Blush by Jamie Brenner

 

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I spotted this novel a few months ago as I was ordering books for my library and thought "Hmmm" this may be an interesting read. 

I was correct.

 I will confess to drinking a glass of wine Friday night as I was reading the last 50 pages, but it wasn't a rose. I kid you not, if you're not a wine drinker, this novel will certainly tempt you to try a few. If you are a wine drinker, just settle back, pop the cork, and pour yourself a glass while you enjoy this novel about a family winery, 80's glam novels, and cheese. Yes, cheese. You'll want some cheese and crackers, too. 

The Hollander Estates Winery has been a hot spot for parties, day trips, and a big tourist attraction on the North Fork of Long Island for decades. What were once potato fields is now a gorgeous winery, complete with an equally gorgeous home to the Hollander duo of Leonard and Vivian. Newly married, the couple created the winery through years of hard work and effort. Their son Asher--who does not want to work at the winery, helps runs it. Their daughter Leah Hollander Bailey runs a successful cheese shop in New York City. Leah was, sadly, not given the chance to help run the winery with her father. He is not about to have a woman make the big decisions. Leah's cheese shop is not her passion and now her lease is up and she's got to make a decision to find another location or close shop. 

Leah, Steve (her husband), and Sadie her college age daughter arrive at the winery for a week of rest and relaxation. Instead, they hear the news that Leonard must sell the winery--the whole kit and caboodle, due to big losses. Vivian is beyond bereft--she had no idea. Again, Leonard not sharing. Leah wants to do whatever she can to save the winery, even if it means angering her father by pushing the idea of creating a Hollander Rose--the one thing Leonard refuses to do. 

Oh, there's a whole lot going on here! Sadie is in a college thesis crisis; Steve wants to move the cheese shop and is not happy Leah keeps putting off returning to NYC; Vivian is crushed she will lose her home. Asher just doesn't seem to care, and his much younger girlfriend rubs Vivian the wrong way. 

Enter Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz, and a few other big authors from the 1980's when glamorous women's fiction was all the rage. Sadie begins reading it, Leah follows (remembering how she would sneak the books as a kid), and some of that magic 80's tough heroine fiction rubs off. The show isn't over, not by a long shot. 

I so enjoyed this novel that I'm probably going to read Jamie Brenner's other novels, too. I didn't read Jackie Collins or Judith Krantz back in my teen years, but I was certainly aware of them--and can't forget those glam covers, either. It's pretty interesting how the characters they wrote about influence these women of 2021. Some call it trash fiction, but really, if it speaks to you, entertains, and years later still makes an impact, why would you call it trash? Sounds like darn good storytelling to me. 

This would make a great book club choice--head out to a winery with your friends to sip, nibble, and discuss. There is a lot to talk about! Probably enough for at least one bottle of wine...

Rating: 4/6 for a swiftly moving family novel with plenty of strong women who are just not going to take being in the back seat anymore. Plenty of information about how a winery operates, the magic of growing grapes, and oh, plenty of drama, too. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Blush by Jamie Brenner

Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

I've always been fascinated by the saga of Henry VIII and his six wives, so it was a no brainer when I saw this novel. It's Henry VIII and his wives set in modern times. How would it all play out in our modern society?

Olivia Hayfield delivers an absolute Dynasty-drenched saga which begins in the 1980's and takes us up to 2018. Harry Rose is a young twenty-two year old man married to Katie, and expecting his first child. It's 1985, and he is working to take the reins of the family business Rose Corp, begun by his father. He's stunningly handsome, charismatic, and grieving the loss, in a short span of time, of his brother Arthur, his mother, and his father. More sadness is on the way when their first child is stillborn. 

From 1985 the story moves forward, as Harry begins his reign as Rose Corp's CEO, and welcomes his daughter Maria with Katie. Of course Harry, with his intense good looks, is irresistible to the women who cross his path. He loves Katie, but just can't help himself. Katie, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly depressed over losing more pregnancies, and turns towards her faith to cope. 

