Orange Wine is a quiet, lyrical family saga about betrayal, endurance, and survival. Inés’s story—losing her husband to her sister just weeks after giving birth—unfolds with a kind of fated inevitability, more whispered family secret than melodrama. Esperanza Hope Snyder's novel is tender, evocative, and beautifully penned, suffused with themes of feminine resilience, artistic freedom, and emotional rebirth. Snyder’s prose is gorgeous and precise, and the atmosphere reminded me of Isabel Allende and Elena Ferrante.

This is not a fast read—the pacing is slow, and Inés herself can be frustrating—but the language and emotional weight make it worth sitting with. Like the lingering scent of citrus, this one will stay with you long after the last page.

"While I was giving birth to Lucy, my husband, Alessandro, was lying in bed with my sister, Isabella."
That's the sentence the author uses to draw you in and explain what the book is about. Ines is a woman who, let's say it this way, doesn't have a simple life, largely due to the decisions she makes and the reactions from her surroundings. The title (which is later in the book explained) and the beautiful cover are what originally made me pick up 'Orange Wine'.

The discussions about love and how complicated yet beautiful it can be were very interesting, and the parts of the book that spoke about the actual orange wine were one of my favourites. This is a book that I easily finished within a day and felt like a quick read.

The idea of this book is very interesting and could be a great story, teaching readers about different cultures while following the tumultuous life of Ines. However, I found the way that it was done in this book a bit lacking and had hoped for more. This is partly because the sentences the author uses in this book are quite short and easy to understand, which sometimes gives the feeling that a certain poetic quality of expression is missing. Although these things improved throughout the book and I felt like the author was finding a better way of expressing themselves towards the end.

Furthering on this idea, the beginning of this book felt like proper chaos and only around 10% of the book did I understand what was happening. (This part might be my fault, tho, for starting this book late in the evening). Furthermore, it felt like the 2 different parts of Ines' life weren't connected properly until later on, as it felt like 2 separate stories at first, where I very much preferred the second version.

My overall rating would be 3 stars, as I was a bit disappointed that this book fell flat for me. However, I would be interested in reading a second novel written by Esperanza Hope Snyder to see if her writing style actually improved or if I just started connecting more to the characters, as the idea of the story was very interesting, and I'd love to give her writing a second chance.

I was drawn in by the cover and the description. At first glance, this book has elements that I tend to enjoy in books, and I was excited to read a novel set in South America. Unfortunately, the writing style was not what I enjoy, and this made me reluctant to finish the book. The didactic, straightforward manner in which this novel is written makes for an easy, quick read, but it is lacking in the lyrical depth which I prefer. In addition, I find it very difficult to follow a woman entering into a relationship that is clearly abusive and dishonest from the start, and it was hard to sympathize with Inés because I felt there was no emotional depth in the book.

I'm sad that this book didn't work for me, but I'm sure it will find its audience. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Captured by the first sentence: "While I was giving birth to Lucy, my husband, Alessandro, was lying in bed with my sister, Isabel." The setting: Early 20th century Colombia. Ines de la Rota, the youngest daughter of an Italian nobleman and a Colombian poet, is betrayed by her husband and sister but stays with Alessandro. She gives birth to another child, Julio and Alesandro runs off with Isabel. Ines is bereft and broke. She falls in love with another man--Regulo. BUT, still married and bound by the Catholic Church she defies the church and carries on with Regulo.

What's pivotal to the story: the Catholic Church, betrayal, women's place in society, money and no money, art, poetry, beauty, jealousy, grief and loss, sisters and family dynamics, romance, prophecy, and more.

A fast, easy read, entranced at the start and along for the ride until about half-way through when I thought it got somewhat bumpy and boring.

Kept waiting for the link to orange wine; when it finally came [ about 2/3 in], it was a mention but didn't come to fruition until much later! [and wasn't enough]

New word:
epiphyte--a plant that grows on another plant.

I suspected [and was correct[ a neat and tidy ending.

