Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Valley Fever by Katherine Taylor

3 Star

Ingrid Palamede never returns to the places she's lived. For her, "whole neighborhoods, whole cities, can be ruined by the reasons you left." But when a breakup leaves her heartbroken and homeless, she's forced to return to her childhood home of Fresno, California. Back in the real wine country, where grapes are grown for mass producers, Ingrid must confront her aging parents and their financial woes, soured friendships, and the blissfully bad decisions she made in her past. But along the way she unearths her love for the land, her talent for harvesting grapes, and a deep fondness for and forgiveness of the very first place she ever left.





Sabrina-Kate - 3 Star

I loved the cover from the start so was very hopeful the story would follow suit. Sadly that was not to be the case. Although I can appreciate the returning home to fix your life and make good aspect of the story, the actual writing did not always captivate me. Sometimes I found certain sections to drag on and other times the story was witty, funny and quite entertaining. When books seem to be 'off balance' that way, it makes it tedious for me to read through them as the story does not flow well.  

There was a lot of talking in the book between the characters which helped to resolve issues and make the story evolve, but at one point, I just got so anxious for something to happen and for things to move forward. They did, sort of at least, but not a lot actually happening in the grand scheme of things, so I can't say that the story was well developed. 

What I did find interesting was an insider's look into working on a vineyard and all the different aspects of it. From the day to day, to the politics involved, I think these intricacies was what the book really excelled in, if nothing else. 

For a second novel, after a celebrated first oeuvre, I found this book to be sadly lacking something. I wouldn't recommend it if you are expecting a busy plot line, but if you are curious about Fresno and the agricultural community there, then this may very well sate your curiosity in an entertaining way.

All opinions are our own.

Connect with Katherine Taylor:
Website      Goodreads


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