The Shortest Way Home

by Miriam Parker

In her debut novel crackling with humor, heart, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Miriam Parker follows one woman's journey from Iowa to New York City to California wine country, to figure out what being true to oneself really means.

After years of dreaming of and working toward a life more stable than the one she grew up in, Hannah is finally about to have everything she ever wanted. With a high-paying job, an apartment in Manhattan, and a boyfriend about to propose, all she and Ethan have to do is make it through the last couple of weeks of grad school, and the future they had planned will be theirs to keep.

But when they take a romantic weekend trip to Sonoma, and Hannah is spontaneously offered a marketing job at the first (and seemingly financially unstable) winery they visit and doesn't immediately refuse, their meticulously planned forever comes crashing down around them. And then Hannah impulsively does the unthinkable--she turns down her job in New York and decides to stay in California.

Abandoning your dream job and life shouldn't feel this good. But for Hannah, it is an eye-opening experience; and she realizes that maybe, after all her dream-chasing, she hasn't actually been caring for herself. And this new life certainly seems like a dream come true--living in a picturesque cottage overlooking a vineyard in lush Sonoma; new friends with pasts and hopes the likes of which she's never encountered before; and William, the handsome son of the winery owners and an aspiring film director who captures Hannah's heart only to leave the very city she let go.

The mission to rescue the failing winery becomes a mission to rescue Hannah from the image of herself she thought she wanted. The young girl who ached to escape Iowa and leave her past behind for a glamorous life is now given the chance to come to terms with the upbringing that made her who she is.

The Shortest Way Home is a heartwarming story of one woman who sheds expectations in order to claim her own happy ending.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Book Club, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2018

About the author

Miriam Parker has worked in book publishing for more than twenty years and is currently the associate publisher of Ecco. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from UNC Wilmington and a BA in English from Columbia University. Her short stories have been published in The Florida Review and Fourteen Hills. She lives in Brooklyn with her spaniel, Leopold Bloom. The Shortest Way Home is her first novel.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

this isn’t ordinarily the kind of book i would pick up, since i am typically a reader of all things gritty and sinister, but miriam parker is both a dynamo and a kind-hearted lady, even though she refuses to take seriously my begging to become her assistant, so i decided to give it a whirl.

and, no - it’s not a novel that is within my personal reading preferences, but it is one that will delight a large number of readers who aren’t me, and it’s a perfect book to be released during the horrible heatwave summer of this horrible traumatic year - it’s a bright, hopeful summery lemondrop of a book, which is the perfect way to escape the myriad troubles of the world.

two different people asked me about this book while i was reading it, and when i described it, they both said “oh, it’s Sideways for girls.” which isn’t a terrible touchpoint, but from my memory of having seen the movie once a long time ago, this book isn’t as much of a bummer as most of Sideways, and the characters aren’t as douchey. but it does cover the wine and love and new beginnings and self-discovery bits, so if that's a description that helps you weigh your desire for this book, weigh away.

it’s about burning bridges, deviating from the plan and creating a path to a new future; the risk of leaving behind the comfortable and familiar, tossing aside all the things that have been sacrificed for and achieved to seek out new impulses, dreams, and hopefully, happiness.

it’s a lighthearted and optimistic read, and if you need to feel cheered up for a few hours or would love some encouragement on your own risk-and-reward journey, this debut novel is a good place to start. it pairs well with any wine at all. or lemonade.

and if anyone would like to give me the opportunity for my own personal reinvention narrative, let me know. i work hard and i play nice and i have more than a few skills.

come to my blog!

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars and a Glass of Wine🍷 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a book all about finding the right path in life for you.... and what happens when you figure out your “dreams“ aren’t really your own? Would you be brave enough to veer off the path that everyone expects from you? And would you be able to sacrifice financial security for personal fulfillment? What really makes a person happy... money? Love? A feeling of purpose? This really was a book that made you think and made you want to visit Sonoma and have a glass of wine!

Hannah has just graduated from the MBA program at Berkley... she has everything a girl could want... degree from an elite school✔️ prestigious new job✔️ apartment in Manhattan✔️ equally successful and wealthy boyfriend✔️ so why is Hana so tempted to take this temporary low-paying job at a struggling winery? So is saying goodbye to her “dream life“ and saying hello to Sonoma the right thing to do for Hannah?

