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Tangled Vines
A successful television news anchor who pulled herself through an ugly childhood is haunted by her past when she discovers that her father is linked to a murder at the famous Rutledge Estate Winery.
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Published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Janet Dailey
391 books1,841 followersJanet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
June 20, 2016
I feel very indifferent towards this book. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it, just meh. I found it incredibly predictable and found myself skimming through a lot of parts because I felt I had read it all before. The setting was enjoyable however other than that absolutely nothing about this book stood out.
December 29, 2025
⭐✨/5 ⭐
June 9, 2025
A DNF for me. Got to page 130 and just couldn’t finish it. Not enough to keep me interested and so many characters I had to keep rethinking who’s who.
March 3, 2017
personal response: This book surprised me and it was very good
plot summary: Kelly Douglas is hiding in new york and is a television news reporter and when she covers a story in a park she sees a man who looks like the man who caused her to change her name and appearance and she almost faints and when her colleagues who do not know anything she tries to laugh it off especially when she realises its not the man who put her through broken bones and bruises and when she goes home that nigh she can hardly sleep and is plagued by nightmares of what that man had done to her. Kelly goes to work like normal and the day is soon over and she is invited to dinner by her co-worker who pretty much got her her job for her and he told her he would take her to dinner and so they went at around midnight and stayed out eating and talking till two A.M and when she got to her apartment door she thought of the lock she had put on her room door to protect herself against her abuser and he did not like it and it made him even more angry and she looked at the several locks on her door now and struggled to open the door and face her fears about locks on doors. When Kelly is asked to do a story about Napa Valley she tries to get out of it and almost gets fired but this job is her life so she takes the job and prepares to head home after years and when she recognises one of the people her father despises and really realises she has to spend time with the family who had caused her life in some ways to be the way it was she gets mad and scared especially when her father contacts him and threatens her with nothing she slowly looses her fear and saves herself from prison by opening up about who her father is and what happened
plot summary: Kelly Douglas is hiding in new york and is a television news reporter and when she covers a story in a park she sees a man who looks like the man who caused her to change her name and appearance and she almost faints and when her colleagues who do not know anything she tries to laugh it off especially when she realises its not the man who put her through broken bones and bruises and when she goes home that nigh she can hardly sleep and is plagued by nightmares of what that man had done to her. Kelly goes to work like normal and the day is soon over and she is invited to dinner by her co-worker who pretty much got her her job for her and he told her he would take her to dinner and so they went at around midnight and stayed out eating and talking till two A.M and when she got to her apartment door she thought of the lock she had put on her room door to protect herself against her abuser and he did not like it and it made him even more angry and she looked at the several locks on her door now and struggled to open the door and face her fears about locks on doors. When Kelly is asked to do a story about Napa Valley she tries to get out of it and almost gets fired but this job is her life so she takes the job and prepares to head home after years and when she recognises one of the people her father despises and really realises she has to spend time with the family who had caused her life in some ways to be the way it was she gets mad and scared especially when her father contacts him and threatens her with nothing she slowly looses her fear and saves herself from prison by opening up about who her father is and what happened
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2014
Meh.
It was a romance novel. The story line was based on wine-making and I'm not knowledgeable in the business of vintners. I did find some of the information about wines and the making of it, at times, interesting.
I did not find the story interesting. The emotional tug of abuse is possibly the only redeeming quality to this story. It's a tug that is undeniable. You feel for Miss Douglass from the moment that comes into play. The abuse portion of this story actually over-shadows the romance of it. Sure mom vs son. Grandson vs grandmother. Alcoholic father vs abused daughter. Media world vs rising star. There is a lot of antagonistic subplots within the many pages of this book but they all feel shallow. As does the budding romance between strong women and strong man.
Perhaps this is unsympathetic of me but there were times where I wanted to just smack everyone upside the head and tell them to stop being so selfish. EVERYONE. But, the story itself isn't a bad one. It's a good example of dog eat dog world with a decently researched wine background. The sex scenes are PG-13, the type of scenes my mom would like. A lot of innuendo with not a lot of details.
Not a book I stayed up late flipping the pages and yet not a book I yawned through.
Read more at Thrashdthoughts.com
It was a romance novel. The story line was based on wine-making and I'm not knowledgeable in the business of vintners. I did find some of the information about wines and the making of it, at times, interesting.
I did not find the story interesting. The emotional tug of abuse is possibly the only redeeming quality to this story. It's a tug that is undeniable. You feel for Miss Douglass from the moment that comes into play. The abuse portion of this story actually over-shadows the romance of it. Sure mom vs son. Grandson vs grandmother. Alcoholic father vs abused daughter. Media world vs rising star. There is a lot of antagonistic subplots within the many pages of this book but they all feel shallow. As does the budding romance between strong women and strong man.
