This was kind of a weird situation and I think forgiveness came far too easily ( )

"3 out of 5 stars, Savannah wants to give her family a better life but while trying to unearth secrets she might just fall in love with her own enemy ...

First off, I want to state that this novel I originally read and reviewed in 2018, but because of recent life events my original review for this novel has been lost (find out the whole story on my blog). However, because I had read this novel during a readathon rating for this novel and a video sharing my thoughts is still available .... plus, it helps that I still remember this novel even though I read it two years ago. Therefore, my following review is based off of my recorded thoughts and what I can recall. Sadly, this novel was not one of my favorite reads and it is all because of ..."

Read more of this review and a vlog here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2020/05/made-grade-bourbon-brothers-s... ( )

Their grandfather raised Savannah and her sister after their parents died in a tragic fire. Finances were tight and Savannah grew up listening to her grandfather talk about how his moonshine partner cheated him. Joe Abbott went on to found the wildly successful King's Finest Bourbon Distillery, while Martin McDowell was poor and bitter.

Savannah is determined to find the proof necessary for her grandfather to claim half the business. The perfect opportunity arises when she is hired as the new event planner for the distillery. All she needs to do is keep under the radar until she discovers the truth. Having grown up hearing about how terrible the Abbotts are, Savannah doesn't expect the intense attraction she feels for Blake Abbott.

Blake has buried himself in his work since the end of his last relationship. He doesn't typically interview new employees, but with key members of the family out of town, it fell to him to interview the possible new event planner. To say that he was stunned by her beauty would be putting it mildly. He had a hard time concentrating on the interview, but it wasn't difficult for him to realize that her qualifications were excellent. The only downside was the unwritten rule that Abbotts don't get involved with employees.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Blake and Savannah. Both feel the intense attraction, but both have good reasons to resist it. Blake because of the prohibition against dating employees, and Savannah because of her secret agenda. That resistance becomes more difficult by the day, as Savannah discovers that Blake is not the heartless scum her grandfather described. Instead, he is sweet, thoughtful, and easy to work with. Blake is more impressed with Savannah's abilities every day, as well as more attracted to her.

They did well with their resistance until a storm trapped them together for a weekend. The combination of the sparks between them and Blake's kindness during a rough part of the storm blew their resistance to pieces. The immediate connection that went deeper than just the physical attraction surprised them both, making each of them wary of getting too close. Over the next weeks, they spent as much time together as they could while at the same time trying to keep it to themselves.

I ached for Savannah, who knew she was falling for Blake and was eaten up by guilt over her deception. She has a harder and harder time seeing how the situation will end well. The more time he spends with her, the harder Blake falls for Savannah, but he also feels that there is something more going on. I kept waiting for it to blow up in Savannah's face, and sure enough, it did. I hurt for both Savannah and Blake when it happened. Blake's feelings of betrayal were heartbreaking. Savannah knew she had earned his anger, but she also felt that her reasons were justified. An unexpected complication arose when Savannah discovered she was pregnant, and Blake had some choice words and accusations when he found out.

It was hard to see how any of this was going to have a positive outcome. This is where the strength of family and love came into play. There were some interesting twists and revelations on both the Abbott and McDowell sides. I liked seeing the support that both Savannah and Blake received, which included some tough love from their family members. The ultimate resolution was realistic and satisfying, making it possible for Blake and Savannah to find their happy ending.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing Blake's siblings find love, too. Parker looks like he will be an especially tough nut to crack. ( )