The Villa

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sophia Giambelli has never worried about competition. For three generations, the Giambelli wines have been renowned for their quality - from Napa Valley to Italy, and throughout the world. The pride of the Giambelli family and a top PR executive, Sophia loves her job - and excels at it.

But things are about to change at Villa Giambelli. Tereza, the matriarch, has announced a merger with the MacMillan family's winery - and Sophia will be assuming a new role.

As a savvy businesswoman, she knows she must be prepared for anything...but she isn't prepared for Tyler MacMillan. They've been ordered to work together very closely, to facilitate the merger. Sophia must teach Tyler the finer points of marketing - and Ty, in turn, shows her how to get down and dirty, to use the sun, rain, and earth to coax the sweetest grapes from the vineyard.

As they toil together, both in and out of the fields, Sophia is torn between a powerful attraction and a professional rivalry. At the end of the season, the course of the company's future - and the legacy of the villa - may take an entirely new direction. And when acts of sabotage threaten both the family business and the family itself, Sophia's quest will be not only for dominance, but also for survival.

©2004 Nora Roberts (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Excellent!

I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts and have actually read this book several years ago. The story is great several different subplots that all come together well in the end. This is a don't miss if you love romance. The narrator does an excellent job and it was a pleasure to listen.

44 of 45 people found this review helpful

BEST BOOK EVER!

I have to say I was alittle unsure about this book at first, but OMG i loved, loved, loved it!
i pulled an all nighter just to finish the book which totally defeated the point of downloading it for while i was at work. i can not give it justice it was that good. i find myself telling everyone i know about it. i wish there was a spin off or something!!!!!! P/s i am listening to it again! lol
DOWNLOAD NOW, THIS IS A MUST LISTEN

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Wish this was a series.

I haven't read much Nora Roberts but of the ones I have read this is my favorite. Unlike many of her books it is a standalone and I found it very enjoyable. I wish she had made it into a series so I could read more about the characters.

Definitely not in the category of classic literature but an entertaining romance.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

Quite good, but unlikely ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed 99% of this book. The narration was excellent, couldn't have been better. The characters in the story are well developed; in my opinion, the characters and the narration, not the story itself, are what make this listen very worthwhile. However, the end was quite disappointing, and, I think, not very plausible. Still, I recommend it.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

A good read

A good read.

I did enjoy the book but the start of the 2nd part felt as if it had been added to make up pages - it just didn't want to go anywhere in a hurry.

An amazing twist towards the end that gets things going again. The characters are real and you can feel for them.

A good read all in all

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Nora Roberts at her best

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book. It is a delightful tale of family, intrigue, romance (of course), wine, and has an unexpected twist at the end.

What did you like best about this story?

It had all of the elements of the best Nora Roberts books: strong family relationships, an interesting story line, and a bonus two romances instead of one. The insights into wine making in California and in Italy were interesting. The characters were real - I especially enjoyed the teenage girl.

Have you listened to any of Laural Merlington’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other stories narrated by Laural Merlington but to my non-Italian ear, she did a fabulous job.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was much too tempted to listen to it in one sitting - and did stay up too late one evening to listen to the end of it.

Any additional comments?

It is an audiobook that I will listen to several times again, I am sure.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Awesome

Excellent book, Laural Merlington is an excellent reader, does all the voices well and her italian accent and speech makes this one of the best audio books I have every listened. Worth every penny.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Another winner

A great escape writer. I enjoyed the story and the performance. 5 Star because it was a story that kept my interest and had a good ending. Sometimes that's all I want and this book delivered just that.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Wonderful!

I loved this book! The characters were great, as well as the story line and the narrator. I didn't want it to end. I will listen too it again. I'm not a huge Nora Roberts fan but I really enjoyed this book!

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

"The Villa" is funny, romantic and suspenseful enough to keep you up all night. I can't believe I listen to 16 hours straight through, but I was so engrossed in the the story I couldn't stop listening to it--this is one story you don't want to miss a word of.

There's a large cast of interesting people, and Laural Merlington gives a great performance creating mental pictures of the grand Giambelli family and their merger with MacMillan wines....about their Italian and Californian vineyards, with even a little wine-making instructions thrown in.

"The Villa" is entertainment at it's best, and I highly recommend it.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

not her best<br />

very poor story and unbelievable ending . narrator not good couldn't tell people apart .