Enjoyable but forgettable for me. ( )

I read this very slowly but despite I really loved it. The subtle themes and the way the family all interacted and grew and devolved and came together was really gorgeous. ( )

Perfect pick for a summer read with a little more weight. ( )

Thank you to Goodreads and G.P. Putnam.

I love family books and good wine and wineries and good cheese. THis book didn't disappoint in any of these categories. I learned a lot about wines and wineries and making of the wines.

Leonard and Vivian were the owners of Hollander Estate wineries in the North Fork of Long Island, and Leah, their daughter, and her husband Steven owned a cheese shop in Manhattan. Sadie was their daughter who was in college.

They all gathered for part of the Summer and Sadie found her grandmother's journal about her book club in the 1980s and that's how they started reading books by Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz. There's much more to the plot of course involving love, deception, and making new wines. ( )

The Hollander winery has to be sold. Vivian and Leonard started it when they married 50 years earlier. Leah, their daughter, is upset about the impending sale especially because no one told her about the problems. Her daughter, Sadie, has problems of her own. She has broken up with her boyfriend. She has writer's block. The two of them along with Stephen, Leah's husband, come to the winery. Her brother, Asher, is there with his girlfriend, Bridget. Leah wants to save the winery, but her father will not listen to her. Her husband feels she is getting involved where she should not be involved. Her brother is set to leave. Her parents are trying to keep up appearances but their facades crumble in front of the family. How does it end?

I had so much fun with this book! It was like a blast from the past. Sadie finds her grandmother's journals from the book club she had hidden behind the bookcase. She looks for the books and finds them in their library. She starts reading the books from book club. Her mother catches her, and she admits to finding the journals. Vivian also finds out they discovered the journals. Since Leah and Sadie have started reading the books, they decide to revive the book club with the three of them. The books were from the 1980's written by Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz. It was fun! Three generations read those books, four if you count Bridget who is eventually invited to join them. Each generation walks away with different opinions of the books. I liked how each woman looked at the books--one thought power, one thought sex, one thought taking control of their lives, and one thought sexual abuse. In the end, each uses the books to get what she wants and uses the methods from the books.

I had such a good time reading this. There is a lot of humor but there is so many important things being said in the book about women, men, those "trashy" novels (I didn't read the books but I saw the mini-series,) change, going after what you want. Reading this made me relive that time. Now I want to read the books. I also would not mind the wine and cheese pairing/tasting parties that Leah taught.

This is a perfect book for book clubs. There is so much to discuss. I loved this book! ( )