Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Starlight Cove #2

The Winemaker's Secret

Rate this book
Someone is out to destroy the family vineyard—and expose its secrets—in this atmospheric novel from Cynthia Ellingsen, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.

Abby Harrington’s family has dedicated their lives to cultivating the family vineyard and collecting vintage wines. But it takes only one night for the priceless collection to vanish, stolen during Abby’s grandparents’ sixtieth anniversary celebration. Then a devastating plane crash leaves her grandfather clinging to life in intensive care.

Desperate to take action, Abby sets out to discover who stole the precious wine—and why. The clues lead her to dark truths about her family she is not prepared to face. Soon Abby begins receiving threatening messages and doubting those closest to her. Making things even more complicated, the attractive doctor who saved her grandfather’s life offers her a shoulder to lean on just as the man she once loved returns to the vineyard.

The more truths Abby is forced to confront, the more her world spins off its axis. Can she unravel the secrets of the past in time to save the vineyard’s future—and her own?

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2019

3885 people are currently reading
2277 people want to read

About the author

Cynthia Ellingsen

13 books450 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4,056 (43%)
4 stars
3,351 (35%)
3 stars
1,422 (15%)
2 stars
404 (4%)
1 star
104 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
Profile Image for Karren  Sandercock .
1,315 reviews393 followers
August 16, 2021
Abby Harrington’s family owns, operates at successful winery at Starlight Cove and overlooking the beautiful coast. On the night of Abby’s grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary, their priceless and rare collection of iced wine is stolen. Her grandfather also has a plane crash, he ends up in intensive care and is it just a coincidence the two tragic events happened on the same evening?

Abby’s brother Dean comes home for his grandparents anniversary, they haven't seen him in years, he’s had a problem in the past with drugs and she's praying he has nothing to do with the crime. Abby starts getting threatening messages, she wonders who she can trust, including members of her own family and long term employees working at the winery. Abby's grandmother has been keeping a secret and the last person Abby would have expected is behind the robberies and blackmailing her grandmother.

I received a copy of The Winemaker's Secret from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a story full of mystery, family secrets and intrigue and four stars from me.
104 reviews
March 25, 2019
Good plot but ended up skim reading

I couldn’t get on with the writing style. There were good elements but skim read a lot as too much unnecessary fluffy stuff - over explained feelings or situations.
Profile Image for Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS).
1,905 reviews327 followers
August 7, 2022
I enjoyed Ms. Ellingsen’s The Lighthouse Keeper and Marriage Matters: two very different stories. But The Winemaker's Secret? Not really.

I never warmed up to Abby Harrington, the main protagonist. Many of the problems she went through, she brought on herself. Actually, with the exception of the doctor, I didn’t care for most of the characters. Secrets, some rivalry and a bit of enabling compounded her family.

All in all, a simple ‘meh’.

Profile Image for Eline || Lovely Audiobooks.
39 reviews49 followers
April 29, 2019
The writing was captivating, and I liked the setting, the scenery, and the bigger plot line.

That being said, this book is a good example of one that should come with a Content Note or Trigger Warning. Abby is severely traumatized and her hospital trauma keeps getting triggered, while the reader learns in gruesome detail what led to her trauma when she was a little girl. It made me feel physically ill even though I don't have a hospital trauma. But I empathize with children.

I picked this up because Amazon said it was a cozy mystery. It wasn't very cozy to me. But the story was so well-written that I was invested even though I felt awful and was very tempted to DNF.

Abby's family treated her badly almost constantly and she didn't even care. I couldn't understand why they were so important to her, why she wanted to stay so badly, considering her brother told her she was bad at her job, her grandpa didn't take her seriously at all, her mother yelled at her and was patronizing, no one understood why she had trouble stepping into a hospital again, and then her grandma beat her up. Splitting her lip. With her fist.

I didn't like anyone in this story particularly much, except, I guess, for the doctor. He was decent. And Abby just took all the abuse. Wondering why she kept stuttering.

I've decided to rate this with 2 stars because it really should have that content warning. With the warning, I'd give it 3.5 stars because the people were all so unlikable which didn't seem to serve any point.

