Just as a sweet Moscato can lead to appreciation of a dry Sauvignon Blanc, The Winemaker’s Wife uses a fictional story to guide you into the history underneath. Ines and winemaker Julien’s marriage is still quite new when Germany invaded the Champagne region of France. The owners and workers of Maison Chauveau begin a cat and mouse game with the local Weinfuhrer and the Gestapo, trading intelligence and hiding Jewish refugees and Resistance leaders behind wine barrels in the storage caves. In real life, Moët and Chandon was Maison Chauveau, hiding secrets, intelligence, and innocent people during the French occupation. The Winemaker’s Wife has plot holes and coincidences; most historical fiction novels do. If you want the real story, look at the past. And raise a glass of bubbly for the ordinary men and women who never stopped fighting for France.

This one is an engaging historical novel that beautifully weaves together love, betrayal, and the impact of war over multiple generations. Set in the vineyards of France’s Champagne region during both World War II and the present day, the story pulled me in with its dual timelines and richly drawn characters.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is how well Kristin Harmel captures the atmosphere of wartime France, especially the tension and danger that lingered in the vineyards under German occupation. The details about winemaking during this period were fascinating, and the setting felt vivid and authentic. The historical storyline, following Inès, Céline, and Michel, was emotionally gripping and full of dramatic twists that kept me turning the pages.

In the present-day timeline, Liv’s journey to uncover her grandmother’s secrets added an intriguing layer of mystery. I appreciated how the past and present narratives came together, even if I occasionally found myself more invested in the historical portion. Harmel’s exploration of complex relationships—particularly the emotional weight of love and betrayal—was handled with depth, and I found myself feeling for the characters, even when they made flawed or heartbreaking choices.

The reason I didn’t give it five stars is because there were moments where the pacing slowed, especially in the modern-day sections, and some of the reveals were somewhat predictable. However, the emotional richness of the story and the well-researched historical background more than made up for these small issues.

Overall, The Winemaker's Wife is a captivating novel that brings to life both the beauty and pain of a difficult time in history, with characters whose stories linger long after the final page. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a focus on family, secrets, and resilience.

The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel is a beautifully crafted historical fiction novel set in the stunning Champagne region of France during World War II. The story alternates between two timelines, revealing the intertwined lives of its characters against the backdrop of love, loss, and resilience.
My heart just felt for the protagonist Celine and her heartbreak, decisions, and choices that led to a life much different then it started.
Harmel's vivid descriptions make you feel as if you’re walking through the vineyards and experiencing the challenges faced by the characters. The emotional depth of the story, along with the themes of family, loyalty, and the impact of war, keeps you engaged from start to finish. Absolutely loved this book!

The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel is an older book that was suggested by my book club. I didn't remember I'd read it (because I forgot to review it) so here we are.
I love all of Harmel's book and this one is no exception. The story isn't new, but it's told here in gorgeous settings in Europe. The story has 3 different POVs of women all affected by ww2. The story is layerd and complex. Great read.

I love, love, love Kristin Harmel's work, and The Winemaker's Wife is no exception! When it comes to historical fiction, she can do no wrong and I always end up learning so much through richly-developed characters and situations that truly touch my heart. Bravo, Kristin!

Love and betrayal, yes that's exactly what The Winemaker's Wife is all about, and what a story. It was interesting, loved the setting, and the overall storyline.

I ended up going back and reading this. I know it’s been a few years. But it was so so good. Kristin Harmel has become a favorite.

Of course a great book leaves you in tears. It broke my heart but then put it back together.
This book is about so much more than just wine.
It’s about friendship, betrayal, affair, family and love.

I love Kristin Harmel's writing! She writes excellent historical fiction novels that I love sinking into. I enjoyed this novel just not as much as her previous ones. While I've read a lot of stories about the war, I have never read one set in this setting. I learned a lot about this area of France that I didn't know. However, the main character was not very likeable. I honestly didn't like many of the characters. I had a hard time continuing when I was so annoyed by them. I probably wouldn't recommend this one, but instead her previous, The Room on Rue Amelie.

