Something in the Wine Review — Is It Worth Reading?

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Verdict: A sweet, gentle fake-dating slow burn in which a shy, straight accountant and a lesbian winemaker pretend to fall in love to get revenge on her prankster brother. Jae fans find it charming and rereadable; others cringed at the prank premise, found the brother insufferable and the pace glacial.

Best for: Readers who love fake dating, introvert–extrovert pairings and a slow, sweet build.

Heat level: 🌶️🌶️

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 3.96 Goodreads average across 2,545 ratings, 3.85 on StoryGraph from 577 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 985 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Fake dating, “straight” love interest, queer awakening, slow burn, revenge scheme, opposites attract.

Something in the Wine is Jae’s contemporary lesbian romance, first published in 2012 and now in a revised edition from Ylva, the first Moonstone book. All her life, thirty-year-old accountant Annie Prideaux has suffered her brother Jake’s practical jokes. Now he sets her up on a blind date with Drew Corbin, a lesbian winemaker, knowing his sister is straight.

It holds a 3.96 average across 2,545 Goodreads ratings, with 70% of them four or five stars, 3.85 on StoryGraph from 577 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 985 Amazon ratings.

What Is Something in the Wine About?

Annie and Drew decide to turn the tables by pretending to fall in love. What starts as a revenge plan soon blurs the line between pretending and reality.

Wallflower Annie and outgoing Drew have to figure out what’s real.

What Works in This Book

• Annie and Drew: Readers find them lovable and well matched — introvert and extrovert.
• Character growth: Several readers single out Annie’s journey.
• Sweetness: Readers turn to it on bad days for a comfort read.
• Fake dating: Trope fans say it’s done well.

Book Synopsis

A prankster’s blind date backfires when his straight sister and his lesbian friend fake a romance to teach him a lesson.

Then the pretending stops feeling like pretending.

My Review

Jae does what she does best: fleshed-out details, gentle emotion and a relationship that grows naturally from friendship. Readers who connect with it call it a favourite.

The premise is the sticking point: several readers couldn’t believe adults would go that far over a prank, and brother Jake’s hostility, with homophobic undertones, soured the mood for some. Others found the pace very slow, the ending abrupt, the secondary characters weaker, or the prose not smooth enough.

My honest note: If you can accept the setup, it’s a lovely slow burn.

Element	In Something in the Wine
Central relationship	Annie Prideaux (accountant, 30) & Drew Corbin (winemaker)
Core tropes	Fake dating, queer awakening, slow burn
Setting	Annie’s city life and Drew’s winery
Heat level	🌶️🌶️
Length	400 pages (paperback)
Series	The Moonstone Series #1
Content notes	A hostile, homophobic-leaning brother; alcohol

How Spicy Is Something in the Wine?

Moderate; romance.io readers rate it 3/5 open door, though the build is very slow.

Readers mention Jake’s repeated hostility and some homophobic undertones.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a cosy fake-dating awakening. It is on our late-bloomer lesbian romance list.

You may want to skip it if: prank premises or glacial pacing annoy you.

In short: A slow pour, but a sweet one.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 30% five stars, 40% four, 23% three, 4% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 74% tagged it lighthearted.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The leads first. Second, the sweetness. Third, fake dating.

What readers argue about and complain about: The prank premise, above everything. Second, Jake. Third, the pace.

The comparison worth making first: Dare to Love, another slow-burn romance where a straight woman falls for a lesbian.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the premise of Something in the Wine?

Annie’s brother Jake sets her up on a blind date with Drew, a lesbian winemaker, as a prank. Annie and Drew turn the tables by pretending to fall in love — and the fake relationship gets real.

Is it a slow burn?

Yes. One reader notes the first proper kiss comes very late in the book.

Is there a revised edition?

Yes. Readers note the current edition is revised; several who had been put off by reviews of the original enjoyed it.

How spicy is Something in the Wine?

Moderate — romance.io readers rate it 3/5, open door.

Is Something in the Wine on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, at the time of writing; otherwise the Kindle edition was $9.99.

If You Loved Something in the Wine, Read These Next

Try Jae’s A Purrfect Gift or Dare to Love. Browse our late-bloomer list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

Something in the Wine sets out to turn a prank into true love, and its leads are lovely. What holds it back is the premise and pace. Good on Kindle Unlimited. Check Something in the Wine on Amazon →

The Eikna Overall Ranking

On the Eikna scale, Something in the Wine ranks as a good slow burn — sweet, contrived.

The Evidence Scorecard

Overall ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

• ✓ 3.96 average across 2,545 Goodreads ratings
• ✓ 70% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
• ✓ 3.85 on StoryGraph from 577 reviews
• ✓ 4.5 stars across 985 Amazon ratings

Romance ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

• ✓ Fake dating
• ✓ Friends first
• ✓ Very slow
• ✓ Sweet

Characters ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

• ✓ Lovable Annie
• ✓ Outgoing Drew
• ✓ Awful Jake
• ✓ Weaker side cast

Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5

• ✓ Detailed
• ✓ Gentle
• ✓ Not smooth for some
• ✓ Abrupt ending

Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5

• ✓ Tagged lighthearted by 74%
• ✓ Growth
• ✓ Comfort read
• ✓ Family friction

Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5

• ✓ Open door
• ✓ 3/5 on romance.io
• ✓ Late
• ✓ Moderate

Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5

• ✓ Sweet
• ✓ Sudden for some
• ✓ Series continues
• ✓ Hopeful

Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.8/5

• ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
• ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
• ✓ Comfort reread
• ✓ Revised edition

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