Perhaps this is unsympathetic of me but there were times where I wanted to just smack everyone upside the head and tell them to stop being so selfish. EVERYONE. But, the story itself isn't a bad one. It's a good example of dog eat dog world with a decently researched wine background. The sex scenes are PG-13, the type of scenes my mom would like. A lot of innuendo with not a lot of details.
Not a book I stayed up late flipping the pages and yet not a book I yawned through.
Read more at Thrashdthoughts.com
April 1, 2015
A good story line which could have been explored more in depth. It seems more on the surface, and an unusual ending. That was a surprise as I have never seen a romantic novel without all rosy endings!
Thumps up for those who love suspense stories.
Thumps up for those who love suspense stories.
August 20, 2018
This is a romance novel, not my typical reading genre, that I found enjoyable because of the relationship conflicts, family secrets, the crime to be solved, and the alcoholism & child abuse that is the backstory of the main character. I think the author's writing was brisk. She kept the story moving and for the most part kept the reader (me) engaged. You can take your time to read this story over a few nights or read it quickly over a weekend. The conflicts that move the story along are between strong people, such as mother vs. son & brother vs. brother, etc., who have different goals and misperceptions. The author did a nice job in the her pacing, especially with the revealing of the backstories of the different characters. This kept up my interest in the story. I found the romance aspect of the the story less engaging. The relationship was obvious, enfolded as anticipated, and the sex scenes were well written with a lot left to the imagination, but I think it all stopped the flow of the story. I think the conflicts and characters in the story have sufficient power on their own that the romantic interludes were unnecessary to this novel. The main character's struggle in dealing with her alcoholic & abusive father was the strongest and more interesting plot line, a plot line that serves as a good advertisement for Al-Anon. One aspect that I liked in this novel was that the main male character was not the hero on the white horse who saves the woman. The woman deals with her problem(s) and stands tall. Also, there is the grandmother (whose imperfection is her perfection) who also changes.
September 8, 2023
Since Janet Dailey has been dead for some years now, I knew this book would have to be somewhat dated so I was expecting a certain amount of what you get. I will admit I have been somewhat disappointed in most the post Harlequin books and this one was no exception.
I thought characterizations were generally good, but I didn't get much chemistry between the two main characters as some others have stated. I think part of that goes with the time at which it was written. I enjoyed the parts about the wine industry but got bogged down by the flash-backs and felt the abrupt changes in time took away from the story line and might have been better handled by some other writing method. I realize life is tough for most people but there was a lot of emphasis on everyone's hang-ups which also got a little tiresome. With so much angst and malevolence between so many of the characters, it was a bit surprising to find out at the end from where the motivation for murder really came.
I do not regret reading this book, but don't find it worthy of a reread as I have some of her other books. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is not ready to deal with peek back at life in the 90's.
I thought characterizations were generally good, but I didn't get much chemistry between the two main characters as some others have stated. I think part of that goes with the time at which it was written. I enjoyed the parts about the wine industry but got bogged down by the flash-backs and felt the abrupt changes in time took away from the story line and might have been better handled by some other writing method. I realize life is tough for most people but there was a lot of emphasis on everyone's hang-ups which also got a little tiresome. With so much angst and malevolence between so many of the characters, it was a bit surprising to find out at the end from where the motivation for murder really came.
I do not regret reading this book, but don't find it worthy of a reread as I have some of her other books. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is not ready to deal with peek back at life in the 90's.
September 2, 2018
Kelly Douglas has worked hard as host of a primetime magazine show and has come a long way from her unhappy past. Kelly has changed her name and made her mark to become a successful woman. Kelly;s mother dies when she was 8 years old and her father physically and mentally abused her after her mother's death. Now Kelly returned to Napa Valley to do a story but is afraid her father will contact her and ruin her career. Kelly finds herself on the famous Rutledge Estate Winery property which is adjacent to the run down land her father lives on. When someone is found murdered on the property and Kelly';s father is suspected of the crime all hell breaks loose.
August 13, 2024
This book was written in 1993 and reads like an episode of the Love Boat.
Napa Valley winery run by the family for generations with secrets and scandals.
A small acreage is in arrears and the owner is trying to find ways to get money quick. He sees his estranged daughter on TV as an announcer and requests money. Their relationship is strained due to his drinking and abuse.
Weird family dynamics and odd ending.
Napa Valley winery run by the family for generations with secrets and scandals.
A small acreage is in arrears and the owner is trying to find ways to get money quick. He sees his estranged daughter on TV as an announcer and requests money. Their relationship is strained due to his drinking and abuse.
Weird family dynamics and odd ending.
November 14, 2018
A typical romance novel with a small mystery thrown in at the last minute. Weak character development and a lack of chemistry between the leads left me asking why they even liked each other??? It seemed the action was in hyper-drive so that each event quickly followed the previous one and created a somewhat choppy story-line. Not much to recommend this book.
