Delicious Wine and Book Pairings to Sip by Helen Hardt

[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to have author Helen Hardt guest posting on the site today. She’s paired some great books with super yummy wine! Take it away, Helen!]

September is one of my favorite months. It begins the season I love most, Fall, when the trees turn golden and red, and summer morphs into the briskness of sweater weather. Some of my favorite fragrances—apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and falling leaves—drift in the air around me as I take my daily walk. Then, when I get home, what is better than sitting down with a new romance novel and a glass of wine? I’ve paired three September releases—all very different—with wines that complement their stories and themes. Each wine is reasonably priced and easy to find.

Time to dive in!

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt

September 29, 2020

Of course I have to include my own release! Follow Me Darkly, book one in my new Follow Me series, pairs aspiring photographer Skye Manning and blue-collar billionaire Braden Black in a romance where heat sizzles and nothing dark and erotic is off limits. Secrets abound as Skye and Braden’s relationship turns from lust to something more. This story screams for a dark and smoky red, and old vine Zinfandel is a perfect choice. With its deep color and spicy finish, The Seven Deadly Zins ($14.99)—its name notwithstanding—is an excellent wine to enjoy with Follow Me Darkly. It’s lush on your tongue, and its jammy black fruit will tantalize you. But wait for it… On the finish you’ll get leather, pepper, and cloves. Take a sip while curled up with a love scene. Perfection.

Securing Kalee by Susan Stoker

Kalee Solberg still haunts Navy SEAL Phantom Dalton. Kalee was left for dead during a previous mission, and Phantom knows he won’t sleep until he finds her, even if it means risking his career and his life. Securing Kalee, book six in Stoker’s SEAL of Protection: Legacy series, demands a wine that honors Phantom’s heroic actions to save Kalee from the horrible cards she’s been dealt. What better than a Pinot Noir, a lighter red wine that is fruit forward and acidic, and an ideal complement to Kalee’s favorite foods—chocolate and peanut butter? Fitvine Pinot Noir ($18.99) fits the bill, with flavors of black cherries and honey and a touch of woodiness. As an added bonus, Fitvine ferments all its wine to nearly zero percent sugar—great for a Navy SEAL who needs to stay in the ultimate physical shape!

Silver Spoon by Lyz Kelley

September 1, 2020

A resort owner and a master chef get a second chance in Silver Spoon, a small-town romance and first in Kelley’s new Silver Fox Resort series. Zoey fell hard for Nate back in high school, but her father had other plans and forced the two lovebirds apart. Now Nate has returned and is determined to show Zoey what she’s been missing. Nate and Zoey share a bottle of French Chardonnay in a memorable scene, and because the story is set near a beach, this versatile white is a wonderful choice. Louis Jadot Macon-Villages ($14.99) is a white Burgundy (Chardonnay from the Burgundy region in France). This delightful wine is laced with flavors of apples and melon, with a touch of citrus on the finish. Delicious with a seafood meal prepared by a handsome chef!

Be sure to grab one of these new releases and its wine counterpart today. Then spend a lazy autumn afternoon with a glass of wine and a good book. Life doesn’t get much better!

About the Author:

#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt’s passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. Her breakout novel, Craving, released to critical acclaim in 2016 and became a bestseller. Follow Me Darkly is her thirty-third full-length novel.

In addition to being an award-winning author of romantic fiction, she’s a mother, an attorney, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. She writes from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her family.

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt, out now!

I’ve always been a control freak. But he makes me crave submission…

Working for a hotel heiress and social media influencer may not be my dream job, but at least it allows me time to do what I really love—take photographs. Pretty good for a wholesome farm girl from Kansas trying to make it in Boston. Life may not be easy working for a diva, but at least I know what to expect.

Until blue-collar billionaire Braden Black strides into the office. He’s beyond handsome and sexy, but also domineering with a definite hard edge. I’m not sure why he’s interested in me, but within a few weeks, he’s showing me a world I never knew existed.

He’s opened up a side of me I can only face in the dark, and it’s quickly becoming an obsession. How can I give up something this addictive—even if his secrets could ultimately destroy me?