Book Description:
An opinionated local-food advocate falls in love with the junk-food-loving reluctant farmer next door.
Love her or hate her, Jo Shaw doesn’t much care. She’s a woman on a mission, joining her best friends in buying a dilapidated farm to prove that growing most of their own food and living sustainably is possible. Too bad she’s a city girl with little knowledge and less tact. She’ll learn – both people and gardening skills – or she’ll know the reason why!
Zachary Nemesek is back in northern Idaho only until his dad recovers enough to work his own land again. When Zach discovers three helpless (right?) females have taken up residence at the old farm next door, he expects trouble… but nothing prepares him for Josephine Shaw. Is her war on junk food most shocking, or is it her war on mice? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s that his disdain for her dogged ways turns into reluctant admiration.
But romance? How can the country veterinarian fall in love with a woman who’s more tart than sweet?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading Raspberries and Vinegar. Jo and Zach are fascinating characters who are drawn to each other despite having different life philosophies. Jo and her friends, Claire and Sierra, are intent on ‘practicing what they preach’ by creating a sustainable living farm. Their beliefs regarding sustainable living and decreasing their carbon footprint have a Biblical foundation. The girls are prepared to make sacrifices, including temporarily living in a rundown caravan with an ongoing mice problem, to fulfill their dream of creating a sustainable farm. They also strive to engage the local community in learning about how they can live in a more sustainable way.
Zach enjoys the culture and convenience of city living. He grew up on the farm next door to Jo and the girls, and is he is only back in town temporarily to help his mother while his father recovers from a serious illness. At the start of the story Zach can’t understand why Jo and her friends are determined to create a new life on the farm.
Sparks fly whenever Jo and Zach are together, and an adorable pup called Domino creates a lot of mischief in the story. Raspberries and Vinegar is a fun romance that addresses important issues without being preachy. The story is contemporary and touches on issues that are relevant to twenty-somethings in today’s society. Both Jo and Zach experience character growth during the story and the plot twists kept me turning the page to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this book to those looking for an exciting and inspiring contemporary romance.