Kate Rudd narrates the audiobook and it's a really great production!
1,720 reviews110 followers
March 3, 2019
I was a bit wary when I saw this book was the second in a series, I usually like to read books in the right order. But, this time it didn’t matter. What a wonderful book this was, I loved it and couldn’t read it quick enough. The story kept going at a fast pace with lots of twists and turns to keep your interest. I am certainly going to read more of her books.
Profile Image for Stefanie.
1,183 reviews69 followers
April 15, 2019
Abby Harrington is enjoying a fabulous night relishing in the celebration of her grandparent’s sixtieth wedding anniversary. Proud owners of Harrington Vineyard, the happy couple is flourishing, with Harrington Wines one of the top wineries in the area.
Just as Abby thought she couldn’t contain any more happiness, her drug addict brother, Dean, returns to town bringing back haunting memories from her past. Then her grandparents prized ice wine collection disappears and her grandfather nearly dies in a small plane crash. Abby can’t help but think of the ironic connections.
Abby, determined to save her grandparents reputation and the winery, sets out with the help of others to figure out what is going on in the vineyard.
The Winemaker’s Secret was a cute, fun read. It was so nice to return to the town of Starlight Cove! I had a harder time connecting with the main character, Abby, but overall I enjoyed the read and if Cynthia writes any more books in this series I will definitely be reading them.
Profile Image for Lorie Layne.
133 reviews4 followers
October 27, 2019
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoy her writing style! Mystery without a lot of gross detail (not a fan of too much violence because I have a very vivid imagination and can’t stop thinking about scary stuff). I can usually guess who the bad guy is within the first 1/4 of the book but I was a little over 3/4 before I guessed. The audible part was read nicely and not hard to listen to at all. I used to hate books on “tape” but now love them. I read a book at bedtime and listen to the audible book while I work around the house and do my baking. Perfect combo!
Profile Image for Kristin.
580 reviews36 followers
May 9, 2019
The Winemaker's Secret was a fun read. One got to know the main characters and the plot is engaging. I didn't know the book was part of a series, but I want to read the first book as well now.
Profile Image for Noreen.
333 reviews15 followers
May 10, 2019
I really enjoyed The Winemaker's Secret. I loved the winery setting and felt like the author did a great job transporting me to sitting in the wine tasting room. There is mystery, romance, some unsavory characters and a whole lot of wine drinking. Great book! I look forward to reading the first book in this series.
117 reviews
March 23, 2022
a delightful book of mystery and wine

Abby’s family owns a winery. She wants a job in management, but her grandfather wants to give it to a man instead. On the occasion of her grandparent’s anniversary, a major burglary happens and that’s when it all begins. The story takes off, the suspense begins and doesn’t stop until the very last page. Excellent read. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Kurt.
140 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2019
A Wonderful Book!

I loved this book! It was part mystery, part family drama and part romance. And all those parts added up to a great book!
16 reviews
June 4, 2019
An all day read

Don't plan to read for an hour before you clean up the breakfast dishes. This will keep you reading until dinner!
33 reviews
June 3, 2019
Fun Read!

Spent too many nights reading late into the next morning! But... I had figured it out!😁
A nice light summer read!
Profile Image for Heide.
22 reviews
June 14, 2019
Wonderful

She writes very well, keeps my interest and muddled the waters of the mystery. It was fun to read, even though I suspected the bad guy!
8 reviews
March 21, 2019
E

What a brilliant story . I loved it. Will definitely be reading more books from Cynthia Ellingsen. Best story I've read for a while.
Profile Image for C. McKenzie.
Author 24 books420 followers
June 28, 2019
The Winemaker's Secret is a cozy mystery with a few sharp edges and enough twisty threads to keep you wondering where the story will wind up until the last few pages.
Profile Image for Cindy .
12 reviews
January 28, 2021
From page 1

The story will grab you from the first page! The setting, the characters are all relayed in vivid color. I feel like I could travel to Starlight Cove and be at home. Thank you for another heartwarming story Cynthia Ellingsen!
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,617 reviews178 followers
March 3, 2019
What a lovely read. You can imagine my dismay when I saw that this was the second of a series but, honestly? I didn’t even notice. Such an immersive, summery read, this provided the perfect escapism in the warm and friendly town of Starlight Cove. 

