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Eight Hundred Grapes
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me comes a gripping family drama set in California's Sonoma hills.
There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…
Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.
But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.
Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…
There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…
Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.
But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.
Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2015
4852 people are currently reading
77883 people want to read
About the author
Laura Dave
19 books11.6k followersLaura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have sold more than six million copies and have been translated into thirty-eight languages. She resides in Santa Monica, California.
Her new novel, The First Time I Saw Him, will be released in January 2026
Website:www.lauradave.com
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lauradaveauthor
Her new novel, The First Time I Saw Him, will be released in January 2026
Website:www.lauradave.com
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lauradaveauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,624 reviews
September 11, 2019
Synchronization. Everything lines up like a sign of where you are supposed to be. But what do you give up? Because you give something up. As simple—and complicated—as the other line, the other way your life could have been if you had taken a different path.
Synchronization. Happens with reading, too. Sometimes a book lands itself in the hands of a reader who truly relishes the narrative journey. Times just like this. Eight Hundred Grapes and I met at the library by happenstance. An afternoon dedicated to perusing the myriad of possibilities, aligning this reader with a charming tale of love, family, and winemaking. A women’s fiction pick with an ode to life’s many choices, a touch of humor and did I mention, wine?
Witty and nuanced, Laura Dave’s style drew me in with little effort. Her combination of words, welcoming me into the heart of the Ford family and their multitude of secrets. Starting with Georgia.
Clad in her wedding dress, during the final fitting, Georgia makes a disheartening discovery about her fiancé, Ben. Something he’s purposely kept from her while navigating his feelings. A secret so life-altering, it warrants an impulsive nine-hour drive from L.A. to northern California. Seeking clarity, Georgia returns to her two constants, family and their winemaking at The Last Straw vineyard.
On the brink of one of the most important decisions of her life—bride to be or no longer—Georgia comes to find that every member of her family has issues of their own. Her parents are on the precipice of extreme change—in more ways than one—and for some unknown reason, her older twin brothers are at complete odds. Spelling drama and secrets galore for the Ford family.
While attempting to make headway through the family turmoil, Georgia unwittingly takes inventory of her own life. And faces the hard truth that we can get so caught up in living the life we think we want, we fail to recognize when we’re unhappy. Or unfulfilled. The same can be said about those around us. Each character, in their own right, proving disruption can be the catalyst for necessary change.
Much like a bottle of wine, Eight Hundred Grapes is composed of a variety of notes. Notes likely to leave a lasting impression on the palates of those readers who appreciate relatable women’s fiction.
Fellow Elin Hilderbrand fans, this one brought me back to holidays spent at the Winter Street Inn. Completely different plot lines, but a similar focus on family, drama, and life change.
*Thanks to the FCPL for the borrowed copy.
June 17, 2022
the type of book that is utterly forgettable yet delightfully bland and sunny. works pretty well when read on a sandy beach in the dead heat of summer.
May 22, 2015
Here's a drinking game for all you fun-loving wine drinkers out there: take a sip of wine every time you read the phrase, "I looked at him, confused", in the novel Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave. The pronouns of the sentence can change, ("I looked at her, confused"; "They looked at me, confused"; etc.) but I guarantee you will be pretty tipsy by the time you get through this.
I received this ARC through a promotion by Simon & Schuster listed through Shelf Awareness. I was pretty happy to get it since I thought it would be a nice recommendation for book clubs who like an excuse to drink some good wine during their discussions. Unfortunately, I won't be recommending this book to book clubs, unless the wine drinking is more important than actually reading the book. In fact, I would suggest skipping this book altogether and just drinking wine.
There is nothing horribly wrong with the novel, but all the little things that bothered me about it added up at the end, and left a bad taste in my mouth (much like cheap wine). First of all, there was that darned phrase, "I looked at him, confused", which was used way too often. Also, the story didn't flow very well, giving us situations that didn't make sense. Georgia catches her fiance in what she presumes is a lie, only to jump in her car and drive for hours and hours to her family's vineyard. She doesn't explain herself to anyone, just shows up in her wedding dress, and proceeds to refuse to speak to her fiance, and righteously lecture her parents and brothers for their own faults and failures.
Maybe she does this because her family is a bunch of wooden characters with no depth, or charisma. Her relationship with her mother especially seems awkwardly written, with their dialogue falling off the page like gravel. Georgia keeps saying her brother Finn is much more charming than her other brother, but I could not find any charm, in any of the characters throughout the book.
Another issue I had was with the ridiculous sentence fragments. Some authors can pull off sentence fragments, and some can't. Laura Dave is obviously one of those authors who can't. This didn't bother me too much at first, but by the end of the book, I was so frustrated with it. (The last few lines. Of this book. Nothing but fragments.) The more I read, the more I felt like I was reading a rough draft of a novel, or notes on how to improve it.
I was also frustrated by the lack of discussion about wine. I enjoyed reading the few bits of winemaking the author included in the plot, but I would have loved knowing more. Even better descriptions of the wines mentioned in the book would have been great. I love reading wine descriptions; they can be so imaginative, and I felt the author missed an opportunity to show us her writing prowess.
The awesome thing about this ARC was that it came with a piece of paper on which the author had chosen wines that she recommended drinking while reading certain parts of the book. I thought this was an AMAZING touch, and I really hope this information is included in the finished product. I wish the rest of the book had lived up to these wine recommendations, but sadly, it did not.
I received this ARC through a promotion by Simon & Schuster listed through Shelf Awareness. I was pretty happy to get it since I thought it would be a nice recommendation for book clubs who like an excuse to drink some good wine during their discussions. Unfortunately, I won't be recommending this book to book clubs, unless the wine drinking is more important than actually reading the book. In fact, I would suggest skipping this book altogether and just drinking wine.
There is nothing horribly wrong with the novel, but all the little things that bothered me about it added up at the end, and left a bad taste in my mouth (much like cheap wine). First of all, there was that darned phrase, "I looked at him, confused", which was used way too often. Also, the story didn't flow very well, giving us situations that didn't make sense. Georgia catches her fiance in what she presumes is a lie, only to jump in her car and drive for hours and hours to her family's vineyard. She doesn't explain herself to anyone, just shows up in her wedding dress, and proceeds to refuse to speak to her fiance, and righteously lecture her parents and brothers for their own faults and failures.
Maybe she does this because her family is a bunch of wooden characters with no depth, or charisma. Her relationship with her mother especially seems awkwardly written, with their dialogue falling off the page like gravel. Georgia keeps saying her brother Finn is much more charming than her other brother, but I could not find any charm, in any of the characters throughout the book.
Another issue I had was with the ridiculous sentence fragments. Some authors can pull off sentence fragments, and some can't. Laura Dave is obviously one of those authors who can't. This didn't bother me too much at first, but by the end of the book, I was so frustrated with it. (The last few lines. Of this book. Nothing but fragments.) The more I read, the more I felt like I was reading a rough draft of a novel, or notes on how to improve it.
