Vino & Vertias Book 2: Heartscape by Garrett Leigh

Vino & Vertias Book 2

From award-winning author Garrett Leigh comes a gorgeous new romance in the True North world! Think: great food, burly men and good times. Beards are optional but encouraged.

I’m not the obvious choice to run Burlington’s coolest wine bar—quiet, brooding, clueless about tannin content, and always one wrong turn away from another downward spiral.

But no one seems to mind that I'm a wreck. Besides me. I just focus on getting through each shift until the night a beautiful stranger appears, looking as lost and damaged as I feel.

When a mutual friend calls in a favor, the sexy newcomer winds up crashing on my couch. I don't know if it's his melodic Cornish accent, or his ocean blue eyes, or the rock-hard body with the mysterious scars, but I get the feeling whatever happened to him runs far deeper than those wounds.

Having Jax in my home makes my chest warm. Makes me shiver. Makes me want more. But I've got a pile of baggage and I don't want to be a burden on anyone let alone a man who seems to have enough demons of his own.

Our chemistry is off the charts. His arms feel like home. The last thing I want is to screw this up. Is it wrong to hope we can heal each other? Or will one of us die trying?

HEARTSCAPE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers romance in the True North world, with a brooding bartender, a rugged outdoorsman, sweet angst and lots of Shipley cider. Triggers: contains mentions of depression, suicidal ideation and PTSD recovery.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56403162-heartscape

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

Tanner needed a change. And he finds himself running the wine bar of Vino & Veritas. Despite the fact that when it comes to wine, he is totally clueless. But his previous job is a definite no. And with everything he has been through, Vino & Veritas is exactly what he needs. The structure, the organization of running the bar, and even the people (despite his grouchiness that says otherwise). He is surviving one day at a time after hitting a low point many months before after experiencing some traumatic things. What he doesn't see coming is Jax. A favor for a friends leads to Tanner offering Jax a place to crash. And though Tanner immediately acknowledges his attraction to Jax, he is very surprised by the fact that he doesn't mind Jax in his space. Doesn't mind seeing him and talking to every day. And for someone like him who avoids talking and feelings, it's pretty big. Jax hasn't had it easy either. He has his own past and traumas and ends up in Vermont where a close friend of him lives. His job as a videographer takes him hiking near Burlington and when the place he is staying has a fire, he ends up on Tanner's couch. He doesn't see Tanner coming either. Their steady friendship soon becomes something more. But can both heal their past hurts and take a chance on one another? Loved this book! Tanner and Jax were such great and complex characters. Both have been through a lot. And the friendship and eventual love between one another is so strong and complex and right. I loved their story and couldn't put it down! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.