Merlot Rebellion

This is a contemporary gay enemies-to-lovers romance featuring two men who were manipulated and dumped by the same man. Patrick is reeling from the end of his 2-year relationship with his ex Aubrey. Aubrey manipulated Patrick and told him blatant lies about his ex Charles. Aubrey was older and more knowledgeable in wine than Patrick. He taught Patrick a lot about wine, so when an opportunity came for Patrick to lead a wine tour, he jumped on it. He ends up facing Charles, his ex's ex and realizes why Aubrey had avoided one particular winery.

Charles is not impressed to see Patrick the person Aubrey ended their 7-year relationship to be with. Charles was manipulated and emotionally abused by Aubrey, and that cut down on his self-confidence, confirming his belief that he has nothing to offer in a relationship. As the story progresses, Patrick sees a lot in Charles. After some short encounters and a bad accident, things start to change for them. Both Patrick and Charles start to see their lives and each other differently.

I gave the book 4 stars because things start to go a bit off the rails after those realizations. There are major personality changes that don't have much explanation. Also, there are many relationship-ending challenges that are easily resolved without much introspection. Despite the interesting plot choices, I end enjoy this book.

Thanks to GRR for the ARC copy for my honest review.