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When a sunny young musician gets stranded with a grumpy mechanic during a snowstorm, a lack of heat is the least of their problems…

Liam Luckett is on an adventure. He's dropped out of his Master's program without telling his overbearing parents and set off on a road trip across the country. Armed with little more than his guitar, he’s looking for his best life. He never expected his car to break down in the middle of nowhere Vermont with a huge storm pending, leaving him stranded and at the mercy of a hunky local mechanic.

Jasper Cunningham is in a holding pattern. Three years after the death of his husband, he still hasn’t moved on. A hot, younger stranded tourist is exactly the sort of complication this mechanic has been avoiding. But he also can’t leave him in the snow. He brings Liam home and lets him sleep on the couch. The air is heavy with more than snow, and when the power goes out, the two men become closer than either of them expects.

Every silken note Liam sings on that guitar thaws Jasper’s heart a little. Suddenly, Liam’s itchy feet aren’t so eager to move on. When their feelings get too big to ignore, the bond they’ve formed is tested. Will daybreak leave them going their separate ways?

This opposites attract, hurt/comfort romance features a grumpy widower who is only soft for one specific blue-eyed musician, a remote farmhouse, a friendly dog, and enough snow to knock the power out until love catches fire.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2021

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About the author

Kate Hawthorne

63 books836 followers
With over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch.

Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.

Visit her website at http://www.katehawthornebooks.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
Profile Image for Gustaf.
1,439 reviews155 followers
September 12, 2022
This was beautiful! Stunning, really.
Jasper and Liam's love story is one of those low-key, mellow ones that will grab you by your heart if you are in the right mood.

I really was in the right mood. It hit me hard. I could feel how much Jasper was hurting after losing his husband and I could tell how lost Liam was.

I can feel how this is going to be a review with me going on and on about the feelings of it all so I think I'm going to leave it at that.
Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,636 reviews363 followers
April 25, 2021
This book is super sweet, surprisingly angst free and quietly a bit kinky.

Although things happen over a very short space of time, it really doesn't feel like instalove.

Instead, the reader can see the journey Jasper goes on when he begins to awaken from the self-imposed isolation he's been living in since the death of his husband.

One thing I'll mention here, and it's probably a more "me thing" than any kind of issue, but I'd have liked to know more about Michael, the dead husband.

He's clearly a huge part of Jasper's life from school through marriage at a really young age, to losing him. But he remains only a kind of shadow in the narrative.

That may have been a deliberate choice, but for me, the lack of "why" Jasper falling for Liam was such a big thing (because of his devotion and devastation at Michael's death), meant it didn't have as big an impact as it could have done.

It's the only thing that I wished was different though, as the rest of the book is just absolutely lovely.

Liam is a sweetheart, with his own issues he's having trouble facing, but as he slowly falls in love with both Jasper and Vermont, you can see him realising something had to change.

The final chapters are glorious and very much the start of a wonderful HEA. There's also a bonus Epilogue via a newsletter sign up.

#ARC kindly received from the publisher Heart Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
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October 26, 2023
I can’t even rate this ugh. I was so interested in Jasper from Unguarded AND two of my fave narrators read this one so I decided to try it DESPITE the author being on my permanent DNR list. I loved the narrators as I knew I would but the strong was flimsy and frustrating. It felt like eating plain cheerios with skim milk. Just bland. Not much depth to the characters and the story was weak when it had so much promise.

I did like how Liam (24/twink) was the top to Jasper (31/tall and built) but that was kinda it. Their dynamic was fun in the bedroom but the dead spouse took up too much time but also was oddly not a big part? Hard to explain. This just felt emotionless. Also no epilogue? In 2021????? That’s a wild choice.

Keeping Kate on my DNR list because her writing is either bland or infuriating (I added her to my permanent DNR after reading Rebound which if you haven’t read that … don’t).
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,212 reviews1,282 followers
May 10, 2021
description
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Jasper + Liam.

