The synopsis:

Recently named executive chef at one of Miami Beach’s hottest restaurants, Jaden Thorne is determined to make her culinary mark and fulfill her professional dreams. When Jaden is given highly coveted tickets to the ultra-exclusive Winemaker’s Dinner, she jumps at the opportunity to meet South Florida’s wealthiest and most influential food and wine enthusiasts.

Jaden’s eyes are drawn to the VIP section even before the appetizers appear, but she soon finds herself thinking less about networking and more about the intriguingly sexy stranger eying her from across the room. After dinner, what begins as a light-hearted flirtation unexpectedly catapults into a night of explosive passion. But when morning dawns, Jaden leaves her sleeping Mr. Oh So Sexy behind, sure they’ll never see each other again.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko, a handsome, young physician, boasts an extensive resume’ and a well-established position on Miami Beach’s social scene. But despite his success and glamour, he’s routinely had to suffer uninspiring dates and doomed relationships. With a romantic heart, Ivan’s not the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. But when he awakens to find that the girl in the red dress has done exactly that, he resolves to find her–only if it’s just to ask why she left without even a kiss goodbye.

The Winemaker’s Dinner is a fictionalized erotic memoir inspired by the romantic triumphs and tragedies of Dr. Ivan Rusilko’s real life. Weaving fact with fantasy, authors Everly Drummond and Dr. Ivan Rusilko have gifted readers with a swoon-worthy flesh and blood romantic hero and the intoxicating bouquet only a heartfelt tale of passionate love can create.

My review:

What’s interesting about The Winemaker’s Dinner before you even begin reading the book is in knowing that it’s based on a real person. Fact and fiction are interwoven as Ivan Rusilko along with his co-author Everly Drummond take us on a very personal journey.

I really kind of liked being able to picture the main character without any guess-work, and it’s no secret that I find the good Doctor attractive in the extreme…good looks, body, and the man has done an awful lot for someone so young. His life reads like an adventure story, and it’s very clear that he’s an ambitious man. He’s the type of guy who goes after something, or  someone… and he gets it.

His lucky lady in the story, Jaden, is also ambitious. She’s a chef at a Miami restaurant…a very nice restaurant by the way. I liked Jaden right away, and she seems well matched to Ivan. The first half of the book is good, but for me it really takes off in the second half.

The love scenes in the book are graphic and well written, and there are enough of them to keep the reader happy and turning the page looking for more. Aside from all the spiciness though I enjoyed getting to know both Ivan and Jaden better as the story progressed. The scenes with his family are really terrific. I also loved that he called her “baby girl”. I don’t know why this term of endearment grabbed my heart so hard, but it did

Towards the end of the book things begin to get a little angsty. Jaden has a chance to advance her career in a big way, but it means moving away from Dr. Ivan if she decides to accept it. Long distance relationship? Dr. Ivan has done it before and it’s not something he wants to repeat…in fact he’s pretty adamant about it.

Have our lover’s reached an impasse? Is love over just as it begins?

You’ll have to read the book to find out…O…and did I mention that this is book one in a planned trilogy?

My rating for The Winemaker’s Dinner by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond:

A solid 3.5 hearts.

I look forward to the next book, and to see where the journey takes us next.

There’s a cool giveaway going on too: (1) Signed TWD print copy, signed bookmark and sea turtle key chain open to US/Canada, (1) eBook copies open Internationally

US/Canada: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f6237f125/

International: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f6237f126/

Tamie Xo