Hannah was a likable character and you really respected her for taking the harder path.... you will also love her character because she is a book lover and even better not a pretentious book lover! The setting at this winery in Northern California was absolutely stunning! I loved all the little tidbits we learned in this Book about wine making and marketing... I also really liked all the secondary characters and the sense of community in this book... there is a little romance in the book, but for me it really took a backseat to Hannas self discovery story... I am a huge fan of character development throughout a story and this book was all about Hannah‘s growth, and I loved it for that!

Such a delightful story filled with love, family, friendship, new beginnings, self discovery, and of course wine! Absolutely recommend!

*** many thanks to Dutton for my copy of this book ***

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty year old Hannah Greene heads to Sonoma California for a weekend wine trip with her fellow graduate student boyfriend, Ethan.
Both are finishing up their last term at the Berkeley Haas School and after graduation will be heading to New York. Ethan and Hannah already have jobs waiting for them and their futures planned.
Hannah landed the job of a lifetime at Goldman Sachs. A seemingly perfect life awaits Hannah and Ethan, who will joining two friends in software app development.
While they wait for their room to be ready, the couple stop at the Bellosguardo Winery and suddenly Hannah’s future as well as Ethan’s takes a sharp detour. Throwing caution to the wind, Hannah abandones her planned “perfect” life in New York for a less secure marketing job at the small family run Bellosguardo Winery.
The struggling Winery is in need of help and Winery owner, Linda, offers Hannah a low paying job with room and board at the Winery. Hannah accepts the offer and leaves a stunned Ethan at the airport as he goes to New York alone but hoping that she will realize her “mistake” and come to her senses.
Author Miriam Parker writes a beautiful book that is simple yet detailed as we watch Hannah discover herself along with her strength as she uses her skills to save the Winery.
She finds her true self and falls in love but not the obvious one, the love of people from her past as well as people that will be part of her future and beautiful Sonoma, California.
You will find yourself wishing that you could read this book at a Winery outside on a beautiful sunny day with a glass of your favorite wine reading this book.
The Shortest Way Home was a book that reminded me of Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, where Frost says “two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Some might say that poem represents a regret but not in Hannah’s life as she takes the path less traveled but will find that this is her “perfect” path to Home.
The Shortest Way Home is a wonderful read and makes a great discussion book for book clubs.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and my own. #netgalley #ShortestWayHome

[Adriannne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hannah felt incredibly immature for a thirty year old and I had trouble throughout the whole book because so much of it was unbelievable/didn’t make sense. It was also incredibly repetitive and the author did not try to make the heinous amount of cliches interesting or original.

[Nicole Overmoyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker, is going to be a favorite for someone.

It is, unfortunately, not a favorite for me.

This genre, summery novels of self-discovery and idyllic locations, have always been hit or miss with me.

This book is a miss, although it was just interesting enough that I finished it.

Set in Sonoma, California wine country, wine is absolutely the point around which all things in the story revolve. It is why Linda and Everett are married, it is the thing they and their fathers did with their lives, it is what Hannah likes to drink with every meal, it is… everything.

If you like wine, this could be the book for you.

Not tying it entirely to wine, of course, the other unifying point around which things seem to revolve is a bit of what could be called Rich People Problems.

Hannah, newly graduated from business school at Berkeley and about to take a six-figure salary for a starting job at Goldman Sachs in New York, spends much of the book bemoaning her poor Iowa upbringing while contrasting it to an internship at Tiffany’s in New York all while somehow amassing the ability to give up said job for an $800 a week gig as… helper of sorts at a struggling winery in Sonoma. I mean, it helps that the winery job comes with a cottage to live in (and all the wine she can drink!), but I didn’t find her relatable enough to be likable.

It was hard to care if she chose Ethan, the super-rich Park Avenue boy who decides to slum it, as it were, and found a start-up app company because his buddies at Google want new jobs, or William, the son of the winery owners, who she manages to fall head-over-heels in lust/love with after a grand total of maybe three meetings. To Parker’s credit as an author of this sort of book, Hannah chooses neither - and that is why this book got bumped to two stars for me.

