A Brooklyn baby named June visits a Napa vineyard in search of her deceased husband. Just as June is about to marry a wonderful man and her wine bar—where she promotes natural wines—is thriving, she sees a figure who resembles her former husband, who was believed to have drowned many years ago. Now, she grapples with the possibility that she might be cracking under pressure, experiencing PTSD and imagining things: maybe the pressure of her upcoming nuptials has gotten to her, or... that he never truly died.
Determined to uncover the truth, June travels to Napa, where her husband's parents used to own a vineyard. There, she discovers a photo of him; he owns a vineyard in the area, though he's conveniently out of town. What will she do next?
The story unfolds through the perspectives of June and flashbacks seen through the POV of her husband's mother, and it creates a sparkling contrast between two sweeping love stories. June fell in love quickly and decided to marry just as fast, while her mother-in-law, ostensibly happily married with children, still longs for the girl she loved in college.
The intriguing element of this novel lies in the question of why June's mother-in-law would serve as a counterpoint to her investigation. Does she have something to do with her son’s supposed death? Is she hiding the fact that he is alive? And if so, why would she do something so cruel to her daughter-in-law? They never got along. But would she really be that heartless?
This mystery does an excellent job of delivering surprise twist after surprise twist, making you feel a bit tipsy as you try to make sense of the big reveals on that Californian horizon. The love stories are passionate and reckless, with much more hidden among those lush vineyards. I loved three-quarters of the novel and was completely engrossed, but by the end, the buzz had worn off a bit, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied. One massive twist fizzled out, and all the seeds that had been planted came to fruition a bit too late. Still, this is a page-turner, a novel that truly stays with you—like that natural wine; it leaves a great impression without the hangover.