Initially thought a 3.5, -- rounding up, but in the end, just a 3.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing is good, and the slow pacing and unlikable characters aren't necessarily downsides for me, but I felt like the pacing was sometimes too slow, the characters too unlikable. The main character has very strong 'not like other girls' energy, which is a definite dislike for me. I was hoping to see nuanced character work and complex relationship dynamics between the sisters, and we got glimpses of that, but not enough to be satisfying. The narrative remained interesting enough to keep reading until the end, but only just. On the whole, this was something of a miss for me, but I can see it working better for other readers

The book started well. I liked the writing —slow paced but beautiful. The second chapter ends at a good cliffhanger, but then it goes straight to the past —Ines thinking of her mother and several other characters, which I didn't really want to know.
Of course, at this point, we go to the past but I wanted to know about the husband and the sister, why she was staying at Ines’ place, were there any red flags that she noticed.
It's my fault, perhaps I misread the blurb. Also, I must admit that I am a very impatient reader.
Thank you for the copy and sorry it didn't work for me.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were many times I almost stopped reading, but there was just enough to make me want to find out the ending to keep going. Some parts were well-written and interesting, others seemed mundane and not necessary to the whole story.

This book gave me Isabel Allende storytelling vibes, weaving the story of a family mostly though one generation but with call backs to generations before. While the plot itself was interesting, I felt the narration style was a bit dry, and some of the metaphors were heavy handed; I did read in the author's note English is her second language though, and so it is very impressive to have told such a compelling story in one's second language. The ending was also a bit rushed, and some of the narration bits kept giving away how things would end, which took away the tension building. I look forward to reading more books by this author, and am sure her storytelling style will advance more over time!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in advance in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

ARC review! Orange Wine was one of those books that’s less plot and just vibes, but it was still a pleasant read. Throughout this book you follow Inés, as she struggles through a loveless marriage and deals with a very difficult family.

This book looks at the challenges of sisterhood, losing a fortune, and trying to make your own way in a very patriarchal society. Things are tough for Inés, but she maintains a sunny outlook on life. I was hoping for more closure with the ending of this one, but I liked it nonetheless.

This one publishes at the end of next month, so keep an eye out for it!

#arcreview #orangewine #bookreviews #bookreader

This book didn't got me as much as I have thought it would. I felt the story a little rushed at times and I was thinking that it will be more about the "orange wine" than it was. I liked the information we get from the author's note at the end but I was still thinking it would be different. I read it during my holidays in Spain so for that it was nice. Thank you Bindery Books | Mareas for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

I cannot lie, I forgot to write down my thoughts on this book when reading and it's been a minute since I've finished this book and cannot actually remember the story line *face in hands*. While I gave it a 4 star just after finishing the book, I would probably drop it to a 3.5 as I cannot remember even the faintest part of the story now.

i loved the setting, the historical placement, and many of the characters. our protagonist Inez, though, was a little bit of a mary sue. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Orange Wine follows Inés, the daughter of an Italian nobleman and a Colombian poet, as she lives her life in early twentieth-century Colombia. While trying to find herself, Inés discovers her love for art and freedom. The setting descriptions were amazing, I felt I could see very clearly all the places she visited and lived in. I liked the complex relationships between the characters and the writing was very fast-paced. However, some of the conflict resolutions felt too rushed and most of the side-characters didn’t feel entirely flashed out. I do wish the third act kept up the energy of the first two acts. An interesting novel, worth a read if you are captivated by the premise.

I think I really did not vibe with the writing style here. The sparse writing on a mostly character focused story just did not necessarily work for me. It felt a little too meandering and a little too long when the writing felt very matter of fact. I just felt like it didn't quite match the tone of the story and that felt a little jarring to me. I'm sure it's a book/writing style that will work for many others - it just was not my cup of tea.

A debut novel by Esperanza Hope Snyder, a writer, poet and translator. She was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and has lived in Italy, the US and Spain. 

Knowing of the author's previous published poetry collections makes sense to me as a reader of her first novel, since the slow oozing of this beautifully named story and its gentle narrative is all-at-once lyrical and frustratingly fused with internal and subjective musings on all that the protagonist sees and does. It does make for words that yearn to be translated because of the direct sequence of events, and descriptions. Esperanza Hope Snyder's style makes her writing very visual and full of colour but it is simplistic. It does also read a little like a screenplay with its intense attention to sensory detail. And finally it also clearly has influences from its South American writer's heritage, not comparable to Gabriel Garcia Marquez but with some overlaying connections.