But Hannah’s unrelatable and kind of a brat, Ethan is mildly abusive to Hannah, Linda and Everett have a twisted, toxic relationship built on a modern day arranged marriage, and… there just wasn’t much here for me.

I think maybe I finished the book because it is a very fast read, the downside of that being that all of this, all of these life-changing decisions occur over the course of a summer, but really a couple weeks. Marriages break and are rebuilt, a massive heart attack is fully recovered from, a former farm girl marches in and takes over a century and a half old winery with permission from the supposedly very invested owners, affairs are had, a For Rent sign turns into a successful AirBnB B&B and… it’s just too much.

For me.

Maybe not for you. Try it if you like this sort of thing. It has it’s good points.

(I received a copy of The Shortest Way Home from NetGalley and Dutton in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.)

[Alafair Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SHORTEST WAY HOME hit a sweet spot for me, a source of brightness in dark times. Imagine Gilmore Girls set on a winery in Sonoma, except Lorelai is a woman named Hannah who just gave up her high-brow New York City job, and Rory is a spaniel named Tannin. I found myself looking forward to sneaking in a few more pages with Hannah and the rich cast of memorable characters she befriends at the winery. A really delightful read.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars

Hannah has landed a high paying job, and has a boyfriend on the verge of proposing and Manhattan apartment, what more could she want? It seems all she needs to do is finish grad school. But then a romantic weekend trip to Sonoma with boyfriend Ethan turns those plans suddenly on their head. Hannah finds herself inexplicably draw to a family run winery. Throwing caution to the winds Hannah changes her life, which causes more than a few problems with Ethan. But this failing winery in a picturesque setting not only captures her interest but her heart. She makes it her mission to revive the business and implement a raft of innovations aimed at restoring the winery’s image and livelihood. She thinks it is a shame that William, the handsome son of the winery owners is about to head off to the very city Hannah left. What does life hold for Hannah? Can she live the dream? And what will that mean as far as Ethan is concerned?
This took me a while to get into. I really struggled with Hannah’s treatment of her mother. In many ways she is selfish in the way she treats people. Yet, she is caring towards others like Linda and Everett the winery owners. She is enthusiastic and creative and full of good ideas. It does tend to labour some points like that Hannah’s mother was a nurse and father a truck driver. That was just one example, but there were others.
The winery setting in California was beautiful and the best aspect of the book. The romance never rang true in either case and I never cared that much about any of the characters. There will be people who will enjoy it. Sadly just not the right book for this reader.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's on the lower end of 3 for me, unfortunately. It just felt too shallow, lacking real emotion throughout. I felt the main character was quite immature, which grated on my nerves, and none of them seemed very deep. It didn't feel like there was any real sacrifice or struggle to make me care about this girl and her choices.
However, it was a fairly nice story in a wonderful setting, which I enjoyed. Maybe I just needed more wine to drink while reading.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most poorly written books that I have ever read. Just about every cliche thrown in and a lifetime worth of unbelievable experiences all occur over a few weeks. Most of the winemaking references are inaccurate (the winery makes a Sancerre in Sonoma - impossible since Sancerre is a wine region in France)

It’s a quick and easy read, but for me it just wasn’t enjoyable.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve only given one other book less than 2 stars before, and it was for multiple good and justifiable reasons. As I started out THIS book I expected the result to be rated a 3.5/5 ⭐️ rating. However, this was something I had to trek and try to stay awake for. Definitely not a good decision for a readathon.

First off, the overuse of the word “said” made me feel like I was reading a Language Arts essay project by a fifth grader, as the font size was also extremely large. It was hard to spot words other than “said,” after dialogue and soon enough it became a game to find a different word and circle it. That’s how awful and repetitive it became. As well as the fact that the cover wasn’t even the same sizes as the first page.

