The Vine Witch: Luanne G. Smith #bookreview

Synopsis: Elena Boureanu, a witch from the French countryside, has spent the last seven years cursed and living in the body of a marsh creature. After using sheer wit to break the spell, she is determined to find the wretched witch who ruined her life. When she returns to the vineyard she calls home, she finds that Chateau Renard has been sold to a handsome but non-believing lawyer from the city, Jean-Paul Martel. He is quick to express his distaste for the practices of vine witches, but Elena soon forces him to see the realities around him.

While Elena strives to return to her normal life, someone or rather some witch, seeks to destroy her and the vineyard she so lovingly coaxes to life. As she attempts to rid Chateau Renard of the hex paced on it, a string of murders plagues the small town, and the blame is quickly placed on her. Elena is determined to prove her innocence, rid the town vineyards of evil, and seek revenge against the one who cursed her. In her relentless pursuit, she learns about her shocking past and many unknown facts about the people closest to her.

My Review: This debut novel from Luanne G. Smith was a fun and exhilarating tale set in the beautiful countryside and vineyards of the French countryside. The crowd of characters, from a frog to monks to an ancient Beirhexe witch, are likable and interestingly different from the common tropes in fantasy. From the very first page, which was thoroughly strange and intriguing, readers are  captured by the story. Smith chose such a fascinating place and time to spin the historical fantasy tale of these wonderful characters.
This story could be described as a fairy tale for adults, because it has such a magical allure. There is a thin line between good and evil, which has the reader hovering on the decision of which characters can be trusted. With an abundance of twists and turns, the tale leaves the reader guessing and also eager to read on to find out the answer to all the mystery. There is something to love for readers of several genres including fantasy, mystery, and even a little romance. Overall, I loved the story and would be sure to pick up any future titles, including it's sequel The Glamourist, by this talented author.
While the story and plot was excellent, I felt there was some what of a disconnect with the characters. I didn't feel any real connection with them and was left wanting to know more about their personalities. Some of them seemed very one dimensional and lacked complexity. For example, I couldn't really get a feel from Jean-Paul as a person, I only know that he had some inner turmoil about his beliefs. Grand-Mere has so much potential as the little old grandma of the story but her character was also a little flat. I wanted to hear more about her. Since the story was told in third person omniscient, there was great potential for the reader to hear the thoughts, feelings, and more personality from the characters.  I also couldn't follow the growth of the romance between Elena and Jean-Paul, because it seemed as if it was nothing then it was something.
With all that being said I really did enjoy it and think that it deserves a read and I would definitely recommend it.

My Review: 3.5 stars

Where to find the Book:
Goodreads
Amazon
Publisher: 47North
Publish Date: October 1, 2019

About the Author:
Find Luanne G. Smith on Amazon, Goodreads, and her Website