In Vino Veritas Books in Order

In Vino Veritas is a shared‑world project set around a queer wine bar and bookshop in Burlington, Vermont. Garrett Leigh’s contribution, Wildfire, slides neatly into that universe while carrying her usual mix of hurt/comfort, working‑class detail, and emotionally charged slow burn.

Wildfire follows a man whose life literally explodes, leaving him injured and adrift. An old friend offers him a place to heal and a job renovating the kitchen at V&V, the coolest wine bar in town. Living above the bar should be a dream, but he is not built for crowds anymore, and PTSD has left him wary of bright lights and loud rooms. He is convinced he is not the target clientele until he meets Joss, the new chef with hair like spun gold, a megawatt smile, and a knack for reading him far too well.

What begins as shared space between colleagues turns into an experiment in desire. Joss suggests framing their attraction as exploration, a kind of sex education that lets them both be honest about what they want. The catch is that Joss is only in town for the summer. With a departure date looming, both men have to decide whether this is a fling to enjoy while it lasts or the start of something that might survive on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

The True North setting brings in cosy details: Vermont food, local regulars at the bar, and cameos from other series couples. Leigh uses those touches lightly, keeping the centre of gravity on two men in a small apartment over a bar, learning to trust each other with fears they do not show anyone else.

If you like romances where a single, vivid location ties many stories together and enjoy watching a guarded, rough‑edged character fall hard for someone bright and open, Wildfire and the wider In Vino Veritas line are well worth exploring.