This is a wonderful story and I found myself totally engrossed in the plot very quickly. The setting created by Ellingsen is idyllic and inviting; it is so easy to imagine the rolling hills of the winery. Helped by the sunshine setting, I could picture myself belonging to the team at Starlight Cove and, when I had finished this novel, wished that the story had continued further.

Family love and loyalty is key to this novel as Abby begins to learn the truth behind her family’s wine business. After her grandad is hospitalised by a freak accident, Abby begins to discover that the family winery is being subjected to thievery and deception. As the clues mounts up, so do the possible suspects. I could not help but consider several perpetrators, including Abby’s brother, Dean. However, being a cosy mystery, there was no “deep” conspiracy theory and everything came right at the end. 

I really liked Abby’s character. She has so many inner demons to overcome that her strength and dedication is admirable. Gradually readers learn about her past - both her relationships and how she came to have such a fear of hospitals. The way her relationship with Dean evolves over the story epitomises the theme of family and I thought the role of Braden was cute, even if the name just didn’t appeal to me.

I don’t read cosy mysteries very often but this one really hit the spot. It was a fantastic, warming read and I can’t wait to return to Starlight Cove and catch up on the rest of the series.
164 reviews
June 17, 2020
Great book!

This book really kept my interest the whole way through and last night I stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it. I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Love and Literature.
45 reviews7 followers
September 14, 2019
This book, ahhh this book! I was scrolling my usual book browsing sites and fell upon this one. Two things immediately drew me in – the intriguing title (A secret!? I’m in!) and of course, you guessed it, the cover! It’s really beautiful. I soon discovered however that this is the second novel within the ‘Starlight Cove’ series, yet they don’t necessarily need to be read in order as the books do focus on separate families. The second book does contain spoilers for the first, so I’d recommend ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’ if you’d like to read them chronologically.

The novel jumps straight into the plot, within the first few pages you’re given a general idea of who’s who, most of the main character’s personalities and flaws before disaster strikes and (as mentioned in the synopsis) Abby Harrington discovers the family’s collection of ice wine is stolen and her grandfather is involved in a plane crash! Throughout the book, we follow Abby’s journey of both personal struggles with relationships, friendship and past trauma and also professional struggles with the family vineyard.

The characters weren’t bad, Abby did show some character development and an interesting personality. Her brother, Dean, was also an interesting character with a deviant past. Yet, apart from Braden (the doctor Abby quickly meets), and two others (whom I’ll keep quiet about for risk of spoilers) the other characters remained at quite a basic level.

This book was my first read of Ellingsen’s, and I’m glad to say that I did enjoy her writing style. She knows how to grab her reader’s attention from the start, and there’s plenty of sudden twists and turns to keep the mystery going and keep the reader guessing. I didn’t read this book as quickly as I would have liked due to personal commitments (work, eh!) but I would have done given the chance. A great start, a little bit slow in the middle, but then the ending couple of chapters keep you hooked still further. And what an end! I mean, no spoilers and all – but I quite like Abby. Ellingsen’s descriptive style and imagery is outstanding, I found myself daydreaming of owning my own winery – and I don’t even like wine?!

A little trigger warning for this book – there are mentions of what sounds like PTSD due to hospital childhood trauma, and there is also mention of drug/alcohol abuse. As always, you’re welcome to message me if you have any concerns and would like more information before reading this book.

Overall, I did quite like this book and would rate it 4 out of 5 stars as I enjoyed the writing style and plot, yet there could have been more character development. I wouldn’t reread this book any time soon yet I am considering purchasing Ellingen’s first novel ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,729 reviews30 followers
August 24, 2019
Most of Abby’s life is wrapped up in her family’s vineyard. Her grandparents started it and most of her family works there. She’s always dreamed that she’d be in charge one day but her grandfather seems hesitant to turn it over to her.

On her grandparents’ wedding anniversary, her family’s priceless stash of ice wine is stolen. Before Abby can tell everyone, her grandfather has an accident and winds up in the hospital.

Everyone thinks it’s for the best that no one tells grandma.

