Description

“The characters are just as vivid as the setting . . . an addictive contemporary that will delight hopeless romantics and armchair travelers alike.” -Publishers Weekly, starred review

“For readers who want their love stories effervescent but also substantive, Grape Juice offers a glass worth savoring to the last drop.” -The Masters Review

A gorgeous, seductive fiction debut from wine and dating columnist Eliza Dumais, about parsing romantic clarity amidst the mind-muddling effects of fermented grapes, the French language, and exhausting physical labor. Perfect for fans of Under the Tuscan Sun, French Kiss, and The Pairing.

Alice is bored-romantically, professionally, creatively. So when her boss, a prominent wine importer, suggests she work a grape harvest in France, she sees it as a welcome opportunity to course-correct her apathy. Though Alice is plenty skeptical of the drink-pray-love premise, she begins to let her guard down when she finds herself picking riesling and practicing her French alongside a charming cast of international characters-and, most notably, Henri, the vineyard owner’s nephew, who’s just as lost as she is.

“This book was basically tailor-made for me: a sexy European romance that had me feeling like I’d escaped to France from the very first page.” -Marisa Meltzer, bestselling author of Glossy and It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin

“Grape Juice is the romantic fantasy that has me refilling my glass time and time again.” -Jamie Beck, photographer and New York Times bestselling author of An American in Provence

“Our heroine seduces us in a feast of glamorous gluttony. Grape Juice begs to be read ravenously.” -Rachel Seville Tashjian, fashion critic at The Washington Post

Publisher Review

“The characters are just as vivid as the setting, and the intimate conversations between the leads feels real and grounded even as they delve deep into their personal histories and motivations. The result is an addictive contemporary that will delight hopeless romantics and armchair travelers alike.” * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review * “Grape Juice works because it refuses to let genre expectations dictate its shape. Dumais leans on strong characters rather than formulaic arcs, crafting a short novel that feels equally at home in the romance aisle and on a literary fiction shelf. For readers who want their love stories effervescent but also substantive, Grape Juice offers a glass worth savoring to the last drop.” — Kritika Narula, The Masters Review