Erika is willed property in Italy including a vineyard and bed-and-breakfast by a grandfather she never knew. She leaves her fiancé and successful life in New York to travel to Italy to deal with settling the inheritance with intentions of selling it all. She soon learns that regardless of whether she keeps it or sells, she must live there for five months and learn the business before making her final decision.
I had mixed feelings about CASALVENTO: HOUSE OF THE WIND but ultimately found it to be a good beach read. Erika was a very unlikable character which normally wouldn’t be a problem for me, however there wasn’t much depth or development for her, so it was hard to have a vested interest in what was going on with her. The plot felt very familiar as I’ve read or seen movies of a similar fashion. Pacing was slow. The romance aspect was a little lackluster. The twist toward the end felt over-the-top and the ending left me saying “of course that would happen.” What really carried the book for me was the vivid imagery of Italy. I felt completely immersed in the location and when I finished reading, I had an intense feeling of longing for a place that I’ve never been to. I liked learning about the winemaking process and owning a vineyard. Finding out that Casalvento and Livernano are real places was great. The recipes at the end were a nice bonus.
Despite some issues I had, I’d still recommend CASALVENTO: HOUSE OF THE WIND as a fiction beach read or to those interested in Italy or vineyards/winemaking.
Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group Press and NetGalley for the DRC.
(At the time of writing this review -- awaiting print copy from Greenleaf Book Group through BookishFirst. Thank you in advance.)
I had mixed feelings about CASALVENTO: HOUSE OF THE WIND but ultimately found it to be a good beach read. Erika was a very unlikable character which normally wouldn’t be a problem for me, however there wasn’t much depth or development for her, so it was hard to have a vested interest in what was going on with her. The plot felt very familiar as I’ve read or seen movies of a similar fashion. Pacing was slow. The romance aspect was a little lackluster. The twist toward the end felt over-the-top and the ending left me saying “of course that would happen.” What really carried the book for me was the vivid imagery of Italy. I felt completely immersed in the location and when I finished reading, I had an intense feeling of longing for a place that I’ve never been to. I liked learning about the winemaking process and owning a vineyard. Finding out that Casalvento and Livernano are real places was great. The recipes at the end were a nice bonus.
Despite some issues I had, I’d still recommend CASALVENTO: HOUSE OF THE WIND as a fiction beach read or to those interested in Italy or vineyards/winemaking.
Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group Press and NetGalley for the DRC.
(At the time of writing this review -- awaiting print copy from Greenleaf Book Group through BookishFirst. Thank you in advance.)