cover image Say You'll Be Mine

Say You'll Be Mine

Julia Amante. Grand Central, $13.99 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-446-58163-9

In Amante's moving story of love and loss, 40-something Isabel Gallegos is finally on the verge of pursuing her own dreams when she receives word that her cousin in Argentina has died in a tragic accident and left Isabel as the guardian to her three young children. Divorced, lonely Isabel%E2%80%94having becoming owner and CEO of her parents' business, Gallegos Winery%E2%80%94has just sold the company and planned to move to the beach. Instead, she goes to Argentina, where she must figure out how to reconcile the children's needs with her desire for an independent life. Drawing inspiration from her American and Argentine background, Amante (Evenings at the Argentine Club) paints a vivid picture of both the Temecula vineyards and the Argentine countryside. Though Isabel's aloofness and unnerving, repetitive selfish behavior render her an unsympathetic character, Amante's well-developed supporting cast (including Isabel's ex-husband Nick, and her deceased cousin's children) save the novel and make this an enjoyable read. (Oct.)