Secondly, the main character was one of the most selfish and self-conceited main characters I have ever read along with Clara from Regretting You, Ryle from It Ends With Us, Kaiser from Ash Princess, and more. They all have similar energy—they put their “loved” (yeah, right) ones in danger or in a burden just to satisfy themselves and simply dispose of that “beloved” person whenever most convenient for THEM. It is such an ick for me. I understand for a background character or the enemy of the story, such as Kaiser. That was perfect, because he wasn’t supposed to be a good guy anyway. However, how does this author expect us to love the main character, enjoy reading her POV, and root for her throughout the story (as the trope is a woman “following her dreams”) when all she does is dispose of her boyfriend of almost 2 years because he doesn’t support her sudden winery idea? They had plans for so long, but she wanted what she wanted, so she moved to a different coast than originally planned by the couple. How absolutely repulsive this main character was, especially after emotionally cheating on her boyfriend Ethan, and then admitting it to the reader.

There was so much rambling about the setting, the past, etc. things that we don’t need to know nor care about. Filler sentences seemed to count up to half of the book, and it was so slow paced, as, like I said, the author needed to explain EVERYTHING.

Now this is the author’s debut novel, so I won’t hash on her too much more, but this book cost me a dollar at my local bookstore—it was in a clearance type of area—and even that was too much money, I feel robbed. LMAO

Like I actually feel robbed.

Anyway, here’s your list, but beware, this book is just not good and looks similarly to that of a first draft written by a middle schooler who has only read books at the Scholastic Book Fair and has no idea what they are doing, or how to outline a novel in the first place.
⭐️ lovers to enemies
⭐️ stubborn main characters
⭐️ a woman following her dreams (i think this was meant to be a book for feminists to enjoy?)
⭐️ quick read (compared to lots of popular modern YA books)
⭐️ sudden change in plans and decisions
⭐️ stressful characters to read
⭐️ female main characters

Sorry, but that’s all I can think of that you possibly might find interesting.

The author may see this review, may not. Either way, I stand by what I have said no matter what.

Now, to put this simply, save your time.

And don’t read this book.

-M.<3

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars! I absolutely love books where the female character is starting over in a new location. This lovely gem of a book is about Hannah, who decides to stay in Sonoma after visiting while on vacation. She has graduated college and is a bit lost, as most college graduates are. Hannah’s quest to find herself, and what is important to her, is an eyeopening journey. Miriam Parker has such a beautiful way of writing. On every single page, I felt like I was right there with them holding a glass of wine. As a matter of fact, I was holding a glass of wine as I was reading this book.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up. ‘The Shortest Way Home’ by Miriam Parker is a delightful antidote to melancholia. I love tragic books; surely some wisdom is gleaned from sad, powerful thought provoking prose. I hope so, I've read a plenty of them. Occasionally, a light hearted read is in order, a brighter viewpoint that is potent in its own right. This is that book, fun, generous, and wine soaked.

Hannah has been offered (and accepted with a sign on bonus) the perfect job at Goldmans. She even beat out her best friend Tyra for the job. She’ll be on her way to the big bucks as an investment researcher in New York City. Hannah and boyfriend, Ethan have been together for the last couple of years and Hannah’s got the feeling he’s going to propose this weekend. They have the weekend off from business school in Berkeley and have traveled up to Sonoma, wine country. Ethan has the itinerary all planned. He’s the type of guy that researches all the restaurants and hot spots to see. Everything is planned with this guy. Hannah is the complete opposite, impulsive and spontaneous, checking out local opinions instead of the internet. Arriving an hour ahead of Ethan’s itinerary, the hotel room isn’t ready, so they’re told that Bellosguardo is where they can go to sample some of the best wine around. It’s not on the itinerary, so Ethan is a little perturbed, but goes along.

Of course, the bartender, ‘William’ is a good looking guy with blonde streaks in his hair, warm and oh, so friendly. As William starts talking about the wine and his parents, and how the vineyard has a long history, Hannah is completely taken in by the sunshine and warmth of it all. She loves the wine and there’s even a dog named ‘Tannin.’ Hannah bubbles over with enthusiasm for the winery and has a ton of ideas about marketing so that it could really make money. William thinks it would be wonderful if Hannah would share some of her ideas with his Mom, as their business is in a big slump, and as he’s going to be leaving for NYC soon to go to screenwriting school; his parents could really use some help. Ethan has wandered outside to talk to wineboy’s father; he’s not so impressed.

