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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Those who enjoyed the Nightingale, I found your next read!
This book made me cry. All of the missed opportunities throughout makes you wonder how many there have been over the years for people in similar situations.
I've read most of Harmel's books. Conveniently, she was writing chick lit when I was into chick lit and moved onto historical and parallel narratives when that became my big thing. I was very impressed [b:The Room on Rue Amélie|35297316|The Room on Rue Amélie|Kristin Harmel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511798249l/35297316._SY75_.jpg|56664163], and she went with the WWII timeframe and added wine, so you know I was sold on this one! This was a good story, but much like [b:All The Flowers in Paris|42859805|All The Flowers in Paris|Sarah Jio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551497961l/42859805._SY75_.jpg|65608346], perhaps too short to do justice to the subject matter. On the other hand, I felt like the treatment of the modern story was an acceptable one (admittedly, Liv being dumped by a jerk and needing to find herself is not nearly in the same league as the issues in Jio's book). Sadly, it was the historical, champagne-infused half that felt a little flat for me. I felt like Inés got the short end a lot, and not just because the conflict was needed for the story but because the reader is supposed to think she is a shallow woman. Yet everything she does makes perfect sense to me, reading her as a very young person in difficult times with a distant older husband and isolated from any other friends while her husband carries on an affair. Still she tries her best to be a good person, a good friend, a good wife, and ultimately a good Frenchwoman. I think this book would have been an easy 4 stars if the author had at least treated Inés a little more fairly in her descriptions even as the rest of the characters did not! Of course, affair storylines always get under my skin and turn me off anyway, particularly when the relationships don't feel natural, as was the case here. (I mean, when a Nazi tries to hurt a woman in a book and I have a hard time mustering sympathy because she's been so horrible, that is a terrible sign.) And then the ultimate pet peeve for me, it ended a bit too conveniently-ever-after. Still, an enjoyable book, but if you haven't read Harmel before, please start with The Room on Rue Amélie before reading this one!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
What a wonderful story woven in the past and present. The author keeps the reader engaged the whole time and definitely added some wonderful twists to the plot. The characters were complex and the relationships full. She did a fantastic job in bringing her story to life on the page. The complex emotions and turmoil during World War 2 and how the characters each dealt with their viewpoint made for a wonderful read. I can’t wait to read another of her stories. The book was very well written.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting story of the French resistance to the Nazis, with a parallel currentish story.
There was a lot to absorb. It was hard to watch one character unable to grasp the terrible situation and keep brushing it off. Her naïveté was absurd
There was a lot to absorb. It was hard to watch one character unable to grasp the terrible situation and keep brushing it off. Her naïveté was absurd
I tried to sympathize with these characters but every action make me more frustrated until by the end I didn't like them. Interesting back drop and historical time period.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Winemaker's Wife. The novel is a compelling dual timeline WWII story centering on the love triangle of Ines, her husband Michel, and Celine. When the Germans occupy France and threaten their vineyard, naive and immature Ines makes foolish mistakes and follows the easiest path without realizing the consequences of her actions. Nasty German soldiers, informants, Resistance, and spies all play a part. Interwoven into the wartime story is a modern day tale of those connected to the vineyard; how and why kept this reader engaged until the final twisty ending. My one criticism would be that in the modern-day story there's quite a few characters who are 99+ years old. Seemed unlikely but I went with it.