I picked this book to read from Amazon Prime’s First Reads September selection – and it was the right choice!
SPOILER FREE
Elena is a vine witch who, after breaking free of a curse that has left her living as a toad for 7 years, discovers her beloved vineyard has been taking over by Jean-Paul , a city man who does not believe in magic. At all. A proud believer in the science of growing vines and creating wine, he dismisses the locals’ belief in witchcraft as backward superstitions that couldn’t have anything to do with why his wine making is failing so spectacularly. Will Elena get revenge on those who cursed her? And will Jean-Paul ever give in to the existence of magic and save the vineyard?
This is such a fun story and September was the perfect time to read this book – the vineyards and outdoorsy aspect went well with the end of summer, and the characters and magic were the perfect start to autumn’s spooky vibes. It features a bit of everything – murder mystery, magic, suspense, romance, fantasy, and nature – all combined perfectly to make a winning story.
The author combines the genres seamlessly creating a new world that could easily exist in line with our own. I absolutely loved the concept of witches who specialise in helping vineyards produce the perfect wine – and bierhexes who help create great beer! Set in France, the bits of french language slipped in here and there, such as allumettes and terroir, perfectly added to the setting of the scene. I could read endless stories about this world, and I feel as though there is so much potential to expand this concept and run with it.
I did guess some of the twists and turns, and I’m not sure I connected with the characters as much as I have done in other books, but that didn’t take anything away from my overall enjoyment of the book and story. A sequel is due out in June 2020, and I for one can’t wait!
4 out of 5 stars.
lauragetslost 