swift?” he asks to reassure, blushing.
Everyone laughs. “Yes,” Garrett pats his back.
But anything that was happening was completely oblivious to the blonde blue eyed. Who only, well in the most stressful casual way sipped her beer bottle. And which was soon finished.
And she was drunk. Her nose is a little red, her head is an ache. She just wanted to shut every voice in her head but all she could shut was the voice in the background.
There was something that made her upset and she didn’t even know what. All her head and heart could give her away was that she was lonely. She had an event coming,some paps outside, the pressure of making a new album as soon as possible and the stress of what to tell the paps in the Met gala.
Like what she hated about Adam not coming to the event was not that she had to attend it alone, she had to face the interviewers alone. She didn’t care anymore that he wouldn’t come to places she was invited, not him . she was over and out and admitted the fact that he would never attend a place as her plus one.
But the worst parts were the tabloids, the freaking reporter making jokes about her bnot being able to keep boys. Well, they were boys right? Why would she, a 26 year old, keep a boy when she needs a man like an adult? Who’s the stupid one here?
These thoughts were all she could hear. Over and over and over. And she wanted it to get out. The voice, the screaming and crying. She wanted it to get out as if it were vomit she wasn’t throwing up making her stomach hurt.
And that made her think how she didn’t have her period in months. She knew she wasn’t pregnant cause that’snot possible when you use condom and take birth control pills and didn’t have sex that often anyway. But she still had checked recently.
But she knows why she doesn’t get her period. She knows why her stomach hurts and she always feels like throwing up. She just didn’t wanna admit it.
And she wanted to tell her mom, but she’d say it’s normal. She wants to tell her dad but he will never understand. Her brother was too busy and her boyfriend was, well her boyfriend thought it was good. It was good to overthink and calculate your steps in public and life. It was better to have a stomach that flat.
Her head started dizzying. Her body said it was enough alcohol already. But her heart wanted more as she could hear the voices in the bar.
“Whiskey on ice” she asked the bartender. She clutched her head and sat there with her chin on the counter.
“Too much drink don’t you think?” a deep probably british male voice caught her attention. She didn’t expect one ,unless it was a fairytale and her boyfriend was here. But he must be too busy fucking some other woman , well at least that what she thought.
She looked up to see a blonde , blue eyed guy with a soft smile on his face. She didn’t know him. She looked at her friends she came here with and could see a new face. Garrett hedlound. “Is this guy with garrett?”
She sipped her drink and ignored the question.he kept staring at her in an awkward way like he was embarrassed, sure, you’ll be disappointed and embarrassed if you messed with people’s business.Standing up from her seat she walked over to her friends.
“Hey guys” he taps garretts shoulders who was already too high to talk.
“Hey gal '' Garrett said, tripping. “This is lily, caleb and that’s joe, joe alwyn ''garrett very drunkenly pointed at joe who was now standing beside garrett who was sitting next to lily and caleb.who were also, very drunk.
Taylor looked at joe once again. He smiled at her. “They are quite drunk” which she again ignored.
“Damn she is weird” he thought. “Or maybe she is just drunk” he just stood there awkwardly sipping his drink.
“Lily” taylor finally said, “let’s go my place later, we’ll play with the cats”
“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo '' Lily said with harmony. “My baby will miss me” lily said while caressing Caleb's cheeks and giving him a peck on the lips. And they all just laughed.
“Heyyyy taylor..” Caleb started. “Meet Joe, the new..what’d you say garry? Star”
“Who is Joe again? Joe jonas?” she said and laughed and thought why was everybody so eager for her to meet him.
“Umm no, not Jonas unfortunately.” Joe started.”I am Joe, Joe Alwyn” he offered her his hand.
“I-I Am HoE alWyn” taylor mocked “I LiKe tAkInG cAre of PeOplE wHo are taOo drUnK”
They all laughed at her drunk fake British accent .
“Thank you thank you” she said and as if it were some standup comedy show, they all clapped. Even Joe was laughing at everyone being drunk except him.she walked over and sat down at her empty seat.
While Joe thought about how he could easily draw on all of the three faces with permanent pens and have a laugh. But he remembered how he had worked the next day and looked at the clock. 10 pm. Shit. he didn’t even know where they were.
“Maybe I should give them time” he thought and sipped his wine. Plain red wine. It was better than being hungover at work. He stole glances at Taylor Swift sitting just two seats in front of him with her head in her hands.
Joe was checking his phone and texting his mates how it was crazy here. He wanted to say how he met Taylor Swift but maybe he didn’t meet her. After all , she was just a woman who was drunk and mocked him that night. And that he couldn’t count as a meet.
