REVIEW: Once Upon a Wine by Beth Kendrick

In Once Upon a Wine (Black Dog Bay) by Beth Kendrick, Black Dog Bay was a great place for Cammie Breyer to spend her lazy summers growing up, hanging out with her cousin Kat and her doting Aunt Ginger. It was also the place where she fell in love for the first time, with local farmer Ian McKinlay, only to have to leave him behind when she went to grad school in California. Now, Cammie is facing down thirty while knowing she’s not where she wants to be in life. She lost the restaurant of her dreams thanks to her now ex-boyfriend. And life in L.A. hasn’t turned out to be what she expected at all.

“We’re vintners,” Kat echoed. “Against our will.”
“Vintners who don’t actually know how to do anything but drink wine.”
“What could possibly go wrong?”

A frantic call from her cousin Kat, a former pro-skateboarder, sends Cammie running back to Delaware to see what mischief her Aunt Ginger has gotten herself into. It turns out that Ginger bought a vineyard and is expecting both Kat and Cammie to assist in running the place. After years of neglect, everything needs a lot of work. And none of them know the first thing about vineyards. But they decide to band together and see what they can accomplish–all while Cammie is reunited with Ian, and Kat finds out her marriage to philosophy professor Josh is not as stable as she thought. Throw in cute little wannabe farm dog, Jacques, a town full of friendly faces, an old family recipe for strawberry wine, and Cammie, Kat and Ginger just might have a shot at success.

Ginger winked at Cammie. “You can get us a good deal on the strawberries, right?”
“Ian already gave you a great deal,” Cammie said.
“Oh, I’d bet you can get us an even better deal,” Ginger said airily. “With your powers of persuasion? Maybe when he picks you up for that date he asked about?”
…Cammie turned to Kat. “Help me; I’m being pimped out for produce over here.”

Once Upon a Wine had a little bit of something for every reader: It was a reunion story. There was family drama. We saw girl-power galore. We met a sweetheart of a French bulldog. And we of course had a wonderful sense of community as the locals in Black Dog Bay helped out our trio and put their two cents worth in.

‘They had all failed spectacularly. And it was beautiful. Failure had set them free to find new dreams, to rebuild relationships, to discover who they really were.’

I know when I pick up a book by Beth Kendrick that I’ll have fun and I’ll be drawn in by the relationships she’s created. And that was exactly what happened with Once Upon a Wine. I came to love Cammie, Kat and Ginger as if they were my own friends. What a unique and strong bond they had together. It was heartwarming to watch them interact, even though they may have had some squabbles here and there. Or quite often, in Ginger and Kat’s case. That only made them seem like a real family to me. It wasn’t always perfect, but the feelings they had were certainly genuine.

This book saw a lovely second chance romance bloom between Cammie and Ian who were super cute and sweet together. But we also watched Kat struggling with her new path in life and trying to salvage her marriage. It was so interesting to see the difference between the couples. Ian and Cammie were fairly laid back and didn’t have too much angst between them. Although they could have with the way their relationship ended previously. Then we had Kat and Josh. Now there was some drama! But it honestly seemed to fit their personalities and turned out to be kind of funny at times. Plus Josh got her Jacques, the lovable snaggletoothed French bulldog who stole everybody’s heart. How could you not like him after that?

Rounding out the trio was Aunt Ginger. Let’s just say that she was a bit on the eccentric side, but she was a wonderful, caring and giving woman. She gave up everything to become a single parent, raising Kat alone, and she took care of Cammie as if she were her own daughter. Ginger added some laughs and pizazz to the story, and while she may have been a little impetuous while chasing her dream of owning a vineyard, she did have Kat and Cammie’s best interests always in her heart.

Once Upon a Wine is the ultimate beach read. It’s a modern romance with feel-good friendships, quick and witty dialogue, and characters you want to spend time with. I think readers will have a great time in Black Dog Bay.

Book Info:

Expected publication: July 26th 2016 (first published July 5th 2016) | by NAL | Black Dog Bay

From the “sharp, sassy, [and] surprisingly emotional”* author of Put a Ring on It, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, and The Week Before the Wedding, a new novel set in the charming seaside town of Black Dog Bay, Delaware…

Cammie Breyer needs a big glass of cabernet—her restaurant failed and her chef boyfriend left for a hotter kitchen. Just when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, her Aunt Ginger calls with a surprise. She’s bought a vineyard—in Delaware. At Ginger’s command, Cammie returns to Black Dog Bay, the seaside town where she spent her childhood summers with her aunt and her cousin, Kat.

The three women reunite, determined to succeed. There’s only one little problem: None of them knows the first thing about wine making. And it turns out, owning a vineyard isn’t all wine and roses. It’s dirt, sweat, and desperation. Every day brings financial pitfalls, unruly tourists, romantic dilemmas, and second thoughts. But even as they struggle, they cultivate hidden talents and new passions. While the grapes ripen under the summer sun, Cammie discovers that love, like wine, is layered, complex, delicious, and worth waiting for…