10/25/21

I enjoyed the story very much. I learned a lot about the champagne area of France, life there during World War I, and the bubbly drink itself. It is a nice story, perhaps a bit predictable, but still enjoyable. ( )

I do so love a Juliet Blackwell book. She is an auto buy for me and this is my favorite. I will never look at a glass of champagne the same way ever again. Could not put this one down and some of the most like-able and endearing characters ever. Truly a gem of a book. ( )

Rosalyn is sent to the Champagne region of France to bring accounts to sell champagne from small vineyards there. One the plane she meets Australian Emma who is trying to translate letters from a WWI French soldier who wrote to her aunt during WWI. The letters get messed up and Rosalyn is intrigued enough to help Emma arrange and translate the letters. What they find out is intriguing and unexpected.

I enjoyed this story. It went back and forth from present day to WWI. I liked both parts. I learned things I never knew. Rosalyn, Emma, and Blondine, the daughter of the owner of the vineyard where they were staying, keep trying to find out what happened to Emile and Lucy, the people in France whose story is told as well as Emma's Aunt Doris who was the writer of the letters to Emile. I did not expect some of the things that happened. I found it interesting that the French lived in the caves where the champagne was stored and that the caves and tunnels were extensive through the region. I liked the characters. Emma was quite the character and just said it as she saw it but she was rarely wrong. Rosalyn had a lot to think about and learn to let go of. She grew the most. But the letters were the most interesting part as the ladies tracked down the names and towns and cemeteries that came up in their research. I liked how it all ended. This is worth reading. ( )

Rosalyn works for a vineyard in Napa, California, and is told she has to go to Champagne, France. Who wouldn't want to go to Champagne, France - well...Rosalyn isn't too excited about going.

On her flight over, Rosalyn meets Emma who has found letters from a soldier and a woman that corresponded during the war. She asked Rosalyn to help her put all the letters together and to make some sense out of them, but Rosalyn declines the offer. She said she has to do what her employer asked her to do.

When Rosalyn finds one of the letters in her bag that Emma must have not picked up after they all fell to the floor, she becomes interested in the correspondence as she translates the letters through all the grime and worn out and unable-to-be translated words.

Rosalyn wishes she would have told Emma she would help her. She could do that if she gets organized and finds the business card Emma had given her.

Translating these letters would be much more interesting than going from one local wine producer to the next trying to drum up business.

I tend to agree with Rosalyn....I would prefer dealing with the letters to uncover the past than dealing with wine makers. I always enjoy books that have the characters finding items from the past that uncover secrets and a past life.

Readers get a marvelous glimpse of France’s quaint, cozy homes, the warmth of the French people, and the history of Champagne and how its citizens coped during the war.

If you love champagne, history lessons, learning about wine making in France, unraveling secrets, reading old letters, exploring old houses, meeting marvelous characters, and being treated to a terrific story line, do not miss reading THE VINEYARDS OF CHAMPAGNE.

Juliet Blackwell has given us another pull-you-in read.

THE VINEYARDS OF CHAMPAGNE will have you falling in love with the characters and the Champagne Region of France, and have you looking at how you need to focus on making yourself happy. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )