A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock
A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock
It’s winter at The Vineyard in Alsace, and wedding bells are in the air
How do you know when you’re ready for love?
Ellie Robinson has spent her life running from commitment following the breakdown of her parents’ marriage when she was young. She doesn’t believe in happy ever afters and the last thing she wants is to settle down in one place when she could be travelling the world.
Having moved from place to place throughout his childhood, Henri Weiss now calls the vineyard in Alsace home, and he loves the stability the vineyard and the people on it give him. While he enjoys travelling, it’s always good to come home again.
Following an extended travelling trip together, Ellie and Henri find their differences more marked than before, despite their love for each other being even stronger. Then a series of shocks in Ellie’s personal life throws things into turmoil, leaving Ellie unsure as to how to get everything she wants. And Henri facing the loss of the future he has dreamed of.
Can Ellie and Henri reconcile their very different desires and take a leap of faith on their love for each other? Will they get the happy ever after they’ve both been longing for?
Escape to The Vineyard in Alsace once again for this uplifting, romantic read and enjoy Christmas at Domaine des Montagnes.
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| A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock |
My review
This is the third book in The Vineyard in Alsace series, and it was great to be back with characters who now feel so familiar, it’s like slipping back to visit old friends.
Each book in the series has centred on a different couple and the parts they play at the vineyard, alongside their back stories unfolding and their new relationships developing. The first book (The Vineyard in Alsace) brought Fran and Didier (whose family own the vineyard) back together, while the second book (Starting Over at the Vineyard in Alsace) focussed on Fran’s sister Lottie and her unexpected pregnancy. This book is mainly about their friend Ellie, who manages the renovation project on the family chateau, and Henri, who works alongside Didier.
Ellie is down in the dumps after a five-month travel adventure with boyfriend Henri, and life back at the vineyard doesn’t have quite the sparkle for her that it does for him. At first, I didn’t really understand her reluctance to settle down and embrace life in Alsace, with Henri and her close friends around her, but as the story unfolded, and traumas from her past were revealed, I felt for her and her confused emotional state. At times it seemed as if everyone around her was happily launching themselves into bright, blossoming futures, while she was stuck trying to cope with past mistakes that weren’t even hers. Add in some unexpected proposals for potential direction changes for her future, and I certainly didn’t envy her decisions, although I would have liked to have seen and felt some more passion from her.
I spent most of the book willing Ellie to have the courage to move forward and trust in Henri, and their relationship, as well as hoping the vineyard would weave it’s magic once more.
Off season at the vineyard means there is less work to do on the vines, but with the new visitor’s centre, café, website and marketing events, there is plenty to do to keep the six friends busy. As Christmas approaches, we get to enjoy the festive markets, food and wine that Alsace is famous for. There is nothing quite like a Christmas market with pastries and mulled wine to get me in the festive spirit.
I’m crossing my fingers that there will be more from Julie Stock and this rather special vineyard in Alsace.
If you’ve enjoyed the previous books in this series, and are looking for a gentle, easy read to give you some winter festive fun, A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace should be on your wish list.
You might like to read my reviews of the first two books here:
Starting Over at the Vineyard in Alsace
Purchase Link
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| Julie Stock |
Author Bio
Julie Stock writes contemporary feel-good romance from around the world: novels, novellas and short stories. She published her debut novel, From Here to Nashville, in 2015, after starting to write as an escape from the demands of her day job as a teacher. A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace is her eleventh book, and the third in the Domaine des Montagnes series set on a vineyard.
Julie is now a full-time author, and loves every minute of her writing life. When not writing, she can be found reading, her favourite past-time, running, a new hobby, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen, glass of wine in hand.
Julie is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and The Society of Authors. She is married and lives with her family in Cambridgeshire in the UK.
Blog tour for A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace
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Giveaway to Win a signed copy of A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace plus some festive goodies (Open to UK Only)
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| Giveaway UK only |
Prize contains the following:
- a signed paperback copy of A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace
- a sachet of Galaxy instant hot chocolate
- a tin of RHS stem ginger cookies
- a RHS Christmas bauble with a snowdrop decoration on it.
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Thanks so much for reading A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace, and for your kind review, Jacqui. I really appreciate it!
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