When Hannah upends her life plan with Ethan, both their boats get rocked. This certainly wasn’t in Ethan’s plan. Will Hannah’s spontaneity get her in hot water? What I liked best is that Parker writes a lot about Hannah’s identity crisis, and how she figures out what is best for her. Most women have to work these days, so I find a story centered around a woman’s passion for her work as thrilling as a love story. The story is as much or more about finding a lifestyle that is good for the heart as it is a sweet little love story. I like suspense, but it was toe curlingly wonderful not to worry about a murderer. It’s no spoiler to say there isn’t one. I wanted to drink wine the entire way through this lovely story! This is a debut novel. There are a few slightly awkward sentences, not many. The plot is in some ways too good to be true, but I loved it nonetheless.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not fond of the writing in this book. Very repetitive and often boring. I stuck with it since I asked my library to purchase it. I had hope for a better experience since the book centered around wine making in Sonoma.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Selfish/self-absorbed narrator, impulsive, entitled, zero chemistry with her suitor(s), superficial, easily resolved conflicts after lengthy avoidance, strange side story. The setting sounded so promising, as was the idea.

Also, I don't love reading a book where the only Jewish characters are written in negative stereotypes. Perhaps the author is Jewish? It's not an excuse, though.

The narrator is supposed to be a business school grad, working hard to bring more people to a winery. She seems to do no work. That is also annoying.

Another annoying attribute: she talks about how poor and virtuous she is for it all the time. She didn't just go running in her workout clothes. No, she had to explain that they weren't the coveted Lululemon, but were from Old Navy--in case, we the reader, thought differently? Was she afraid we'd think less of her? Everything she wore, she mentioned the brand, and how she purchased it on sale. This could've been handled much differently--perhaps some background into her growing up would have been more helpful. A kind-if-quirky character was made to look badly because she had money--and that was the person who actually did all the work for her while she was off gallivanting and acting generally like she was on vacation.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be a case of perfect timing. I needed a book about making BOLD decisions. The lovely talk about wine was just a bonus!!

“... you can change lots of cosmetic things about your life. You can get a graduate degree and have your pick of cities to live in and careers to pursue. You can move from coast to coast, from apartment to house to apartment to cottage and back again. But at the end of the day, you're still yourself.”

[Amy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this is the absolutely charming Sonoma setting and premise. It was such a pleasure to read about summer in wine country, and it made me want to plan a trip up there asap.

I had some real issues with the characters, though, mostly in that no one in this book seems to care very much about the commitments they make to other people. Not only is there fairly casual cheating going on, which leaves such a bad taste in my mouth, but Hannah is a real dick to her boyfriend, even when she's not cheating on him. It made it a little difficult to root for her because she spends the entire book avoiding having a conversation with her boyfriend. Be a fucking grownup, lady!

I did my best to pretend like all the characters weren't jerks and enjoy the idyllic setting.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, this seemed like the first draft of what could have been an interesting story. The main character was selfish and shallow, and the side characters underdeveloped. The only thing that kept me going was that it was set in Sonoma, a place I love.

[Mary Seaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Was too cheesy for me. The main character is very immature for her age and whiny. The dialogue wasn’t good and the story kept loosing my attention. Since it’s about wine, maybe you’re suppose to drink while reading it to help.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shortest Way Home was just the light, refreshing read I needed after a string of heavier books. Hannah Greene arrives in wine country for a get-away with her boyfriend before moving to New York and entering the corporate world. She falls in love with Sonoma and suddenly, she sees a new life for herself and decides to chart a different course. I loved the beautiful setting, the characters, and the strong female lead. This was a fun, witty read that left me thirsty for wine and ready for a trip to Sonoma! 🍷 Thank you @duttonbooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

