Drunk on Love- a Great Weekend Read

Drunk on Love- and Drunk on Wine ( at home, under a blanket, safely)

Book Review

Book: Drunk on Love

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Published: September 20, 2022

Wine Choice:  Game Theory Tempranillo/ Montfleur Duvin Carline/ Black Girl Magic Sparkling Red

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Stand Alone

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Rom-Com; Fiction

How long did it take me to read this book:   2 weeks

Overall rating: Enticing, Luscious, but also a bit frustrating.

Drunk in Love Lyrics

“Saying, “How the hell did this sh!t happen?/Oh, baby/Drunk in love/We be all night/Last thing I remember are our beautiful bodies grinding up in that club/Drunk in love/We be all night, love, love

We are all night, love, love”—Beyonce

Oh, buddy, this book started off spicy.

The story takes place in Napa Valley at a Black winery!   I  will say this book showcased the growth in Ms. Guillory’s writing; the scenery and characters to me were vibrant and relatable. Each character had a distinct personality that didn’t feel forced into the story. The story’s main plot and the subplot were simple but illuminated the complicated relationships with yourself, your family, and your love interest. I resonated with Margot Noble; she is a businesswoman trying to make her brother proud and ensure the family winery will succeed. I  enjoyed her focus on that while still having charm, charisma, and excellent customer service. I can see her working a winery, pouring drinks, and having inside jokes with her clients. I also loved Luke, who didn’t shy away from a woman like Margot. ( I will elaborate on Luke and Margot a bit more later). Luke is very accomplished and described as a handsome, charming man, and you can tell he adores women because he is kind and open to all women he encounters in the book. As the book continues, it dives into why Luke is back in Napa Valley and his feelings of inadequacy. This book blossoms like a beautiful flower, and the relationship that started off spicy turns into an avoidant relationship and turns back to a candid love affair. This story gave you everything you would like in a love story, forbidden love, passionate moments full of miscommunications, and some moments of asking, “are both of you acting your age?”

Being someone who gets very giddy and excited when dating a new prospect, I appreciated two grown adults acting like they love sick puppies while trying to be mature adults. The internal dialogue between Margot of “He’s not into me, he is into Avery” and Luke’s moments of “How could she possibly want me?” I know few people will be like, no, we don’t need angsty adult stupidity, but a book like this reminds us it’s okay to get lost in the passion; just don’t lose your job or morals.    I love that Luke loved Margot unabashedly and didn’t want to stick to social constructs. But he never crossed her boundaries. Same for Margot, she never seems to cross Luke’s Boundaries, but she does listen to Luke. She is very bold with her opinions.  

The side character also makes the story well-rounded, understanding how Luke’s upbringing shaped him and providing him with a valuable support system that he doesn’t use enough. Margot and her brother’s relationship showcases how unspoken trauma affects a relationship and allows each to heal. I would love to see a story with Avery finding new Love after her previous experience. Another idea is Margot’s brother winning back an ex or finding new love. Alas, I am not Ms. Guillory; I will let her magnificent mind create the next set of stories.

Now the Wine I drank with this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t have black-owned Wine while reading it the first time. I was finishing off an opened-bottle red wine called Game Theory from In Good Taste. I need the spicy yet fruity notes of the Tempranillo. I worked well for a bowl of Turkey Chili late Saturday evening and reading about Luke and Margot’s interactions. I will be rereading this book, and the next time I will pair the book with either Montfleur Duvin Carline in honor of the Noble Winery or a Black Girl Magic Sparkling Red Wine. I feel like either of these wines will complement this book.

Until Next time,

Che Michell

P.S.  There are book club questions at the back of the book. Pick a few and answer them honestly. This just drives me to start my version of a book club or partner with someone for book club *wink wink*

P.S.S I found a Noble Vineyard wine, I will taste it and report back on this wine with a different book.