Review - - Bottled Up

Bottled Up

by Liberty Stowe

Vogel Springs Collection - Book 2

Publisher: RubertBossier

Release Date: July 28, 2026

Reviewed by PJ

One canceled pastry chef.

One rising wine maker.

One savory scandal!

Just in time for summer—Steady Now author Liberty Stowe, brings you Bottled Up—an interconnected standalone and book two of the Vogel Springs Collection.

A slow-burn, high-heat, small-town romance where an infamous pastry chef and an international winemaker find themselves bound by one contract and the press they can’t avoid.

It’s been over nine months. I thought they were done with photos of me, at the very least. There’s got to be a more tragic story to print than mine.

I’m not hiding. I’m rebuilding. On my terms.

The headlines scream, World-Renowned Pastry Chef Delilah Mueller Flees Manhattan… but I’ve got one hell of a secret that won’t make it to print.

I’m going back home. To my roots. And they don’t know where home is - until the quiet reset awaiting me in Vogel Springs is interrupted by a swarm of media and everything I’ve been avoiding. Courtesy of world-renowned winemaker, August Montenegro.

What are the odds two planes from different continents would land in the same airport. Seeking the same Texas town. It’s not even on a proper map, and yet they’ve found me… and so has he.

A stranger with crystal pools for eyes that sparkle like the Caribbean under the sun when they meet mine. A man who is standing in the middle of a crowd of press I would do anything to avoid.

If I don’t keep my distance from August Montenegro, I’ll hurt everyone I love… him. I’ll hurt him, too.

PJ's Thoughts:

I've fallen hard for this small Texas town and its residents. With strong elements of community, friendship, complicated family dynamics, snappy banter, and unexpected romance, I was drawn into the lives of August and Delilah, eagerly turning pages from start to finish. 

The mystery of why Delilah returned home unfolds organically throughout the story, as does her relationship with August and her eventual healing. Both lead characters have emotional trauma to deal with which provides depth to their characters as well as the journeys they travel. 

The secondary characters give additional texture to the overall story, helping to move the plot forward while also injecting humor along with business conflict that morphs into solid friendship. I really enjoyed those friendships, both the ones that originated in childhood along with those that formed during the story. I especially liked the way they all came together to support August, Delilah, and Anderson (a key secondary character) working to outsmart the devious obstacles standing in the way of their business success and personal happy endings. 

The details about vineyards and winemaking were especially interesting to me. Stowe did a great job of offering the information naturally through August's actions without making it seem like a lecture or information dump. I felt like I was out there in the vineyard with him, learning the ins and outs right along with the other characters. 

Bottled Up is the second book in Liberty Stowe's Vogel Springs Collection. It stands well on its own but for readers who have already read book one, Steady Now (like me), it's also a fun reunion with several characters who featured in the earlier book and have significant roles in book two. It's always enjoyable to catch up with couples a few years down the road from their own happily ever after.

I'm already looking forward to the next Vogel Springs book. I have my eye on two particular secondary characters and have my fingers crossed that it will be their story. 

 

Review - - Steady Now

Steady Now

by Liberty Stowe

Publisher: RupertBossier

Release Date: August 1, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

From the sound of bacon frying and sliding meringue to coveted tractor emoji invitations this sexy, sizzling small town romance will make you glad you did.

Wren Baldwin isn’t running for her life. She’s running from it. Until her Maserati stops running near Vogel Springs, Texas—home to Hudson Bass, the only man in a hundred miles who can fix it. She hits town just as his life is spinning out of control. But, dammit, if he can’t keep his eyes off her. The mechanic who can fix anything but himself may have found the fix that will break him.

WREN

My car broke down. I felt an attraction to a stranger, and I fell in love with a quaint town. That’s all that’s happened here. Once I get my car back, things will look differently. One last glance across the street at the Pit Stop that comes up empty-handed, and I can’t pop out of bed fast enough. I’m out of here.

HUD

I can’t allow myself to have her because she’ll leave in a matter of days. But watching her hurt, all I want to do is erase the pain I’ve caused. I’ve got a legal battle looming and too much baggage for a pack mule to carry. How can I pile it on top of this delicate creature? Even though her heart is breaking right now, she’ll leave and forget a country boy like me in a week. It is what it is.

PJ's Thoughts:

A small Texas town. A woman on the run...in a Maserati. A local mechanic with troubles of his own. A devious ex. A big-hearted cafe owner. Two best friends (his and hers) determined to steer our couple to a hard-earned happy ending. And just why is she running?  

I was immediately intrigued and eager to dive into this debut by Liberty Stowe. I'm happy to say that, for the most part, it lived up to my expectations. It's an instant-attraction, slow-burn, opposites-attract romance between Wren and Hud that reeled me in pretty much from the get-go. I liked that the author hit that attraction hard then backed off (for reasons), giving the characters more time to both establish feelings and address obstacles. While I would have enjoyed more depth and communication between Hud and Wren, I felt their chemistry and was still invested in them both as individuals and as a couple. 

The supporting cast adds a lot to the story in both positive and negative ways. I especially enjoyed Wren's best friend, Anderson and Hud's best friend, Cal. I have my fingers crossed that Steady Now will turn into a series because I'd sure like to see more of those two. Young Connor is a character who captured my heart. Stowe really brought him to life in an age appropriate way. Hud's ex is a piece of work who is brought to life so vividly that you do not want to know what I wanted to do to her. Needless to say, she elicits a lot of emotions. 

One aspect of the story that fell a bit short for me was the relationship between Wren and her father. For all that his actions played a part in the decisions that had her ending up in Vogel Springs, I would have liked seeing more development of their relationship. Also, the final pages seemed rushed. Considering all Wren and Hud had been through, the abrupt conclusion left me wanting. While they are definitely together, it felt more like a "to be continued" (we'll secure their happy ending in the next book) than a "wrapped up with a bow HEA" (this is a standalone-time to say goodbye to these characters). I haven't seen anything about this being a series starter but my fingers are crossed. 

All in all, Steady Now is a solid debut contemporary romance with a lot to recommend it. I'm definitely interested in seeing what Liberty Stowe brings readers next, especially if it takes us back to Vogel Springs.