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“Redemption Red had me smiling, laughing and crying…it’s a refreshing New Adult Romance read and I highly recommend it.” – Michelle Lynn, author of Love Me Back
“…a fun read from start to finish…I definitely recommend this one!” – J.L. Fynn, author of The Long Game
Love, loss, and a smoky red…
When Audrey Montgomery’s carefully planned life collides with the self-destructive path Tyson Dawes is on, neither of them can predict what will happen next.
Audrey is a diligent and self-reliant culinary student at Portland’s prestigious Cordon Bleu. She has a clear picture of her future in mind, and it allows little room for the steely-eyed and tormented young man she bumps into by chance while wine tasting with friends.
Tyson Dawes had a perfect childhood, raised among the vines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. But even the most idyllic of upbringings couldn’t have prepared him for what he would face as a Marine. He returns to his childhood home angry and haunted by the storms of what he has faced and by those he has lost.
Do opposites truly attract? Can the lure of Audrey’s apparent clarity and innocence offer Tyson hope in the face of his emptiness?
This is book 2 in the Wine Country Romance Series, but each book stands on its own. The link between the books is that they are each set in wine country (this one's Oregon - book 1 was Paso Robles, CA).
Redemption Red
Excerpt #2:
Tyson slid
to the ground with his back to the wall, and looked up at her. His face was
chiseled and beautiful, and the fading light illuminated it in a way that made
him look almost ethereal.
Audrey
re-entered the restaurant quickly, dragging her mind back to what was going on
inside.
“Aud,”
Ella hissed as she rounded the table, collecting plates. “Chuck took over the
kitchen. We need you!”
“I know,”
she said. “I just need ten minutes. I’ll be right back.” She dashed to the
kitchen and picked up her purse, shooting apologetic glances at Chuck and Ella
as she did so. At least Andrew was there that night, his tall dark frame
circling the table and keeping the wine flowing along with his cheerful banter.
When she
got back outside, Tyson sat exactly where she’d left him, his head starting to
tilt to one side.
“Oh no you
don’t,” she said, leaning down to grab his hand. She pulled, trying to coax him
to his feet. Finally, he roused and stood up.
“Sorry,”
he said softly.
“My car’s
right here,” she told him, opening the door of the Jetta. “Where am I taking
you?”
“No, no…”
he started to pull away from her.
“Dammit,
Tyson. Get in the car.” She was starting to lose patience.
He gave
her an amused look then, clearly surprised at her forceful tone. “Yes, ma’am,”
he said, folding his tall frame into the passenger seat.
“Shit,”
she said under her breath as she walked to the driver side.
“It’s just
a couple blocks,” he told her.
They drove
in silence, Tyson indicating where she should turn. Portland’s Friday night traffic
hummed around them, and it took longer than Audrey would have liked to navigate
the few blocks between Fork and the bar. When she found the place, there was
nowhere to park. She spent another ten minutes searching for a spot. By then,
Tyson was slumped against the door, his breathing even and deep.
Audrey
stared at him for a minute after she’d parked, as a streetlight poured in
through the windshield. He was beautiful, she thought, his full lips slightly
parted, the angular jaw covered with blonde stubble. There was a small thin
scar running along his left cheek, she noticed. It was partially hidden in the
hair at his jaw. She sighed and turned to look at her own hands in her lap for
a minute.
“What am I
getting into?” she said under her breath.
She needed
to get back to work, and began to feel her responsibilities weighing on her
urgently. “Tyson,” she said, hoping he’d snap right back to consciousness, but
knowing it was unlikely. “Hey,” she said, reaching a hand out to shake him
softly. “Shit.”
She got
out of the car and locked it, walking down the block to the bar that Tyson had
indicated. It was small and dark inside, and packed with people. She elbowed
her way to the bar and waited for the man behind it to give her his attention.
He turned finally, catching her gaze. His dark eyes were friendly and warm.
“Hi
there,” he called over the music and noise.
“Hey,” she
said. “Is Rebecca here?”
He tilted
his head slightly. “She’s in the back. I’ll grab her. Who should I say is
here?”
“She
doesn’t know me,” Audrey said. “I’m kind of a friend of Tyson’s.” She had no
idea what else to say.
The man’s
face tightened slightly and he turned and disappeared into the back. A minute
later he returned, and a woman with a nose ring and tattooed sleeves down each
arm returned with him. She had short dark hair tousled wildly on top of her
head, and couldn’t have looked less like a relation of Tyson’s if she tried.