Several other interesting things happen around the same time:
Abby’s brother Dean resurfaces after many years apart from the family. He’s a former drug addict and Abby is very suspicious of the timing on his arrival.
Abby meets and handsome doctor when her grandfather has his accident.
A mysterious box is found on the vineyard property. After some investigating on Abby’s part, a much bigger family secret emerges.

Lots of drama hits this family at once and most of it falls onto Abby’s shoulders.

Another enjoyable book by this author. She’s becoming a go-to for me.
This book is in a series, I have read the other books in this series but accidentally read two after three. So, this book does work as a stand alone novel but I’d recommend all three.

I got to read an early copy from NetGalley. Thanks!
Profile Image for Mystica.
1,754 reviews32 followers
April 26, 2019
Abby and her family have dedicated their entire life to the vines and their vineyard. That someone is trying to destroy their reputation and even sabotage their lives is becoming apparent and it is up to the youngest two Abby and her prodigal brother Dean to see to it. It does not help that Dean is a former drug addict who broke their parents heart, disappeared for years and is it is a coincidence that the troubles are beginning with his sudden appearance.


Abby has a fragile past. Beset with illness and lack of self confidence, this is a trait that is holding her back from her full potential. Her father and grandfather are not willing to let the reigns go to someone who is not confident to face people and Abby knows she has to overcome these fears to move forward.


Very descriptive of the countryside in which the book is set, the story of this wine making family is very detailed and interesting.
467 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2019
What a secret!

I forgot I ordered this book. When it came I was in the midst of a series. I looked at it in my library,but kept reading my series.But I kept going back looking at the cover. It just kept calling me.
There was heartache,anger,insecurities and mystery. Abby had so many issues. Always wanting more,but something held her back. But through her own doubts and insecuries,and love,she became brave,very slowly. Through the love for her family,and the hold of family,she learned how to be brave.
It was a really good story,I loved the Michigan connection. I know the area,the rest was just bliss.
I don't think you will be disappointed,I wasnt. Enjoy and read.🍷🍷
197 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2019
I loved this book set in the charming small town of Starlight Cove.
The story revolves around Abby and her family who own Harrington Wines. There is a mystery, family secrets and a budding romance.
A family treasure is stolen and Abby finds a mysterious wooden box with a key inside. They key leads her to a secret past that she never expected. Meanwhile her brother returns to town and Abby can't quite tell exactly what he is up to.
I loved all the vivid descriptions of the winery and the small town. It felt like a place I would love to visit.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review.
37 reviews
March 18, 2019
A wonderful story, full of humour, excitement and intrigue. The scenario of a well established wine business provides an introduction to a range of characters across the generations. Set against the idyllic surroundings of Starlight Cove and its tight-knit community, the story folds in a gentle yet compelling fashion. Excellent holiday reading!
Profile Image for Cheryl.
632 reviews13 followers
April 25, 2019
This one had me wondering what was going to happen from the very beginning. I read it fairly quickly because I was very anxious for all the threads of the story to fit together. She did a great job of giving you just enough of the story to keep you turning pages without giving away the mystery too quickly. I wasn't surprised by who did it when it was finally revealed but I was surprised and very pleased with the outcome for one of the other characters. I am anxious for the next book to come because I really like the people who live in this community. I can see this someday making a great series on the Hallmark Channel. Someone should give them the hint to look in to producing it.
Profile Image for Arlene Hayman.
277 reviews3 followers
July 16, 2022
I love novels that utilize a winery setting. This winery is situated in Michigan in a fictitious town, and the story incorporates some intrigue regarding serious misdeeds occurring at the winery, as well as a love interest. The story moves along fairly well, and there is a twist at the end which I appreciated, so I awarded this book 4 stars, but it is really 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
14 reviews4 followers
April 16, 2019
Good

Thank you goodreads for giving me a copy.
I think the twist was good at the end. It was a quick cute read. It doesn't need to be read in order which is good. I would recommend it.
Profile Image for Beth Martinez.
240 reviews4 followers
April 17, 2019
Wonderful story

This is a wonderful story. It has amazing characters that grow and surprise you. Overall, even though there are some challenges faced the characters are refreshing and kind.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.