We already met Jasper in a previous book. He's been a widower for three years now. After having been with his Michael since highschool!
But people keep telling him it's time to start living again.
He's not so sure - but maybe they're right.
Enter Liam.
He's a young and pretty California guy with a broken down car.
And it just so happens that Jasper is a mechanic.

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN! ☺

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Adorable!

Poor Jasper is still so sad and broken. But he knows it's time to start living again. He can't stay at home with his dog all alone forever.
And Liam. He kinda ran away from home. From his famous family.
Jasper and Liam are so perfect for each other. But of course it will take a while for them to realize this. But the reader has an amazing time watching them fight for their happily ever after.
I really loved reading this. I wanted to move into Jasper's beautiful house with the adorable dog and ugh. Beautiful story!

Can't wait to get more Vermont soon!
I could really read books like these every day!

DAYBREAK was a such a sweet and sparky and wintery gay romance! I loved reading it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Jasper + Liam - they'll be sold out in no time!

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💜 💜


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Profile Image for Mer.
483 reviews
May 10, 2021
I so hoped I would enjoy Jasper's story. Alas. I haven't meshed with this author before and I didn't now. The entire story felt very uninspired, as did the dialog. The writing lacked nuance and heart that would've made the MCs feel like real people. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and the pacing of the relationship felt really awkward (and fast...). Plus every time the MCs just kept saying each other's names it threw me out of the scene, that was just so contrived and ridiculous to me. The "mandatory" sex scenes kind of made me cringe, tbh. Everything just felt off and I kind of stopped trying to care at around 40 %. I didn't get Jasper and Devon's friendship at all either, their scenes felt just awkward. I'm sure there was some deeper chemistry there at play but I didn't feel it. It was nice to have Emmett and Tai pop up again, but they didn't really feel like the same characters I enjoyed in Unguarded. So, overall this was just a huge miss for me. Bleh.
Profile Image for Renae Reads.
532 reviews508 followers
April 20, 2021
*** I received an eArc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

This is my top 3 favorite Vino and Veritas stories, after Headstrong and Aftermath. I was curious about the hurt/comfort storyline and was not disappointed. I absolutely fell in love with this story and its two main characters who go on a tremendously moving and thoughtful journey towards their HEA.

I liked how the author was able to allow each main character the ability to grow and process their own trauma, but together they were an immovable force. This story was filled with many passionate moments that only exchanged their connection.

I loved reading about these characters, it was a great installment in the series.
Profile Image for Ellie.
494 reviews43 followers
December 5, 2023
3 stars

Snowed in, opposites attract, grieving MC, a sweet animal companion, reversal of stereotypical sexual roles.

In theory, a lot to please, and it had its moments but overall this fell kind of flat. It was cheesy. The timeframe wasn't believable. I do realise I'm somewhat of a hypocrite saying this when Snowed In With Benefits was set over 3 days and that felt believable. Here they get a week I think, but it's not enough. It really comes down to how it's written and the emotional punch wasn't there in Daybreak.

Concludes with a public declaration of love. I would die of mortification.
Profile Image for Carol.
2,865 reviews113 followers
October 18, 2022
I like audio books, but my mind tends to wander too much when I listen, so I don't do as many of them as print books, but that was the only format that Hoopla had it in and it was being read by two of my favorite narrators, Kale Williams and Kirt Graves. I liked the characters a lot, but I felt like I missed the reasons they fell in love, other than need and proximity. I became frustrated with both characters fairly early in the story. Laim was an adult...he didn't have to get the degree his father wanted or go into politics if he didn't want to or go back to California. Jasper was into the third year of his husband's death and was trying to put his life back together and he obviously wanted Liam as part of it, so why didn't they just sit down and have the discussion and work out the kinks? I guess it would have made for a really short book if they had followed my suggestions. The two guys drew a breath of fresh air and worked on a promise of a future together, so that was really all that mattered. The books in this series are all written by a different M/M Romance author, and they are supposed to tell a story without a lot of drama and this one met the criteria, and I did enjoy it.
Profile Image for Airy.
418 reviews7 followers
May 13, 2021
Jasper and Liam are a great match! I love the widower-trope very much and I felt the connection between them right away. A great book!
Profile Image for Ami.
5,952 reviews491 followers
May 13, 2021
Jasper piqued my interest when he appeared in Jay Hogan's Unguarded, a widower whose husband died three years previously. I definitely want to read about Jasper getting his own happily-ever-after. And I'm happy that I think Kate Hawthorne (whose book last time I read was over five years ago) gives Jasper a lovely comforting romance with the younger man, Liam.

