Rating: 
Summary: An OK Read
Review: This was my first Nora Roberts and I found it to be an OK read. I did find that the editing and proofreading was surprisingly good for a writer that is so prolific and obviously writes for a popular audience.The book is an interesting blend of romance, thriller, who done it, and murder mystery. I was a bit unsettled by the rather surprise ending. I felt like Ms. Roberts was spitting in the face of morality, but I don't want to spoil the plot. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I found one of the strengths in the novel to be in the character study of some very strong female characters. Although she spent some time developing her male characters, Ms. Roberts really concentrated on the women. Obviously, Ms. Roberts is pitching her writing toward the female audience. There were 3 main women characters Tereza Giambelli, Pilar Giambelli Avano and Sophia Giambelli (really Avano). Tereza is the matriarch and is motivated by duty, family and tradition. She will do any thing to keep what she has worked all her life to build. Pilar is Tereza's daughter and came of age during the 60s and 70s, but she obviously was the 'good' girl growing up and seems to be the meek and mild type. She is the most likeable and interesting of the three main women. During the book, she overcomes some of her insecurity, gets over a philandering husband of 30 years and finds new love with a good man. I found Sophia a bit irritating. I meet her type in business everyday and I can assure you the type doesn't wear well in real life. She overconfident, a type A, totally independent, and I wouldn't want to work with her either. But Ms. Roberts does a credible job of dealing with the character trying to come to grips with the fact that maybe she just might need someone else in her life. There are also several interesting secondary female characters. There's a trophy wife of Tony Avano (Pilar's ex) who's very easy to hate. She's really a one dimensional gold digger type. There's another vicious business woman who hates Sophia and tries very hard to ruin her. But the best of the secondary characters are Maddy, the teenage daughter of Pilar's new love interest and Helen, a long time friend of Pilar. Maddy is the daughter that everyone would like to have. She pushes the limits, by asking to pierce her nose, when what she really wants is a second set of piercing in her ears. She dresses in Goth, although she's really growing bored with that. Although she pushes the limits, she never crosses them. In addition she's incredibly smart and ambitious. I found myself hoping that she wouldn't follow Sophia and become that totally pain in the rear 'I am woman' type female as she grew up. Then there was Helen. I really wish more could have been done with her character. She was a good friend to Pilar and unlike Pilar I got the feeling she may not have been quite as good a girl growing up. She was obviously highly successful. She had a stable and happy marriage, a son, and a lawyer and judge. She played a little more earthy character to Pilar's sophistication. She was goading Pilar on buying sexy underwear and jumping her new found love interest. Too bad she couldn't have been in the novel more from the beginning. I have another Nora Roberts novel on my shelf. I'll probably read it, but I'll wait a little while.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely not her best work
Review: I did not like this book because I did not feel drawn to the characters or the storyline. If you want great reading from Nora Roberts, I highly recommend Carolina Moon and A River's End. While reading the Villa, I found myself reading ahead to the ending because I did not care about the characters to engrose myself into their pettiness and insecurities. I found most of them self-absorbed and unnatural. A teenager named Maddy was probably the most redeeming because she actually brought a sense of reality to the idiots around her. The character of Tyler had potential at the beginning, but eventually lost his appeal and charm. Save your time because this was a huge disappointment for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Mystery/Romance Novel
Review: This is a very entertaining and enjoyable, easy read. The suspense is well set up, and the characters are intelligently drawn. The story revolves around a family in the wine business, and three generations of women are the main protagonists (all very likeable). As with all Nora Roberts novels, the setting is described fabulously. The women are strong characters, and the author doesn't fall into the usual trap of women being rescued by men (which I appreciate). My only complaint is the tidy ending, in which the mystery is solved and explained to the degree of a Nancy Drew book.
Rating:
Summary: A vintage novel, but not her best
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both for the mystery and the romance. However, the relationship between Sophia and Tyler just didn't seem to have much basis for development, unlike the one between David and Pilar. Pilar's accomplisments in moving past her cheating ex husband had me cheering -- finally, a woman of gentle elegance that can still show some backbone and go out for what she wants! Unfortunately, I felt this novel didn't really finish where it was going. Why not tell about the wedding? The grand centennial celebration? Will Maddy's idea work? Although the mystery was wrapped up, I felt Roberts simply left the plot hanging. However, I did cheer Sophia on -- the world needs more competant businesswomen, especially ones like her, who are powerful and still feminine in many ways. I also learned a surprising amount about the winery business, kudos to Nora Roberts for doing her homework. All in all, a good novel, if not great, that will keep your interested, if not glued to your seat.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best but still worth the read.
