The Winemakers Box Set (The Winemakers Series) by Giovanna Siniscalchi – Review by Audrie Harrington

The Winemakers – Box set: A Series of Sun-Kissed Historical Romances by Giovanna Siniscalchi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a great introduction to Portugal – the people, the wine, and the land! This series was a great read and I loved getting to know all the characters and learning more about the culture. In the first book, the main character, Julia, is a widow who is running a vineyard during a time when it was done only by men. She is independent, tough, headstrong, and willing to do anything to keep her vineyard going. When Griffin Maxwell comes to town to check in on his own vineyard, there is an instant connection. Julia teaches him about the culture, the stories, the food, and the grapes. Griffin is helping her find a cure to the plague spreading through vineyards, teaching her son how to ride a horse, and opening her up to new love. The setting is beautiful and the characters are very relatable. This was a page turner and I had to keep reading to see what decisions would be made and what obstacles they would have to overcome.

I was reluctant to read the second book because I did not like Pedro after reading the first book in this series. I am so glad I gave it a chance because I loved learning more about Pedro as a character, about his past, what motivates him, and how he can change. A chance encounter brings Anne into Pedro’s home and the chaos of his past. Pedro doesn’t know who she is in the beginning and then learns that she is Anne Maxwell, the sister of Griffin whom he hates for taking his Julia away. They are drawn together and as she learns more about Pedro (sometimes through his brother Cris) she starts to open up to him too. This is war, hate, revenge, family, love, and romance all swirled together in a wonderful read!

This is the third book in the series and follows some new characters. Isabel is the princess of Portugal and loves her country. Her brother, the king, sends her off to visit her cousin and find out what is happening in Spain. Henrique is selling his land and moving out of the country, but agrees to accompany the sister of his good friend (the king) to Spain. Henrique is witty and charming and knows how to woo the ladies. Isabel has been protected and doesn’t agree with his philandering, but she sees a different man underneath the façade. In Spain, they are busy with many events planned by her cousin, but also in a lot of political meetings. The true king of Spain is invited to the palace and tries to sweep Isabel off her feet in order to get back to his rightful throne. The story kept me guessing and I learned so much about life in the 1800s.

View all my reviews