Reviews

Wine or Lose by Amanda Chaperon

jessicadesamota's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Wine or Lose by Amanda Chaperon 🧡
Love on the Vine
Book 1, Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Adult • Romance 
ARC Review
346 pages
🗓️ February 22 

🍷 romcom
🧡 enemies to lovers 
🍷 workplace romance
🧡 wrong first impressions 
🍷 strong family relationships
🧡 dual POV

📍“I’ll love you enough for everyone who never did.”

Let me start with the beginning 😜 This book takes the trophy for best opening line ever. I can’t write it here but trust me 😏

And now let me get to the best part: Amara. Mar is simply amazing. A true boss woman, that loves fiercely, is loyal to a fault and rocks a fancy skirt like no other. 😎 She’s also a gifted businesswoman in a men’s world and therefore underestimated at every turn. But I do love seeing her prove every single one of them wrong. Specially Calvin. 

Goodness, how I needed to see that man grovel. Not enough. Not enough. I don’t think of myself as being mean but I did wish him awful bowler movements throughout the entirety of this. 

Alas. He was perfectly fine. And Mar was perfectly happy with it 😏

 

dabutkus's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Amara is part of the Delatou family, whose winery in Northern Michigan is world famous. When her father signs on the winery to her to continue the family business, suddenly everything is right in her world. Well almost everything - Calvin Ryder has been a pain in her ass since meeting him five years ago in a bar. When she has a great idea on how to widen her family’s business, he’s blocking her way as the CFO of the company. Calvin refused to see her as anything but the party princess she was 5 years, unable to acknowledge that she’s grown and ready to take the reigns of her family business 

This book was a great read. Loved the enemies to lovers and the banter between Amara and Calvin. Amanda’s writing continues to get better and better which each book and this is her best work yet. I loved seeing my Alma Mater (Go Lakers!) mentioned in the book and loved all the little Michigan shoutouts. If you have loved Amanda’s previous books, I promise you’ll love this one. Highly recommend. 

elainabrown's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ewatt33's review

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

kristas_bookshelf's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

romancebrookerecs's review

fast-paced

3.75

bookasaurusrecs's review

5.0

“I’ll love you enough for everyone who never did.”

spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 

You will absolutely need a glass of ICE COLD water while reading this. Actually, maybe just grab a 10 gallon bucket instead. 🥵 This was HOT from the first page.. I of course expected nothing less from Amanda. This is EASILY her spiciest book yet!

This is unlike any other book I’ve ever read. I 100% need to visit a winery now.  The setting was freaking perfect. And Cal and Amara are just so freaking GOOD. They just make perfect sense. Their chemistry is off the charts and their banter is fantastic (♾️/10). I was rooting for these two from the get go. Their love story isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. They’re both just trying to make it the best that they can. I just want to hug them both. Life isn’t a fairytale and neither is their story. Please don’t give up on them.

Amanda’s writing just gets BETTER AND BETTER with each book that she writes. She has a way of transporting you into her stories. Her characters are just so easy to fall in love with—flaws and all. . I’m actually really sad that I’ll never be able to read WoL for the first time again. Cal and Amara will forever be in my heart.  Like I said, it’s her spiciest book yet, BUT it is equally emotional and raw. 

Read if you like:

-small town romance

-she’s his boss: office rivals to lovers

-“crawl” 😉 

-winery vibes 

-classic Chaperon steam 🥵…don’t forget that glass of cold water….I mean bucket

-boss a$$ b!tches

-meddling sisters

-beautiful book covers

-HEAs

To Amanda my friend,

I am so endlessly proud of you. You know this. Please keep writing. Your books have made such a difference in my life. I feel like I’m best friends with all of your characters. They’ve made me not feel so alone when I felt completely hopeless. I will always scream about your books! Thank you for your friendship! I can’t wait to be there by your side for the next 4729294 books. 🫶🏻

Thank you Amanda for this ARC in exchange for a honest voluntary review!

bookishobsessedmama's review

5.0

I am actually 100% sure that Amanda cannot do any wrong. Another 5 star read from one of my absolute favorite authors! 

WHEN I TELL YOU DONT JUDGE OUR MALE MC FROM HIS FIRST IMPRESSION I MEAN IN. I started this book REALLY doubting Calvin. He was awful - rude, degrading and calculating. Hated him. But underneath that he truly was such a teddy bear and i ended up loving him so much. He falls and he falls FAST AND he’s not afraid to admit when he messed up and take ownership of that. 

Amara is a bad ass boss. She is independent, a leader, doesn’t need no man. I adored her as a FMC. 

I hate a third act break up and a surprise baby, but these actually wound together quite well and i ended up not minding them. I was SQEALING in the epilogue and extended epilogue. 

I am so excited for the remainder of this series.

PS the DICKtionary in the back of the book is perfection 😂 

kstamant's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"I had a feeling Calvin Ryder was about to become a drug I couldn't quit."

This was a cute and spicy enemies to lovers read! In this story you follow the main characters, who happen to be the CEO - Amara and the CFO - Calvin, of Delatou, Inc. But if Calvin had it his way, Amara wouldn't be the new CEO, and he does his best to try and make that happen. There is so much back and forth banter, tension, and steam! I love that this book was set on a family run vineyard in Michigan. And who doesn't love a good boss ass woman? Also, did I mention how spicy this book is?!
The ending though, I definitely did not see that coming!

Thank you to Amanda for this arc! Wine or Lose is released on February 22, and will be available on KU! So this is your warning to add this book to your TBR!

manymerrybooks's review

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ABSOLUTELY in love!! From the setting to the meet cute to the nosy family & everything in between, this book is perfection. I gushed so much in the author's DMs but I literally cannot say enough great things about it. The perfect amount of tension and romance. I will say some of the main characters' actions are questionable at best but they grow so much throughout the book personally and with each other, I loved watching it. I am now convinced that I should move to a lakeside vineyard in a small town because wow I'm obsessed with all of this. I will say this is a little on the spicy side for me but I personally didn't even notice it was perfectly written & fit into the storyline so well. CANNOT wait for this one to come out to all of you!!