FICTION

Eight Hundred Grapes

S. & S. Jun. 2015. 272p. ISBN 9781476789255. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781476789293. F
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A week before her wedding, Georgia Ford flees to her family's vineyard in Sonoma: the vineyard where she and her brothers grew up; the vineyard that is now being sold to a big commercial winemaker. She might be losing a fiancé, but it's the vineyard that Georgia can't bear to let go. "Be careful what you give up," her mom says, in the midst of having marital problems with Georgia's father. Meanwhile her brothers are fighting. Then, Georgia's fiancé arrives to make amends—but his ex-girlfriend also pops up. Enter the handsome Jacob, who is buying out Georgia's family. There is so much going on in this lighthearted, mainstream chick lit; so many conversations about complicated feelings. It takes 800 grapes to make one bottle of wine, but how many winemaking metaphors does it take to get to the predictable happily-ever-after?
VERDICT Fast-moving chapters and snappy dialog make this a quick, breezy, perfect beach read, but the story would improve if the protagonist had some romantic love scenes and a bit more passion. This is Dave's (The First Husband; The Divorce Party) fourth novel; she is gaining a following and finding her spot next to the likes of Emily Giffin and Nancy Thayer.
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