[Stacey A. Prose and Palate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

The positives: I enjoyed reading a little bit about wine. And, location was described well.
The negatives: everything else! I hate saying it, but I really disliked this book right from the beginning. I hate pretty much how every character treats the main character. Her boyfriend is an ass, her new employers are gruff or rude, her new friend is pushy and annoying, her new love interest does not show much interest in her. I'm concerned the author does not understand healthy relationships. I kept reading because I hoped it would redeem itself, or that the scenery would take me away. Sadly I disliked more and more every chapter. The main character is selfish, unaware, uncaring, does whatever she wants without worrying about consequences, and then still complains.
Also, I realize things need to happen quickly in "book land", however, it was really unbelievable. Not only did she immediately feel as if she should stay where she was, apparently everyone in town saw that she belonged as well and wasn't just the regular tourist (which she was). I wanted to stop reading this so many times. I am really surprised the author works in publishing.
(I'm so sorry, I hate writing bad reviews, but I can't not)

[Dan Radovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope that there is more coming from Miriam Parker, because she certainly proves her mettle as a talented storyteller with this debut. THE SHORTEST WAY HOME is sure to be devoured by book clubs - it is filled with engaging characters, sublime settings, relatable situations. Hannah, the main character, has her life all plotted out with Ethan until a visit to a Sonoma winery sparks a new untapped desire inside of her. Good-bye New York City. Good-bye Ethan. Good-bye old life. Her life direction completely turned around, Hannah now faces a new beginning. This is a book you can read in one sitting (you want to know how Hannah will end up) or you can 'sip' chapters slowly to enjoy Parker's writing skills. What you thought would be typical light weight reading is actually an impressive work of character growth and solid storytelling. I know Miriam Parker from the book trade, but I am not the type to hype a book due to acquaintance/friendship. Miriam Parker has truly written a wonderful novel and deserves the praise. You will be impressed.

[Meish · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. The premise sounded promising, but the execution fell flat. Sloppy and repetitive writing, cheesy dialogue, and I was not a fan of the long-winded expositions embedded in the narrative. Hannah's falling in love with William made no sense to me. And the kicker-- a scene where she was driving past UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and referred to the "Harvard MBAs" there. What?????

One star for writing about wine just well enough to make me pick up a bottle at Trader Joe's and have a wine and cheese evening.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but it was a disaster. I felt like I was reading an unedited copy, there were so many things that didn’t make sense. The main character is supposed to be a 30 year old educated woman but comes across as a ridiculous teenager. Very hard to like or connect with any of the characters in this book. Overall a very disappointing read.

[The Book Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book marked as a romance between Hannah and William, to me, it felt like that covered a small portion of the book. The main parts were the working at the winery, finding new friends, figuring out herself, and dealing with complicated relationships. I felt as if we learned more about her two bosses and her relationship than William. I just was left wanting more romance.

Other characters Linda and Everett were sort of boring characters to me. Everett works behind the scenes in the winery. Growing the grapes, tasting them and then processing them into wine. While Linda works in the sales area. They are just another unhappy married couple which I am kind of tired of at this point. Like typical Linda has a past lover she still wants, and Everett is just trying to save his marriage. The twists and turns of their relationship really did not add to the story in anyway.

Overall I don't believe this is a well-written story. Some parts were clunky and rushed, while others were slow and mundane. I found the pacing of the story to be really off. I felt parts went by so quickly while others dragged on and on. An example of this is when Hannah was trying to decide to stay in Sonoma for the summer. It just was far too quick of a decision in my opinion.

This was just an overall disappointing story cause I had such high hopes for it. I did think the ending was short and sweet enough. I missed the emotion in this book that is typical of a romance novel. I wanted to see them not just read about them. I wanted to fell things when reading and all I felt was boredom.

With all that said, I am giving The Shortest Way Home 3 out of 5 stars. Due to some of the good elements, it has and most of the characters were lovely. But it had too many problems to deserve a higher rating.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group/ Dutton in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I loved THE SHORTEST WAY HOME by Miriam Parker! It’s the story of Hannah, a young woman on the verge of finishing her MBA at Berkeley who, along with her boyfriend Ethan, has her life all planned out. They’ll move to New York, start their careers, and have children that Hannah will quit work to raise. She’s all in until she walks into a winery and realizes that the whole New York thing isn’t really her dream – it’s Ethan’s. She decides to stay at the winery to see if she can figure out what her dream is. This book is about relationships – family, friends, and love – as well as finding oneself. It’s infused with wit and humor and lots of tidbits about wine. I’m not a wine drinker but reading about it in THE SHORTEST WAY HOME made me wish I were. This book comes out in July of 2018 and I adored it so much, I’ve already pre-ordered a finished copy. I think it’s perfect for book clubs and I hope I can talk mine into reading it next fall.

