Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews -- but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon.
Terrific book about love, family, and new beginnings. As the book opens, Mackenzie communes with the grapevines in the family vineyard. She is the head winemaker with a stellar reputation in the wine community. Her husband, Rhys, arrives just in time to remind her of his mother's big shindig that they can't be late for. We get the first hint that things aren't quite right between them when they retreat to their separate bedrooms to get ready. The rest of the family is introduced a short time later. Barbara, the mother/mother-in-law and head of the business, Stephanie, Lori, and Catherine (or Four as she prefers to be called) all live on the family property.
The family dynamics are quite interesting. Barbara is a control freak, and the winery is the be-all and end-all of her existence. She has a boyfriend, Giorgio, who treats her like a princess. Stephanie works the retail side of the winery. She is divorced but still friends with her ex. She has lots of ideas for the winery, but Barbara shoots them all down. Lori also works for the business but always seems to be in the background. She is a bit overweight, and Barbara never lets her forget it. The youngest is Catherine, who is an artist and free spirit. She has a happy marriage and seems to delight in pushing Barbara's buttons whenever she can. Barbara's only son, Rhys, works the vineyard side of the business with Mackenzie.
When Giorgio proposes to Barbara during the party, it stirs things up within the family. Rhys makes advances to Mackenzie for the first time in months, but when it's all over, they both realize that their marriage has been dead for a long time. Divorce seems to be the only option. Mackenzie is rattled by the whole idea and quickly discovers that more than her marriage comes to an end. Her entire life as she knows it will change. I thought that she and Rhys handled things well together. There were no arguments over finances, how to split things up, etc. Rhys was practical and straightforward, even explaining Mackenzie's options to her. I appreciated that he floated the idea of her striking out on her own.
The rest of the family did not react as well. Stephanie, who has been Mackenzie's best friend since college, took a very selfish viewpoint of how the split would affect her and didn't seem to care at all about Mackenzie's feelings. I wanted to smack her for it, but she eventually realized her mistake and made up with Mackenzie. Lori accused Mackenzie of trapping Rhys into marriage in the first place and worming her way into the business. The only one who was okay was Four, who told Mackenzie that she deserved better than she had. But the icing on the cake was Barbara. From the minute she learned of the divorce and Mackenzie's plans to leave, she turned into a raging, vengeful maniac.
I loved watching Mackenzie take control of her life. She gets some stellar advice from Rhys about finding a partner to help her make her dream come true. He even suggests the person he thinks is best for the job. Mackenzie has known Bruno for a long time, and he jumps at the chance to join her. The details of everything they went through to make it happen added a depth of realism to the story. I loved how Bruno walked Mackenzie through all of the steps, bolstering her confidence when she needed it and celebrating with her as they reached each milestone.
Just as things begin to settle down for Mackenzie, her body blindsides her. She finds out that she is pregnant with Rhys's baby. After a short freak-out where Bruno talks her off the ledge, Mackenzie realizes she's happy about the baby. It doesn't feel quite real to her, and I enjoyed watching her move through the various stages to acceptance. She had lots of help from Bruno, Stephanie, and Four. There were some sweet scenes with all of them. I loved watching Stephanie and Four jump in to help her, but the most endearing moments all came with Bruno. Though I suspected it from the first, it becomes increasingly apparent that Bruno cares very deeply for Mackenzie. She is clueless for the longest time, but eventually, she notices the sparks of attraction between them. I loved watching them grow closer, both professionally and personally.
I loved watching Mackenzie settle into the dream of her winery. She has so many ideas that she had wanted to pursue before but wasn't allowed to. Now the sky is the limit. At the same time that Mackenzie's star rises, Barbara's thirst for revenge affects her business. Her over-the-top vindictiveness does a great job of driving people away. I honestly did not feel at all sorry for her. She was a nasty, selfish, and cruel woman and deserved everything she got.
While Mackenzie makes a new life for herself, Stephanie also goes through some significant changes. She ends her "friends with benefits" arrangement with her ex after an eye-opening conversation with her teenage daughter. Stephanie finally admits that she tends to take the easy way out of problems, giving up instead of fighting for what she wants. I loved when she finally stood up to Barbara and struck out on her own. She hit a few bumps along the way but developed the confidence she needed. Though I wasn't surprised by the result, I loved how she went about it.
The epilogue was great. I liked seeing the story come full circle but with a much happier outcome.
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