I have always been fascinated by what people read when it comes to fiction.  And why people read a certain author. I was a bookseller for nearly a decade through 1990s and one of the authors I saw customers buy on a regular basis was Nora Roberts.  I always wondered what made her books so popular with readers. Well, I decided to finally read a Nora Roberts novel and find out for myself why she is so beloved by many readers.

The Villa is the story of the Giambelli family of Napa Valley.  For several generations, Giambelli wines have been renowned all over the world. The winery is owned by matriarch, Tereza Giambelli and assisted by her granddaughter Sophia, and daughter Pilar.  Tereza has announced a merger with Macmillan family winery for the next phase of the business.  However, the merger does not go smoothly and the quality of the Giambelli Wine comes into a serious question due the deaths of two people after drinking it.

Tereza has groomed Sophia to eventually take over the business.  Sophia is a sharp businesswoman and always gets what she wants. Well, she has to work with Tyler MacMillian to facilitate the merger.  And let’s just say that the lines of professional and personal get blurred. The two must work together to find out about the deaths from the wine and other acts of sabotage coming from within the company.

Roberts tells a brisk, entertaining story and redefines the meaning of family. I had a good experience with The Villa and was a solid choice for a summer read. This is a book that I would not normally read.  But, I believe that one should always outside of their normal reading comfort zone.  Reading is the cheapest and easiest passport you can get to another world. The Villa provides a much-needed escape for the summer.