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A review by lia_mills
A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Part-romance, part-family drama, and part-story about what happens when romance and family interfere with the job you pride yourself on being exceptional at.
I found the relationship between Lea (the pragmatist) and Stephanie (the comparative idealist) to be very interesting and emotionally engaging - as much as I was frustrated with both of them at different times (especially Stephanie, whose move from being dependent on one rich man to another (admittedly much kinder) one I found stressful in a way that made me empathise a lot more with Lea than I might have otherwise), it was the kind of frustration based on them seeming very much like real people making realistically frustrating choices.
The way the story dealt with tricky social dynamics (especially re needing to navigate the psychologically abusive Marcus and the entitled Gabriel) was definitely a highlight, and given the story's focus on a very interpersonal job, this worked very well for me.
This book makes me want to read more about characters working in the hospitality industry (both in general, and at the more advanced levels in which Lea is operating - something I haven't experienced enough of in fiction, and which I would like to rectify).
I found the relationship between Lea (the pragmatist) and Stephanie (the comparative idealist) to be very interesting and emotionally engaging - as much as I was frustrated with both of them at different times (especially Stephanie, whose move from being dependent on one rich man to another (admittedly much kinder) one I found stressful in a way that made me empathise a lot more with Lea than I might have otherwise), it was the kind of frustration based on them seeming very much like real people making realistically frustrating choices.
The way the story dealt with tricky social dynamics (especially re needing to navigate the psychologically abusive Marcus and the entitled Gabriel) was definitely a highlight, and given the story's focus on a very interpersonal job, this worked very well for me.
This book makes me want to read more about characters working in the hospitality industry (both in general, and at the more advanced levels in which Lea is operating - something I haven't experienced enough of in fiction, and which I would like to rectify).