I was also frustrated by the lack of discussion about wine. I enjoyed reading the few bits of winemaking the author included in the plot, but I would have loved knowing more. Even better descriptions of the wines mentioned in the book would have been great. I love reading wine descriptions; they can be so imaginative, and I felt the author missed an opportunity to show us her writing prowess.
The awesome thing about this ARC was that it came with a piece of paper on which the author had chosen wines that she recommended drinking while reading certain parts of the book. I thought this was an AMAZING touch, and I really hope this information is included in the finished product. I wish the rest of the book had lived up to these wine recommendations, but sadly, it did not.
June 2, 2015
You have to grow, mold, squish about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is.
Georgia Ford shows up at her parent's vineyard in her wedding gown.
She had been at her final fitting for the dress when her world was turned upside down. So she heads home.
Back at the winery she grew up at she realizes that after she left home to move to Los Angeles to practice law she didn't realize that her parents and brothers were changing.
They have their own sets of secrets.
And the family has became very different than the one she left.
It would be so easy to post unintentional spoilers for this book so I'm just going to show some wine loving.
This is a sweet book. I hope it does well. The author writes beautifully and I'd say it's a 3.75 star read for me.
My father had a theory that what was of equal importance to the wine you presented in your vintage was the wine you left out of the vintage. In winemaking, this was known as declassification. Declassifecation: a fancy word for what wines you were willing to throw out.
Georgia Ford shows up at her parent's vineyard in her wedding gown.
She had been at her final fitting for the dress when her world was turned upside down. So she heads home.
Back at the winery she grew up at she realizes that after she left home to move to Los Angeles to practice law she didn't realize that her parents and brothers were changing.
They have their own sets of secrets.
And the family has became very different than the one she left.
It would be so easy to post unintentional spoilers for this book so I'm just going to show some wine loving.
This is a sweet book. I hope it does well. The author writes beautifully and I'd say it's a 3.75 star read for me.
My father had a theory that what was of equal importance to the wine you presented in your vintage was the wine you left out of the vintage. In winemaking, this was known as declassification. Declassifecation: a fancy word for what wines you were willing to throw out.
September 29, 2015
Originally reviewed at Minnesota Reads.
For the past few months, I saw Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave highlighted everywhere. It was on lists of upcoming novels I shouldn’t miss. It was praised in publisher webinars as one of their great new books. It was marked as a to-read by thousands of people in Goodreads. Everywhere I turned I saw Eight Hundred Grapes, so I decided to check it out.
Eight Hundred Grapes was a predictable bore with a self-centered main character. It should be called My Eight Hundred Grapes, Mine, Mine.
The self-centered main character is Georgia Ford and we meet her as she’s on the run from her wedding dress fitting because she found out that her fiance was hiding something from her. Instead of confronting the situation, she runs to her family’s vineyard where she also uncovers some of their secrets. Ignoring everyone else’s feelings, she thinks about herself and how this all affects her. Her biggest selfishness is in her unwillingness to allow her parents to sell their vineyard. Brushing off their reasons why it would be good for them, she thinks about herself and why she doesn’t want them to sell a vineyard that she hasn’t visited for years. She’s such a self-righteous bitch to everyone around her, claiming she knows how they should run their lives while hers is falling apart.
It’s okay to hate a main character, but then I need strong minor characters around them, which we don’t get here. All the other characters are so dull and vacant, only there to be punching bags to Georgia’s rants. There are odd flashback chapters with Georgia’s parents when they were young and buying the vineyard, which were probably there to try to give them a bigger voice, but they seemed so out of place. Those chapters carried me out of the story and they occur at such random times. Had they been every other chapter, or had those chapters showcased some motivations for what was happening in the current story, then maybe they would’ve worked, but they seemed extremely unnecessary.
The story here is also not that gripping. It’s terribly predictable and we’ve seen it before. A bride runs away, close to the wedding, back to a family she hasn’t seen in awhile, and there is drama with a competing business, and the man heading up that competing business is good looking, and there is conflict between the runaway bride and the businessman, but the conflict can also be seen as sexual tension, but he’s an enemy to the family and she can’t do it, yadda, yadda, yadda. You’ve read this story before.
And don’t even get me started about the writing. There are a lot of sentence fragments in this book, sorta like the one I just used. But there. Are a lot. Of them. I like a good sentence fragment and I use them from time to time, but she uses copious amounts of them. They are used frequently, in many places where there really doesn’t need to be that much of an emphasis. I couldn’t get used to this style of writing in a book that didn’t really call for it.
I don’t understand the praise this book is receiving. To be fair, I don’t read a lot of books in this genre, but I think I can tell a good one from a bad one. This is not a good one.
For the past few months, I saw Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave highlighted everywhere. It was on lists of upcoming novels I shouldn’t miss. It was praised in publisher webinars as one of their great new books. It was marked as a to-read by thousands of people in Goodreads. Everywhere I turned I saw Eight Hundred Grapes, so I decided to check it out.
Eight Hundred Grapes was a predictable bore with a self-centered main character. It should be called My Eight Hundred Grapes, Mine, Mine.
The self-centered main character is Georgia Ford and we meet her as she’s on the run from her wedding dress fitting because she found out that her fiance was hiding something from her. Instead of confronting the situation, she runs to her family’s vineyard where she also uncovers some of their secrets. Ignoring everyone else’s feelings, she thinks about herself and how this all affects her. Her biggest selfishness is in her unwillingness to allow her parents to sell their vineyard. Brushing off their reasons why it would be good for them, she thinks about herself and why she doesn’t want them to sell a vineyard that she hasn’t visited for years. She’s such a self-righteous bitch to everyone around her, claiming she knows how they should run their lives while hers is falling apart.
It’s okay to hate a main character, but then I need strong minor characters around them, which we don’t get here. All the other characters are so dull and vacant, only there to be punching bags to Georgia’s rants. There are odd flashback chapters with Georgia’s parents when they were young and buying the vineyard, which were probably there to try to give them a bigger voice, but they seemed so out of place. Those chapters carried me out of the story and they occur at such random times. Had they been every other chapter, or had those chapters showcased some motivations for what was happening in the current story, then maybe they would’ve worked, but they seemed extremely unnecessary.
The story here is also not that gripping. It’s terribly predictable and we’ve seen it before. A bride runs away, close to the wedding, back to a family she hasn’t seen in awhile, and there is drama with a competing business, and the man heading up that competing business is good looking, and there is conflict between the runaway bride and the businessman, but the conflict can also be seen as sexual tension, but he’s an enemy to the family and she can’t do it, yadda, yadda, yadda. You’ve read this story before.