August 23, 2023
Good read
Too many characters. Hard to follow without knowing each character.
Identifying characters was to vague in many instances..had to go back and reread on many occasions. However I did enjoy the book. And gave it 5 stars be ause it kept me on my toes.
Too many characters. Hard to follow without knowing each character.
Identifying characters was to vague in many instances..had to go back and reread on many occasions. However I did enjoy the book. And gave it 5 stars be ause it kept me on my toes.
November 7, 2025
Tangled & knotted!!
Beautifully written! I was hooked from the beginning. Couldn't put it down wanting to see what the vines would weave. Wish the story would continue with Sam & Kelly. One of the best books I've read in a long time. Love the writings of Janet Dailey.
Beautifully written! I was hooked from the beginning. Couldn't put it down wanting to see what the vines would weave. Wish the story would continue with Sam & Kelly. One of the best books I've read in a long time. Love the writings of Janet Dailey.
December 14, 2025
A captivating tale of grape growing and hardship, it drew me in from the very start. A true page-turner packed with fascinating insights into the grape industry and plenty of heartfelt moments to connect with. An excellent read!
August 25, 2019
No interesting
October 22, 2019
Only if the 500+ pager tome was little shorter.
Rest the story is okay, about a daughter escaping her past.
Rest the story is okay, about a daughter escaping her past.
October 15, 2020
Another excellent book by Janet Dailey.
December 31, 2020
Good plot. An unexpected guilty party.
January 9, 2021
There wasn’t a lot of emotion or impact to keep me interested in this book. I forced myself to keep reading but never felt a draw to find out what would happen next. Kind of boring.
November 4, 2021
Great mystery romance
August 16, 2022
Pretty boring, could have done so much more with this plot.
September 26, 2024
Liked this book. A lot of twists and turns. Good story line.
December 10, 2025
Dec 2025
March 2, 2015
Com Vinho e Sangue
Janet Dailey
Best Bolso
2014
Há autores que nunca vão te decepcionar, eles podem te surpreender, tirar seu fôlego e até te deixar indignado. Mas nunca vão te decepcionar. Janet Dailey faz parte do grupo seleto de autores que jamais vão te enganar, pois seus textos sempre serão dignos de pelos menos uma leitura.
Já no caso específico de Janet serão necessárias muitas vezes, pois uma única leitura não será o suficiente. Temos que voltar e voltar a ler para sentir aquele arrebatamento outra vez, sermos capturados pela sensação de bem estar pelo menos mais um vez e quem sabe dezenas de vezes....
Quer ler a resenha completa e muito mais, visite o blog Momentos da Fogui:
http://foguiii.blogspot.com.br/2015/0...
Janet Dailey
Best Bolso
2014
Há autores que nunca vão te decepcionar, eles podem te surpreender, tirar seu fôlego e até te deixar indignado. Mas nunca vão te decepcionar. Janet Dailey faz parte do grupo seleto de autores que jamais vão te enganar, pois seus textos sempre serão dignos de pelos menos uma leitura.
Já no caso específico de Janet serão necessárias muitas vezes, pois uma única leitura não será o suficiente. Temos que voltar e voltar a ler para sentir aquele arrebatamento outra vez, sermos capturados pela sensação de bem estar pelo menos mais um vez e quem sabe dezenas de vezes....
Quer ler a resenha completa e muito mais, visite o blog Momentos da Fogui:
http://foguiii.blogspot.com.br/2015/0...
February 14, 2025
A long time ago I read a few Janet Dailey's but they were a bit too traditional romantic novels for me. This one, "Masquerade", and "Silver Wings, Santiago Blues" I have to admit I did really enjoy reading (albeit 10 years ago). Would I try others by this author, probably not as my tastes have changed since then.
January 18, 2015
The book was very detailed, well thought out, and the plot line was, superb (couldn't think of another word). I liked the ending, though I wish it was a little bit different. Because, even though I liked it, I don't like it. It's just one of those things. But I'm am happy with the closure. And I will say again, the book was superb. Enjoy :)
January 2, 2011
A novel which perpetuates the good and bad figures but which also tells the history of wine making in Napa valley and France. Found this part of the book most interesting. The story line is the usual--evil vs good.
July 27, 2011
It appeared to have an awesome plot in the beginning... and the steam just rolled thickley up to the last 20 pages. Then it flopped. A huge let down. I was so disappointed in the ending. Oh well. It was a loaner from my mom.
March 28, 2015
I thought it might be better than it was. I was intrigued with the subject matter - wine vineyards but. …. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend someone should read it. It held my interest enough to get it finished. Gave it to the Corbit Caloway Library for their book sale.
June 29, 2015
Perhaps not in the mood for this novel. Caught my attention well enough to read to the entirety but not very suspensful. Story plots, both primary and secondaries, predictable. I have enjoyed other books by this same author far better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews