The Villa

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Summary: Nora Roberts ever consistent story teller
Review: To the point, Nora Roberts aka JD Robb, always come through everytime I pick up and read one of her books. She provides an escape and tranquility from a full busy day of work and family.
She does it again with "The Villa", that was suspenseful, educational, with romance, witticism and laughter. She is so clever, and I am always constantly amaze with her versatile style. I highly reccommend this book, the Giambelli-MacMillian clan were all endearing and human.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters were great, and I loved the location of the book. This book was fast moving and the ending I thought was quite a surprise. I was actually kind of bummed when it ended. If you love suspense and romance you've gotta get this book!

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Summary: Mayhem and murder spices up THE VILLA
Review: The iconic moguls of the wine industry in Napa Valley -Giambellis and MacMillian has initiated a merger proposed by the influential Tereza, matriach of The Giambellis. Sophia Giambellis, her grandaughter who is an astute executive is forced to work with Tyler MacMillian - a vineyard cultivator in every sense - and sparks fly. However, the merger is threatened by a series of plotted murders, mayhem and a force swallowing up the family. A revolutionizing change introduces David Cutter in charge of the company, booting out Donata Giambellis and jealousy sprouted. Sophia's dad, Tony is mysteriously murdered. Pilar, Sophia's mum is facing a new lovelife with David - soon the family is undergoing a dramatic change too.

NORA ROBERTS is adept at crafting an engaging tale of rivalry and passion in the vineyard - THE VILLA shows her to be a leading lady in powerful and absorbing narration. Sophia proves a compelling character with resilience; Ty proves a softer hero who has to endure with her fierce independence. THE VILLA is interesting - but not vintage enough to be a classic; the middle of the book sags with throwing red herrings on murders instead of focusing on the vineyard. The storms they weather in the business field seems too contrived and easy to cross. It reduces realism.

Nora Roberts exudes confidence in her contemporaries and THE VILLA is no exception. It may not be her best to date, but if you crave on deceptions and lies as well as passion, THE VILLA will fit the bill.

Rating:
Summary: Molto Bene!
Review: As a wine-lover with a sister who lives in northern California, I was naturally attracted to the Napa Valley setting of THE VILLA, my first from Nora Roberts. The merger between two winemaking families, Giambelli and MacMillan, seemed a smart and inevitable business move. How the players plan to work together and embrace this change is another issue. Sophia Giambelli and Tyler MacMillan have known each other since they were kids, their family's vineyards as the other's backyard. The formation of Giambelli-MacMillan Wines throws them both into each other's hair, work and hearts.

THE VILLA has triple-romance, conspiracy, lies and deception, murder, and, well . . . wine! Everything a great story needs. Add a few twists and surprises and there's never a dull moment. What one reader may see as a "slow-part," I saw as a wonderful flow of descriptive background and detail. The characters didn't need to be constantly involved for this marvelous story to captivate me. Roberts' writing style is superb. I could "see" the vineyards of Napa Valley and the streets of Venice. Three generations of well-developed characters interact beautifully throughout the story. Their actions and dialog made them unique and very real. (I recommend Ben Affleck to play Tyler MacMillan on the big screen!)

Rating:
Summary: great story
Review: This was a great story. All the characters had great stories that could all have been another story in itself. Sofia and Tyler were a cute romantic couple. The step-mother of Sofia was a perfect villian for the story. Along with many others. I had only one problem with the story. In one part it tells how Sofia's grandmother and step-grandfather, the owners of the vineyard, are walking through the vineyards and there is snow on the ground. Now I have lived in the Napa Valley for 24 years and not once has it snowed. It gets some morning or evening frost but never does it snow. But otherwise a great story and worth reading. Nora Roberts has never disappointed me on any of her books.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Vintage!
Review: Giambelli's and MacMillan's Vineyards are merging. Sophia Giambelli and Tyler MacMillan are instructed by their grandparents, the heads of their respective businesses, to work together. Sophia must learn about the land, Tyler must learn about the corporatation. Together they'll function as a unit and bring Giambelli-MacMillan Wines into the twenty-first century. Then Sophia's father is murdered in her apartment. Threatening messages arrive. Motives abound. As more and more menacing acts occur, the mystery begins to unravel even as lives begin to entangle with each other. Despite the turmoil that surrounds them, Sophia and Tyler are forging a bond, one that has nothing to do with the vineyards, and possibly everything to do with love.

Nora Roberts' The Villa is yet another wonderful story by this gifted author.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I loved this book. This was one of my favorite Nora Roberts books. If you like Nora Roberts you will enjoy this. Enough suspence, romance and drama to keep you reading. I couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Rich story telling, intriguing mystery
Review: The tale of the merger of the Giambelli and MacMillan wine companies takes place in Napa Valley and the Italian country side. Sophia Giambelli is a high powered marketing executive, as sure of herself in a boardroom as Tyler MacMillan is comfortable in the vineyards, continuing the art of wine making. The two, who have known each other all their lives, are forced to move out of their respective comfort zones when La Signora, the matriarch of the Giambelli family, reorganizes the company and prepares for the merger of the two vineyards into one powerhouse corporation. In the process many lives are tossed into the air, Pilar, who finally divorces her long time philandering husband, Tonay Avano. David Cutter who is the new COO of the merged corporation, who brings his two teenagers from New York to Napa Valley in search of a new start. As difficult as the merger would be, murder and intrique complicates the matter...who is tampering with Giambelli wine, who is providing inside information to their biggest competitor...The Villa is lush and rich in its scenery and its story telling...while moving the mystery along at a fast pace. Follow the trail of clues while the romances blossom between Sophia and Tyler, Pilar and David....enjoy...

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Summary: Great Villains and Great Places
Review: I was unable to put The Villa down once I started it. It has everything; love, hate, murder, revenge and family. The villians in the story were great. They truly took revenge to a new level and kept me guessing who until the very end. This book has great twists and turns along with great visual scenes. It took me to places I have never been and probably never will visit. Nora can take you anywhere, and she does with great style in The Villa.

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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.