Miriam Parker is clearly someone who has read a lot of books; it's obvious even if you aren't aware that she works in publishing. There are more than a few literary references and this is as much a love letter to books as it is to wine. 

It seems like a lot of characters have their lives completely together and know what they want to do in both the short- and long-term. Initially, this is true for Hannah, too, but it doesn't take long for her to take a leap of faith. And while there are some bumps in the road, it's also clear that this is actually the perfect job and life for Hannah. 

It's only a slight exaggeration to say that this book makes me want to completely shake up my life and go to wine country. I don't have a taste for wine yet, but this book makes me want to develop one. And it makes me wish that I did like northern California.

Either way, this is a fantastic debut and I am already eager for Miriam Parker's next book. Highly recommended.

The Shortest Way Home is a charming and pleasurable novel about a young woman who finds herself in a position to completely deter from her after graduate school plans. On a last trip before moving to New York, Hannah and her boyfriend, Ethan, go on a wine tasting trip to Sonoma, CA and while in Sonoma, she is entranced by the Bellosguardo winery-a small but lovely venue struggling to compete with the mass producing vineyards of the area. Hannah is charmed by the son of the owners and as she listens to him talk about the winery and changes that could be mad, she pictures herself as someone who could do just that. Leaving Ethan to continue to New York, Hannah becomes involved in the winery as a marketer, learning from the wife of the owner. There is more going on between them than Hannah first noticed and as she grows into her position, she also grows wrapped up in the stresses and decisions of them and in their personal relationship. All the while, she has been smitten by William, the owner’s son, and he with her. Unfortunately, he is leaving to go to grad school at NYU in a week.
Hannah gives it her all, facing the ups and downs of the owner’s relationship and the business of infusing the winery with life and recognition.

Thisis definetely a book about finding self. Hannah has just taken an extreme decision - the question is will it pay off? Or will she be left to pick up the broken pieces of her heart, curreer and relationships?
Well written with a gorgeous setting.

A great very believable story about a women redefining her life and what is happiness. It explores our relationships with friends, boyfriends, and parents and siblings and what society expects may not be what we need.

I'm sorry that I couldn't review this book... when I loaded it on the bluefire app, I couldn't get past a few pages past the dedication page. It froze my app three times and I had to even delete the app and reload it so I could use it again. Sorry. If this glitch gets fixed, I am happy to have the chance to review it for you. Am giving it 3 stars because it's not fair to give it less since I wasn't able to actually read it in the app.

I was not going to read any further than the first page, after the narrator brags about being able to take "mental pictures" rather than posting on Instagram. Maybe this book is great, I just admit to being a reader who does not enjoy books with main characters who bash other people's social media use.