Member Reviews
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able finish reading and reviewing this book. I didn't realize when I requested it that it was the sixth book in a series and I haven't read the first five books. I was originally drawn to the description of the book and thought it as something I would want to read. However, without the appropriate background information of the first books in the series, I feel that reading and reviewing it would not do justice or give the proper consideration to the book that it deserves. Thank you for the approval of this book.
Since I have to include a star rating, I will give it one star as I did not finish it. However, had I been able to read it plus the rest of the series, I'm sure I would have rated it differently.
This is a good book. The main character is Annie. Annie is a writer and part owns an inn. This book is how Annie tries to help everyone she knows. In this story, her brother’s father shows up after not knowing him for years, a baby is born on the ferry by a chef, and an eighteen year old girl is diagnosed with MS. Also Annie was script writing for a tv series with her books. She found lots of people to be in her family.
I liked the story, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I known it was book 6 in the series. Anne comes home after time in California developing her novels into screenplays. She is home to marry John in a few weeks. John would never leave his home so any feelings Anne has about going back to California are not going to happen. John's daughter gets sick and John has to leave the island to be with her during her care. John is spending a lot of time with his ex wife. Pretty open for the next book..
This is book 6 in the Vineyard series. It can be read as a stand alone. I have read several but not all of the books in this series. Annie is returning to the island after spending several weeks in California writing screen adaptations for her best selling books being turned into a tv series. She is also planning her wedding to John who is acting strange. When John’s oldest daughter is diagnosed with a serious illness they postpone the wedding. Annie has some hard decisions to make. The producers want her to return to California and John is spending a lot of time with his ex. A good story with an open ending. Can’t wait for next installment.
The setting of Martha’s Vineyard makes for a wonderful continuation of the beautiful Vineyard series.
I enjoyed catching up with my favorite characters.
Getting advice from best friend even though said friend is now deceased added an interesting element to the story that I loved.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
A thoroughly enjoyable book about author Annie Sutton, a woman in her fifties, who has just return to the Vineyard after a few months writing a screenplay for one of her books. Newly engaged to the island's chief of police, John Lyons, she's ready to settle in with her family and friends and marry John.
There are many happy occasions in A Vineyard Season, but also several times when I was having to work at not crying.
Good characters, beautiful locations, and a snarky, advise giving best friend who died but is still always around to tell Annie what she's doing wrong and what she should be doing.
#WomensFiction #KensingtonBooks #NetGalley #JeanStone #AVineyardSeason
A Vineyard Season by Jean Stone is the continued story of Annie Sutton's life.
Will Annie and John Tie the Knot?
Annie Sutton
Annie is the main character. We follow her life through her return to the island and the changes that come with it. I think Annie is a good character. She tries to be a good friend to her adoptive family. However, she has a way of sticking her nose into their business. Yet, she doesn't call out the one person that she should. Annie also isn't doing the job she has been contracted to do. In that sense, I understand. But she really needs to deal with her fiancee so that she can get on with her life. Also, she might need to seek a therapist to deal with losing her friend Murphy.
Detective Sergeant John Lyons
The first word that comes to mind is a$$; the second is coward. John is supposed to marry Annie on April 23rd. However, his daughter Abigail has fallen ill, and John has basically stopped talking with Annie because he doesn't know how to handle his emotions or be a man. John does the unthinkable, and then he is upset because Annie makes a friend that is a man. This is when he shows his true colors. My opinion is good riddance to bad rubbage.
However, all of that will still be something that Annie has to face as John's parents and daughter are part of her life, and that doesn't seem to be going away.
Three Stars
This is the first installment of this series that I have read. I didn't care for John, the love interest, nor the way that Annie allowed him to treat her. My rating for A Vineyard Season by Jean Stone is three stars. I am sure those who love women's fiction will enjoy this story, but it just isn't for me. I prefer a happy ending.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Vineyard Season by Jean Stone.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
I enjoyed the characters, setting and message of this story, especially since "found family" plays a significant role in it.
However, it is apparently book #6 in a series, which I wasn't aware of when I started. And it simply doesn't work well as a standalone.
It's probably a highly enjoyable read for someone who wants to catch up on what's going on with all their favorite characters. But for someone who wasn't already invested in them, I kept trying to figure out what was going to happen in the story.
The main character is a mystery author, but we aren't really given a mystery. She's supposed to get married but doesn't (and not for the first time either, I gather).
Everything we're set up to be curious about is unresolved still at the end of this story. Does Rex buy the restaurant? Does John eventually man up? Will Abigail regain her health? Are Annie's revised scripts accepted, and what prompted them being rejected in the first place? Will she return to Hollywood?
So, as much as I enjoyed the writing in this little slice of life, it wasn't very satisfying to me. But I'm sure I'd feel very differently if I'd read the earlier books. I can see how this installment in the series would be like "coming home."
Thank you to Jean Stone, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
A Vineyard Season is book #6 in the Vineyard Novel series by Jean Stone.
Annie returns to Martha’s Vineyard from LA. Life went on while she was away and things seemed off.
This was an interesting story. Life is complex and challenging as Annie realizes. Sometimes she seems a bit nosy and I am not so sympathetic but then things happen and I feel bad for her. Then there are happy moments especially at the end that made me tear up. I enjoyed this book and look forward to see what unfolds for Annie in the future
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Annie is back from Hollywood after a three month stay. While there, she helped adapt her best selling mystery novels into screenplays. Happy to be back on Chappy, she begins to get back into the island way of life.