Until she caught Audrey’s gaze with steely blue eyes.
“I’m
Rebecca,” she said, arriving around the other side of the bar.
“I’m
Audrey. I, uh, could use a hand. Tyson’s passed out in my car.”
Rebecca
didn’t ask any questions, just followed Audrey to her car. With significant
effort, the women pulled him to his feet. Once one of his arms was over
Rebecca’s shoulder, he began to rouse.
“Thanks
for returning him in one piece,” Rebecca said.
Audrey
couldn’t tell if there was bitterness in the other woman’s tone.
“He came
to me. He was already drunk.” She said.
“I know,”
Rebecca sounded tired. “He’s always drunk. One day soon, he’ll be dead.” She
said it like a fact, and the beautiful man she was holding up opened his eyes
at the comment, looking at Audrey for the briefest of seconds before closing
them again. “Thanks,” Rebecca said, and she walked with Tyson back to the bar.
Audrey
drove back to work and forced herself to think about anything but Tyson.
She couldn't deny that she believed she could save him. Of course he would to give her the chance.
Tyson is a winemaker's son, just trying to get his life back in order after returning from the Marines. He is suffering from loss, pain, and behavioral changes. He uses poor coping strategies and is numb, lost and lacking direction. A chance meeting with culinary student and restaurant worker, Audrey sparks his attention. And another meeting just intrigues them both more. Their reaction to each other is strong, but confusing. She feels for the man who is obviously struggling and he is surprised to feel anything at all.
She couldn't deny that she believed she could save him. Of course he would to give her the chance.
Tyson is a winemaker's son, just trying to get his life back in order after returning from the Marines. He is suffering from loss, pain, and behavioral changes. He uses poor coping strategies and is numb, lost and lacking direction. A chance meeting with culinary student and restaurant worker, Audrey sparks his attention. And another meeting just intrigues them both more. Their reaction to each other is strong, but confusing. She feels for the man who is obviously struggling and he is surprised to feel anything at all.
Their story is full of challenges for them both personally and together. He has demons to fight and needs to get his life on track. But he is plagued with issues, doubts, insecurities, and reactions that he has a hard time controlling. He has been used to numbing the pain, so he does not have to feel it. He knows what he wants, but does not feel he deserves it. She knows he will be a difficult challenge, but she has always been drawn to fixing things. But she also has her own personal issues and busy life to deal with.
I loved getting both points of view especially since they such inner monologues about their insecurities. It really loved these two characters and this couple together. Tyson was closed off, damaged, antagonistic and a real mess, but my heart broke for him. I found myself in his corner hoping he would find the inner strength to pull himself out of his personal hell and darkness.
And Audrey was amazing. She was smart, sassy, independent, and so nurturing. She was not afraid to help him handle the extreme reactions in him and bring calmness. She went through so much, but was such a bright positive influence. They faced several very difficult situations, but those are what made them stronger. Their family issues were difficult and provided more drama and depth to the story.
Together they had this intensity about them. Her acceptance of his issues and willingness to support him was admirable even when he pushed away. Seeing his growth and attachment form when he had previously been so detached was heartwarming. Their chemistry was evident, but it did not need a bunch of sex scenes to prove it. It was sexy and steamy without overkill.
I enjoyed her friends at the restaurant and her best friend Shelby, his sister Rebecca and significant other, Ray, and the parents involved. They provided a framework of support and tough love when it was needed, but at times added to the drama as well. The scenery itself of he Oregon winery and exclusive restaurant Fork made it interesting and tied their lives together in a way.
This book was a really pleasant surprise for me. I did not read the first book and have heard that the only similarity is the wine background. So this is a stand-alone story. But I did not expect the complex characters, personal demons, emotional situations, drama and surprises in this book. I was totally sucked in from the beginning and it kept surprising me. It was a beautiful story of facing the past, recovery, redemption, and finding a reason to move forward. It was well written, flowed flawlessly, kept me interested and engaged. The characters won me over and made me believe in them. I felt like I truly went on this journey with them. I will not hesitate to read more from Delancey Stewart in the future.
Thanks to Delancey Steward for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Delancey Stewart is the author of the Wine Country Romance Series, featuring A Rare Vintage and Redemption Red. She is also writing the Girlfriends of Gotham series for Swoon Romance. The first book in that series, Men and Martinis, will publish in December 2013.
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a direct sales representative for a French wine importer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home near Washington D.C.
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