The vineyards of Italy were a phenomenal setting for this book. Erika, living in NYC and recently engaged to her longtime boyfriend, receives a letter about her grandfather's death and her required presence in Italy about his will; the surprise - she didn't even know he existed! She stops everything, including re-situating everything at her business, to fly over to her grandfather's vineyards in Italy. Her intention - to assess the situation so she can immediately sell the property and return to her 'normal' life. However, a clause in the will states that she must LIVE on the property for five months before it can be transferred to her name, and therefore, sold. So, she decides to do just that. She spontaneously returns home to gather what she will need for the extended stay, only to find her finance' is being faithful. They break up and she promptly leaves for Italy, ready to spend the next five months learning the wine business, its people, the property, and re-evaluating her life. This break in life - spending time learning and keeping busy in a new environment - is exactly what she needs to find clarity about her direction in life and what is truly important.
The characters in the story were truly charming. I enjoyed Erika and Paolo, disliked her boyfriend in NYC (I think that was the author's plan), and loved getting to know the all the people in Italy. They were all so warm and caring; and the description for the setting seemed so peaceful, endearing, and friendly. Talk about wine was prevalent in the narrative, and I did wonder if they truly "drank" as much wine as was dispensed by Erika and those around her. It was a plus that there was a twist at the end.
The characters in the story were truly charming. I enjoyed Erika and Paolo, disliked her boyfriend in NYC (I think that was the author's plan), and loved getting to know the all the people in Italy. They were all so warm and caring; and the description for the setting seemed so peaceful, endearing, and friendly. Talk about wine was prevalent in the narrative, and I did wonder if they truly "drank" as much wine as was dispensed by Erika and those around her. It was a plus that there was a twist at the end.