The Winemakers

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

First Impressions

When I first acquired The Winemakers written by Jan Moran I looked forward to starting up my kindle for a fun historical set in Italy. Sadly, these thoughts were quickly diminished.

Impressions On Plot

Jan Moran has written a book the held potential but quickly went awry. What started out as a novel about discovering hidden family secrets spiralled into a sordid love affair. This would have been fine if it had been a subplot but it soon morphed into the main event. Add yourself a helping of incest and we have ourselves a Judith Krantz novel. Unfortunately, that is not even the tip of the iceberg. The reader is then introduced to her deranged father who is set upon ruining the family vineyard. The conclusion to the story was ridiculous. It had me saying "what, did that really just happen?" I was struck dumb by the demise of evil and predicted happy ending.

Impressions on Characters

The characters were all one dimensional with no one standing out. My biggest problem was with Caterina, she constantly wrestled between her love life and what was best for her daughter, the result was an overgrown teenager pitching a fit when things don't go their way. It annoyed me to no end. I would have been perfectly happy if Caterina fell into a wine vat.

Final Impressions

In short, The Winemakers was a bust. It didn't hold any surprise or originality that made me look forward to reading at night. Instead of going to bed with a good book, I found my eyes rolling.