Oh, the parade of women through Harry's life! Merry, his long-time mistress and sister of Ana Lyebon, who becomes his second wife after years of waiting to divorce Katie. Merry plays a big part in Harry's life.

 Ana is a very interesting character. She kept away from Harry for a long time, just not interested in him, and was also engaged to another man. But Harry's determination to have her wore her down, and they become the power couple of London society. She's beautiful, brilliant, talented, and stands up to Harry. She calls him out. 

What I thoroughly enjoyed about this retelling of Henry VIII and his wives was knowing the history of what really happened way back when. We didn't guillotine wives in the 1990's; what would happen to Ana, and Caitlyn, Harry's fifth wife? How would the story change--would they survive this time around?

And Harry: what would become of him, as he bounces from relationship to relationship, all the while becoming more of a force as CEO of Rose Corp. His empire is growing and expanding every year, taking advantage of new technology and the public's appetite for more and more entertainment. In this life, is Harry doomed as Henry VIII was with ill health, mental issues, and a raging temper? Do his relationships with his children improve this time around?

You'll have to read it to find out. 

The author added a list of characters to the book, which helped so much keeping track of who was who in this life and in the Tudor life. There are tons of cultural references (even Princess Diana shows up a few times) and of course references to Henry VIII's world pop up every once in awhile. Ana's visit to the Tower of London for a business photo shoot is really interesting...

Yes, the author does change a few things, and tinkers with the modern retelling of a saga that has fascinated historians and lovers of everything Tudor for years. But that's okay. It's interesting to read an updated version of all of that mess; the sorrow, the machinations, the lost lives. I loved my dip back into 1980's & 90's London, and I simply couldn't put this one down. I found myself reading every chance I had--I guess Henry's still got it!

Rating: 5/6 for a full-on family saga that spans the 1980's, 90's, and the early 21st century. A retelling of the Tudor soap opera with a modern spin. A chance at redemption for Henry (Harry Rose) and a thrilling update to his wives-they are strong, and they don't take any crap from Harry even while they each love him fiercely. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. I'm happy to say Olivia Hayfield is writing a sequel, which will focus on Eliza (Queen Elizabeth)! I'll be devouring that, too.  

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Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

DNF: Here's a Few from February!

I was surprised at the number of people who read my post on DNF's and why I don't feel a lick of guilt setting a book aside to read something else.  I'm certainly not the only one who does this.  Right now I have so many books to read under a deadline that the DNF pull is getting way too tempting.  I'm resisting and forging ahead on the books that I want to read and review. Some I would push to the back of the pile if I had all the time in the world to read them.  I simply have too many choices and it's making me crazy and unable to settle down with my usual rotation of 3-4 books.  The life of a book lover and blogger is tough sometimes.  Boo hoo.  

 I promised to start a new feature talking about the DNF's I have each month.  Here are a few from February that I planned on reading, started, and just couldn't complete:

 
 I love M.J. Rose.  I've read many of her books, and enjoyed her mix of history and magic.  I didn't get a chance to read this book when it first came out, so I thought now would be the time.  I was wrong.  I got about 50 pages in, and just couldn't latch onto the story.  I will return to this book in the future and read it.  But for now, it is a DNF.  

This novel had me alternately enjoying it and being puzzled by it.  I was ready to give up by page 50, but kept plugging away until 150 pages, and I was enjoying it.  Then I read the end, was pissed at what happened, and lost all desire to finish it.  With that being said, I was hoping for a humorous book, and it wasn't humorous enough for me to stick with it. 

 I saw the movie Life of Pi, and loved it.  The premise of this novel intrigued me; I was ready for a mystical Paulo Coelho type book (and this was a new release!).  I made it to about 100 pages, and gave up.  Couldn't hold my interest at all.  Bummed.  

So there you have it.  I'm pretty sure there were more DNF's in February, but these three stood out for me in the DNF ring.  

Now I'm off to conquer my required reading stack.  

 

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DNF: Here's a Few from February!