Entangled (A Tangle Valley Romance #1) by Melissa Brayden
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 266 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Josephine “Joey” Wilder knew how to manage the tasting room but not the whole Tangle Valley. With this huge responsibility suddenly landed on her, she needed to up her game in business. And that included fighting against the new resort, The Jade, that was bound to ruin every beautiful thing Whisper Wall had.
When Joey met new local Becca Crawford, they struck up an easy conversation that might involved some flirting. But having suffered from public humiliation at the altar in the past, Joey was not fully ready to hand over her trust. Especially not when Becca turned out to be the general manager of evil empire The Jade.
If you thought Brayden’s books could not get any better, Entangled would pleasantly surprise you. This new series, A Tangle Valley Romance, reflected Brayden’s love of wine. I do not know what it is with wlw romances and wineries, but this series is honestly everything we needed. And I cannot wait for the upcoming sequels.
I love the tone of Entangled, and I can only guess that the rest of the series would follow suit. It was mostly light, funny, and entertaining. Not only were character interactions occasionally yet purposefully comical, the playful banters between friends and romantic pairs had me chuckle more than I could count throughout the reading. I never thought I would enjoy a light-hearted romance so much and would gladly reread it, just to see the wonderful characters again. After sitting through BSB’s webinar yesterday, Brayden provided me with fresh eyes on how her series worked and characters interacted. She also stated that her heroines must have a love of food, so there is no doubt that this series would overflow with all kinds of yummy stuff. Yes, I am talking about actual food.
Prior to Entangled, I have read seven of Brayden’s books. While I have always enjoyed her works, the story arc of this one fit best to my taste. The misunderstandings between the mains were not too ridiculous, and the climax, aka the fallout, happened at just the right time. Many romances I have read climaxed too late into the story, leaving the couples only a small fraction of the book to scramble to resolution, and I would feel dizzy from being thrashed around in their drama. Entangled did not make me feel that. Yes, I was still a little irritated at some of their interactions, but everything was so well executed I believed that was how things were meant to happen.
Time to rave about the characters. First up, the Tangle Valley Trio. Okay, I named them that. It consisted of Joey, Joey’s best friend Madison, and Madison’s ex-girlfriend Gabriella. Madison and Gabriella were fun and encouraging and without the drama of being exes. The three of them had the best dynamics ever, incredibly supportive of each other, and I love how everything just seemed so fun when they were all together. The most adorable things they shared was talking to themselves: Madison did out loud circle speak, Gabriella talked to stuff, and Joey processed thoughts aloud. I need to get more of the trio in future books.
As for Joey and Becca, they were a striking pair with palpable and believable chemistry. Joey carried some sorrow that made it hard for her to put her heart on the line. And Becca was kind of an opposite. She always had an air of naiveness around her. I love how they were both very much straightforward with each other, that alone deserved tons of sexy points.
If we were to compare this series with Soho Loft, I would say that Joey and Becca’s relationship reminded me of Brooklyn and Jess, with both pairs being somewhat rivals. And Gabriella’s charm mirrored Hunter’s. Maybe Madison was more of a combination of Sam and Mallory just because she was very organized, obsessed with numbers and being logical and rational. But they were by no means clones and definitely very different people.
I always appreciate books with supporting characters that were more than just one-dimensional. Loretta, whom Joey considered as a second mother, was loving and playful at the same time. Carla, assistant general manager of The Jade, was a wonderful friend in addition to being Becca’s potent deputy. I also love the references to previous Brayden books, including department store Carrington’s, Parker Bristow’s new book, and Loretta’s daughter, actress Carly Daniels.
The writing of Entangled was smooth and the words were just as enjoyable as the story. Also, this may be just me, but I loved how nearly none of the characters labeled their sexualities. They just loved and were open to talk about past relationships, regardless of what gender they dated. It was wonderful.
A Tangle Valley Romance is a series to look out for, and its first book, Entangled, undoubtedly brings joy and guarantees some laughter along the way. [7 Jun 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
