Christmas in Wine Country by Addison WestlakeBOOK DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:
A romantic comedy set in Northern California's wine
country.
It's Lila's big debut as an event planner and the company holiday party is going to be her chance to shine. At a Tuscan-style vineyard near the Northern California coast in the perfect little black dress she's sure to impress commitment-phobe Phillip. What could go wrong?
72 hours later with no job and no boyfriend, Lila finds herself with all kinds of answers to that question. Like mistaking the glowering Jake Endicott of Endicott Vineyards for the groundskeeper. Or a new video on YouTube featuring Lila pawing her way through drunken karaoke of "Hungry Like the Wolf."
Solo on the romantic holiday getaway she'd booked for her and Phillip near the vineyard, Lila at least gets to visit with her old friend Annie who lives nearby in the coastal town of Redwood Cove. Drawn into the local bookstore with gleaming wooden floors and welcoming armchairs, Lila chats with the owner and impulsively accepts a job offer.
Sleepy, misty Redwood Cove is the perfect place for Lila to take a break from her horrible track record with guys. The only one she finds even remotely attractive knows her as the holiday party crazy lady. Ranked in Bay Area magazine's 10 hottest bachelors, Jake Endicott is just the type Old Lila would have wasted years pining after.
Join Lila on her year of comedy, adventure and self-discovery on the Northern California coast, with all kinds of ups, downs and misadventures and a full cast of small-town wine country characters. Thankfully, even the greatest misunderstandings can all be worked out with a little Frank Sinatra and mistletoe.
It's Lila's big debut as an event planner and the company holiday party is going to be her chance to shine. At a Tuscan-style vineyard near the Northern California coast in the perfect little black dress she's sure to impress commitment-phobe Phillip. What could go wrong?
72 hours later with no job and no boyfriend, Lila finds herself with all kinds of answers to that question. Like mistaking the glowering Jake Endicott of Endicott Vineyards for the groundskeeper. Or a new video on YouTube featuring Lila pawing her way through drunken karaoke of "Hungry Like the Wolf."
Solo on the romantic holiday getaway she'd booked for her and Phillip near the vineyard, Lila at least gets to visit with her old friend Annie who lives nearby in the coastal town of Redwood Cove. Drawn into the local bookstore with gleaming wooden floors and welcoming armchairs, Lila chats with the owner and impulsively accepts a job offer.
Sleepy, misty Redwood Cove is the perfect place for Lila to take a break from her horrible track record with guys. The only one she finds even remotely attractive knows her as the holiday party crazy lady. Ranked in Bay Area magazine's 10 hottest bachelors, Jake Endicott is just the type Old Lila would have wasted years pining after.
Join Lila on her year of comedy, adventure and self-discovery on the Northern California coast, with all kinds of ups, downs and misadventures and a full cast of small-town wine country characters. Thankfully, even the greatest misunderstandings can all be worked out with a little Frank Sinatra and mistletoe.
Much like trying to force a square peg into a round hole, Lila just doesn't fit in this world she is trying to climb the corporate ladder in. It culminates with blow up cacti, a baby Jesus pinata, and a margarita cart toting donkey in an event she is supposed to be coordinating. While this party goes horribly wrong, she also notices her boyfriend, who wouldn't label himself as her boyfriend, is getting pretty friendly with a gorgeous woman in a backless red dress. After too many drinks and a YouTube worthy video of howling Kareoke, the final stone of humiliation is thrown when she returns to her job to be laid off. Thinking she can slip away with her boyfriend to a romantic vacation she booked, he delivers the final blow. He breaks off their "relationship" for the woman in red.
Completely miserable, with an implied eating disorder forcing herself to be extremely thin, a career going nowhere that she didn't really care for anyway, and a horrible track record of being a door mat for any man who would take her for granted, she misses the cancellation time frame and slinks off to the romantic weekend getaway by herself in Redwood Cove.
A job in the local book store brings out her inner Mr. Meows, a puppet character for the story hour. She is a local celebrity among the children of the area, aka "Cat Lady". She recaptures her friendship with her college room mate and gains new friendships along the way. She works out her habit of pining after unattainable men while forming a relationship with Bachelor #7, Jake Endicott. He would usually be on the newly formed "Do Not Date List", but first impressions can be deceiving.
I liked the book, appreciated the story, laughed at some of the characters, loved wise old Gram. It was an enjoyable read.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
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