Liam is stranded in Vermont when his car dies -- he's been doing road trip from California, running away from his school, and the expectation of his senator dad. Jasper works as a mechanic and he is called to help fixing Liam's car -- and he invites Liam to stay while waiting for the parts to come.

Like I said, this is a lovely comforting romance... Jasper finally learns to let go of his husband. And I think Liam is good for Jasper. The in the end is sweet.
Profile Image for Trio.
3,237 reviews181 followers
October 20, 2023
Very sweet, very romantic, and lots of lovely Vermont atmosphere.

I had the pleasure of listening to this one in audio, and it is beautifully performed by Kirt Graves and Kale Williams. Two of my all time favorites!
Profile Image for NicoleR.M.M..
571 reviews138 followers
May 1, 2021
Well, I could see this coming...after having mentioned each of my last V&V books as my favorite up till that moment, I have just finished my first 5 star read in the series.
I loved this story of Liam and Jasper!! It was a sweet and tender age gap, comfort/hurt story, but it was also sad and filled with emotions. It was the first book in quite some time that got me teared up and that was all on Kate Hawthorne's sublime writing.
I am almost ashamed to admit this was my first read by this author, but God, can she write!! The emotions were so pure, so genuine and real, they managed to pull me in right from the first page on. The way she described Jaspers grief, the feelings of loss he still experienced after the death of his husband three years ago. It grabbed me by my throat, reaching me through the pages and I was so sad for him! You could feel his sadness throughout the whole story, his struggle to find a new love and accept it without feeling guilty. Move on with his life. Fix the car that belonged to his deceased husband. Go out with his friends Emmett and Tai (whom we met in Unguarded) or Devon, his best friend. Just live again.
And poor Liam...He had other fights to fight. His homophobic, controlling father for instance. But Liam was perfect for Jasper. He showed him how to love again, how to feel alive. And Jasper made Liam aware that there were some issues he had to deal with before he could be free. Before they stood a chance at a future together.
Technically this was an insta love romance, and people who read some of my reviews before, probably already know I dislike insta love. It's one of my very least favorite tropes. And yet, this book didn't feel as an insta love romance. Technically the story happened in just a few days, but the way it was written, made it rather feel like a slow burn. Which might sound odd, but when you read this book, you'll know exactly what I mean. I admire any author who is capable of doing this.

I highly recommend this book. It was perfect.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review

Profile Image for Grace.
2,939 reviews169 followers
July 10, 2023
DNF ~23%

Pacing was off, didn't care about the characters nor did I buy their connection, and the handling of grief and then attraction just felt badly done.
Profile Image for Saimi Vasquez.
1,548 reviews84 followers
October 10, 2021
Jasper ya tiene 3 años viudo, y extrañando a su esposo con toda su alma, pero sabe que ya debe dar el paso, debe comenzar a vivir de nuevo, y comienza por botar las sabanas de su cama que Michael tanto insistio en comprar y que al nunca le gustaron, quizas despues termine de arreglar el carro de Michael tambien, pero ahora no sera. Sin embargo, esa noche su amigo Emmet y su novio Tai lo llaman para que ayude a arreglar el auto de un turista que quedo varado en V & V, y eso lo obliga a salir de su casa para rescatar al extraño. Pero el extraño es un joven muy atractivo, que despierta en Jasper algo que habia olvidado hace muchisimo tiempo, y eso le hace cometer un enorme error, invitarlo a su casa a pasar la tormenta, mientras repara su auto.
Liam esta huyendo de su padre y su vida programada, lo unico que quiere es descubrirse, ser abierto y feliz en su vida, y por eso agarra su carro, su guitarra y comienza a conducir, decidido a recorrer USA cantando en bares y viviendo la vida, antes de tener que regresar y enfrentar su sombrio futuro. Pero su auto decide lo contrario y lo deja accidentado en una pequeña ciudad llamada Burlington, donde la gente es de lo mas agradable y le ayudan a conseguir un mecanico, un hombre salido de sus fantasias, y que esta decidido a que sea una mas de sus conquistas. Pero mientras mas lo conoce, menos quiere hacerle daño, aunque la atraccion entre ellos es muy fuerte, solo quiere ayudarlo a superar a su esposo fallecido.
Tanto Jasper como Liam tendran que enfrentar su pasado, para poder afrontar un futuro juntos, pero sus miedos puedes mas fuertes que sus sentimientos actuales.

