Briton Rose heads to Shingle Valley in Australia to work at Kalkari Wines as an au pair. With winemaker Mark on his own after his glamorous Spanish wife took off, Rose will mainly be cooking and cleaning and helping nanny Astrid with the two adorable children, Luisa and Leo. But as Rose grows closer to the family, her loyalties are divided, since brother Henry wants inside information to help him buy out the property. There are a few books around with a similar storyline – English gal arrives in Australian wine-growing region and falls in love with Aussie bloke. This is one of the better ones. The characters are engaging – although Mark doesn’t really thaw out enough. There’s plenty to keep foodies and wine lovers salivating and the setting was all the better for not falling into cliched rural territory. I’ll raise a glass at news that there’s a sequel on its way.