And don’t even get me started about the writing. There are a lot of sentence fragments in this book, sorta like the one I just used. But there. Are a lot. Of them. I like a good sentence fragment and I use them from time to time, but she uses copious amounts of them. They are used frequently, in many places where there really doesn’t need to be that much of an emphasis. I couldn’t get used to this style of writing in a book that didn’t really call for it.
I don’t understand the praise this book is receiving. To be fair, I don’t read a lot of books in this genre, but I think I can tell a good one from a bad one. This is not a good one.
October 31, 2020
The book starts out with a quote..You have to grow about 800 grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is..Anonymous
I love wine country, wine tasting, books with relatable characters and books with MESSY (imperfect) relationships!
This novel has all of that!
I opened a bottle of pinot noir, and read this book in one sitting.
Salut!🍷
I love wine country, wine tasting, books with relatable characters and books with MESSY (imperfect) relationships!
This novel has all of that!
I opened a bottle of pinot noir, and read this book in one sitting.
Salut!🍷
August 11, 2015
Why, why, why did I read the whole thing?
February 26, 2016
Miranda Lambert once sang about a house that built her entire being. Georgia Ford's life soundtrack could be summed up in that song, but it's more than a house, it's also a vineyard.
This book was a gem. I enjoyed every page and this family. I loved the Ford Family. They reminded me of mine in a way, except my parents were split and I had one sister and no brothers. The heart of this book reminded me of my own, we have a beautiful farm that has been in our family for 100 years and if my dad tried to sell it I would be selling my kidneys to buy it.
The characters were perfect for this book and I could literally picture this book as a movie in my head as I read it.
Georgia is a strong and resilient woman who thinks she knows what she wants but in the end her past catches up with her and I can understand why. My past, as hers, made me who I am. My family farm made me who I am as the vineyard does for her.
Such a magnificent read!
This book was a gem. I enjoyed every page and this family. I loved the Ford Family. They reminded me of mine in a way, except my parents were split and I had one sister and no brothers. The heart of this book reminded me of my own, we have a beautiful farm that has been in our family for 100 years and if my dad tried to sell it I would be selling my kidneys to buy it.
The characters were perfect for this book and I could literally picture this book as a movie in my head as I read it.
Georgia is a strong and resilient woman who thinks she knows what she wants but in the end her past catches up with her and I can understand why. My past, as hers, made me who I am. My family farm made me who I am as the vineyard does for her.
Such a magnificent read!
July 20, 2015
It really takes 800 grapes to make a bottle of wine! That’s pretty amazing and makes me appreciate grapes a 'whole bunch’ more. This story is light - nothing deep here; no complexity of characters, themes, plots or developments. Premise is love at the forefront, family winery at the backend and a whole lot of secrets, miscommunications and wine in between. I have to admit, I enjoyed it. Likeable characters with a likeable backdrop and who doesn’t like a little pinot noir with a story? I’m good with giving it 3.5 ★
August 24, 2015
82.5 points. Good: a solid, well-made book.
Grippy tannins, oh my. Pinot Noir is one of the main protagonists in our story. It is said to be a very transparent grape that can communicate the difference in terroir, or grape-growing environment, between adjacent plots of a vineyard. Of course I felt that drinking some while I read about the breakdowns in a family’s communications and love-lives in the midst of a vineyard and winery would be most beneficial to my appreciation of this complex blend. The Fords and their significant others have not been so transparent with one another and their relationships are fermenting. Bold and earthy, they are at times aggressively acidic and bitter on the tongue. Reading this book is educational as you learn about biodynamics, brix, a thief, and declassification. That last is a term used by the winemaker designating lots as unworthy and set aside for great deals at Trader Joe’s. It also applies to our non-grape protagonists as they try and figure out what and whom to hold on to and what to let go of. Note: the use of who or whom is more challenging the more grapes I consume.
The novel finished with wonderful clarity, leaving an impression of a vigorous, smooth, full-bodied blend with just a hint of chamomile. Probably best appreciated by a woman who loves wine rather than a man who loves beer, so decant a bottle and grab a glass in case you can’t drink all 800 grapes . May I suggest a Windward Vineyards Monopole Pino Noir paired with Paella or a spicy lentil curry before the main course of reading.
Salute!
Grippy tannins, oh my. Pinot Noir is one of the main protagonists in our story. It is said to be a very transparent grape that can communicate the difference in terroir, or grape-growing environment, between adjacent plots of a vineyard. Of course I felt that drinking some while I read about the breakdowns in a family’s communications and love-lives in the midst of a vineyard and winery would be most beneficial to my appreciation of this complex blend. The Fords and their significant others have not been so transparent with one another and their relationships are fermenting. Bold and earthy, they are at times aggressively acidic and bitter on the tongue. Reading this book is educational as you learn about biodynamics, brix, a thief, and declassification. That last is a term used by the winemaker designating lots as unworthy and set aside for great deals at Trader Joe’s. It also applies to our non-grape protagonists as they try and figure out what and whom to hold on to and what to let go of. Note: the use of who or whom is more challenging the more grapes I consume.
The novel finished with wonderful clarity, leaving an impression of a vigorous, smooth, full-bodied blend with just a hint of chamomile. Probably best appreciated by a woman who loves wine rather than a man who loves beer, so decant a bottle and grab a glass in case you can’t drink all 800 grapes . May I suggest a Windward Vineyards Monopole Pino Noir paired with Paella or a spicy lentil curry before the main course of reading.
Salute!
May 18, 2019
I did not know it was humanly possible to despise every damn character in a book that is not written by Gillian Flynn. Seriously. I want someone to put together a freaking pie chart to show most despised characters and see if one particular author manages to somehow cause the reader to hate every single person that they read about.
I have always wanted to go to California and go vineyard hopping. This book has turned me off of doing that anytime soon.
Georgia Ford pulls a runner the week before her wedding because she discovers something super explosive about her fiancee (yeah when we get to the reveal I was disappointed, and then annoyed by all parties).
Georgia goes home to her family vineyard and finds out that her mother is apparently falling or fallen in love with someone else, her father is selling the vineyard, and her two brothers are acting weirdly around one another.
Georgia thinks she knows what is best for everyone though you tell her to her face she doesn't know. She psychoanalyzes all people who come across her and does so badly. She backpedals on everything in her life and her constant justifications for why she does certain things are just in a word, stupid. She even gets involved in trying to stop her family from selling the vineyard because she thinks she knows what her parents need. Sigh.
Other characters in the book don't fare any better. Georgia's fiancee proves he is stupid for not telling Georgia something she needed to know.
Georgia's mother is going around giving advice, though she is embroiled in an almost affair (yeah thanks for the advice). Her father is no help. She has her one brother being a totally shitty brother to the other, and her other brother who is clueless to what is going on around him.
