Thank you to Rachel Lacey, Sarina Bowen, Jenn Gaffney, and the team at the World of True North for the advance reader copy of Hideaway, the eighth book in the Vino & Veritas series.

The second F/F story in the Vino & Veritas series brings us a second chance romance! And lots of puppies and who does not love puppies! But really Hideaway is an awesome story of the importance of forgiveness and second chances.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“One woman’s hiding place is another woman’s home.

After becoming an inadvertent viral sensation—and losing her job and her girlfriend as a result— Phoebe Shaw retreats to Vermont. Renovating her late grandmother’s cabin into a vacation rental seems like the perfect way to lie low for a while. But the last person she expects to encounter on the property is the woman whose kiss was her teenage sexual awakening . . . and whom she’s never quite forgotten.

Taylor Donovan has been hiking on the trails behind the Shaw family’s cabin her whole life. As children, Taylor and Phoebe were best friends before sharing a secret summer romance when they were sixteen, which left Taylor brokenhearted when Phoebe fled at the end of the summer. Now the property has become Taylor’s home away from home, and she wants nothing more than to convince the Shaws to sell it to her. But Phoebe’s return puts a crimp in those plans–and brings back old feelings she thought she’d overcome.

Of all the things Phoebe regrets, leaving Taylor is at the top of the list, but Taylor is determined to protect her heart. Yet the pull between them is stronger than ever. This time around, will love stay hidden . . . or finally see the light of day?”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Pheobe Shaw and Taylor Donovan are the main characters. Pheobe lives in Boston but Burlington is where her late Grandmother lived. Pheobe spent her summers with her grandmother and it was during that time she befriended another girl in the neighbourhood. Adult Pheobe returns to packs some of her grandmother’s things up after the double whammy of being fired and broken up with. A change of pace and scenery is good for everyone, right? Especially a hardworking financial analyst who really deserves to rest for a moment and breathe. Pheobe is surprised upon returning to her grandmother’s home, that her childhood bestie Taylor has been maintaining it. Taylor loved Pheobe’s grandmother as if she were her own, so she tended to her rose bushes and maintained the property. She hoped the Shaw family would one day be willing to sell her the property. That’s Taylor she is a go-getter with a huge sentimental heart. She works at the local animal shelter and wants to buy a piece of land that could accommodate her to foster many, many dogs. Taylor’s warmth is a contrast to what seems like an icy cold personality radiating from Pheobe, all she needs is someone like Taylor to melt her heart.
• Setting: Burlington, Vermont is the setting of all the Vino & Veritas books. I was a little disappointed we did not spend even more time at the wine bar or book store. No one in this installment works on the premises really, except that as Pheobe begins to open up she picks up a few nights of performance sets on the wine bar side. Instead, this story takes place more in the surrounding area, on a piece of land that is powerful to both our heroines.
• Pacing: The story was paced pretty well. I would have liked these two to get a little frisky a little earlier, it sure felt like it was taking them quite a while to reconnect. I also acknowledge that due to the closedness and pain from the past that had not healed yet, that it was going to be an uphill battle for these two.
• Romance: The girls were friends when they were younger, during the summer they would spend each day they could together. Taylor figured out her sexuality first and her crush on Pheobe. Pheobe was much more firmly in the closet so she was determined to hide what they had. Just like most relationships that you have when, you are young, plus the secrecy destroyed what they had. Pheobe broke Taylor’s heart and rarely returned to Vermont. As adults who have had other girlfriends and flings, they have realized that they never stopped loving each other and that they never had the same chemistry with anyone else. This story is not a steamy one, rather it is so incredibly sweet.

Hideaway receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

https://geni.us/AmazonHideaway

Thank you again to Rachel, Sarina, Jenn, and the rest of the team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!