Review: This is not the best novel by Ms. Roberts, and if you are a new reader of Roberts's books you do not want to start with " The Villa " or base her writing on this book. The Villa still was a good book as a tale of Italian and Californian vineyards. A book about wine, wine making, wine selling and a family whose life is wine. There is more than one romance that blossoms in this novel and a mystery of sorts is thrown in. Sophia and Tyler have known each other all their lives and have always remained friendly from a distance. Sophia travels and sells the wine made from the grapes that Tyler grows. Sophia's
Grandmother reorganizes the company and the two are forced to work together which makes the sparks fly. The romance is exciting and full of heat and very believable.
Sophia's mother is a very apprehensive woman who only wanted to be a wife and a mother. When her husband that she has been separated from for many many years decides he wants a divorce, it seems life is over. The reorganization brings a new man into her life and a second chance at love and motherhood. Murder, tainted bottles, burning buildings only adds to the excitement and mystique of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Summer Read!!!
Review: Nora Roberts out does herself this time with an entertaining, fast pasted mystery and a fun romance between two interesting characters. The book kept me interested and I would highly recommend it to others. ONe of her best.
Rating:
Summary: Whine Not Wine
Review: Many reviewers are saying that this book lacked character development. After reading this book I can say that I agree but that is not my main gripe with this book. I thought this book was going to be about Sophia and Tyler (the main characters). Essentially it was about them but there was very little romance and very little chemistry between them. Bottom line: I didn't like Sophia because she struck me as shallow and hard...and to be honest not very feminine. Ty seemed ok but he had no personality whatsoever. These two made me sick. I was only interested in reading about David and Pilar, at least their romance had an edge to it and seemed genuine. Ty and Sophia's "romance" was so forced and boring. Cliche is more like it. In terms of the other characters: I thought Nora Roberts was going somewhere with the character Maddy. She seemed inquisitive about wine and science but that eneded up going nowhere. I THOUGHT perhaps Maddy (in the future) would inherit the Giambelli business because of her interest in the company. I also thought they were going to have a Centennial party which never occured. The REAL showstopper (Helen) was merely an after thought throughout the book. I would have LOVED to seen some background behind this character or at least a couple of clues! I DID finish the book because the overall story held my interest. I think Nora Roberts is a good writer..this is my second book of hers that I have read. And I am willing to give her another chance when I read the THREE FATES soon.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, except for the heroine
Review: This is my first Nora Roberts book, and I was pleased with her attention to detail (in terms of the winemaking process) as well as many of her characters; as one other reviewer noted, she does an excellent job of portraying kids. However, the thing that threw me off with this novel was my annoyance with the main character, Sophia. Why is it that in order to portray a woman as "strong," one must also portray her as promiscuous? This may be old fashioned of me to say, but I just couldn't bring myself to like a female character who evidently regularly practices casual sex. I'm not saying that Roberts had to make Sophia a virgin, but neither did she have to make her loose. I kept thinking that the hero, Tyler, could do a lot better than the heroine; he didn't seem nearly as promiscuous as Sophia. In fact, the character of Sophia was so off-putting that I just couldn't bring myself to finish the novel.
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: This is the second book by Nora Roberts that I've read and I am quite impressed by her writing style. She uses a lot of imagery in her work and the novel is well-researched. Roberts reveals both the glamorous and back-breaking world of vinters in a manner that never becomes tiresome and simultaneously weaves a clever web around the Giambellis and the MacMillans. She develops a love/hate relationship with the protagonists that is both attractive and frustrating. Their romance is realistic, passionate and never mushy. It is refreshing to read of a young successful woman(Sophia)... However the plot falls a bit short. This reader was left with the feeling of "That's why!?!" when it should have been "Damn...that's good!" All in all, The Villa is a pretty good summer read. I look foward to more from Nora Roberts-who by all accounts is an excellent romance writer.
Rating:
Summary: Not Roberts' best, but an engaging story
Review: I am a huge Roberts fan, and was not disappointed by THE VILLA. As always, I was intrigued by the fascinating interpersonal web she weaves with her characters. The central hero and heroine of the plot, Sophia and Tyler, seem an unlikely couple, and I often found myself wondering why a guy as sweet as Tyler would continue to deal with a woman as consistently witchy as Sophia...but perhaps that was part of his appeal. I greatly enjoyed the Pilar/David subplot, particularly Pilar's relationship with David's children Maddy and Theo. Roberts, as always, handles the characters of children in such a real manner that they come alive. The plot itself--the intrigue with the winery--left a bit to be desired. In fact, I was still a bit confused and unsatisfied in the end, which is unusual for me at the end of a Roberts suspense. It seemed to me that while the setting and elements were all at Roberts' fingertips, they simply didn't pan out just right in this story, with these characters. But I can hardly complain, when I enjoyed Eli and La Signora so much!
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