Review - - Once Upon a Wine

Once Upon a Wine
By Beth Kendrick
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: July 26, 2016
 

Cammie Breyer needs a big glass of cabernet—her restaurant failed and her chef boyfriend left for a hotter kitchen. Just when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, her Aunt Ginger calls with a surprise. She’s bought a vineyard—in Delaware. At Ginger’s command, Cammie returns to Black Dog Bay, the seaside town where she spent her childhood summers with her aunt and her cousin, Kat.
 
The three women reunite, determined to succeed. There’s only one little problem: None of them knows the first thing about wine making. And it turns out, owning a vineyard isn’t all wine and roses. It’s dirt, sweat, and desperation. Every day brings financial pitfalls, unruly tourists, romantic dilemmas, and second thoughts.  But even as they struggle, they cultivate hidden talents and new passions. While the grapes ripen under the summer sun, Cammie discovers that love, like wine, is layered, complex, delicious, and worth waiting for…



What is is about a cute dog on the cover of a book? That's how I discovered Kristan Higgins and if I'd seen Once Upon a Wine in the store, that would be how I discovered Beth Kendrick as well.

Once Upon a Wine is a perfect summer read - full of humor and emotion. It's a story of second chances, as couples and individuals, of finding ourselves and realizing our dreams, at any age, even if those dreams turn out to be different than we thought they would be.

I really enjoyed my visit to Kendrick's Black Dog Bay,  a small seaside town known as the "best place in America to bounce back from your breakup." The story flows well and the main characters are all believable and deftly drawn. While I enjoyed the romantic journey for Cammie and Ian, and Kat and her estranged husband, it was the relationship of the three women, Cammie, Kat, and Ginger, and watching each of them blossom and find their intended purpose that took center stage for me. Kendrick created complex characters, added in challenging situations, then blended them together with humor and heart to seamlessly to create a satisfying story that will have me coming back for more Beth Kendrick books. And, as a bonus, there's Jacques, a retired French Bulldog show dog that comes into their lives with unexpected results. I adored him!

Once Upon a Wine is the fourth book in Kendrick's Black Dog Bay series but stands fine on its own. Of course, if you're like me, after reading it you may fall in love with this cute town and her citizens and download the first three books as well! They are: Cure for the Common Breakup, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, and Put a Ring On It.

~PJ

What new authors have you discovered this summer?

Have you read any of Beth Kendrick's books?

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment will receive a print copy of Once Upon a Wine. 
(U.S. only) 

Deadline for comments for giveaway is 11:00 pm (EST), August 12, 2016.