I LOVED THIS STORY!!

So I have generally come to a new-found love and respect for the Fantasy genre and books like these continue to make me realize why this genre is becoming a fast favorite!

I love novels that contain some sort of witchery and magic, as I find these tropes really allow my mind to visualize such a fun and creative world. I also find my imagination being at its most creative peak where everything in existence falls away and reality comes second to endless possibilities.

The interwoven beauty of fantasy, suspense of what will happen, and romance was a creation intricately designed by SMITH. This author’s language of writing was so beautiful and I found myself hanging on every word.

I also really enjoyed the aspect of the “vines” and how they related to a witches craft, giving this novel a unique texture that I have never read before in a fantasy novel.

I am so excited about SMITH’s writing, and I am eager to devour her next masterpiece produced at the hands of a master storyteller!

Oh yea…and then you realize that it is a series-

YES!!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Fantastic Flying Book Club, and 47North for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.


Low-key this is how we are introduced to Elena in the first chapter, and we get to witness her transformation from a toad to a woman, and only towards the end of that chapter do we realize that she actually has a name.

And she’s freaking pissed.

So not only was Elena somehow cursed into a toad by some mysterious jerkhole, but she was cursed to be a toad for seven years, and by the time she makes it back to her Chateau Renard to find out that her home was sold and that some stranger named Jean-Paul Martel is the one living in it. She’s out for revenge, and hopefully the person – or thing – that cursed her all those years ago is still around so she can make them pay.

I personally liked the story of Elena, and I love that she really didn’t need a dude to come save her, even though she really did take a while to rescue herself she didn’t just lay down to take it any longer. Her power over the vineyard around her house is one that I personally haven’t seen before, and I like the idea of having power over wine. I may not be a wine drinker, but maybe if I was a vine witch, I could learn to like it.

“Mud and silk, blood and milk, never the twain should meet. For if they do. Bad luck to you. ‘Tis the Devil you’ll greet.” Childhood Rhyme

Since I’m still not much of a romance person, rather than gushing over that part, I was more into the relationship between Elena and her “Grand-Mere”. Even though they weren’t related by blood, they were still family, and I honestly love those kinds of relationships in novels. It’s almost like a found family, and these two women bonded and took care of one another because of their shared experiences with magic. I’m so glad that Grand-Mere was still around by the time Elena was able to break the curse. I feel like she would have been truly alone if she wasn’t, and that would have been detrimental to her journey of having to re-acclimate into the world she wasn’t apart of for seven years.

This book was absolutely stunning and magical.

When skilled vine witch Elena Bourenau awakens from the curse that turned her into a toad for 7 years, she finds her beloved winery, Chateau Renard, in dire straits. She returns home to reclaim her prestige as a winemaker and to get revenge on Bastien Du Monde, her former fiancee and the man who cursed her. She faces a challenge in her quest by the presence of Jean-Paul Martel, the new owner of the winery who is staunchly opposed to magic of any kind.

This book surprised me. Honestly, I didn't expect for it to be that good, but I am glad I was wrong. Smith manages to take a story about wine magic and turn it into a dark tale about magic, revenge, and secrets. With every page, the book just got better and better, especially the last half of the book. It was delicious. The Vine Witch is a seductive, understated, and thrilling read that will instantly transport you back to turn-of-the-century France. It's the perfect book to kick back and relax with a glass of wine this Fall season!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Author: Luanne G. Smith

Book Series: book 1 of The Vine Witch series

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: October 1!

Recommended Age: 16+ (some gore and some gross toad skin eating that still makes my skin crawl. Romance and revenge)

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: I think it’s indie? Not sure I can’t find a publisher so someone correct me please.

Synopsis: For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.

Review: I thought this was an amazing book! It was the perfect fall book and I absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere. The writing was well done and the world building was magnificent. The story was also very interesting!

However, I do feel like the pacing was a bit off. It was fast then slow then fast again. The characters were a bit flat for me, and the way the story started was so cool but then I felt a little lost when we moved on to the rest of the story. It might have been just me and my mood but overall I did enjoy it, I was just confused.

Verdict: I would definitely recommend this one, especially for a fall read.

The Vine Witch was absolutely amazing. I hated myself every time I had to put it down. From the very beginning, this book completely captivated me. The descriptions, the characters, and the magic.

Luanne G. Smith did the impossible with her writing. She made it seem as though it were a steampunk fantasy TV show come to life. Granted, the vast majority of the turn of the 20th century was like a steampunk fantasy what with automobiles sharing the road with horse-and-carriages. But still. The descriptions from both Point of Views was such a juxtaposition that it reminded me a little bit of the TV show Firefly.

RIP Firefly

Jean-Paul stood in his kitchen, bewildered

by the sudden warren of cupboards

and drawers surrounding him.

The Vine Witch was immersive and thought provoking. Because the two main PoVs switched between Elena, the Vine Witch, and Jean-Paul, the non-believer, the reader got to see both sides of the age old argument of is it or isn’t it. The turns that that argument took in the story were surprising and, honestly, has me wondering why more people aren’t like those two. They don’t even have to winemakers. Or have magic. But they were each willing to listen to the other and learn and acknowledge that neither of them knew everything there was to know about their world. Magic or otherwise.

Speaking of the characters. Whew. Those two needed an ice bath. Like majorly. The best part was that the chemistry, while explosive, was not overtly so. It was subtle and comforting, like smelling fresh baked goods. But when they collided, it was like a bomb. Like a really, really good doughnut.