Un libro romantico, una historia clasica, bastante bien llevada, pero que no me produjo ningun sentimiento. La historia de Jasper es bastante conmovedora, pero senti algunas incosistencias con lo que se sabia de antes, pero la historia de Liam es tan plana, que logra ser aburrida.
Tambien hay varias cosas que senti que fueron muy forzadas, como la decision final de Liam de estudiar "diseño grafico", de donde salio eso? Y que fue lo que le dijo al final su padre?
Tambien con Jasper y el carro, que paso con la reparacion? y eso que quiso salir con Emmet y Tai? y cual fue esa conversacion de Devon con Liam?
No se, senti que al final faltaron por lo menos un par de capitulos mas, para terminar de redondear la historia.
Sin embargo, es un romance tipico, dulce, sin mayores dramas ni misterios, y sigo descubriendo a los diferentes autores del genero que estaban fuera de mi radar, y por eso voy a seguir con esta serie.
Profile Image for Sabrina Morissette.
183 reviews6 followers
May 12, 2021
3.5* rounded because of the epilogue. It is not my favorite in the series so far. I did not understand, or feel, why and how Jasper and Liam could fell in love. It’s not even a matter of how long it took. They were not really talking. They both avoided answering questions. How can you get to know someone, let alone fall in love, if you don’t communicate? There were definitely tender moments, and it was a nice story nonetheless.
Profile Image for ItaPixie.
1,107 reviews124 followers
May 11, 2021

Liam is a californian student who took a break and decided to take a road trip to every state of US but he got stranded in Vermont during a snow storm. Here he met Jasper, a mechanic with a big house who decided to host him. They feel instantly attracted from each other but Jasper is still hurting for his husband sudden death and he is determined to not letting go with someone who will stay in his life only a few days, will Liam shake his resolve?

I've met Jasper reading the previous book in the series, Unguarded, and I was so curious to know him and his back story better but I expected his journey to be more emotional.
I still liked the main characters, Liam is the ray of sunshine that Jasper needed to get rid of his sadness and lonliness. I was caught by their story and I cheered for them to find their happily ever after.

Daybreak was a nice, quick and easy read.


Copy kindly provided by the Publisher/Author.

Profile Image for Szidi ☼.
947 reviews54 followers
May 10, 2021
3,5 ☆

I love Kate's books and I love the V&V series so far, but somehow this book wasn't for my liking.
I was really excited about it and I enjoyed the first half of the story, but at 60% I got bored. The story got stuck, the characters weren't interesting and deep enough for me, and I just wanted it to be over with.

It's a first for me, that I don't like something from Kate, but I couldn't get close to the characters and the storyline wasn't unique or interesting either. First I thought it would be a great book, but it only was a 3star 'meh' read for me, and I'm really sad about it. I felt I was reading from a different author, it wasn't what I'm used to.

The V&V scenes were really good, I like those the best in this series - when they are either in the bar or in the bookstore. And I like that all the other characters from the series are there and we got to see a glimpse of their life from an other point of view.
Profile Image for Denise H..
3,026 reviews242 followers
August 31, 2021
Vermont. Snow is coming, Liam's car is giving up, the mechanic is on the way.
Liam, 24, is a vibrant, blonde, blue-eyed,

musician looking for a new life. He's hiding the secret he is running from in California.
Jasper, 31, is the local, hunky, grumpy mechanic with his big dog, Gus.