Set during WWII, The Winemaker’s Wife tells the story of Inès, the wife of Michel, who owns a champagne house. Unknown to Inès, her husband is using his business to help the Résistance. When Inès finds herself betrayed by her husband she makes a friend on the wrong side of the war. As things begin to unfold, Inès’ world changes in drastic ways.

I really loved this story. It’s told in dual timelines and three perspectives which really worked for this book. During WWII in France we get Inès and her friend Céline’s points of view, and in present day France, we get Liv and her grandmother, Edith’s story. I loved how Harmel brought this story to life and how all of these ladies’ lives were intertwined. I was really impressed with the ending and how it all came together.

I have read some reviews that this book should have talked more about the war and the characters help with the Résistance, but I really liked the way it was done. This was a beautifully written story, and I honestly can’t say just how much I loved it. It had such an emotional ending that brought me to tears.

Not my favorite WW2 novel, nor my favorite set in France. Although the scenery, description and setting was gorgeous and the writing was also beautiful, it was a slow burn for me with h likeable characters that just didn’t change for me. I’m sure a lot of readers would devour this one, but just not for me.

A WWII duel timeline historical fiction that kept me engaged and not wanting to stop reading.
The setting is in the beautiful vineyards of the Champagne region in France.
The characters were hard to get to like but, eventually they did grow on me.
The story is full of suspense, mystery and intrigue.
I love Kristin Harmel’s books.
*Though I missed the NetGalley deadline for the archive on this book, I was grateful to find it at my local library as I had looked forward to reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I listened to the audio version of this historical fiction and fell in love with the characters, the story, the history. I keep wondering which parts, if any, other than WWII, were based on real places and events. I love it when a story makes me believe the world created is real and inhabited by real people.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I would place this right up there with All the Light We Can Not See in quality and entertainment.

I, of course, am a fan of anything wine related. I love that this story was set during WW2 and the setting of the story was absolutely breathtaking. I enjoyed how the story had different perspectives told from various characters of the book, however, I felt I didn't totally connect with any of the characters. I felt they were all very unlikable.
I also felt the storyline focused more on their martial issues then what was going on in history at this time.

I listened to this on audio. It was a good story. One that pulled at the heartstrings. I liked the dual timeline and how it conveyed how decisions can have a lasting impact. Would recommend it to others.

While I enjoyed this book, I didn't really like the narrators for the audiobook. Not sure I'd listen to something they read again, but still, a good book.

Every time I think I can't possibly read a new perspective of World war II a book comes along like this that shocks me. Of course I've read books from a perspective of the French Resistance but nothing quite like this before. This book is filled with characters that you don't really like, especially Ines, who's insipid behavior and infuriating naivity drove me insane. Still likeable or not this is a very character driven story and I found the book to be pretty unputdownable once I got into it. The especially got me. There aren't really any happy endings, but there are satisfactory endings.

This was exquisite, a new WWII historical fiction favorite. Told in two timelines, present day New York and Champagne, France 1940, it doesn’t get much better when you learn how the Maison Chauveau champagne house played a key role in WWII but then you throw messy relationships into the mix that end up risking a lot (to say the least). Present day Liv Kent has lost everything and then her French grandmother shows up unannounced and takes her on a trip to France. She learns quickly there is an ulterior motive, and her tragic decades old story to share, that Liv knew nothing about btw. As past and present come together, Liv finds herself at the Maison Chauveau and partakes on a journey herself that she never thought she would take.

I cannot say enough about this one, it was not what I expected, it was heartbreaking and tragic but beautiful. The characters were complex, important, some were good, some were bad, one was infuriating (I’m looking at you Inès), and I loved both the past and present storylines equally. I enjoyed learning about the champagne house and the role it played, and I loved the story of each of the couples in the past, the role they played in the war, and how it all tied to the present day.

The present day storyline was unique in itself in how the past was resolved, I did think it could have wrapped up a little sooner for my liking but it was not enough to deter how I felt about this book overall. And that ending, my goodness, I was destroyed. I highly recommend this one, especially if you are a historical fiction fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital copy to review.

