The Champagne Crush by Caroline O’ Connell 💕 New Release Tour, Behind the Scenes, Freebie Offer and $25 Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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Will she and Chris overcome the challenges of the past and present to secure their future—and find love in the process?

For fans of The Paradise Problem, a slow-burn romance about a socialite in over her head in a high-stakes job promoting a new sparkling wine with a difficult boss who wants to see her fail—despite the electric sparks flying between them.

Catherine Reynolds has enjoyed a life of luxury, but her diplomat parents have cut her off financially, leaving her flat broke. She is determined to turn things around and gain her independence—so, when an old family friend offers her a lifeline as a PR consultant for his sparkling wine company, she jumps at the chance. But working with Chris McDermott, the company’s sexy, stubborn president, is anything but easy.

A purist at heart, Chris clashes with Catherine’s glitzy marketing flair; still, the chemistry between them is undeniable. As they travel from New York to Napa, Paris, and the Champagne region of France, their partnership blossoms amid high-stakes industry rivalries and a launch that could make or break them.

When sabotage threatens to shatter their dreams, Catherine must dig deep to prove her worth. With the dazzling unveiling of their new sparkling wine in Bordeaux in jeopardy, will she and Chris overcome the challenges of the past and present to secure their future—and find love in the process?

The Beginning

My writing career started with travel guidebooks to Paris. After magical trips there, I vowed to capture the essence of the French culture and share it with others. My first trip with a vivacious girlfriend lasted for five weeks; we “winged it” and were lucky enough to attend intimate dinner parties, dance the night away at discos, stroll the gardens at Versailles, and enjoy lots of shopping.

That inspired a longer stay—in a teeny tiny apartment adjacent Palais Royal (with my cat Buttercup). I made lifelong friends and studied the language, while learning these romantic phrases uttered to me in jest:

Je me jette à vos pieds. I throw myself at your feet.

Je te bois des yeux. I drink you with my eyes.

Tu me fais craquer. You shatter me.

My first book, Every Woman’s Guide to ROMANCE IN PARIS (Square One Publishing), was born.

Inspiration

While living in Paris, I was introduced to the glamorous world of French Champagne, and it changed my life. A friend took me on a day trip to Épernay, where we had a gourmet lunch at Royal Champagne and took a tour of Moët & Chandon’s amazing cellars. Back in Paris, we were invited to black-tie dinner parties catered by Michelin star chefs (like Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang). Similar to my travel guides, I wanted to “bottle” the experience and share it with readers in story form.

Writing Craft

To learn how to write fiction I turned to John Truby who teaches Story Structure (through classes, books, and software) and has as a specific class on the elements of a Love Story. I created character bios, gave them backstories and flaws, and plotted out the scenes. For all this, I used Word docs but later switched to the Plottr program which was much easier to navigate and keep track of all the moving parts. It even has a timeline of the story, with scene boxes under each chapter heading.

I write longhand on a lined pad at my dining table (as I’m doing for this post). Normally one of my fab felines is lounging nearby. Then I type each chapter into the computer, print it out, and write my changes on the pages.

The Champagne Crush took years to complete: lots of research, many revisions, editorial feedback, and the final polish. I’m hoping the second book in the Les Femmes Series, set in Tuscany, will sail along more quickly. Stay tuned.

[Photo of my cat, Belle-Peony, on my writing desk in an Italian farmhouse.]

Note: To stay in touch, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.CarolineOC.com. Merci.

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CAROLINE O’CONNELL has written five travel guides and numerous travel articles for magazines, newspapers, and websites. Her Romance In Paris guide has won widespread praise: “There is no better person to guide you through Paris than Caroline” — Peter Greenberg, the Travel Detective, radio host, and Travel Editor on CBS-TV. And Library Journal raved — “Reading this breezy but informative guide to Paris is like having a series of conversations with a well-traveled friend…”

Her debut novel, THE CHAMPAGNE CRUSH: A Romance Novel (Spark Press), is due out on September 16, 2025.