Review & GIVEAWAY: The Vineyards of Champagne

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The Vineyards of Champagne

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher: Berkley

Purchase HERE

Beneath the cover of France's most exquisite vineyards, a city of women defy an army during World War I, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Carousel of Provence....

Deep within the labyrinth of caves that lies below the lush, rolling vineyards of the Champagne region, an underground city of women and children hums with life. Forced to take shelter from the unrelenting onslaught of German shellfire above, the bravest and most defiant women venture out to pluck sweet grapes for the harvest. But wine is not the only secret preserved in the cool, dark cellars…

In present day, Rosalyn Acosta travels to Champagne to select vintages for her Napa-based employer. Rosalyn doesn’t much care for champagne—or France, for that matter. Since the untimely death of her young husband, Rosalyn finds it a challenge to enjoy anything at all. But as she reads through a precious cache of WWI letters and retraces the lives lived in the limestone tunnels, Rosalyn will unravel a mystery hidden for decades…and find a way to savor her own life again.

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Review

Rosalyn and Emma are wonderfully developed characters, and the first chapter pulled me in quickly (which is so important.) I connected with Rosalyn and empathized with her struggles. But what grabbed me the most, what pulled me in fully, was the rich history that I hadn’t previously known about. (Fascinating facts!) I read a lot of WWII stories, but for whatever reason, I’ve read very little about WWI. I was captivated by the letters, mystery, love, and loss these women shared.

The visualization was wonderful. I’ve visited parts of Europe, but I haven’t yet been to France. Still, I envisioned the scenes vividly and loved when the story turned to the past.

I adore dual time-period pieces, with a story in present day as well as teaching me something of the past. In this tale, the historical side of things is what captured me most and I wished the story could’ve lingered there even more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to review.

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Giveaway

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