Joanna Lambert's Reviews > Summer at Green Valley Vineyard

A huge amount of research went into this book which gives the story a very authentic feel. Linzi, who has been working at Green Valley for nine years, has not recovered from a broken romance, which saw her leaving Italy and her married lover. Elliott, the grandson of Thomas Montgomery, who owns Green Valley, has been charged with the task of taking over the business following his father Robert's death. The pair come together, Elliot relying on Linzi's knowledge and expertise to help him settle into the job. The book is supposed to be a romance, but there is very little romantic content. I didn't feel any real spark between the two of them, even though they were working closely, and they only 'found' each other and had that first kiss as the book drew to a close.
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What I did enjoy were the sub plots concerning some of the staff - Gwyn, Sienna and Michael. The day to day running of the vineyard took centre stage. That too was interesting and woven well into the story. Elliott was kind and caring. He had a job to do, but was careful with how he interacted with the staff, and often sought Linzi's help with problems that arose. Sadly, I'm afraid I didn't take to Linzi at all. Her character didn't work well for me. Because it's written mostly from her perspective, she came across as an over confident individual who had answers for everyone's problems.
All in all, it's a good, solid read but there are no real surprises. I've given four stars because the book is well written and the storyline is an interesting one.