Quick short chapters! The main character is Ines, who starts her story by telling us of her husband's infidelity at the moment she was giving birth to her daughter Lucy. I believe it's meant to be self-reflective and the chapters flit around this opening premise of her vulnerability and problematic marriage. She is very isolated as a character, being a female and now mother and trapped in a cultural stronghold that determines her homemaking existence in which she ought not to question her reality.

As Ines makes a trip away from her hometown of Paipa to Bogota, there is a lot of criticism for her travelling alone with children but without a man.
The second section shifts to Helena, Ines' sister whose life working for a Belgian railroad company is relayed through Ines' perspective. From this point onwards, there are developing romantic relationships, strife and conflict between siblings and travel to and from Italy.

Thank to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC copy. Due to be published September 30.

Although this book initially seems to have almost all the elements I like, such as cultural traditions, the role of women, and the power of nature, the narrative voice didn't quite work for me, and I found the story a bit of a struggle. It's a shame, given the good reviews I've read.

"...I had loved and also suffered, and I was now learning that the shades of heartache are many, that being betrayed and abandoned is great cause for grief, but that when the heart chooses, it will not be dissuaded."

"Beauty, like love, must have its caretakers."

What a book (said Sabie again, in 2025 but seriously guys, its applicable here too) and just to let you all know: I read this book in a matter of few hours AND did not do anything during the day as I couldnt get Orange Wine out of my mind.

This was a beautiful book of self discovery, understanding one self and growing. Themes like religion guilt, complex relationship with families and the beauty of art and love is explored so deeply and beautifully. I quite enjoyed how it felt like the book was written as Ines explored different journey and grew while still flowing naturally through different events. We meet Ines and her sisters in the beginning, see the impact that Alessandro has had on her and Isabel, we meet Rose and see the lack of compassion towards her sisters. We see Ines witness loss and love, regain her taste in life and how her love for art, Regulo and her daughters helped save her

So Orange Wine is then a tale of love, grief and growing up while learn to balance suffering and being happy all at once. Buckle in and let's go for a long review about why you need to read Orange Wine like yesterday?

GENRE: Fiction
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: Arc copy from Bindery

Long Review:
We start off by getting an introduction into Ines, who she is and her family members. We learn that she comes from a family of 4 other sisters and she is the youngest. As she grows up, she gets a revelation that she "...has a gift ... The Gift of seeing ... you see the future, see into people's hearts and minds." and she grew up around an artistic mother, one who taught her to appreciate the finer things in life and to understand beauty, art and aesthetics.

We then learn more about each of Ines's sister, her interaction with them when she takes a trip to Bogota to stay with her older sister and how she feels different to them and I wont dive into details in here as it would be spoiler-ish but I think Synder wrote the interactions between the siblings in a beautiful way. Their relationship developed for better or for worse, with each one having a different priority in life.
"Rosa sent me back to Paipa to protect me, and it was there that I met Alessandro Scala, the man who would break my heart and change my life. I wish Rosa could have protected me from that."

Looking back at this quote, as an elder sister, I would have wanted to protect Ines from the world, but Rosa was a very different type of elder sister, with which her love was not unconditional.

When Rosa met Alessandro, there were so many red flags and signs that should have warned her away, but perhaps the biggest one in mind is her bad feeling that she got when she met him. Ines is a woman who hasnt learned to trust her own instinct just yet at the age of seventeen (and who has at that age honestly?). There were many moments in the beginning of the book where Ines has warnings, like:
"Sometimes thinking about him brought me pleasure, but at other times I felt a heaviness in my heart that I couldn't shake. It was almost as if I knew this man was dangerous, as if I understood he would cause ma pain, though at the same time I couldn't resist him."

"... when I felt torn — almost paralyzed by a fear — by a premonition that warned me I was about to make a mistake that would cause me suffering, even though at the same time I knew I could not alter that part of my destiny."

