Review: Late Summer in the Vineyard by Jo Thomas

Synopsis
Working for a wine-maker in France is the opportunity of a lifetime for Emmy. Even if she doesn't know a thing about wine - beyond what's on offer at the local supermarket.

There's plenty to get to grips with in the rustic town of Petit Frère. Emmy's new work friends need more than a little winning over. Then there's her infuriatingly brash tutor, Isaac, and the enigmatic Madame Beaumont, tucked away in her vineyard of secrets.

But Emmy will soon realise that in life - just as in wine-making - the best things happen when you let go and trust your instincts. Particularly when there's romance in the air... 

Review
Pack up your suitcase, it's time for another holiday with Jo Thomas! Her books never fail to transport me to another place, with a wonderful cast of characters that by the novel's end you will consider friends.

Emmy may be a tad stereotypical as a chick-lit lead character, but her love interests most certainly are not, and my feelings towards both Isaac and Charlie fluctuated throughout the novel, leaving me wondering which, if either, she would ultimately end up with. Another staple of Jo Thomas novels are the animals, often characters in themselves. This time we have Cecil the dog, and Henri - the beautiful wise old workhorse.

The plot is fairly predictable stuff but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable - if anything knowing what's going to happen makes for relaxing worry-free reading, exactly what I need at the moment!

Whilst I'm not a wine drinker I fully appreciated the amount of research that must have gone into this book, and left it feeling a little more cultured, educated, and wanting to visit France myself!

**Thanks to Bookbridgr for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review!**

For more on Jo Thomas, check out my reviews of The Oyster Catcher, The Chestnut Tree and The Olive Branch!