Aching from the recent loss of a constant companion, Carina DiGratia Shephard longs to return to the shelter of her close-knit family. Her husband, Quillan, is bent on proving his devotion, and they begin the arduous journey to the home of her youth nestled in the vineyards of Sonoma, California. But their arrival at the DiGratia estate is not the joyous occasion they expected. Will a confrontation with the past pull them apart–or will the love they once embraced be reignited?
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 2/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 2/5
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Summary
The final novel in the Diamond of the Rockies trilogy, The Tender Vine finds Carina slowly recovering from the brutal beating she received at the hands of mining thugs which caused her to lose her unborn baby. Thankfully, Quillan, her long absent husband has come to terms with God and the unworthiness he felt at loving one like Carina. This beating has put Carina in a mind to return home to her people in Sonoma, California which Quillan is happy to make happen. Unfortunately, their arrival in California is met with little joy once the very Italian family discovers that Carina is married to a non¬Italian; they expected her to return home to marry her former fiancé, Flávio¬¬the same Flávio that she fled in book one of the trilogy, when she found him making out with her sister. Tempers flair throughout the story. Ms. Heitzmann, the author did an excellent job of portraying the Italian culture in her characters words and manner. Bottom line no one was willing to accept Quillan as Carina's legitimate husband; what Carina had hoped would be a happy return home became a nightmare in which she was held captive. Both she and Quillan began to believe things about God that aren't true, and it left me holding my breath, hoping that their story would end well without compromising their faith. I will only say that I was pleased with the ending. As with the first two novels in the series this one also has a strong Biblical worldview. Thematic elements include once again, forgiveness, grace, respect, sanctity of life, humility, and family. There could easily be another book or two or three to continue Carina and Quillan's story, but alas, this is the end. It was a really well¬done trilogy. Don't miss the introductory words to each chapter. In this third novel, the poetry and deep thoughts are provided by Quillan. While this novel could stand alone, I think it would be so much better appreciated by having read the preceding two novels of the trilogy
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