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Summary: This Sweeping Family Drama is Well Worth your Time
Review: In THE VILLA, Nora Roberts brings us a proud family who excels in the winemaking business. Led by three strong women, the Giambellis face difficulties when treachery and jealously threaten their empire. Sophia, the youngest of the three generations of Giambellis initially seems as hard as her description in the opening of the novel: "Her cheekbones were ice-pick keen, her chin a diamond point." At first she rebels from her forced partnership with Tyler MacMillan, of MacMillan Wineries, but soon, lust mixes with competition in their relationship. Sophia's mother, Pilar, also must look deeper into her heart when she is confronted with a man who would change her life. Suspense and international intrigue soon sweep the characters up in a web of danger, and not all will survive.This is not a novel to be read quickly. Indeed, it stops just short of being enthralling. The events span almost a year, and there are many, many characters to consider. Not that it is boring. Rather, THE VILLA should be savored, much like the wine that pours freely on nearly every page. Roberts' descriptions of Napa inspire armchair tourism. At times, her words are poetic. When Sophia visits the family home outside of Venice, she spies a pear tree and "remembered suddenly the taste of the fruit, sweet and simple, and how when she'd been a child the juice trickled down her throat as she walked down the rows with her mother." After such a long read, the conclusion seemed rushed. The villain is revealed to all, and the story ends abruptly. So many details were given on so many characters, it would have been nice to have more follow-up, maybe an epilogue set a few months after the main action of the book. But nevertheless, THE VILLA is a well conceived, well told tell that will stay with you long after the last page.
Rating: 
Summary: a vintage Nora...
Review: THE VILLA is a work of art, as is the subject of the book, winemaking. I absolutely love reading THE VILLA; it makes you want to have a glass of wine yourself!
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Summary: Awesome!
Review: After my disappointment with Carolina Moon, I absolutely loved The Villa! While other readers thought there were too many characters, I didn't feel that it detracted from the story at all. Especially considering that it focused on an Italian family and their winery that was passed down many generations. While the ending wasn't what I hoped it would be it still reinforced the deep loyalty that the Italians hold for those close to them. These nuances that Ms. Roberts added helped make this book pretty spectacular!
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Summary: This should be a movie
Review: I bought the unabridged tape version of The Villa. The reader was excellent, and Nora Roberts painted a picture of the Villa and the heroines of the story so well that one could picture their faces, their emotions and almost feel the energy of The Villa. I would definately recommend this book for purchase. It's not just a romance story; it's really a good "book" and a great listen.
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Summary: wonderful read
Review: This is vintage Nora. Her characters were full of life and the book included a whole lot more than the main character's story. i also liked the very spunky heroine.interesting plot.
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Summary: How Does She Do It?
Review: I admit, I did not expect to like this book, even though I am a "Noraholic." I was lukewarm about "Carolina Moon," and expected this to be yet another vineyard drama a la Barbara Delinsky's "The Vineyard." Surprise, surprise. Nora does it again. "The Villa" held my interest from start to finish, and I was sorry when it ended. Is it great literature? No. Does it have flaws? Yes. But when you consider how many books Nora churns out in a single year, it is truly amazing how she manages to keep going. I won't present another plot rehash here, since the plot has been well covered in other reader reviews. I will simply say that the editing is crisp, the romance, as always, deeply satisfying, the mystery interesting enough to keep the pages turning. This is a perfect summer read, never taxing, but never trashy either. I don't know how she does it.
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Summary: One of her best stories
Review: I have ready just about every book that Nora Roberts has written and I loved this book. I loved the mystery and I loved the strength of the women in this story. Nora combines a story of love and a story line from her J.D. Robb stories. It was excellent. I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book.
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Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: This was the first book I read by Nora Roberts, and it will probably be my last. It's hard to believe that the villains were as bad as she made them out to be. There is good and evil in all of us, but these folks were 100% evil. If that were true in real life, they would have been bumped off long ago. (I'm especially referring to the female villains.) The characters were exaggerated, and the ending was predictable. Give me Mary Higgins Clark any time!
Rating: 
Summary: Flatter than day-old champagne
Review: This was the most disappointing Nora Roberts book yet. There were too many stories going on so the characters weren't developed as they should have been. There was no chemistry between Tyler and Sophia as they were either boring (Tyler) or self-centered (Sophia) and unlikable. The story was mostly about Sophia and her mother and grandmother and it seemed as if the men were thrown in as an afterthought. If you feel you have to read it because it Nora's newest, save your money and check it out at the library. It's not even worth the price of a paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not as Good as Usual
Review: I couldn't wait to get Nora Robert's new book, The Villa. I ordered it from Amazon and waited with bated breath until it came to my doorstep. I read it in one fell swoop, waiting for the moment to come when the story would sweep me off my feet, but unfortunately I was only somewhat uplifted by the story. Although Roberts is a wonderful storyteller and a great writer, The Villa falls a little flat. As usual, she has done her research well about the vineyards and winemaking, which adds a very interesting "educational" element to the story. But for some reason, the relationship between Sophia and Ty didn't really click with me. Maybe it was because they seemed almost brother and sisterlike, even though they are not by blood related. I was more interested in the relationship between David and Pilar, and the eventual acceptance of Pilar into the Cutter family. God I love Maddy! She's so funny... I hope that Nora Roberts does a story for her when she's older. The Villa was really a good book, but it just didn't seem as great as her other books. I guess it sort of lacked a "spark" or something like that. The setting was great and the plot was interesting, but the two main characters seemed a little forced, even. Don't get me wrong, it was still a really good book, but I think that it could definitely have been better.
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