Becca Reviews: Grape Juice by Eliza Dumais

As someone who claims not to like romance novels, I requested this ARC more for the name and the cover. I flew through this book in one day and loved every second.

Whilst the romance is, of course, important to the plot, I think it was more about the atmosphere and the different backgrounds of the characters.

The language is super lyrical and hyper-focused on beautiful setting elements such as the food on the plates and the smells in the kitchen (yes, food is always my priority).

We follow Alice, who, through her work, has been sent to pick grapes during the short harvest period in France. She meets other volunteers and develops friendships and more!

My favourite elements were the setting, the vineyards, the house, and the patio with the table big enough for all volunteers to sit around and enjoy beautiful, fresh food. If anyone has experienced studying abroad in any capacity, this story will resonate with you. We have an array of languages and cultures, and each character brings their own lovable stereotypes and backgrounds. Alice also gains a beautiful female friendship that is very simple and honest, even while they discuss complex topics.

I didn't dislike the male protagonist, but I actually found the MMC to exhibit some pretty glaring red flags, such as showing some mega jealousy in the very early days, being a touch manipulative, and not communicating with Alice well (or really at all), but each to their own!

I've since learned about 831 Stories from Simon and Schuster and have already bought two more. I will have to read more in order to find out if they follow similar tropes or conceits, or if what links them is simply that they are shorter (approx. 230 pages) romance novels.

It's hard for me to really judge this book against other works as I have read so little romance, but I had a great time and I want to read more from both the author and the imprint.

Read: 30/09/2025

Published: 04/11/2025

Price: £8.99 (GBP)