Of course the book throws in a love interest and blah. Double blah. It was pointless since you knew what was going to happen so why even read to the end.
Secondary characters are not well developed, and I thought that the author just dropped way too many storylines that she should have developed a lot more.
The book decided to go from Georgia's perspective to revisiting Georgia's father's first foray into making wine and how he met his wife and there ups and downs through the years. It made the book drag on so long, I started skimming those sections because they added nothing to the book.
The setting of the the vineyard was totally lost on me. I didn't get any type of excitement from Georgia about making wine or the smell of the Earth, the grapes, how things taste after the sun has been shining on them. All this book made me do is long for "Under the Tuscan Sun" where the author does a better job of describing wine and the taste of grapes, and cheese, and crackers and everything else you can eat along with wine.
The ending was a hot mess of a joke. Things get wrapped up quickly and I guess we get a happy ending.
I have always wanted to go to California and go vineyard hopping. This book has turned me off of doing that anytime soon.
Georgia Ford pulls a runner the week before her wedding because she discovers something super explosive about her fiancee (yeah when we get to the reveal I was disappointed, and then annoyed by all parties).
Georgia goes home to her family vineyard and finds out that her mother is apparently falling or fallen in love with someone else, her father is selling the vineyard, and her two brothers are acting weirdly around one another.
Georgia thinks she knows what is best for everyone though you tell her to her face she doesn't know. She psychoanalyzes all people who come across her and does so badly. She backpedals on everything in her life and her constant justifications for why she does certain things are just in a word, stupid. She even gets involved in trying to stop her family from selling the vineyard because she thinks she knows what her parents need. Sigh.
Other characters in the book don't fare any better. Georgia's fiancee proves he is stupid for not telling Georgia something she needed to know.
Georgia's mother is going around giving advice, though she is embroiled in an almost affair (yeah thanks for the advice). Her father is no help. She has her one brother being a totally shitty brother to the other, and her other brother who is clueless to what is going on around him.
Of course the book throws in a love interest and blah. Double blah. It was pointless since you knew what was going to happen so why even read to the end.
Secondary characters are not well developed, and I thought that the author just dropped way too many storylines that she should have developed a lot more.
The book decided to go from Georgia's perspective to revisiting Georgia's father's first foray into making wine and how he met his wife and there ups and downs through the years. It made the book drag on so long, I started skimming those sections because they added nothing to the book.
The setting of the the vineyard was totally lost on me. I didn't get any type of excitement from Georgia about making wine or the smell of the Earth, the grapes, how things taste after the sun has been shining on them. All this book made me do is long for "Under the Tuscan Sun" where the author does a better job of describing wine and the taste of grapes, and cheese, and crackers and everything else you can eat along with wine.
The ending was a hot mess of a joke. Things get wrapped up quickly and I guess we get a happy ending.
November 23, 2022
[2.5] Lots of tasty wine and winemaking kept me reading this thinly plotted book. Neither Georgia (nor her mother) can figure out who they love until the end. And by then, I didn't care.
August 7, 2015
I am honestly not sure how to review this book because I was a bit underwhelmed with it. I didn’t have any strong feelings about it one way or the other. The book starts with Georgia running out on her wedding dress fitting when she discovers a secret her fiancé was hiding. Yeah, she didn't run out on her wedding. She ran out on a fitting. I guess that was the excuse for why she showed up at her brother's bar in a wedding dress. The secret was that her fiancé had a child and never told her. This isn't really a spoiler because the reader is informed of this within the first chapter. He didn't cheat on Georgia; he just found out about the child shortly after they became engaged and never told her. I didn't understand why she didn't stick around to at least hear an explanation. She saw him with his child and then took off. Yes, it was a major red flag that he lied to her. But here's my issue with Georgia: she sat around twiddling her thumbs about a decision regarding their future despite the fact that their wedding was five days away. She basically ran away and refused to talk to him. And when he did show up at her family's place, she heard the explanation and then refused to make a decision about whether she actually wanted to marry him. At this point, I didn't even care whether she married Ben or not. Just make a decision already. But no, she just let everyone continue making her wedding plans around her while acting like she didn't know what she wanted to do. I did not care about Ben one way or the other. He seemed wishy washy and spineless. And he was a liar, so that was that. Of course Georgia kept being surprised when she found out about another lie. Come on Georgia . . . wake up! Okay, I guess I did have some strong feelings about this book. I kind of hated Georgia's indecisiveness.
The book also had chapters from Dan's POV (Georgia's father). These chapters went back to the very beginning, when he first started the vineyard. His chapters talked about the problems they had, both with the vineyard and with their marriage. I found myself so bored with those chapters. I even skimmed them a little. I also did not care about the problems with Georgia's parents' marriage or the problems between her brothers. There was no character at all that stood out for me. I feel like a black sheep because I have seen so many rave reviews about this book. But I just didn't get it.
The book also had chapters from Dan's POV (Georgia's father). These chapters went back to the very beginning, when he first started the vineyard. His chapters talked about the problems they had, both with the vineyard and with their marriage. I found myself so bored with those chapters. I even skimmed them a little. I also did not care about the problems with Georgia's parents' marriage or the problems between her brothers. There was no character at all that stood out for me. I feel like a black sheep because I have seen so many rave reviews about this book. But I just didn't get it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2024
Do you like wine? I know, silly question, right?
Well, this is a story about wine.
Well a story about people who make wine.
A relationship story.
A story about the land.
About grapes.
About the people.
About finding themselves.
So, if you love wine country, wine tasting, books with relatable characters and books with messy (imperfect) relationships, this might be the book for you.
And of course, maybe you should open a bottle of pinot noir while you are reading it!
Well, this is a story about wine.
Well a story about people who make wine.
A relationship story.
A story about the land.
About grapes.
About the people.
About finding themselves.
So, if you love wine country, wine tasting, books with relatable characters and books with messy (imperfect) relationships, this might be the book for you.
And of course, maybe you should open a bottle of pinot noir while you are reading it!
May 10, 2016
*minor edits, some stuff was messed up haha*
4.5 stars rounded up :)
Wasn't that the gift of a home? You looked at it the same way, but then when you needed it to, it showed you all over again the many ways you'd been during the time you had been living there. The many ways it brought you back to yourself. The many ways it still brought you back to yourself.
A lovely book that pulls you into the characters and the scenery... it's easy to fall in love here thanks to the wonderful writing setting the stage for everything.
This sort of sums up the story better than me:
"Synchronization, my father would say. This was a very big word for him. Synchronization: The coordination of events to operate in union. A conductor managing to keep his orchestra in time. The impossible meeting of light reflection and time exposure that leads to a perfect photograph. Two yellow bugs parked in front of Lincoln Center at the same time, the love of your life in one of them."
