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

The True Purpose Of Vines.

Julia Costa is a young Portuguese woman who is a widow, and she has a passion for wine and winemaking, it has been instilled in her since she was a child and she loves it, so when she married, she knew how to both work and manage the vineyard, however, after her husband died, she took on the roll full time, not that the suppliers know that. Griffin Maxwell is a young man who has made a deal with a large wine salesperson, the unfortunate thing is that he now has to chase a debtor in a small town in Portugal, it is the last thing he wants to do, however, he reluctantly agrees and goes to another vineyard nearby.

Griffin is not used to travelling when not doing it on horseback, so when he becomes stuck behind a local mail cart, he cannot take the cramped space any longer and decides to forge ahead on horseback, however, this does not go to plan when he encounters a boar and a woman working on the vines, in the most inappropriate mens clothing, but destiny brings them together to escape the boar, then part ways. This, however, is not the last he will see of this intriguing young woman as he meets her again at the local villages celebration and this is where he also cannot resist a taste, no matter how scandalised she feels after the kiss, but he is adamant he wants nothing else to do with the Portuguese or their temptations.

Julia does her best to ignore the attraction between herself and the Englishman, however, when the past comes to visit, she knows she needs to make another hard choice. Soon, Julia and Griffin begin to work together learning about each other’s skills and when Griffin discovers Julia is the debtor he is supposed to chase and is torn between his heart and his business dealings, but things are not to be within control, or Julia’s when tragedy strikes, and a pestilence begins to rip its way through the local vineyards.

Will Julia and Griffin be able to work together to find a cure for the vines, or will their livelihoods come crashing down before they can take a chance to invest in them? This is a historical romance set in beautiful country with a fascinating culture and the trials and tribulations they face, all while weaving a tale of romance and danger throughout, a tantalising glimpse into a world into which you will want to dive deeper.

The Taste Of Light.

In Portugal, vineyards spread as far as the eye can see, but recently, they have been decimated and only the strongest have survived and just like those vines, so has Pedro Duan. This man who served in the military and had his whole life ahead of him has now become a recluse ever since he lost his love to another man, all he searches for now is port and other vices. Anne Maxwell is a young woman who has put her life on hold for her family, she takes on the role with happiness, despite her not having the chance to be a socialite, but still enjoying the chance to live on a beautiful vineyard and learn more about this generous culture surrounding her.

One day, she decides to take over the role of her sister-in-law and travel to the nearby vineyards to pass on knowledge which could save them, however, the first place she comes across is not what she expected and nether is the man within it. As soon as Anne enters the room he is in, he sees her as an angel exploring her dark surrounding, someone too pure for what he requested and far too bright a light for him to dim with his shadows, however, fate intervenes and a choice must be made between past and present, revenge or protection, fight or flight and Pedro knows which one he prefers, however, Anne is too vulnerable to be left to this fate and so he escapes with her.

Although, it is not a smooth escape and injuries are sustained, they find safety, however, it is not where Pedro expects it and so when he finds that his angel is not whom he thought, he takes her to his own safe haven. The only thing is that he is followed and accused of a treasonous act, they both know that he is innocent, however, he has no proof, so they set off running again, fugitives, but alive. Anne cannot understand the mercurial moods of her saviour; however, his shadows draw her too him and her light draws Pedro to her, neither can deny what they feel, but they try their hardest to resist it.

As danger creeps closer and the chase for validation of his innocence continues, the two seem to gravitate towards each other and it becomes harder to resist the other, until truths are revealed which could change everything, but will Anne be able to accept that fairytales aren’t as clean cut as she thought, and will Pedro accept that his darkness needs her light? This is yet another historical romance where passion and deception vie for supremacy while, darkness and light also fight for the win all while danger creeps closer and emotions run high across the beautiful vista of Portugal.

The Truth About Myths.

Princess Isabel is the sister of the King of Portugal, they have been close throughout their lives while facing whatever came their families way, but the way they coped with all of that was complete opposites on the spectrum. The King became a lad about town, with a group of friends who were the scourge of the men folk on their area of the world, while Isabel went the way of modesty, fidelity and duty and tried to promote these values in her ladies in waiting as well. One day, she is summoned to see her brother where he tells her that he has received an invitation for Isabel to visit a relative in Spain for the summer and as much as she loved her cousin, she does not relish the idea of the company she keeps, so she politely declines, that is until her brother insists that it is more a diplomatic mission than a holiday and this is where duty wins out and Isabel reluctantly agrees.

Meanwhile, one of the Kings group of friends, Henrique, the Viscount of Panafiel, a scientist is about to embark on a journey to England to take a position at one of their top universities, but at the last minute, he is called upon to escort the Princess to Spain and watch over her and albeit he really does not want to go, he is won over by being the only one the King entrusts with the role, so he also reluctantly agrees. When the two meet at the carriages they are to travel in, the two realise that they have been misled by their nearest and dearest as to whom they will be accompanying and this just makes the journey even more unpredictable and in some ways uncomfortable for them both.

As the journey to Spain goes on, the two find themselves drawn to each other and opening up in ways they thought impossible and even though their personalities clash, they enjoy tormenting the other with sharp tongues and sharper wit, but as soon as they reach their hosts, thinks begin to heat up and each finds new experiences and challenges in the other. This however, was not to last when Prince Alfonso of Spain enters the picture and comes in between the two opinionated young aristocrats and this is where things become messy as it appears that the Princesses ideals and sense of duty are used in such a manner that anything which was blooming between her and her escort are threatened and Henrique will do anything to save his Princess and his country, but will he lose everything he is trying to save in the process? This is a historical fiction set in the Mediterranean where emotions run high and politics reign, in this royal romance where appearances can be deceiving and sifting the truth and the lies is almost impossible as you wonder who will triumph in the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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