Initially, I picked up this title for the sheer fact that it was about wine and winemaking. My dad makes wine and as a kid, I always loved watching and trying to help press the grapes. I love enjoying wine, particularly a glass of dry red and the romantic in me daydreams about living on a vineyard (though in reality, that would be a lot of work!). Needless to say, the title itself automatically appealed to me.

This novel is written by Kristin Harmel, who I am low-key obsessed with. I’ve read The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amelie, and The Forest of Vanishing Stars (which comes out on July 6!), and I have loved every single one. She writes about World War Two, which is one of my absolutely favorite periods to read about. When I say favorite, I mean because it’s one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring times, and her novels almost always move me to tears. The Winemaker’s Wife was no exception.

A newly married couple, Ines and Michel, inherit a vineyard in the Champagne region of France, but when the war comes their difference of opinion drives a wedge between them. Ines wants to keep living life as unaffected by the war as possible, while Michel begins working with the Resistance in secret.

The Winemaker’s Wife, while looking at the war narrative, switched perspectives to current-day Liv, a stay-at-home-wife trying to have a baby, but who’s husband just left her for his mistress. As her life feels like it’s falling apart, her grandmother Edith announces they are going to Paris. While Edith is trying to finalize some property paperwork around Liv’s inheritance, her past and connections to France during WWII surface.

Discovering Michel’s affiliation to the underground network, Ines feels betrayed. An added layer to the betrayal is that Celine, the half-Jewish wife of Michel’s master winemaker, grows closer to Michel as that war approaches and Ines jealousy drives a big part of the plot. As Ines begins to look for validation in other places, she befriends a Nazi collaborator. This is what ultimately pulls the story into twists and turns, testing Ines, Michel and Celine in turn.

In a time where even trusting your spouse could prove fatal, Kristin Harmel captures the sense of betrayal and insecurity, all the while also showing how so many like Ines just wanted to go back to normal. In attempting to ignore what was happening and naively pretending things would go back to normal, Ines’ character demonstrated to me how easy it is for hate to spread unchecked. Apathy and inaction can be just as bad as collaborating (as I think a lot of us are also realizing in the face of our current 2021 realities).

As Ines’ story with Michel and Celine unravels, Liv is trying to find herself and figure out what her future might hold. She feels lost and diminished with no job, no baby, and no more husband, but life always goes on. Our job is to figure out how to keep moving forward and tackling/pushing past whatever life throws our way.

What I love most about Kristin Harmel’s novels isn’t the twists and turns. While interesting, I’ve read enough stories to usually see them coming. The thing I can never prepare myself for, however, is how completely she immerses me into her characters so that I feel like I’m living the story alongside them and I can rarely finish a book without being pushed to tears.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

I first picked this book up in 2019 and didn't finish it until almost two years later. The beginning is slow and I found myself rushing through the historical events at Maison Chauveau to get back to Liv's life in 2019. I was frustrated with all the characters' choices throughout the book, but things got much more interesting towards the middle of the book. Ines in particular became my favorite character despite the MANY bad choices she made.

Although I took issue with the cheating, the lying, and everyone's inability to stick it out with their respective spouses, I thought the book was very well researched. Details about the Champagne region's resistance to Nazi occupation and the demands of the "wine fuhrer" were particularly intriguing.

Overall, the book was a little slow. I felt that the ending more than made up for the slow start, although some of the reveals at the end were pretty obvious.

I'm a sucker for anything WWII related and this book did not disappoint. I never expect the twist at the end which I think is a testament to Kristin Harmel's writing. Her characters are always dynamic, well-rounded, and interesting. I always look forward to her next book.

Kristin Harmel weaves a spellbinding tale set between two times in the Champagne region of France during WWII and modern day. In 2019, Liv is a newly divorced woman whose grandmother takes her to France, presumably to distract her from the heartache of divorce. However, once they arrive in the winemaking region, her grandmother's behavior is unusual and irratic. Secrets are slowly unraveled as Liv learns of the role champagne workers played in the resistance during WWII. These secrets change the course of Liv's life forever. I highly recommend The Winemaker's Wife to all who enjoy historical fiction.
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