All For One

Widows On The Wine Path by Julia Jarman is a wonderful, contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous book first, for continuity of character and maximum enjoyment.

This is a book about friendship between four widows. We meet three in book one, but now Libby is newly widowed. The first year is the hardest, one needs love and support. It is also the year in which one is most vulnerable and needs the help of friends in order to navigate the waters of widowhood.

The four friends meet regularly. In order to keep each other safe, if one of them is going out, they let the others know where, who with and for how long. Safety checks are wise.

We meet an unscrupulous character who preys on the vulnerable. The unsuspecting character finds herself gas lighted, but is clueless at first. Those on the outside can see what is happening. Bit by bit her freedom is eroded but she is blind to this. Her self esteem is questioned as it plummets. The holiday of a lifetime soon becomes the stuff of nightmares.