The Vineyard At Painted Moon

by Susan Mallery

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.They say change is inevitable and we can either choose to resist it or embrace it. When one embraces change, it provides one with an opportunity for growth, something the heroine from The Vineyard at Painted Moon will discover. Not only did the change open new doors for her, it led to her discovering that the persons who she believed had her back only saw her as a means to an end.

To persons on the outside, Mackenzie Dienes appears to have an awesome life. A beautiful home, close friends, a handsome husband and dream job as a well sought after winemaker. There is just one problem: she earned the above through her marriage. So when she realized that her marriage had ended, she knew she would lose it all, a loss she had not been prepared for.

I had a great time with this book. My first time experiencing the author’s work and I would read more of her work.

Mackenzie’s resilience shined throughout the story. She embraced the change, albeit in fear, and ended up achieving much more than she had lost. I admired her strength, her intelligence and her caring nature.

The story featured likeable as well unlikeable characters. The two I found most detestable were Rhys, Mackenzie’s soon to be ex husband and her mother-in-law, Barbara. Rhys’ actions surprised me. Initially, he appeared to be on Mackenzie’s side despite the end of their marriage. However, as the story progressed, his weak and selfish nature reared its head. Then there was his mother. OMG! The woman was controlling, malicious, belligerent and downright vicious. She scared me. Thank goodness for the characters who brought light to Mackenzie’s life.

The Vineyard at Painted Moon with its excellent character development, superb pacing and wonderful world building proved an engaging read from start to finish.

I recommend this book without reservations to fans of contemporary women’s fiction. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading