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Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard Jamie Raintree 9781525806001 Books

Download As PDF : Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard Jamie Raintree 9781525806001 Books

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard Jamie Raintree 9781525806001 Books

This is not your cookie cutter romance novel.

Jamie Raintree does a nice job of writing multi-dimensional characters in a romance that has more tension and drama than romance.

The main star is Mallory. She was raised on a horse ranch by fairly well to do parents. She had a best friend, Kelly, and the two were inseparable in high school until ... Sam came along.

Sam is the typical romance sophisticated, older, but somewhat callous boy. Sam comes between Kelly and Mallory, and Mallory heads off to college and to New York City, leaving Kelly to lead her own life.

Ten years later, the high school is having a reunion and everyone is there. Uh-oh! Will it be repaired friendships, renewed sparks, or ...

Without giving anything away, this is is not your typical romance novel. So, if you crave predictability in your romances then you might not like this one. If you like a good story that rings true with interesting characters then this is a good book for you.

** Spoilers Follow **

The bad boy does not get the girl, and the heroine does not make perfect choices.

In fact, Kelly is depicted by fair as the more responsible, nicer person.

Kelly and Mallory do not fully repair their relationship.

Mallory makes a lot of unappreciative, immature moves during this book - much like real people often do.

The big romantic winner is the younger horse tender, nebbishy man who has been star-struck by Mallory since he was an adolescent.

I liked this book because it turned a lot of romance troupes on their head.

Well done Ms. Raintree!


Tags : Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard [Jamie Raintree] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong><em>Mallory Graham is returning home to the heat and vines of Southern California in search of the peace she can’t find in the city. Her parents’ vineyard is an escape for tourists,Jamie Raintree,Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard,Graydon House,1525806009,Coming Of Age,Contemporary Women,Family Life,10049609,115026X,20190401,707220,FICTION Coming of Age,FICTION Family Life General,FICTION Women,Fiction,FictionComing of Age,FictionWomen,GENERAL,General Adult,Women's Fiction; 20th century; best friends; Bittersweet; Book Club; book group; California; Coming Home; Contemporary; forgiveness; Self-Discovery; Family business,Women's Fiction;20th century;best friends;Bittersweet;Book Club;book group;California;Coming Home;Contemporary;Family business;forgiveness;Self-Discovery

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard Jamie Raintree 9781525806001 Books Reviews

“Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard” by Jamie Raintree is not your typical romance novel. Although there is plenty of emotional tension and trauma, there is zero explicit eroticism. The basic story line is that the narrator/protagonist, Mallory, returns to the vineyard her parents own from a high-pressure job in marketing in New York. She feels a desperate need to “mend fences” with her best friend Kelly, from whom she became estranged ten years before after a “betrayal” of their friendship due to a teen-aged “crush” she had on Sam, a consultant her parents had hired in order to expand and upgrade their business.

The narrative is in first person present tense when dealing with “Now” (Mallory’s return visit) and past tense for “Then” (the summer 10 years before when the rift between Mal and Kel occurred). Although I personally tend to dislike the first-person-present style, the author handles it so proficiently that I didn’t find myself resisting it unduly. This novel is very definitely a psychological study, dealing with the aspects of resentment, submerged motives, and the expectations each person puts on relationships. Although there is very little real “action” of any variety in the narrative, and only one major crisis that is not the result of the characters’ own internal angst, It did keep me interested and willing to continue reading to see how things resolved. The ending, I will admit, was not in any way clichéd or “pat”, but realistic and meaningful.
Plot Mallory is a twentysomething single woman who is returning to her family's home, the Wandering Vineyard, after going away to Columbia for college and years spent climbing the corporate ladder in NYC until securing her present marketing position (which promises a promotion shortly). Her father, who is preparing for a special event, and her mother, who has a job with a law firm, are thrilled and proud of what she's accomplished, but Mallory can't shake the feeling that she isn't doing what she really wants with her life. Her ambivalence is compounded by reuniting with her former best friend, Kelly, who still lives in the area with her agoraphobic mother, working at mundane jobs despite her ambitions, and from whom Mallory became estranged at the end of their eighteenth summer. The object of their quarrel, Sam, a wealthy, ambitious man with family issues of his own, was Mallory's first real love, although their age difference and backgrounds made connecting a challenge, and they parted on uncertain terms. Now that Sam, too, has returned for the big event, Mallory finds her old feelings for him re-triggered, and he seems to be reciprocating this time. No longer the insecure girl she was as a teen (or is she?), Mallory will find herself making decisions about friendship, romance and her career that may wind up pointing her in directions she originally never dreamed, but this time around, will they be ones which will fulfill her real desires?

Thoughts I have to admit that many times during reading this, I wanted to shake the main character here she is surrounded by love and support from her family, and she still makes bad choice after bad choice, though she finally does begin to grow up (after her parents give her some much needed advice). Since most of the action, both in the "Then" and "Now" sections took place at the vineyard with the same characters doing pretty much the same jobs, I found going back and forth in time made it difficult to keep orienting myself. I found Kelly's issues and dilemma much more interesting and often wished the book was written from her perspective instead. The topic of mental illness, however, was sensitively depicted, and it was nice to read about a protagonist who didn't have the family from hell.
This is not your cookie cutter romance novel.

Jamie Raintree does a nice job of writing multi-dimensional characters in a romance that has more tension and drama than romance.

The main star is Mallory. She was raised on a horse ranch by fairly well to do parents. She had a best friend, Kelly, and the two were inseparable in high school until ... Sam came along.

Sam is the typical romance sophisticated, older, but somewhat callous boy. Sam comes between Kelly and Mallory, and Mallory heads off to college and to New York City, leaving Kelly to lead her own life.

Ten years later, the high school is having a reunion and everyone is there. Uh-oh! Will it be repaired friendships, renewed sparks, or ...

Without giving anything away, this is is not your typical romance novel. So, if you crave predictability in your romances then you might not like this one. If you like a good story that rings true with interesting characters then this is a good book for you.

** Spoilers Follow **

The bad boy does not get the girl, and the heroine does not make perfect choices.

In fact, Kelly is depicted by fair as the more responsible, nicer person.

Kelly and Mallory do not fully repair their relationship.

Mallory makes a lot of unappreciative, immature moves during this book - much like real people often do.

The big romantic winner is the younger horse tender, nebbishy man who has been star-struck by Mallory since he was an adolescent.

I liked this book because it turned a lot of romance troupes on their head.

Well done Ms. Raintree!