Reader-girl - reviewed on 4/21/2012

Helpful Score: 3

I did not care for Anne Rice, hated Twilight enough that I could barely get through the first one, and am not really fond of books classified as romance.

I've had this book for awhile, and just got around to reading it. I was impressed. The settings were real, the studies were real, this is not a romance between a 16 or 17 year-old and a grown man. If you are looking for sex, etc., you aren't going to find it here. Maybe in the next book.

The plot is well developed, and probably has boring parts for those not interested in history or wine. But since I am, the book held my attention. It's not perfect, our heroine has to do stupid things that her sweetie must save her from, but aside from that, it is worth reading.

The author is an authentic scholar. She has several advanced degrees, and has studied at the places in her book. She has written non-fiction on the fields her characters study. In her bio on her website, she states:

It has been my privilege to receive fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the National Humanities Center. And I was honored to receive accolades for my historical work from the History of Science Society, the North American Conference on British Studies, and the Longmans/History Today Prize Committee.

She also has a wine blog, and is clearly a wine lover - also in the book. Whoever said write what you know was talking about Ms. Harkness.

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