Engaging premise, great beginning, a lot of good setup, but kind of sloppily plotted overall.

I was not sure what to expect from this but wine and witches make a great combination. This was a fun universe to dive into and a very original story.

I read this book in two days, which for me is an indication that the story was interesting and the writing good. I gave it 3 stars simply because I did not feel immediately compelled to start the next book in the series. Not every movie I watch wins an award but many are entertaining all the same. I can say the same for this book.

why why WHY did this novel have to include an underdeveloped romantic subplot? The chemistry was both forced and lacking. The novel was amazing until the author began dropping in not well executed attempts at forcing Elena with Jean-Paul. The novel begins with Elena coming back to the world of humanity, hell-bent on getting revenge. The author creates a beautiful, magical universe. As a lover of both France and wine, I was captivated with her world-building.

The story changes perspectives between Elena and Jean-Paul. I think this when the quality of the novel decreases substantially. Elena's story gets fragmented and put on the back burner. I would have rather spent more time with her, practicing her magic, doing research on who cursed her, etc. She is the most sympathetic and relatable character, speaking as a young woman. The background we get on Jean-Paul would have been much more meaningful through dialogue with Elena. There, it would have been relationship building and allowed for more focus on her. Overall, the novel felt rushed. I would have greatly appreciated a slightly slower pace for the impact of all the major twists and events to absorb fully. The novel would have benefitted from being a little longer.

The parts of the novel that I did like I LOVED. Those were mostly the parts solely focused on Elena - the beginning, her time in the you know where, and as she repairs the vineyard to name a few. The ending was very close to redeeming my less favorite parts, but unfortunately it also felt rushed to me. I am still interested in this universe and am wondering how her subsequent novels are.

I literally had no idea what to expect when I went into this book. I think I got it for a dollar or something on my Kindle app. The cover was pretty and the premise sounded interesting, so I bought it. And then I promptly forgot it existed. So, when I picked it up for the Magical Readathon, I really went in cold.

And boy does the story start off with a bang! Elena Bourneau, a young witch living in the French countryside, emerges from a seven-year-long curse. She stumbles back to the vineyard where she was raised only to discover that everything has changed. The vineyard is under new ownership and the man who bought it, Jean-Paul Martel, is a man of science. He doesn’t believe in the so-called vine witches who ply their trade in the Chanceaux Valley. Which is kind of a problem since Elena is a vine witch. As Elena tries to secretly work her magic, she is also on a mission of revenge. Because she knows who cursed her and she is bound and determined to make them pay.

I picked this book up because of the witchy aspect and I was not disappointed! It was dark, mysterious, and eerie. I loved the atmosphere of this book, not least of all because much it is set in a vineyard. The descriptions were so lush, I could picture myself wandering among the vines, smelling the earth and the grapes around me. And the ending was delightfully creepy! My only hang-up with this book was the romance. It was a shining example of insta-love in the most eye-rolling of ways. Honestly, this book would have been much better minus the love interest. Still, it was a fun, gripping story and I’m glad I finally picked it up!

I am sure I have read this book before! If I have, it's even better the second time around.

If you enjoy magic and tales of revenge spiced up with a little touch of love, then this book is for you.

3.5

Cute story

Such a fun and easy read. It isn’t life-altering writing, but this book has got a plot for revenge, a mystery, a budding love story, and magic - all paired perfectly with my favorite beverage, wine