I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Vineyard Season
by Jean Stone
Series: Vineyard #6
Series Rating:
Published by Kensington Books on April 25, 2023
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pages: 353
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Books-A-Million
For fans of Debbie Macomber and Elin Hilderbrand, Jean Stone’s “lovingly rendered” (Booklist) novels are heartwarming beach reads set on beautiful Martha's Vineyard, featuring bestselling mystery author and Vineyard Inn proprietor Annie Sutton as she makes a fresh start on the island she’s come to call home.
There’s no place like home. Especially when home is an island paradise in full bloom . . .
With her wedding only weeks away, Annie should be grateful to be back on Martha’s Vineyard, running her cozy Inn and crafting her artisan soaps. But her recent trip to L.A. to see her bestselling novels turned into films has her fantasizing about a life in California. Annie knows her fiancé, John, would never relocate—the small-town police officer’s whole life is here. And Annie is looking forward to the imminent birth of a baby in her own extended family. Yet somehow she can’t stop imagining . . .
Then John’s older daughter is diagnosed with a serious illness, rocking their world and sending John off-island to tend to her, alongside his ex-wife. When Annie’s newfound celebrity attracts a stranger into her midst with a secret that could wreak havoc on her half-brother Kevin’s life, Annie is faced with a choice that will test their relationship. With the distance between her and John growing deeper every day, suddenly Annie is questioning everything—including her ties to the only place she has ever dared to call home . . .
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.
Vineyard Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Vineyard Season by Jean Stone.
Until the next time,
About Jean Stone
“How old were you when you decided to become a writer?”
I’m often asked that question, and I always hesitate. It sounds too glib to say “Forever,” even though it’s true. My first small article was published in Jack and Jill magazine when I was nine, so there’s a clue. Around that time, my sister and I started a newspaper we called The Neighborhood News. We wrote about who was going on vacation and whose cat was lost. I tried my hand at writing a few extremely short, short stories. We ran off pages on my uncle’s mimeograph machine, stapled four or five together, and sold them for 2¢ an issue.
My first writing job came when I was in college; I was a reporter for the Springfield Daily News. Then I turned to advertising because I knew I’d rather be creative.
After too many high-stress years, I stepped out of the real world and into the world of fiction where I knew that I belonged. And here I am, spending my days weaving tales of families, friends, and sometimes foes, who laugh and cry and love and deal with real-life issues—many of which are the types of things my friends and I have had to deal with over time. I love to watch my characters grow beyond their expectations, the way that (though we’ve often kicked and screamed about it) so many of us have learned to do.
If you’ve read any of my work or visited my Books page, you can see that I’ve written a bunch of books. And while I know that no one is supposed to pick their favorite child (or children!), I will admit that next to my first novel, Sins of Innocence (published by Random House in 1994, which probably makes it historical fiction now), my favorite stories are those that take place on Martha’s Vineyard—the magical island that I now call home.
It’s been an interesting journey. And best of all, like life, it continues. Because like all avid readers, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
—Jean
* Got from Author’s website
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Jenz 2023 ABC Soup RC
- Jenz 2023 Goodreads RC
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