‘It’s time to let go of the past,
and finally start living’
Late Summer in The Vineyard is the latest release from writer Jo Thomas. Published by Headline, it is due for general release, in both ebook and paperback format, on 11th August.
If you still haven’t found THAT Summer read you are looking for, then this could just be it!!
Please read on to see my full review and the ‘blurb’ on the book. I do hope you enjoy!
‘Emmy Bridges has landed the opportunity of a lifetime.
What could be better than three months working for a winemaker in the rolling vineyards of France?
It certainly makes a change from organising office collections to buy gifts for colleagues’ weddings and babies. Especially when there won’t be one for Emmy any time soon.
It’s just hard to bring home a man when your sixty-five year old dad is up watching Pointless with a Horlicks.
But as Emmy copes with ambitious co-workers and amorous advances, she will realise that the very best – and most unexpected – things happen when you trust your instincts.’
Emmy Bridges, a girl with a big heart and absolutely no ego, works in a call centre in sales. Not an obvious choice for someone like Emmy but it is the only job available to her. Her sales are abysmal and Emmy is in trouble. She is faced with number of financial decisions and really is struggling to cope with the daily stresses placed on her.
Emmy’s life is both sad and tough. Her mother died tragically in a car accident when Emmy was young, leaving her to cope with her younger sister Jody and a father who went to pieces. Emmy took this role on board but unfortunately things are coming to a head and Emmy needs to find a solution…..fast.
Emmy’s boss , Trevor, is quite sympathetic to Emmy’s cause and with a little twist of fate (and luck) Emmy’s life takes a very unexpected turn.
Packing her bags, Emmy finds herself in the South of France, in the idyllic little village of Petit Frere, on a mission to learn about wine.
She is on a working trip with colleagues from the call centre. They have twelve weeks to impress a new client, Featherstones, who have the potential to turn around the finances of the call centre and Emmy aswell.
Can Emmy make a success of this opportunity?
Will fate intervene yet again?
Inevitably, as this is a Summer read, there is romance blossoming on every page.
We have Isaac, the travelling wine man who never puts down roots anywhere. He is footloose and free. He lives off his wits and off his next job.
We have Charlie, heir to the Featherstone empire. Charlie is suave, good looking, polished and carries a confidence that only money can bring.
There is romance & opportunity blossoming among Emmy’s colleagues as the book progresses. Characters develop and change. Personalities are exposed and deepened.
In the midst of all this, there is Madame Beaumont.
An elderly lady, running her vineyard using old fashioned methods, Madame carries her own dark secrets. She has a past that she has kept close to her heart for many years, a past that affects her every moment in this small village. Small communities carry many a grudge and Madame has been exposed to some very nasty and snide actions from her neighbours.
But why?
Late in the Summer Vineyard brings all these individual characters together in a story that is the perfect read on a Summer’s Day or in the middle of a wet and dreary Winter. It is a very easy read, a little escapism from the horrors of the world we live in today.
Will Emmy solve her financial worries?
Will true love be found in the South of France?
Will Madame Beaumont’s past be revealed?
What does happen in the little village of Petit Frere?
You will just have to pick up a copy of Jo Thomas’ latest book to find out!!
Please let me know if you do. I would love to hear what you think.
For now though… xx
Meet Jo:
Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show.
In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary.
Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway best seller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award.
Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.