He lives on his family farm with it's rich history, plus his husband died three years prior.

With the snow falling, Jasper takes Liam home with his and he's fix the car. Liam is turned on by the sexy lumberjack looking man, and Jasper begins to question himself. He knows Liam isn't telling the whole truth, and he's passing through.



They settle in the darkness of the power outage while Liam works on his songs.
I liked the men, and Jasper was introduced in a previous book. Liam is forward and is unafraid and bright, but why has he run?

When they start with sexy times, it rocks them both. Each thought they'd had sex before, but it wasn't as meaningful as this time.



We get to see them hang out, cook, talk, and avoid the attachment, but destiny won't be denied. Liam's secret must be told and Jasper finally tells his about his husband.

When Liam must go home, the separation cements their feelings, and it's a love that will forever be.
A fun romance, great characters, deep loving, and an HEA.
M/M Opposites attract, hurt/comfort.
ENJOY !


=====
Profile Image for Tanya.
854 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2021
After finishing Unguarded, I jumped to this book because of Jasper. I love Kate and was excited how she would fit into this world since she tends to lean heavy on the kink and this was gonna be more of an emotional story.

Let me tell you that WOW WOW WOW. Just so you are aware, Kate doesn't leave kink completely out of this book but it's very subtle and fits right in. Now Jasper has my heart. This man needs Sunshine back in his life. the best quote in the book is "it looks a little dead, Like it's waiting to come alive". That is the tag line for Jasper!
Profile Image for Madigan Likes to Read [semi-hiatus].
1,028 reviews91 followers
August 16, 2021
I had high hopes for this one because widower romance is so my jam, especially because it's often coupled with a grumpy/sunshine vibe. And we get some of that here. But what didn't work for me is the short timeline (Liam is in town for just a week) and the hasty ILYs (these guys barely talked to each other; how can they be in love?). I can do instalove if the author gives me all the feels. When the MCs say ILY, I want to feel it too and this book did not give me that.
Profile Image for Caz.
2,875 reviews1,087 followers
June 12, 2021
I've given this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars

Kate Hawthorne’s entry in the Vino and Veritas  series is a fairly short one; you could call it a long novella or a short novel, depending on how you want to look at it.  Daybreak is an opposites-attract story featuring mechanic and widower Jasper Cunningham (whom we met in Jay Hogan’s Unguarded) and Liam Luckett, whose car breaks down when he’s part-way through a round-the-States-road-trip he began some weeks earlier when he just up and left his home in California without a word to anyone.

Jasper and his husband Michael were teenage sweethearts, and had been married for a decade when Michael died suddenly and tragically of a brain aneurysm.  That was three years ago, and as the pain of his loss has slowly started to soften around the edges and missing him has become more manageable, Jasper has begun to realise that it’s time for him to move on and get on with living his life.  It’s what Michael would have wished for him, and he wants it for himself, too; he’s tired of being sad and lonely.  But the problem is – he has no idea how to go about getting his life back.

Liam decided on his cross-country trip as a means of escape – from college, from his parents and from their expectations, which have dogged him for almost his entire life – and the longer he can stay away from LA the better. He’s been on the road for a few weeks now, stopping off here and there, playing his guitar at open mic nights whenever he can.  But his car starts playing up as he’s approaching Burlington and he just about manages to pull into a parking lot before it gives out completely.  Fortunately, the parking lot is in front of a row of shops and restaurants and a big brick building with a neon sign – Vino and Veritas – outside.  Liam heads into the ‘vino’ side of the building and orders himself a glass of wine, mentioning in passing that he’ll need to find someone to take a look at his car in the morning.

