Grand River

In 1896 South Bass Island, Ohio, tomboy Tess Barrett has two reasons to be excited. Today is her twenty-first birthday and her fiancé, Peter Maxwell, Captain of the Lady of Lake Erie steamboat, is returning home after a few months sailing. Tess is elated, but is concerned that she and Peter have quarreled over her outrageous behavior and his disenchantment with the island that she loves. However, their reunion goes poorly as Peter is attracted to another woman, who quotes and enjoys Shakespeare like he does. Tess finds her world further out of control when her father hires Adam Nichols as the new vinedresser for the family wine business. She regards him as a malicious beast, while Adam thinks that Tess is a pampered brat. However, the feuding pair somehow falls in love with each other. Still, with the lack of mutual respect and her prior engagement, even the matchmaking skills of her father (and clandestinely his father) seems doom to failure. When it comes to homespun fun, no one writes better novels than Kathryn Kent, whose latest "Our Town tale is a fabulous addition to one of the better American romance series. WINE COUNTRY brings to life the gay nineties with a beautiful story line and terrific characters. The secondary players add a genuine feel to the plot and Adam is a phenomenal lead protagonist because of his flaws. However, it is the unconventional Tess, who turns this book into one of the better historical romances of the year. This reviewer recommends this novel and Ms. Kent's previous book in this series, GRAND RIVER because fans of the sub-genre will have a grand old time. Harriet Klausner