New Year’s In Napa is another fine example of Elisabeth Barrett’s attention to detail, superior writing, and sophisticated style that I have come to appreciate. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Driven by guilt, biotechnology researcher Amanda Aligheri spends every waking moment in her Silicon Valley laboratory. Desperate for a change, she makes a New Year’s resolution: go to Napa, relax, and achieve some balance. The problem? There’s no chance to soul-search while tempting-as-sin winemaker Liam Flynn is around. Mandy and Liam have history together, and one glance at his easy smile reminds her exactly why she fell for him the first time.
A software engineer at heart, Liam Flynn left a lucrative position at a San Francisco tech company in order to help his dad manage their third-generation family winery, and he’s done his best to take the business to the next level. Two years ago, sparks flew between Liam and Mandy, but the moment he mentioned commitment, she turned and fled back to the safety of her lab. When Mandy shows up at his winery, she’s just as beautiful, intelligent, and stubborn as he remembers…but this time Liam isn’t giving up without a fight.
Will one romantic, wintery week in Napa be enough for Liam to convince Mandy he’s the one for her, or when the new year comes will she forget about her resolution and return to Silicon Valley—and her research—without him?
Review copy provided for an honest review
There are some authors I read that seem to be able to draw me in immediately with their characters 
and author Elisabeth Barrett is one of those authors. Every time I read a book by her I feel as though I’m reading a friend’s love story messy life and all and such is the case with New Year’s In Napa. Two people who shared one special moment 2 years ago meet again and find that time and distance haven’t changed the feelings they had and this time they are both ready to explore them and see what happens.
Both Amanda (Mandy) Aligheri and Liam Flynn are struggling professionally but in different ways. Mandy is trying to find balance in her life after dedicating her whole life to her research for the past 2 1/2 years and Liam is feeling the need to get back to producing something that excites him while still helping his family with their winery. I enjoyed watching these two not only work through the issue that drove them apart before but help each other find the passion they both needed to feel whole and complete both in their personal lives and their careers. I love that they pushed each other to see all sides of their issues and were there to lend support and offer advice, and maybe even push a little in the right direction but they respected each other enough to know that it was a personal decision that had to be made and only one person could make it.
I enjoy sexy, steamy stories and there were some great moments of passion in this book but it was the relationship as a whole that made this book so special. The development of the characters, the growing feelings, and the adult way they handled their problems. Yes, there was conflict but there weren’t accusations, innuendo, and hurtful words and they resolved it ways that seemed real and right for the intelligent people they are.
New Year’s In Napa is another fine example of Elisabeth Barrett’s attention to detail, superior writing, and sophisticated style that I have come to appreciate.
4.5 Stars
Sounds good…thanks Slick