And its a bit like Ines watched her life unfold in front of her, unable to stop anything from happening, despite knowing that it would not end well.
"How could I have been so blind? What kind of see was I, when I couldn't even see what was in front of my very own eyes?"

She struggles with the concept of destiny and what she is faithed for during these moments. Its almost like she can foreshadow her own suffering but finds herself helpless in stopping it. I mean, after all, who else remembers being a teenager, liking someone and having it take over your life?
"Funny that he, who was previously a stranger to me and unrelated to my personal happiness in any way, had become so important that the world prior to his existence no longer mattered. I did not know yet that the world after his departure would not matter either, not for a long time."

And Alessandro's bad side started showing up right before the marriage, his anger and his abusive traits as well. Despite all of this, Ines says this on her wedding day despite her own intuition, people warning her and all the signs around her
"I'm sure no one present at the ceremony could have imagined that our end would be as traffic as our beginning had been splendid."

Oh but the story continues, despite all the down sides and everything that Ines struggles with, we watch her meet someone else, live a life of loss, grief and love. We watch her fight and try to make it through despite facing different inner demons (and outer ones sometimes too). We watch her struggle to build a life as she cannot divorce Alessandro and struggles to fit into a mould of the perfect Catholic girl in her city and country. We watch people shun her, especially her own sisters (well most of them) and watch Ines struggle to accept the betrayal from all of her older sisters.

And in a beautiful touch to Orange Wine, we watch her find love again. We watch her meet someone who understands her soul better than Alessandro ever could. We watch her and Regulo grow together, grow apart and separately and watch how life folds in front of them. We watch Ines become the best version of herself as an artist and learn to not lose herself in motherhood.
"I knew Alessandro had never heard me, and if he had never heard me, how could he have loved me? Regulo's love was silent and profound. He looked upon me as his equal, and that made me immensely happy."

"It was altogether different to be lying in Regulo's arms, as if I had done so a thousand times before in a thousand different countries during a thousand different lives. In Regulo's arms, I became a woman."

"It surprised me to think that I had never felt the longing, the desire in my husband's presence that I now felt for Regulo."

And the Orange wine they create together that has miraculous powers? The one that started as an idea with Ines and Regulo took the idea and built an empire for her and then, actually gave her half of the company as one of the creator of the business. This should be a standard, however, the fact that Regulo does this at a time where women are not seen as an equal to men is a great gesture.
"You make a good team... She's the creative spirit behind the enterprise and you, Regulo — you are the businessman who puts the deals together. What an amazing couple!"

And you know the trend where people keep saying "Some men say "I love you" but x says ..."? Well Regulo says:
"Some claim the wine has miraculous powers. Supposedly, it heals people from their disappointments in love...It may heal you too.

Yours,
Regulo
P.S It hasn't worked for me. I still miss you terribly."


Anyways, thank you for reading this far if you have made it. I truly loved this book and I hope you consider reading it and experience the pain, yet feel the love Ines goes through.

Thank you to Bindery, Mareas Imprint and the author for this lovely Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am very grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

I really understand and enjoy the storyline of this book and I can feel the passionate energy from the beginning of the story, the author conveys it very well emotionally, especially among women. I have a special interest in Latina literature because of its strong culture and unique principles, depicted through books that their environment is also very challenging.

But I really regret that some points felt too rushed to be finished, even though this book has a lot of potential to become a reader favorite. It feels like the emotions and energy that were ignited and burning halfway through the book had to quickly die down in the second half.

This one started off strong, but as I kept reading, the story seemed to drag on, and I found myself less engaged with each chapter.

Lush, lyrical, and quietly devastating

Orange Wine is a tender, introspective novel that lingers like a half-remembered dream. Esperanza Hope Snyder’s prose is rich and poetic, with a lyrical precision that captures the ache of longing, the pull of memory, and the complicated intimacy of love both found and lost.

The novel follows a woman navigating past and present—lovers, landscapes, languages—and it does so with a deep emotional intelligence. There’s a sensuality to the writing, not just in romantic moments, but in the attention given to food, wine, light, and silence.