By that, I mean everything from the story to the world-building and the characters were too lightly sketched, and I chalk this up to this being the author’s debut, because it has all the telltale signs. The Vine Witch was good entertainment, though I have to say, I think I expected more. But between hiding her identity and planning her revenge, Elena has plenty on her mind and did not foresee being a target of the anti-witch movement, nor did she expect that she and Jean-Paul would grow closer and develop feelings for each other.

But Elena knows something more is afoot, and recognizes a hex when she sees one, she’s also pretty sure she knows who was behind the curse that stole seven years of her life. Without Elena, the quality of the wine had gone down, yet to her frustration, Jean-Paul, who doesn’t believe in village superstition, refuses to allow her to use magic to restore it. When she returns to the Chateau, however, she is dismayed to discover that Grand-Mere had sold it in her absence, and the vineyard now belongs to a handsome stranger named Jean-Paul Martel.

Years later, Elena was able to return to her body, albeit with weakened powers. But prior to the story’s start, Elena ran afoul of a curse and had been transformed into a toad, leading to the ruin of Chateau Renard now that it was bereft of her magic.

The Chateau has long been known for its remarkable, full-bodied wines and the secret to its success is Elena, a vine witch who users her spells to enhance the winemaking process. The book opens on the Chanceaux Valley, home to the Chateau Renard vineyard where our protagonist Elena Bourneanu lived with an old woman she calls her Grand-Mere. While the publisher blurb doesn’t reveal much about the story, I was intrigued by the setting of a vineyard nestled in the historical French countryside, as well as the idea of vine witches whose powers enable them to create the richest and most complex wines. Smith was a charming book-sure, not one that would likely linger too long in your mind or make an in indelible impression, but it was by no means a bad read. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

I received a review copy from the publisher. Book Review: The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

The vine witch by luanne g smith