The story starts with one event that leads to Georgia coming back home to her family's vineyard. She's just found out as startling/explosive secret her fiance has kept from her.
His isn't the only secret though, her family each has their own as well.
I was captivated by this right away, and it was very hard to put down. This family has their problems and issues but they are devoted to one another.
Sometimes I was rolling my eyes at how stubborn Georgia was, but I knew she had to get there on her own. Which she does in her own way, even if it takes her awhile to see clearly :).
It's one of those 'steady' sorts of novels, not moving fast or slow but at the right pace for the characters and the story. Georgia's/Miss Dave's descriptions of the place made me feel like I was really there, fell in love with Dan and Jen's place and with what they build there.
I sensed what Ben's conflict was before Georgia did, crossing my fingers for them to make the best decision for everyone.
The ending left me with a smile on my face as well :).
Would recommend, not a novel for everyone methinks but it was very enjoyable.
Well done Miss Dave!
A great review of the book here: Bonnie's review
4.5 stars rounded up :)
Wasn't that the gift of a home? You looked at it the same way, but then when you needed it to, it showed you all over again the many ways you'd been during the time you had been living there. The many ways it brought you back to yourself. The many ways it still brought you back to yourself.
A lovely book that pulls you into the characters and the scenery... it's easy to fall in love here thanks to the wonderful writing setting the stage for everything.
This sort of sums up the story better than me:
"Synchronization, my father would say. This was a very big word for him. Synchronization: The coordination of events to operate in union. A conductor managing to keep his orchestra in time. The impossible meeting of light reflection and time exposure that leads to a perfect photograph. Two yellow bugs parked in front of Lincoln Center at the same time, the love of your life in one of them."
The story starts with one event that leads to Georgia coming back home to her family's vineyard. She's just found out as startling/explosive secret her fiance has kept from her.
His isn't the only secret though, her family each has their own as well.
I was captivated by this right away, and it was very hard to put down. This family has their problems and issues but they are devoted to one another.
Sometimes I was rolling my eyes at how stubborn Georgia was, but I knew she had to get there on her own. Which she does in her own way, even if it takes her awhile to see clearly :).
It's one of those 'steady' sorts of novels, not moving fast or slow but at the right pace for the characters and the story. Georgia's/Miss Dave's descriptions of the place made me feel like I was really there, fell in love with Dan and Jen's place and with what they build there.
I sensed what Ben's conflict was before Georgia did, crossing my fingers for them to make the best decision for everyone.
The ending left me with a smile on my face as well :).
Would recommend, not a novel for everyone methinks but it was very enjoyable.
Well done Miss Dave!
A great review of the book here: Bonnie's review
November 19, 2021
I just read another book by this author and enjoyed it. So if this book was not your cup of tea, don’t let that keep you from reading her other books.
********
2 1/2 stars
I suspect the winery background is what got this book a lot of hype, but to me, this was just another chick lit and not even one of its better ones.
The annoying main character has no idea where she wants to live, what she wants to do, or who she wants to spend her life with, yet she goes around judging and interfering in her family's life. She storms into another winery, accusing them of stealing her family's business. I suppose this is supposed to be the chick lit version of "meet cute", but it's just stupid and annoying. Every time Georgia runs into a certain guy, she's making a colossal idiot of herself. Cringeworthy.
********
2 1/2 stars
I suspect the winery background is what got this book a lot of hype, but to me, this was just another chick lit and not even one of its better ones.
The annoying main character has no idea where she wants to live, what she wants to do, or who she wants to spend her life with, yet she goes around judging and interfering in her family's life. She storms into another winery, accusing them of stealing her family's business. I suppose this is supposed to be the chick lit version of "meet cute", but it's just stupid and annoying. Every time Georgia runs into a certain guy, she's making a colossal idiot of herself. Cringeworthy.
April 27, 2025
"Eight Hundred Grapes" is a dreamy novel set against the backdrop of a beautiful vineyard, where the charm of the land contrasts with the very real, very messy lives of the people tied to it. It's a story about flawed, lovable characters grappling with the complexities of family, love, and identity.
At its heart, this book is about wanting the best for the people you love—wanting them to see their own potential before they make the wrong choices. But it’s also about realizing that sometimes you have to let go, to allow people (and yourself) the space to figure out what they truly want and need — especially when life doesn't go the way you planned.
The relationships here aren't tidy; they’re full of imperfections, miscommunications, and deep emotional truths. And that's what makes them feel so authentic. It’s a delightful, heartfelt exploration of family bonds, personal dreams, and the land that ties them all together.
At its heart, this book is about wanting the best for the people you love—wanting them to see their own potential before they make the wrong choices. But it’s also about realizing that sometimes you have to let go, to allow people (and yourself) the space to figure out what they truly want and need — especially when life doesn't go the way you planned.
The relationships here aren't tidy; they’re full of imperfections, miscommunications, and deep emotional truths. And that's what makes them feel so authentic. It’s a delightful, heartfelt exploration of family bonds, personal dreams, and the land that ties them all together.
July 10, 2017
‘Synchronization. Systems operating with all their parts in synchrony, said to be synchronous, or in sync. The interrelationship of things that might normally exist separately.
In physics: It’s called simultaneity. In music: rhythm.
In your life: epic failure.’
A mere week before Georgia is set to marry, when she’s in the middle of her final dress fitting, she sees something on the street that leaves her questioning everything about life and relationship. Incapable of any rational thinking, she gets in her car still clad in her wedding gown and drives to her childhood home seeking solace. Unfortunately, her arrival is unexpected and she discovers things at home are also complicated making her feel yet again that she has no idea what has been going on around her and she has no idea how to even begin to handle it all.
Eight Hundred Grapes takes you straight into the heart of wine country: Sebastopol, CA in Sonoma County. Dave impeccably describes the rolling green hills, the winding roads and the foggy mornings before the sun breaks through. If you’ve ever been there personally, her detailed descriptions will successfully dredge up all of your memories of this beautiful place.
The detailed descriptions also extend to the multi-faceted characters that grace these pages. Georgia was an incredible character that had an admirable relationship with her parents, especially her father, that was really quite touching. The way she managed to face a whole slew of personal drama was done in a way that can not only be understood but appreciated. Grapes might at first seem like your typical family drama but it has a definite quality and character to it that was most appealing with writing that did an incredible job in perfectly describing feelings that can so often be difficult to convey in words. This story really snuck up on me in terms of feeling and emotion; I wasn’t expecting to become as involved in the outcome of the characters as much as I did but Dave’s writing and sense of normalcy really pull you into the story.
‘Wasn’t that the gift of a home? You looked at it the same way, but then when you needed it to, it showed you all over again the many ways you’d been during the time that you had been living there. The many ways it had brought you back to yourself. The many ways it still brought you back to yourself.’