When a somewhat disgruntled Jasper arrives (in response to a text from Tai (Unguarded) who is in the V and V that night, he’s thrown completely off balance by his first look at Liam, who is too pretty, too vibrant, too full of life (in short, too everything Jasper isn’t)  – and yet is the first person he’s found remotely attractive since Michael died. The attraction is unwelcome and absolutely irrefutable,  but he ruthlessly tamps it down and heads outside take a look at the car.  Which isn’t going anywhere that night.  It’s already snowing and the weather is set to get worse; with no way of driving to a hotel (even there was a decent one nearby) Tai helpfully suggests that Jasper could put Liam up for the night.  Jasper’s initial reaction is to refuse, but realising the guy has nowhere else to go (and being helpless in the face of Liam’s pleading puppy-dog eyes) he relents and takes Liam home.  To sleep on the couch, of course.

Liam ends up staying with Jasper for a few days in the end, thanks to the deteriorating weather, a power outage and because the part needed to repair his car gets sent to the wrong place.  Neither man tells the other much about themselves, so Liam doesn’t know Jasper is a widower (although he knows he was married) and Jasper doesn’t know that Liam is the son of a well-known conservative politician, but then, why should they?  The attraction they’re both feeling doesn’t need to lead to more than a little sexy fun; Liam is going to be leaving as soon as his car is fixed and Jasper isn’t ready for a new relationship – so maybe Liam can be his ‘in-between’ person, someone to help him get back into the saddle (so to speak).

I liked the premise of Daybreak, and the writing is very good indeed. The way the author describes Jasper’s grief and the feelings of loss he’s trying to come to terms with is so heartfelt that it leaps off the page, and I especially loved the metaphor of the classic car he and Michael had planned to fix up but which is still sitting, neglected, in the garage.  But while Jasper is strongly characterised, Liam isn’t, and it’s a very stark contrast which makes the whole thing feel rather unbalanced, and the romance – which, given it happens in less than a week is already on shaky ground – really difficult to buy into.  And I just couldn’t.  There’s certainly plenty of chemistry between Jasper and Liam, but there’s no getting round the fact that in less than a week, Jasper goes from deciding he’s not ready to have someone else in his life to falling in love with someone he barely knows.

And I just couldn’t get my head around the fact that Liam – who is a grown man – hasn’t yet told his father that he doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps and go into politics.  Liam is twenty-four, not a kid; if he’d been sixteen, eighteen – maybe I could have bought into it more.  But he’s been a legal adult for six years and I just couldn’t sympathise with a situation that was partly his own making.

In the end, Daybreak is one of the weaker entries in the  Vino and Veritas  series (I say that with the caveat that I haven’t read them all – yet) and I fully admit that having read it after I read Jay Hogan’s fabulous Unguarded means it may have suffered by comparison.  But even so, the instalove romance and the poor characterisation of Liam are undeniable; but the excellent writing and characterisation of Jasper are enough to earn Daybreak a low-level recommendation.
Profile Image for Frank Chillura (OhYouRead).
1,050 reviews50 followers
February 8, 2024
Ughhhhhhhh!!! When I finally understood what the title of the book was for, my heart broke, was healed, and grew three sizes. 😭 Daybreak is a beautifully touching romance between two men who are finding themselves after their lives have been severely changed.

Jasper’s husband died and he hasn’t felt like himself without him. It’s been years and he hasn’t taken off his wedding ring, because he will always love him. He’s a beefy mechanic, who isn’t looking for anything, but that’s when Liam is dropped directly into his lap.

Liam is on a road trip, singing at open mic nights and trying to get away. His father is a well-known Californian Senator who has been trying to have anti-LGBTQIA+ laws passed and wants his son to follow in his footsteps. If only he could tell him that he’s gay.

After his car breaks down, the bartender of a wine bar hooks Liam up with Jasper… to fix his car of course! 😝 This is when a snow storm blows in and makes it impossible for the part to ever come in… giving them time to get to know one another. At first, it’s as friends, but then we get the brown chicken brown cow! (That’s sexy time, in case you didn’t get it.🤣)

This was a well rounded MM love story. We got trauma, healing, and smut all in a 6 hour audio book. Which, by the way, had 2 incredible audio actors. Kale Williams and Kirt Graves were so good that I forgot I was reading for a while.