He held the woman;s hand, opting to appease

her long enough to avoid further confrontation,

but then he was going inside to get drunk and give

serious consideration to an asking price

for the vineyard.

Not only were they explosive together, but they also helped each other grow. As people. Which I love. As mentioned above, Elena and Jean-Paul challenged each other’s world view and, in doing so, made the other know more about everything. Jean-Paul especially. He went from looking at the old town superstition like just that to thinking that maybe humans don’t know everything and somethings can’t be immediately explained.

Not only was it an entertaining story about love and revenge. But they also talked A LOT about wine making.

Now I am still in the nascent stages of my wine experience. But it was such a fascinating look into the process of making the drink. I kind of want to drink more wine. Just to see if I can see what they were talking about.

I was utterly captivated by the storyline of The Vine Witch and can’t wait to see what else Luanne G. Smith comes up with.

The Vine Witch is a fun and enchanting read! What I thought would only be a typical or simple story about wine makers, turned out to be an exciting story about the magic of wine making and magic of witches.

- Great writing
I adored the writing style of this book! It was elegant and mysterious, plus the visualization of certain sceneries and setting was enough to transport me into the magnificent French countryside. The author also used several metaphors to describe wine making and wine tasting, which for me truly showed the beauty and magic of wines.

- Solid characters
The characters here in The Vine Witch were pretty solid as well. I loved Elena's passion for the vineyard and her determination to restore it in its glory. Plus I liked how well-developed Elena's character is. I also adored Jean-Paul and how he left his former profession to do something that truly makes him happy (wine making that is). Even the minor characters were also great and they helped keep the story fun and exciting.

As for the romance part, it was good but I feel like I needed more interaction and chemistry between the two main characters. Don't get me wrong, they did have chemistry, but I just wish they had more

- Interesting plot
This book has an interesting plot indeed. At the first few parts though, I thought it would only be simple, but the story took an interesting turn—a plot twist I didn't expect—and I loved it! It's also great to see all the little details and scenes come together and make sense at the end. It was mysterious and enchanting, yet still cohesive. I also liked how there were other kinds of witches involved, not just vine witches. To me, that helped expand both the plot and the world-building.

I only hoped there was bigger fight though as the climax felt a little safe. It kept me at the edge of my seat alright, but I feel like it wasn't enough to make me hold my breath.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. 4 stars for this one!

(Will post this book review on my blog on October 5, 2019 as part of the blog tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club.)
Blog: https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/

☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──🍷── ･ ｡ﾟ:☆. *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──🍷── ｡ﾟ:☆. *☽

This book was received as an early ARC from the publisher and Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own .

http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com

Sorcière Elena Boureanu, is Château Renard’s Vine Witch. She was brought to live as as an apprentice to Monsieur and Madame Gardin
Elena, disciple of the All Knowing and daughter of the Chanceaux Valley.
Her spell-work and careful nurturing helped created the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley.

Weak after finally breaking free of the bonds of a curse that has kept her confined to the shallows of a marshland as toad. Elena emerges after seven long winters with her magic weakened but her memory intact. She is bent on seeking vengeance to the one who betrayed her and used a transformed curse on her.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel is a lawyer by trade, has purchased the vineyard Château Renard from Mademoiselle Gardin {Grand-Mere}
Allowing to Grand-Mere to continue to reside in her ancestral Chateau. Jean-Paul naively favors science and methodology over superstition. In his heart of hearts he still want to creat a great wine.

Elena’s beloved vineyard, Château Renard has been sold off, And the vineyard is in a tragic state and has rapidly declined in her absence. She needs time to recover her strength to breathe new life into grape vines and revive the vineyard to what it once was. All the while excepting the fact that someone else now owns the place her life has been rooted to for so long.

“She is apart of the vineyard as the vines themselves.”

Luanne G. Smith debut novel., THE VINE WITCH, is beautifully developed.
The story line had the perfect blend of suspense and romance. Mixed together with the right amount of spellbinding magic that makes for an incredible read.
The authors descriptive writing creates beautiful imagery that is perfectly paced, and a plot that was thought-provoking, that is richly detailed and unique.
An engaging book set in early 20th century France. With well developed characters.
The story held my attention fully all the way through with just enough romance to a create a tension filled slow burn.

I absolutely enjoyed the creative elements of dark blood magic and herb lore that made for a stunning witchy read.
Luanne, describes scenes with such lush imagery that you are able to fully immerse yourself into the world she has created. The novels premise and the writing definitely intrigued me and kept me entertained.
From start to finish this book delivered the perfect amount of mystery and mystical realism that I can’t say enough about.
A captivating book, and by far has been one of my favorite reads this year.

So, pour yourself the perfect glass of your favorite wine and grab this book when it’s available this October!


☆❥¸.•*´¨☆❥¸.•*´¨❥☆🍷☆ ❥¸.•*´¨☆❥¸.•*´¨❥☆




#magical, magica realism, #witchy #Fiction #spellbing #5star #fantasy

A twisty plot involving wine and witches, stitched together with intrigue and romance. Set in the Chanceaux valley, a wine making region in France, this book is jam-packed with atmosphere. I loved feeling like I was at a particular moment in time in a world new to electricity and motor cars, but experienced in hex-work and witchcraft. Lush writing and evocative storytelling. Highly recommend if you enjoy stories with magic, witches, and especially wine.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.