Review: Wildfire (In Vino Veritas) by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 4.75🌈

Wildlfire by Garrett Leigh, sees a return of the In Vino Veritas series, one written by multiple authors about a connecting bookstore and wine bar in Burlington,Vermont.

Many of the characters there originate from the earlier V & V series, so honestly for newcomers, it’s a win win with two terrific series to lock into.

Garrett Leigh’s Wildfire is a wonderful romance and contemporary love story on many levels. The depth of Leigh’s characters and the complexity of both man’s history leads the reader into their stories and wanting so much for each of them.

The novel begins with Kai Fletcher, leader of a Search and Rescue team returning home after a long night that suddenly becomes a nightmare. It’s a shattering start.

Told from alternating pov, we go forward and find the how the ramifications of that night have changed Kai and his life. Haunted, his PSTD curtailing his life and abilities to get outside his memories.

Garrett Leigh writes this damaged character so believably. Kai comes to life in these pages and his pain is visceral.

Called in as the new chef of Vino is Joss. He’s a friend of Jax’s (Heartscape (Vino and Veritas) from the UK. Joss is another man who comes with his own complicated personal history and unusual issues. Joss diagnosed with ADHD and non-verbal Tourette’s syndrome. But later in his life so his early adolescence was marred by bullying, acting out , and troubling behavior. That plus a detrimental home life set a pattern for Joss in terms of seeing himself in a certain manner and inability to settle.

Again, Joss is a absolutely fantastic character. Believable, endearing, fierce, and lost.

The manner in which Leigh weaves their relationship, Kai’s sexual awakening, the growth each must move through in order for a love and a future to work together is so amazing.

It’s in the dialogues, the scenes, the characters we have come to know, and the landscape of Burlington itself.

Wildfire is a fantastic story and this is one couple to remember.

I’m so happy to see this series get a second run. I’m looking forward to every book and new additions to the V&A family!

I’m highly recommending Wildfire.

If you’re curious, I’ve listed not only this series but the original as well. You can read one, 5 , or like me , all. That’s what so lovely about it.

Happy Reading!

In Vino Veritas series 2:

✓ Wildfire #1 – Garrett Leigh

◦ Counterpoint #2 – JE Birk

◦ Unmanageable #3 – Leslie McAdam

◦ Underdog #4 – LA Witt

◦ Wonderland #5 – Rachel Ember

◦ Dauntless #6 – Victoria DeNault

The first series:

Vino and Veritas #1:

🔵Featherbed (Vino and Veritas 1) by Annabeth Albert

🔵Heartscape #2 by Garrett Leigh

🔵Headstrong #3 by Eden Finley

🔵Undercover #4 by Eliot Grayson

🔵Aftermath #5 by LA Witt

🔵Booklover #6 by JE Birk

🔵Flipcup #7 by Kim Hartfield f/f

🔵Hideaway #8 by Rachel Lacey f/f

🔵Turnabout #9 by Laurel Greer

🔵Unguarded #10 by Jay Hogan

🔵Insatiable #11 by Rhys Everly

🔵Daybreak #12 by Kate Hawthorne

🔵Heartsong #13 by AE Wasp

🔵Stronghold #14 by Ana Ashley

🔵Limelight #15 by E Davis

🔵Unforgettable #16 by Marley Valentine

🔵Showstopper #17 by Regina Kyle

🔵Undone #18 by Leslie McAdams

https://www.goodreads.com › showWildfire (In Vino Veritas, #1) by Garrett Leigh | Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

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.