It’s publication day for Susan Mallery’s The Vineyard at Painted Moon, a moving fictional exploration of complex human relationships between friends and family and those who are both. Mallery is one of my go-to authors when it comes to women’s fiction so I was eager to participate in the Vineyard at Painted Moon blog tour through Harlequin and NetGalley.

About the Book:

MacKenzie Dienes’s life isn’t perfect, but it’s as close as she could ever hope to get. Her marriage to Rhys, her best friend’s brother, is more friendship than true love. But passion is highly overrated, right? And she loves her job as the winemaker at Bel Apres, her in-laws’ vineyard. So what if it’s a family business and, even after decades of marriage and incredible professional success, she’s still barred from the family business meetings? It’s all enough…until one last night spent together leads to an incredibly honest—and painful—conversation. Rhys suggests that they divorce. They haven’t had a marriage in a long time and, while he wants her to keep her job at Bel Apres, he doesn’t think they should be married any longer. Shocked, MacKenzie reels at the prospect of losing the only family she’s ever really known…even though she knows deep in her heart that Rhys is right.

But when MacKenzie discovers she’s pregnant, walking away to begin a new life isn’t so easy. She never could have anticipated the changes it would bring to the relationships she cherishes most: her relationship with Barbara, her mother-in-law and partner at Bel Apres, Stephanie, her sister-in-law and best friend, and Bel Apres, the company she’s worked so hard to put on the map.

MacKenzie has always dreamed of creating a vineyard of her own, a chance to leave a legacy for her unborn child. So when the opportunity arises, she jumps at it and builds the Vineyard at Painted Moon. But following her dreams will come at a high price—one that MacKenzie isn’t so sure she’s willing to pay…

About the Author:

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives―family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

My Thoughts:

There are some individuals who believe consumer book reviews are meant for other readers rather than the authors themselves. Others believe reader reviews can help an author hone their craft. I’m somewhere in the middle on this line of thought. I don’t think Susan Mallery needs help from some random middle-aged mom in rural Canada to sharpen her talents. I generally craft my public reviews for other readers. I’m posting that preface to say I actually enjoyed this novel so much that knowing I’d be posting about the title today, I still reached out to the author privately to say I loved the book.

First, my content clause. This is contemporary women’s fiction and deals with adult issues and adult themes – it’s not always hearts and rainbows. Much like real life, it’s not always squeaky clean and some may wish to avoid the mess. Reader discretion is advised.

Second, this novel had so much heart! It made me laugh at times. It made me feel warm and fuzzy. I felt strong emotions (and even some sympathy) towards Barbara (when you’ve read it, you’ll know.) I have never been more grateful for the very bump-free relationship I have with my in-laws. And Rhys? Well, Rhys had my feelings all over the place and by the end, I was done. I will admit I am not much of a wine drinker at all, but I was absolutely captivated by the charm of wine country and the closeness of the industry. Mackenzie appealed to me – realistically, we had very little in common, but she was my age and had been married for 16 years. It’s always fun to find some parallels between yourself and the heroine of the story. My only “complaint” was that it seemed to take a while to see any progress with Painted Moon itself – I want to know more about Mackenzie’s successes and less of the drama at Bel Apres even though that drama was necessary to the story as a whole.

Overall, this was an easy to read, enjoyable work of fiction highlighting the courage it takes to grab what you want when the world falls apart around you and the importance of crafting our own family through friendships with women who will stand by our side when life goes off the tracks. I enjoyed it so much I would actually love to see more about some of the other women and the community in general. A short series, perhaps, pretty please?

Available today from all major book outlets but I’d encourage you to shop your favourite local bookseller!

The Vineyard at Painted Moon
Susan Mallery
On Sale Date: February 9, 2021
ISBN 9781335912794, 1335912797