There are many issues when she gets back. Will she continue to be a fiancée or will her plans be hampered by circumstances beyond her control? Moves, new babies, new roles in other's lives, a felon, and a father. These are just some of the issues. This is a very busy book!
Annie seems to be constantly up in everyone's business, but not really communicative with anyone. She keeps secrets from people. No bueno, Annie! She gets angry when her fiancé doesn't call, but then rationalizes her not calling because he should first. If you have a relationship with his children and they with you, why wouldn't you call? You're supposed to get married in just weeks!! The book swings back and forth between crises and at the end, you think Annie will do one thing and she does another. Is it good for her? Only time...and possibly the next book will tell.
I'm not sure I'll go back and read the rest of the titles in this series, but I did get some important backstory just reading an excerpt from the first chapter of the first book in the series. An OK read for me.. Perhaps those who have read the whole series will have a different opinion. From my experience, as a first time reader of this author and not knowing this was part of a series, this series should be read from book 1 to get all of the nuanced descriptions and associations of the other characters.
I had a very harsh review going in my head, until I realized that this book is part of a series. No wonder I had so many holes in my understanding of the story. Whew...I thought I was going crazy!!
Now knowing that there is SO MUCH BACK STORY that I didn't have, I am reviewing the book on it's own merits as a standalone.
This book made me feel like I was part of the family on Martha's vineyard and the Vineyard Inn. I enjoyed catching up with the wonderful characters and their growing families. I liked the drama, secrets, and surprises as Annie Sutton returned to the Vineyard after working on scripts in California based on her mystery books.
I really enjoyed her special visits from her deceased friend,Murphy. It was like she had an angel always watching over her and at times Annied needed that comfort and care. This book made me happy at times for Annie and sad at other times, but I always knew Annie would be okay. She was a strong character throughout the story. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Oh Annie. Her wedding to John is postponed once again- this time because his daughter is ill and he's gone off Martha's Vineyard to be by her side. And Annie herself has some doubts about their future after returning from California. Those who have followed along in this story might find themselves on the fence about this latest, until the end, There's a serious lack of communication among these people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Might be a tough go as a standalone but fans will welcome growth in Annie.
A Vineyard Season by Jean Stone is the perfect book for a Springtime beach getaway! This is the 6th book in a series, and I highly recommend that you read these novels in sequential order to fully understand the storyline and relationships between characters.
Set on Martha’s Vineyard, I loved being transported to the island when I can’t be there myself! The novel takes the reader on a journey through several new beginnings, love, loss, family (both born and made), and how your axis shifts when you or someone you love is faced with a debilitating illness.
Stone’s writing style is similar to that of Nancy Thayer, who writes novels set on the neighboring island of Nantucket. If you are a Nancy Thayer fan, I would encourage you to give Jean Stone and the Vineyard a try!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!
We are here for the wild ride as Annie Sutton's life continues on Martha's Vineyard. I don't think anyone's situation is untouched in this installment of the series, but that's how life is - there's always something going on. It took me a couple of books to really warm up to the characters in the series, but by now I really enjoy them and their interactions. I'm not sure if this is the end of the series or not, but I can see this ending going either way. I hope it's not, because with the plethora of books set on Nantucket, I really love the Martha's Vineyard setting. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advance digital copy!
Loved this story that focused on Annie, her marriage that has been postponed yet again and is there going to be one. Annie's decision to stay where she is at or to go back to Calf. to write scripts of her book series . The fact that Abigail , John's daughter is ill and they all are in Plymouth at her mothers. A VERY GOOD READ. From the way the book ends it looks like the end of the series or IS IT.
I was immediately drawn into Vineyard life again as Annie returns from her California stay. Despite jet lag she senses there is something off, people acting as if they know something she doesn't. Her fiance' John picks her up at the ferry but is drawn and reserved. Tears of joy and of sorrow are shed as Annie gets back into island rhythm and learns what has been happening in her absence. And she has big decisions to make about her future, here or elsewhere. I am tied up in knots over this gripping installment.
This is a book that for me was quick and easy to read. It is a story that I think may benefit from reading the other books in the series first (which I didn't/haven't) as it left me a bit flat not knowing what had happened in the past.
Having said that, the general idea and story of love, family, connections, life is one we can all relate to and made for a good story.
I enjoyed it but was in awe of it. Maybe I need to find the other books and then reread it.
This book is a deeply moving, complex story of love, belonging, family, and home. Reading the other books in the series first definitely makes this book more meaningful. I have loved this whole series, watching the relationships grow, change, and the “found family” come together. I feel like I’m a part of that community on the Vineyard, with the excellent detailed writing and strong emotional connections.
I'm so happy that I got to finally read this book! Wow! What a read too!
I couldn't put it down!
Martha's Vineyard certainly was an interesting place to "visit." I definitely fell in love with the people that resided there. Especially Annie! In my heart she's a pretty cool person. I'd love to be more like her.
I knew something was up with John. I didn't really like him from the get go.
He was acting pretty sneaky in my book.
I don't like people like that. I thought that Annie could do better than him.
I just loved this book! So much going on!
I finished it in one day it was so good!
It was worth the wait! Thank you Netgalley!
5 stars! For making my imagination run away with me.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review
All opinions expressed are my own.
Oh the magic of Martha’s Vineyard! Annie’s story continues as her wedding day comes near. Will life on the vineyard allow her this happiness or will it still be elusive.