Miriam Parker is one of the first publishing people I met after starting my blog. She was living in Blacksburg at the time and Vance was a student at Virginia Tech so I would try to squeeze in a few minutes with her whenever we visited Vance. She’s moved since then and Vance has graduated but Miriam and I still exchange the occasional email. I don’t think knowing her influenced my opinion of the book – as a matter of fact, I think I read it more critically, especially at the beginning, because of it. Order a copy of this book or get your library to – you won’t be disappointed!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alternative title: Under the Sonoman Sun. (On an unrelated side note, I just now realized the Williams Sonoma brand is from Northern California. Never made the connection before. Doh!)
Although I know next to nothing about wine I was quickly drawn into this tale of the esteemed beverage, because really, wine is a central character in Miriam Parker's Northern California based novel. On a whim, thirty-year-old Hannah Greene gives up a prestigious job offer from Goldman Sachs, a soon to be fiancé, an apartment in Manhattan, everything she's spent years of her life working towards, in order to assist at a fledgling family-owned winery for $800 a week. With no actual job description, Hannah uses her business school skills to market the winery to locals and tourists alike in the hopes of saving it from financial ruin. In the process, she becomes stronger, more self-assured, and quite the wine connoisseur herself. Of course, there is the new love interest, a factor that just may have figured into her initial decision to accept the job during her short visit to the winery's tasting room.
Though not a novel that bears any surprises, it definitely was satisfying and a read worth savoring.
*Added bonus: Hannah is a book lover so there's plenty of name dropping both of novels and authors in this one. I foresee this being a book club pick and an excuse to combine the meeting with plenty of wine!

[Mary Gael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so much more from this book than I got. The dialogue made me wanna rip my head off...the amount of times “said” was used during dialogue was somewhat egregious. Like...at least use “responded” or “stated” good GOD. Also, Hannah was such a bad person it was noticeable?? And usually I’m like “oh it’s fine, she’ll grow” and she literally did not?? She treated her boyfriend like garbage like...I get that he’s uptight but cheating on him and stringing him along like that was unforgivable??? And her treatment of her mom was so lacking in compassion and I felt like it wasn’t clear if her mom was Bad or just like...grieving????? Honestly I can’t. This is a 2-star because I loved the setting, the dogs, and the wine.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shortest Way Home
By
Miriam Parker


What it's all about...

Hannah and Ethan are on their way to beginning what they both believe will be their life after grad school. Ethan wants his own start up while Hannah has taken a prestigious job in NYC. They are in Wine Country...relaxing before graduation...when Hannah begins to question this established course for her life. Does she want this life as much as Ethan does? Hannah isn’t quite sure and with an extreme leap of faith...Hannah tosses it all aside to work at a winery...a winery with tons of issues!

Why I wanted to read it...

I just simply wanted to read this because I loved the cover and I loved the sound of this book. Even though Hannah and Ethan and William...the son of the vineyard owners and a budding love interest for Hannah...were in their 30’s...none of them seemed to know what they really wanted for their lives.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

I actually loved that almost everyone in this book was changing, evolving, growing and learning about themselves. The book was filled with interesting characters. This book was filled with beautiful wine country scenes and descriptions. Hannah had a lovely little cottage...vineyards and great food were everywhere and these all made reading this book satisfying and relaxing...pages turned in an easy comfy way!

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love a beautifully written story set in a beautiful area will love this book. I did!

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.

[Hannah Panzeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving 3⭐️ because I really wanted to like this. The storyline had a lot of potential but just continued to fall flat for me— which I think mostly has to do with the main character kind of being selfish. Like, I understood the decisions she made in some ways, but everything was far too spontaneous and I could not get past the infidelity.
I loved everything about the setting and the idea of Sonoma and wineries; I think that’s what kept me reading.