May 2021

I learned a lot of things from this book. including delightful new words and phrases.

I learned that small towns are the same whether they are in Newfoundland or the US or UK, and also that teenagers can be obnoxious regardless of country of residence.

That is what made this book so enjoyable to me. Even though I have never traveled to Newfoundland, I found the attitudes of the townspeople to be similar to a small upstate NY town we used to live in. As a former teacher, I felt the teenage characters were familiar as well.

Rachel was therefore relatable on a couple of different levels. I remember my first day of teaching high school like it was yesterday. That was one of my favorite scenes in the book.

She also handled everything the best she could. She wasn’t perfect and she made mistakes, but she came across as someone genuine who just wanted to fit in and do a good job.

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I especially liked how the author wrote phonetically or in the vernacular. I know that’s often a bone of contention when dealing with accents in a book.

But I prefer it because I read those parts out loud (yes, it probably seemed as if I was talking to myself) and it definitely gave me a better feel for the cadence and lilt of the townies’ language. I was also struck by how much it had in common with Irish inflections and contractions.

I really enjoyed all of the characters – quirky doesn’t begin to describe some of them.

But back to the teaching part, I thought the way Rachel figured out how to reach the students was accurately portrayed. Sometimes it’s all about just catching their attention in the smallest way – then you can expand on it to bring them further around.

I guess if there was a phrase to sum up this book it would be “don’t judge a book by its cover.” The townies got to know Rachel instead of judging her as a mainlander and she got to know the students in spite of being warned about them by others.

This was a charming book and I would recommend it for a light, easy, relaxing read.

**Social Links:**
Author Website
Twitter: @Downith
Instagram: @Downith1
Facebook: @AuthorDMonaghan
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DAMHNAIT MONAGHAN was once a mainlander who taught in a small fishing village in Newfoundland. A former teacher and lawyer, Monaghan has almost sixty publication credits, including flash fiction, creative non-fiction, and short stories. Her short prose has won or placed in various writing competitions and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfictions. New Girl in Little Cove placed in the top six from more than 350 entries in the 2019 International Caledonia Novel Award.

By now, visiting Chelan feels like a refreshing quick vacation to a memorable location. The Alvarez sisters are still working to save Blue Hills Vineyard, succeeding in little steps.

In this book we get Lola’s story. She’s the youngest, and even though she was in the first two books, this is the first time that I really felt that I got a grasp of who she was.

I’m pretty sure that the author plotted it that way, giving each sister the focus deserved in each of the books. I like how this was done, because it not only gave each of the sisters the spotlight, but it also laid the groundwork for the family drama.

And boy, does that play a part in this one.

Lola has some great ideas to help expand the success of the winery, but as the youngest, she isn’t taken very seriously, especially by Carmen (the oldest).

There’s some typical sibling rivalry here, as well as some stereotypical characterizations. The hard-headed oldest sister, the free spirit younger sister fighting for her voice to be heard…anyone with siblings will recognize the dynamics.

It doesn’t help Lola that her first love, Gus, has come back to town, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her plans to show Carmen how profitable her ideas can be.

As a fan of cooking shows, I especially liked the scenes in the kitchen. Neil was an especially memorable character because he was just like several well-known tv chefs.

Blue Hills Vineyard reminds me of the vineyards in Northern Virginia – I have many fond memories of tastings and overnights there. The descriptions in the book are vivid enough for me to picture the entire layout in spite of being in a different state.

Shout out to Daisy as well. I felt a special affinity for her because I have a dog with one blue eye and one brown eye. So yeah, I related to a dog in the story.

The romance is sweet, the characters are realistic, and the setting is idyllic. Sometimes that’s all you need for the perfect read.

Author bio:
Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today and Kindle bestselling author of addictively fun love stories. She has never run a winery, been attacked by drones or nearly drowned someone but she loves putting her characters in challenging situations. Ellyn also enjoys chatting with readers on social media. Especially when she should be writing.

Ellyn began her writing life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles which, outside of writing hours, is exactly as crazy as it seems in the movies. After hightailing it back to her native Seattle, Ellyn began writing comedic romances and never looked back.

Ellyn lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s part of a competitive rowing team. You can often find her on Lake Sammamish rowing in the dark.

Author website: www.EllynOaksmith.com
Facebook: @EllynOaksmith
Instagram: @EllynOaksmith