“I am sorry” the tall blonde woman was right in front of him. And he was astonished at her words.
“W-why?” he asked, clearly unprepared.
“I just mocked you soo” she said blushing. It was soo embarrassing. All she could hope he didn’t tell anyone.
Joe laughed. “It’s fine,” he said “you were drunk anyways.”
She felt glad. And for the first time took a good look at him. He looked cute but his hair looked real funny. But overall, not bad so far.
“No, we just met and-”
“And it’s ok” he smiled.
“But” she didn’t know how to ask him not to talk about this meeting.
“But what?” he looked at her, finally standing up right in front of her. Only leaving inches between them. “Do you want me to do something else?” he asked. His voice completely captivating her. His body too big compared to her. She finally looked at his face and said,”would you please not tell anybody?” and bit her lip slightly in embarrassment .
He smiled and walked away a little. “Don’t worry I won’t and you were cute to be honest.” he looked at her piercing blues once again.
"Thanks" She smiled. "I am Taylor by the way."
"I know" He chuckled, "And I am-"
"Joe alwyn" She blushed.
"Not Hoe"
"We'll see.." she gave him a toothy smile.
"Anytime" He smirked and turned to look at the clock. And it was 11 already. "shit" he thought.
He looked at her, who was still looking at his back. Thinking. “I gotta go now”
“Umm sure” she responds.
“Maybe you can tell garett on behalf of me?” he pointed at an asleep garrett.”I tried to wake him up a while ago but” he gave her a weak smile.
She nodded with a smile on her red lips.
They waved at each other. And hoped they would meet again.
Joe goes out of the bar taking a last glance and taylor. He looks at the bars name and location and puts it on the uber app thinking how messy he was to not even know where he was for hours.
He typed ‘the bowery bar, sunset and vine, la’ as his current location
***
Taylor walks out of her car as her bodyguard opens it for her.it’s always safe to make her bodyguards do stuff like this especially at night. Her bodyguard opens her apartment door She goes up to her apartment and sighs to see it empty. A big large house with nothing but emptiness. Not thinking anymore she runs to her bedroom upstairs and throws her bag and clothes, smudges off her makeup and puts her night pajamas on.
“Meow” a curious olivia benson meows at her and jumps on her lap.
“Hey olive, where's mere?” she asks the cat to just get another meow.
She laughs and takes her laptop and sits on the bed.”meow” meredith, who was most probably sleeping on the bed shreaked.
She laughed again. “oh mere” she cooed and sat on the bed, covering herself with the blanket.
At first she searched up her name. Just to find some 3rd party tabloids running her name. She smiled and went incognito mode. She usually uses this for weird stuff but today she had another weird thing on her mind. She smirked to herself and searched up ‘joe alwyn’
She stalked for a while to find nothing. Well except for some pictures of him being in billy lynn and a pic by him of a plane which was really bad, basically nothing . Then after a couple of minutes, something caught her eyes, a weird photo on twitter which she clicked on to find at least 1 video and 5 photos of joe alwyn and some other guys and girls.
Mostly being drunk and weird. She crackled hard looking at the video and pictures. God. she just met this guy and was stalking him like a teenager.
Like a little school girl who just met a boy she doesn’t know , who wants to suck up all the details about him as soon as possible.she wanted to let him know her, she wanted him to make him know her the way she wanted to be known, not the wa tabloids made her look. Maybe he did know her tabloid version. But still.
She smiled to herself remembering how he moved and smirked. How his eyes were concerned when she was drinking too much. And the way he talked..the way he talked.
She threw herself on the bed smiling. She didn’t even know him. It wasn’t a good first impression from either. But still, he seemed like a good person, annoying but good. Maybe.
Just maybe.
She scrolled a little more and went off incognito. She took her phone from the nightstand keeping her laptop beside her.
She knew she couldn’t sleep even though it was midnight. She scrolled through her phone until a post from one of her fans threw her off. It said, “Will Calvin come to the met?” and various people said he will cause a good boyfriend does. Many said no, because his name wasn’t on the list.
She felt fragile knowing that they knew and they were right. But another thing caught her mind. The list. She never considered looking at the list of guests in the met but this time, she wanted to. She wanted to know who was gonna be there. If he will be there.
And there it was, after looking through numerous pictures, she finally found the right one, Joe Alwyn, with the Burberry team.
He’ll be there.
She smiled to herself and threw herself under the sheets. Even though it was ridiculous of her . But she couldn't help but be happy that,
He’ll be there.
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