Eight Hundred Grapes is a poignant tale of learning to deal with the imperfections of life, about listening to your heart and the significance of having somewhere you can truly call home.
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In physics: It’s called simultaneity. In music: rhythm.
In your life: epic failure.’
A mere week before Georgia is set to marry, when she’s in the middle of her final dress fitting, she sees something on the street that leaves her questioning everything about life and relationship. Incapable of any rational thinking, she gets in her car still clad in her wedding gown and drives to her childhood home seeking solace. Unfortunately, her arrival is unexpected and she discovers things at home are also complicated making her feel yet again that she has no idea what has been going on around her and she has no idea how to even begin to handle it all.
Eight Hundred Grapes takes you straight into the heart of wine country: Sebastopol, CA in Sonoma County. Dave impeccably describes the rolling green hills, the winding roads and the foggy mornings before the sun breaks through. If you’ve ever been there personally, her detailed descriptions will successfully dredge up all of your memories of this beautiful place.
The detailed descriptions also extend to the multi-faceted characters that grace these pages. Georgia was an incredible character that had an admirable relationship with her parents, especially her father, that was really quite touching. The way she managed to face a whole slew of personal drama was done in a way that can not only be understood but appreciated. Grapes might at first seem like your typical family drama but it has a definite quality and character to it that was most appealing with writing that did an incredible job in perfectly describing feelings that can so often be difficult to convey in words. This story really snuck up on me in terms of feeling and emotion; I wasn’t expecting to become as involved in the outcome of the characters as much as I did but Dave’s writing and sense of normalcy really pull you into the story.
‘Wasn’t that the gift of a home? You looked at it the same way, but then when you needed it to, it showed you all over again the many ways you’d been during the time that you had been living there. The many ways it had brought you back to yourself. The many ways it still brought you back to yourself.’
Eight Hundred Grapes is a poignant tale of learning to deal with the imperfections of life, about listening to your heart and the significance of having somewhere you can truly call home.
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
May 26, 2015
"I stopped paying attention to her. I stopped doing the things that someone does for the person he loves. Because I was tired. Because other things always seems to matter a little bit more...That doesn't happen overnight, you know. It happens slowly. You should be careful of that. You should be careful not to take the person you love for granted. Not only because they'll notice. But you'll notice too. You'll think it means something it doesn't...Like that's how much you care."
This book was an absolute delight! Georgia is set to marry Ben in one week at her parent's vineyard in Sonoma when she she finds out Ben has been withholding some vital information from her. She returns to the vineyard and the comfort of her brothers and parents to learn that that all isn't exactly well on the home front, either. While this could be fodder for a silly rom-com, Laura Dave gives readers a complex novel about human relationships -- when to forgive, when to start over, when to change your mind, and when to stand firm.
Pour yourself a glass of your favorite artisanal wine and enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an absolute delight! Georgia is set to marry Ben in one week at her parent's vineyard in Sonoma when she she finds out Ben has been withholding some vital information from her. She returns to the vineyard and the comfort of her brothers and parents to learn that that all isn't exactly well on the home front, either. While this could be fodder for a silly rom-com, Laura Dave gives readers a complex novel about human relationships -- when to forgive, when to start over, when to change your mind, and when to stand firm.
Pour yourself a glass of your favorite artisanal wine and enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2022
I had a lot of "heavy" books on my currently reading pile and needed som light slightly fluffy read. This seemed like a good story. Even if wine is usually something i stay away from in books along with many others. But I decided that I needed to branch out my comfort zone a bit and I was delighted with the read. A very easy story to get engrossed with and absolutely what I needed with my head full of thoughts.
November 22, 2015
Puke. Seriously, just ... ugh. I may have been more tolerant of this book if I'd read it at a different time, but right now, even in the mood for something beachy, I wanted to throw it out the window. It is a book about the whitest white people problems. Absolutely the most first world problems ever. It felt like I was reading about the perfect lives in those Sweet Valley High books from when I was in middle school, except set on a vineyard in Sonoma, and all those gorgeous people have grown up into accomplished lawyers and architects - oh, and they're all under 25 years old. You've read this book before a hundred times over. Absolutely predictable, and a complete waste of time.
February 20, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded up
I've had this book on my bookshelf for a while now, having bought it for very cheap at BooksaMillion, for no reason other than that I loved the cover. But it takes a bit for me to be in the mood for a fluffy chic-lit. A couple of days ago, after having my heart torn out of my chest (then replaced, then torn out again...several times) by the Red Rising series, this book and it's beautiful cover immediately caught my eye. Just what I needed, a silly rom-com esque book to make me fill all happy on the inside.
Boy, was I in for a surprise. Sure, this novel was cute, in it's way, but there was much more to it than that.
"You have to grow about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is."
Thirty year old Georgia is set to get married in just one week. She is at her final dress fitting, feeling so immensely happy, when she discovers that her fiance has been keeping quite a bombshell of a secret. Unsure of what to do with this newfound information, she flees, unhemmed dress and all, to her family's vineyard in Sonoma County.
She goes there expecting to find comfort in the familiar and in her family. Only her fiance isn't the only one with secrets floating around. Things aren't what they seem with anyone in her family anymore.
As I said, I was expecting something as light and fluffy as cotton candy, but what I got was much more complex than that. The author did a superb job conveying all the ugliness and happiness that revolves around a family. I also learned a thing or two about wine making, as the vineyard was as much a part of this story as the characters. The ending was nice, hopeful. I can see myself checking out some of Laura Dave's other novels in the future.
"You don't give up on a family. Not without trying to put it back together."
I've had this book on my bookshelf for a while now, having bought it for very cheap at BooksaMillion, for no reason other than that I loved the cover. But it takes a bit for me to be in the mood for a fluffy chic-lit. A couple of days ago, after having my heart torn out of my chest (then replaced, then torn out again...several times) by the Red Rising series, this book and it's beautiful cover immediately caught my eye. Just what I needed, a silly rom-com esque book to make me fill all happy on the inside.
Boy, was I in for a surprise. Sure, this novel was cute, in it's way, but there was much more to it than that.
"You have to grow about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is."
Thirty year old Georgia is set to get married in just one week. She is at her final dress fitting, feeling so immensely happy, when she discovers that her fiance has been keeping quite a bombshell of a secret. Unsure of what to do with this newfound information, she flees, unhemmed dress and all, to her family's vineyard in Sonoma County.
She goes there expecting to find comfort in the familiar and in her family. Only her fiance isn't the only one with secrets floating around. Things aren't what they seem with anyone in her family anymore.
As I said, I was expecting something as light and fluffy as cotton candy, but what I got was much more complex than that. The author did a superb job conveying all the ugliness and happiness that revolves around a family. I also learned a thing or two about wine making, as the vineyard was as much a part of this story as the characters. The ending was nice, hopeful. I can see myself checking out some of Laura Dave's other novels in the future.
