Fiona receives a strange message from Italy that her birth father has died and she must be present at the reading of his will. She's never met her birth father, only learning of him when her mother was on her deathbed. Now she must learn more about him and his winery, as well as how he became involved with her mother. The story alternates between Fiona's experience in the present time and her mother, Lillian, in the past. An intriguing tale of family drama, set in beautiful Tuscany.

I loved it all. The characters, the setting, the story and the little bit of family drama. I finished this in one sitting and enjoyed every minute.

I felt like I was in the picturesque Tuscany. Compelling story about families and the weight of secrecy . The author did a great job of tying the beautiful backdrop with the family history that birthed a mystery later affecting the character

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't typically opt for romance novels, but the description of this book was too tempting. The language used is as rich and colourful as the cover, and the descriptions of Montepulciano were beautiful. I found some of the characters a little difficult to care for and some a little 'obvious' but equally I became quickly invested in others. When I got in to this book I read through it quite quickly and enjoyed the outcome of the story.

*Sparing No Time: I’ve always admired MacLean’s writing style; she wastes no time propelling readers into the heart of the story, which will always be appreciated by this bookworm.⁣
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*Multiple POVs: I love novels with this aspect, but truly believe it worked in the author’s favor for this particular story. I was able to get an understanding as to why each character felt/acted the way he/she did.⁣
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*Setting: I absolutely enjoyed the setting for this novel and wish the book didn’t have to end because now I’m suffering a book hangover! ⁣
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*Character Development: By the story’s end, almost all the characters had shown some signs of growth. I was especially happy to see that in the cases of Sloane and Freddie.

Family secrets, food, vineyards, Tuscany and a medieval wine cellar, what more could you want? A delicious summer read! Enjoy!

This was my first Julianne MacLean book. I really enjoyed it and read it in two days. The story and characters are very interesting. Her earlier book A Fire Sparkling was also recommended to me. On her deathbed, Lillian lets her 18 year-old daughter Fiona know that her biological father is not her husband - the man who raised her. She makes Fiona promise not to let him know. When Fiona’s biological father passes away when she’s 30, she is included In his will and travels to Italy to find out about her inheritance. The chapters go back and forth in time between 1986 and 2017. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more of her books. Thanks to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first introduction to the writing of Julianne MacLean. What a beautiful book, I honestly adored it. Fiona's mum died when she was in her late teens, since then it's been just her and her disabled father. So when Fiona gets a call from an Italian lawyer explaining her late father has asked for her to fly out Tuscany for a reading of his will she is somewhat confused. What follows is the most wonderful back and forth story of how Fiona's mum fell in love with a vineyard owner over one hot Tuscan summer. In the present day Fiona must get to grips with the news that she has one hostile half-brother and a rather surprised half-sister who are both determined to ensure that they will inherit their father's estate. Can Fiona turns things around, who really was her father and just what happened between him and her mum that summer? A beautiful love story of loss, betrayal, and a tender illicit love affair. The desertions of food wine and vineyards are in a class of their own. Just perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley for arc.
This novel was so not what I normally read and I skipped many pages. If you like romance in a beautiful setting, this is up your alley. A decent story, however none of the characters really spoke to me .

Imagine waking up one morning to find out that your biological father has died and you need to fly to Italy for the reading of the will. Well, that is the opening scene for the book These Tangled Vines.

During the course of this book we see a love story play out that though it is not perfect it is a true picture of what love is. Love is beautiful, difficult, messy, and not always something that makes life easy or perfect. Love takes work and is sometimes not all it takes.

Through this book I fell in love with Fiona but I grew tired of some of the characters. I know I was supposed to hate them but sometimes I honestly wanted to just skip reading about them. The book was well written and I love Fiona. Definitely worth a read but I would not say it is something I would pick up to read again.

I noticed this book initially because of the beautiful cover...I know, we're never to judge a book by its cover but it was so beautiful.
Now to the book, I felt like I was in Tuscany, I felt the resentment of the characters and all of the love. This book flips between Florida but most of it is set in Tuscany. I've been studying wine in addition to drinking it. But I enjoyed the brief descriptions of the winemaking process, the beauty of the vineyards and I could almost imagine drinking the wine.

Whether you're a fan of Italy, wine or Europe, you will enjoy this book.

This was a really good read. Heartbreaking yet wonderful. Good capture of real life issues with love and family dynamics. Loved the vineyard and Tuscany. Characters were real and appealing.

This author is new to me but I will be coming back. The book is one that unravels and provides many threads for the reader to contemplate. The story focuses around Fiona and her discovery that her dad is not her father, in telling the story of how she came about she learns many things about her mother and father as well as her dad. She discovers herself and her identity as does her half brother and sister.. A jet lagged Fiona arrives in Italy, she has no idea what sort of reception she will receive and the size of her fathers estate. Fiona was told by her mother right before she died, that the man that raised her, was not her birth father. A man she had never heard of, that her mother had worked for, on his Tuscan vineyard, was the father she never knew existed. She made her 18 year old daughter promise that she would never tell the man who raised her, that he wasn’t her father. She receives a call, asking her to come to Italy, because her birth father has died and she is included in the will. So begins her quest to find out what actually happened 30 years ago on that beautiful Tuscan vineyard estate. This has all the elements that make for a wonderful story. A love story that ends tragically, strong likable characters, the questions that keep you turning the pages, a fractured family that is resentful of this unknown love child that they never knew existed, and the search to find the answers.

Thanks to Ms. MacLean, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I love stories about Tuscany and this one was well worth the read. Very well written , with an intresting plot. Loved the characters
4 stars

These Tangled Vines is perfect for readers who have traveled to Tuscany or wish to travel there. Fortunately, I was able to go to Tuscany in my forties, so I love an opportunity to revisit this beautiful region of the world. I love a novel like this with a beautiful setting, and themes of family and love.

This story had my heart tangled into the story of Fiona. Her journey to Italy and the secrets she discovers. I couldn't put the book down and loved the emotional writing, the characters I became involved in and an experience in a country I felt like I was visiting. Wonderful book!

This is the perfect summer book while you're sitting on the beach, deck or out camping! I read it in one sitting (with a lovely glass of wine in hand) and did not want it to end. Perfect escapism! (especially if you're missing Europe and Italy these days, as I am!)

Loved the characters, setting and plot. Really well crafted.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me sneak a peak at an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

THESE TANGLED VINES by Julianne MacLean Set in Tuscany , a story that spans thirty years of secrets, lies, lost love, greed, revenge and heartbreak. The characters for the most part are not very likeable and Fiona seems out of her depth most of the time.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Firstly the book cover is beautiful and very eye catching. I highly recommend THESE TANGLED VINES by Julianne MacLean which is set in picturesque Tuscany, Italy. As I said the cover is gorgeous and the story is beautifully written.
This emotionally charged novel about love, secrets, sacrifice, courage and the true meaning of family is told from dual timelines and different points of view. I was so involved with the characters, the relationships between them, and the scenarios and situations that I read it in one setting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the first book I’ve read by Julianne Maclean and I adored it. Transported to Italy while Fiona discovered a family she never knew of and secrets from her mother’s past that had been hidden for years, I fell in love with everything about it. The story unfolded between two time periods and I found myself equally engrossed in the past and the present. The characters were wonderful. There was a lot of heartache, but so much growth. Although there was no love lost between me and Fiona’s half brother Connor 😂.

Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.