4.5⭐️
February 26, 2024
I’m slowly working my way through all the Vino & Veritas books. This is the first book I have read by this author. Listening to the audiobook really helped me to get through this story. The narrators did a great job.

There was nothing really wrong with this story I just didn’t connect to it at all. I had a hard time believing their connection and series of events.

If you enjoy this author, and/or want to read the series I’d still give it a try for sure. Hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy it more than I did!
Profile Image for xxBooksILovexx.
652 reviews28 followers
May 8, 2021
This is my first book by Kate Hawthorne. I absolutely adored this book. Loved Grumpy Jasper & outgoing Liam. I couldn’t get enough of the electricity between them! Another amazing addition to the Vino & Veritas series.
Profile Image for 25 Readings Or More.
693 reviews150 followers
February 13, 2024
3.5
Just like the previous books, Daybreak is a sweet love story. This one is a little sadder tho.

Jasper lost his husband three years ago and he still hasn't moved on.
He isn't living, barely surviving.
So the attraction he feels toward the young stranger he "rescued" surprise and scare him.
But staying away from Liam seems impossible...

I have to admit that even if i liked the story, i didn't really feel involved.
I didn't really feel the love between the two of them.
I didn't feel the sparkles.

I guess my mood has something to do with that... so don’t take this "review" too seriously. Give the book a chance and let me know what you think about it.
443 reviews6 followers
June 1, 2021
2.5 stars

I've been hesitant to read this one as I stopped reading books by this author a while ago. I was desperate for Jasper's story as soon as I read unguarded , so imagine my mixed feelings when I discovered who the author was. But my curiosity and love of Jasper and Gus in Unguarded meant I gave in eventually!

This book was slow, a bit boring and not a lot happened. Liam and Jasper managed to fall in love without having much conversation and keeping secrets from each other. Jasper didn't tell Liam he was a widow and Liam didn't tell Jasper about his family or the reasons behind his extended road trip. And by the time they did reveal this info to each other they were already in love! I didn't find this romance all that believable.

Also found the side characters lacking. I would have liked a bit more of Manny, didn't see the reason or purpose of Devon? He just came across a bit of a douche to me.

Also Liam didn't really scream MC material to me. I just found him a bit wet. He didn't know what he wanted from life, but he ran away from studying his masters, he was running away from dealing with his dad because he didn't want to tell him he was gay and didn't want the job his dad had lined up for him. It was all it bit "meh". And then when he did talk to his dad it was all so anti climatic. I couldn't work out the reason for his reluctance/ hesitance in the first place?

Sadly this one just didn't work for me and I really wanted it to!
Profile Image for Jessica Alcazar.
4,067 reviews565 followers
May 13, 2021
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🎶🎵🎶 looved loooved looved loooved it 🎶🎵🎶

This story had #swoonfest written all over it when I read the synopsis, so I was kind of expecting it, but I got way more than swoon and it was glorious! I got a deeply emotional, kind of quirky adorbs, huge heart, romance journey. I felt good reading this story. I thought the emotional aspect from Jasper would hit me in the *ugly cry* type of way but it didn’t. The story was very uplifting and hopeful. The unfolding of this story was very well done. I cannot emphasize enough that how a story makes a reader feel while they read the story is just as important, if not more so, that the actual feelings in the story. This is a good feeling story and it also unfolded very organically. If you break it down, you could say it’s fast-paced and kid of insta but it wasn’t because that’s not what the author wrote. Go forth and enjoy!



GET YOUR COPY TODAY ➡ https://geni.us/AmazonDaybreak
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
7,996 reviews462 followers
May 10, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars


We start the book with a little bit of a snowbound vibe as Liam gets stuck in town and stays with Jasper as they ride out the storm. You just have to go with the set up here that a mechanic is going to invite a stranger to stay in his home while he fixes his car (or maybe they are just like that in Vermont), but I found myself rolling with it. It sets up a very character-driven story as Liam and Jasper spend their days together while they await the parts for the car. These guys are so drawn to each other and Hawthorne makes their connection feel so clear. Even when the weather allows for Liam to leave, neither man really wants to separate and so they just keep on living together.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

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