"You don't give up on a family. Not without trying to put it back together."
June 4, 2015
"You have to grow, mold, squish about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is."
You had me at WINE.
Once in awhile, the perfect book at the perfect moment comes along and it's a beautiful thing. When I saw that Laura Dave had a new book releasing soon, and that it was available on Netgalley, and that it was ABOUT WINE, I jumped at the chance to read it. Her previous novel, The First Husband, is one of my favorite books, so my expectations were high on this one.
I'm thrilled to say that I loved every single minute of this book. Dave's writing is beautiful and once I started reading, I didn't want the book to end.
Right before her wedding is to take place, Georgia finds out her future husband is keeping a big secret from her. In order to get her mind straight, she goes back home, to her family's vineyard, only to find her normally stable family is falling apart and going through their own problems. More secrets start to unravel, and Georgia, who is normally the 'fixer' of the family, is finding out that she can't control any of it, no matter how hard she tries.
"You don't give up on a family. Not without trying to put it back together."
I loved the family dynamics and watching all of the stories unfold between her parents and her brothers. I found that her family was really interesting and likable, and I was hoping for a good outcome for everyone in the end. I even loved the flashbacks to the earlier days of her parents courtship, and how the vineyard came to be. Mostly, it was my investment in Georgia and the decision she had to make in the end that had me anxiously flying through the pages.
And because I love wine, I really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of how a vineyard/winery is run. It was fascinating to me, and added so much more to the story that made it even more enjoyable. Not to mention, their signature wine is a Pinot Noir, and that is my absolute favorite. Yeah, I was definitely hooked from that moment on.
I found myself highlighting a lot of passages in this book, which I don't do very often. Most of them are just common sense reminders, but I love seeing them built into a story I adore.
"Most of the time a person wants something more than anything else. You can tell because at the end of the day that's what they're willing to fight for."
"You should be careful not to take the person you love for granted."
"You couldn't always work so hard to fix it. Even if things didn't always go the way they should, sometimes they went exactly where they needed to."
Realistic with the perfect amount of family drama and a touch of romance that makes for a great summer read!
You had me at WINE.
Once in awhile, the perfect book at the perfect moment comes along and it's a beautiful thing. When I saw that Laura Dave had a new book releasing soon, and that it was available on Netgalley, and that it was ABOUT WINE, I jumped at the chance to read it. Her previous novel, The First Husband, is one of my favorite books, so my expectations were high on this one.
I'm thrilled to say that I loved every single minute of this book. Dave's writing is beautiful and once I started reading, I didn't want the book to end.
Right before her wedding is to take place, Georgia finds out her future husband is keeping a big secret from her. In order to get her mind straight, she goes back home, to her family's vineyard, only to find her normally stable family is falling apart and going through their own problems. More secrets start to unravel, and Georgia, who is normally the 'fixer' of the family, is finding out that she can't control any of it, no matter how hard she tries.
"You don't give up on a family. Not without trying to put it back together."
I loved the family dynamics and watching all of the stories unfold between her parents and her brothers. I found that her family was really interesting and likable, and I was hoping for a good outcome for everyone in the end. I even loved the flashbacks to the earlier days of her parents courtship, and how the vineyard came to be. Mostly, it was my investment in Georgia and the decision she had to make in the end that had me anxiously flying through the pages.
And because I love wine, I really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of how a vineyard/winery is run. It was fascinating to me, and added so much more to the story that made it even more enjoyable. Not to mention, their signature wine is a Pinot Noir, and that is my absolute favorite. Yeah, I was definitely hooked from that moment on.
I found myself highlighting a lot of passages in this book, which I don't do very often. Most of them are just common sense reminders, but I love seeing them built into a story I adore.
"Most of the time a person wants something more than anything else. You can tell because at the end of the day that's what they're willing to fight for."
"You should be careful not to take the person you love for granted."
"You couldn't always work so hard to fix it. Even if things didn't always go the way they should, sometimes they went exactly where they needed to."
Realistic with the perfect amount of family drama and a touch of romance that makes for a great summer read!
January 18, 2018
❝You have to grow about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what is. - Anonymous❞
My best friend gave me this book because she knows I love wine. That's enough of a reason! It's the story of soon-to-be-wed (maybe?) Georgia and her wine-making family going through changes in Sonoma County, California.
The bulk of the story is about decision and indecision. Coming to that point in your life where something happens to knock you off your rails and you have to make a decision to move forward or move... away. Georgia ends up facing more than one of those life-altering moments at one time and the people that she usually depends on to help her through tough decisions - her family - just happen to be the cause of all her problems this time around. And everyone's leaving some major decisions up to her. No pressure.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fresh, engaging, and well-paced. It was romantic, but not cheesy or over-sexualized. It had the perfect balance of all the things that make for a good story. Laura Dave does an excellent job of not leading us to any foregone conclusions and she writes in such a way that we end up caring about what happens to each character. That's not an easy feat with such a large cast. But she pulls it off.
A solid 4.5 stars. This is my first Laura Dave book, but I hope it won't be my last. I may have just found a new author for my "faves" list.
My best friend gave me this book because she knows I love wine. That's enough of a reason! It's the story of soon-to-be-wed (maybe?) Georgia and her wine-making family going through changes in Sonoma County, California.
The bulk of the story is about decision and indecision. Coming to that point in your life where something happens to knock you off your rails and you have to make a decision to move forward or move... away. Georgia ends up facing more than one of those life-altering moments at one time and the people that she usually depends on to help her through tough decisions - her family - just happen to be the cause of all her problems this time around. And everyone's leaving some major decisions up to her. No pressure.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fresh, engaging, and well-paced. It was romantic, but not cheesy or over-sexualized. It had the perfect balance of all the things that make for a good story. Laura Dave does an excellent job of not leading us to any foregone conclusions and she writes in such a way that we end up caring about what happens to each character. That's not an easy feat with such a large cast. But she pulls it off.
A solid 4.5 stars. This is my first Laura Dave book, but I hope it won't be my last. I may have just found a new author for my "faves" list.
June 27, 2015
Quick, light read about family drama at a vineyard. Perfect between heavy reads or if you like chic-lit. I loved the main character and I found that it flowed very well.
dnf
June 17, 2015I won this ARC via Shelf Awareness and was happy to get it, which is why it pains me to say that everything about this book is stupid. Plus, there's very little in it about wine--it could have taken place anywhere, about any family business. I won't rate this since I only made it about a third of the way through, but I am for sure not wasting any more time on it. I hope whoever picks it up from the lobby of my building likes it more than I did.
