I was scrolling my Kindle last night and spontaneously decided to read this one. Picking a book at random worked for me once this year, so I hoped it would work for me again; and I can safely say that this one did not disappoint! I'm on a little bit of a Renee Carlino kick so far this year, and have got another two of her books lined up for the next couple of months. With the way her books are going for me at the moment, I can't wait!

This story pulled me in right from the first page - I picked it up before bed for a bit of light reading, but didn't stop reading until I was 47% of the way through because I just kept telling myself "just one more chapter", but then it would get even more interesting and I would have to continue. I was invested with the characters right from the off; their personalities were intricately woven and plotted and they had a substantial amount of character development throughout which added a lot of depth. The characters weren't two dimensional or predictable. They didn't seem to fit into the "typical ya/na trope" category. She gave them both individuality with features that we don't often see in ya/na literature. I found the exploration of type one diabetes to be extremely interesting, and I think she definitely highlighted something that is very rarely explored in this particular genre of literature. I think she handled it brilliantly, too, and didn't use it as a plot device but made it seem like it fit into his life. To me, the characters felt like real people and that truly does add a lot to the story in that I felt that the characters were complex enough to carry the plot forward.

In terms of the plot, I can honestly say that this was extremely unique to me - it was interesting to get the perspective of someone on a journalistic endeavour, trying to get a scoop on someone that had gone off the radar completely. It was inspiring and interesting to read about her processes as a journalistic author, and how she found comfort in her writing (and often how she found it strenuous). Renee explored the comforting aspect of writing, but also the fact of how much you can portray through a written piece. The romantic element written within it is also extremely charming, witty, heartbreaking, but also hilarious. I love the aspect of it being set on a vineyard (parent trap vibes, am I right?!), which offered a unique setting for such a beautiful romance to take place. The setting doesn't feel stodgy or forced at all, and it seems to fit with the characters which fill the story. Having it being set on a vineyard is brilliant, but it also focuses relatively strongly on vineyard life itself - from the way a vineyard operates to the type of grapes that are harvested. It's a thoroughly intriguing balance between the romance and life on a vineyard and it definitely kept the story moving at a delightfully quick pace, and kept me thoroughly enthralled.

The plot is brilliantly woven and flows excellently, the pieces of which fit together seamlessly to create a story which evokes all sorts of emotion and she doesn't stray from taking the reader through the emotional ringer, which is something I really appreciate and desire in a novel because that's what wins my heart and sucks me into the story. The emotional spectrum that I felt throughout reading this book speaks for itself in terms of the books power and prominence - she got me so invested in the characters and their stories that I felt every single emotion that they went through, and it demonstrates just how artful she is in writing her characters.

A big portion of what made this book a five star rating for me was the family aspect. Family is a massive pivotal point in the plot and really adds a massive chunk of depth to the overall story. We are introduced to the importance of family, the strength of a family's influence on you, and why to always keep them close to you. It discusses the idea that sometimes, family isn't always the ones that you are related to by blood - but by the people who look after your heart and make you happy, whether it be romantically or platonic. It's a very interesting angle to take whilst writing a novel and it was refreshing to read a family dynamic that was away from the "norm", so to speak.

The character development throughout this is also extremely brilliant - Kate starts off as someone who relies on Just Bob on the L train to encourage her and to give her some much needed inspiration, but she ends the novel being powerful, intense and finding a lot of faith in herself. She never was a damsel in distress, mind you, stocking a lot of power in herself - we as readers can see it, but she just needed a little bit of encouragement to see it herself.

This also delved really interestingly into the world of journalism and it was written about really well, with Kate wanting to break out of the world of writing about lipsticks in order to delve into something more meaningful for her.

Filled with spice, steam, drama, excitement, love and laughs - this book is utterly charming and I would wholeheartedly recommend it!