April 21, 2021
(There are spoilers in this review) I really enjoyed the discussion of winemaking and the growth of Sonoma County and related to abandoning a growing legal career (I did the same.) In the end though, this was a pretty pedestrian tale of a woman with few real problems who turns every choice and issue into her personal melodrama. Two amazing guys are interested in me what shall I do?! My boyfriend had a secret baby with a movie star (?!?) conceived before he ever met me and waited a few months to tell me! His whole life changed, but I will never ask him how he is doing because clearly this is all about me. My parents are splitting up and though I am an adult with my own floundering relationship I still make this all about me and show no concern at all about this monumental event in their lives! My parents sold our home and family business and though I am an adult with a home and a job I still make this all about me. I will never ask them how they are doing because why should I care?! My brothers are in a serious fight, and I can make this all about me as well! Who cares if their relationship disintegrates, what matters is that I feel embarrassed in front of others. This is why I don't read chick lit, the protagonists are always so self involved, their vision so small, I can never seem to care how their lives turn out.
January 31, 2019
1.5 stars - I didn't like it.
In full disclosure, this book was not for me. On my last cross-country flight there was a toddler that would not stop screaming, for the entire 6.5 hour duration. Not crying, screaming. So while I quickly knew this book was not for me just a chapter or two into the audiobook, it was preferred to having my ears assaulted. It was also the only one I had downloaded on my device, and so I soldiered on. At the end of the flight, I was around 48% through and shocker, it still wasn’t for me, so it was DNF’d.
I really enjoyed the author's writing and would not hesitate to read a book by her in the future, if the plotline is appealing. It is regrettable that the synopsis does not reveal the nature of the fiance’s “big secret”, especially as it is revealed practically at the very beginning of the book. Being more accurate would allow for more applicable reader attraction. Instead it misleadingly taunts the “big secret” like it would be a suspenseful build. (It's not. So not.) Had it been more descriptive, I would have never chosen it and wouldn’t be here now, writing a less than stellar review. But here we are.
So I included my own synopsis here for those that, like me, have a decade’s long TBR list and could use the extra screening to narrow down your next book. It's only spoiler-ish for about the first 10% of the book.
The fiance's secret:
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: Maybe that was just childhood? You hurry up, pick the opposite path, try to make childhood end. Then, as an adult, you have no idea why you were running away. What, exactly, you needed so desperately to get away from.
First Sentence: My father has this great story about the day he met my mother, a story he never gets sick of telling.
In full disclosure, this book was not for me. On my last cross-country flight there was a toddler that would not stop screaming, for the entire 6.5 hour duration. Not crying, screaming. So while I quickly knew this book was not for me just a chapter or two into the audiobook, it was preferred to having my ears assaulted. It was also the only one I had downloaded on my device, and so I soldiered on. At the end of the flight, I was around 48% through and shocker, it still wasn’t for me, so it was DNF’d.
I really enjoyed the author's writing and would not hesitate to read a book by her in the future, if the plotline is appealing. It is regrettable that the synopsis does not reveal the nature of the fiance’s “big secret”, especially as it is revealed practically at the very beginning of the book. Being more accurate would allow for more applicable reader attraction. Instead it misleadingly taunts the “big secret” like it would be a suspenseful build. (It's not. So not.) Had it been more descriptive, I would have never chosen it and wouldn’t be here now, writing a less than stellar review. But here we are.
So I included my own synopsis here for those that, like me, have a decade’s long TBR list and could use the extra screening to narrow down your next book. It's only spoiler-ish for about the first 10% of the book.
The fiance's secret:
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: Maybe that was just childhood? You hurry up, pick the opposite path, try to make childhood end. Then, as an adult, you have no idea why you were running away. What, exactly, you needed so desperately to get away from.
First Sentence: My father has this great story about the day he met my mother, a story he never gets sick of telling.
August 6, 2015
Surprisingly great!
There are many things I loved about this novel. First of all, it's simply a perfect summer read. I loved how it's written and the flashbacks that help understanding the story. It's fluent and it made me want to continue reading, just as it should.
I loved the family in this novel. While there are many things going wrong with it, they all love each other deeply and they care about their family, which was really touching. Growing up isn't easy, and there are things you wish you didn't have to do, but in they end, they all managed to make something good out of their situation and be positive about their future. Since there's three children in this family and they all have lives of their own, there are a lot of characters and different stories, but I didn't feel confused about it. I liked seeing the stories develop and I started to care about all of the characters, which is why I loved knowing what would happen to them in the end.
The descriptions in this novel are great. I could perfectly imagine the vineyard and the buildings, as well as the town and the forest. It all felt magical and I would've given anything to have such a place to go to. It made me understand how deeply the family cares about this place and making wine, because in the end, it's so much more than a wine passion.
This story is also about romance, and while I'm not displeased with how it turned out, I do wish there had been a bit more indications that this would happen, because the ending surprised me. I had kind of expected it, but I gave it up at some point, so I was surprised when it actually happened.
Overall, I think this is a well-developped story that can make anyone smile. I'd recommend it as a summer read.
(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
There are many things I loved about this novel. First of all, it's simply a perfect summer read. I loved how it's written and the flashbacks that help understanding the story. It's fluent and it made me want to continue reading, just as it should.
I loved the family in this novel. While there are many things going wrong with it, they all love each other deeply and they care about their family, which was really touching. Growing up isn't easy, and there are things you wish you didn't have to do, but in they end, they all managed to make something good out of their situation and be positive about their future. Since there's three children in this family and they all have lives of their own, there are a lot of characters and different stories, but I didn't feel confused about it. I liked seeing the stories develop and I started to care about all of the characters, which is why I loved knowing what would happen to them in the end.
The descriptions in this novel are great. I could perfectly imagine the vineyard and the buildings, as well as the town and the forest. It all felt magical and I would've given anything to have such a place to go to. It made me understand how deeply the family cares about this place and making wine, because in the end, it's so much more than a wine passion.
This story is also about romance, and while I'm not displeased with how it turned out, I do wish there had been a bit more indications that this would happen, because the ending surprised me. I had kind of expected it, but I gave it up at some point, so I was surprised when it actually happened.
Overall, I think this is a well-developped story that can make anyone smile. I'd recommend it as a summer read.
(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
October 12, 2015
2.5 Stars
Meh. This book just did not click for me. It should have, I mean we're talking about a winery...in Sonoma, no less (where I would move to in a heartbeat!). But the main character was too wishy-washy and temperamental. None of the other characters quite did it for me either, honestly. The story was fine. But "fine" is not really what I'm looking for in a novel.
(This sounds really harsh. It wasn't BAD, just not recommended)
Meh. This book just did not click for me. It should have, I mean we're talking about a winery...in Sonoma, no less (where I would move to in a heartbeat!). But the main character was too wishy-washy and temperamental. None of the other characters quite did it for me either, honestly. The story was fine. But "fine" is not really what I'm looking for in a novel.
(This sounds really harsh. It wasn't BAD, just not recommended)
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