See my review of the whole trilogy on my blog! --> Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Part Two, Revenge at Bella Terra, of series review.
Part Three, Betrayal, of series review.

Part one of series review post:
This trilogy was a breath of fresh air. I loved the setting: California, wine country. I loved the strong family bonds and the deep roots they have in Bella Valley. The Di Luca family arrived from Italy and made a name for themselves making wine, among other things. But they are most famous in their town for a years old feud with another family in town, over one infamous bottle of wine. This bottle is the cause for the recent trouble that has descended on their doorstep, and in the course of these three books, we get to unravel its mystery.

Lets talk about the Di Luca brothers…

In Secrets of Bella Terra we meet Rafe, dark, rugged, sexy Rafe. Rafe and Brooke have had a relationship since they were in teens. They really, really love each other. But once they graduate from high school, they realize that they want different paths in life, sadly break up. Brooke has always had a weak spot for him and anytime Rafe is in town, they end up together…then Rafe leaves again. It’s a cycle Brooke doesn’t care to repeat this go ‘round. There’s attraction and sexual tension and some really great chemistry between them.

I liked this book until the ending was basically non-existent. It just stopped. I had to re-read the last 10 pages to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I wasn't. The book had a jarring ending that didn't make sense to me at all. It's as if the last 20 pages of the book were ripped out.

It's been a while since I read a Dodd book, but a recent re-read of a different series reminded me that I was at least one series behind, so I found the Bella Terra series and started reading. I liked this first book well enough - there's a mystery that looks to have more than enough plot points for the rest of the series, and some brothers who are (as always) too stubborn and closed mouthed for their own good. A fun read, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories.

This was enjoyable but things came together to easily. I knew who the suspect was very early on.

My first contemporary by Christina Dodd and I loved it! I've been reading a lot of authors who are basing their contemporary romances in wineries recently and I've got to say, mixing wine with romance is always a good thing. Rafe had such a great balance of bad boy but loving family member. Brooke was a great heroine, strong and independent but a soft spot for Rafe. Great chemistry between these two. And I know that everyone is loving strawberries after this book, but I've got to say that I'm ready for some grapes!!

Christina Dodd, great romance, promoting healthy eating.

Christina Dodd is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints. I will admit that at first I had a difficult time getting into "Secrets of Bella Terra." Once the storyline picked up and I started learning more about the characters, I could not put this book down. It was a really good read and the ending set up the next book in the series perfectly.

Secrets of Bella Terra
4 Stars

As a fan of Dodd’s paranormal and historical romance, I was eager to try one of her romantic suspense books and was not disappointed. Dodd’s writing is as captivating in this genre as in the others and the romance and mystery are highly entertaining.

Brooke and Rafe have captivating chemistry and the glimpses into the development of their relationship over the years contributes both to their individual characterization and to the complexity and intensity of their romance. The secondary character development is also excellent, and the relationship between the Di Luca brothers and other family members leads to some laugh-out-loud moments.

The mystery is intriguing although not very original and the background is unnecessarily dragged out -

Spoiler

Nonna Di Luca should have been more forthcoming about the family feud

. Moreover, the hero and heroine exhibit some questionable behavior: Rafe is supposedly suspicious of everyone and everything but overlooks

Spoiler

Jenna’s presence in the security room and her ludicrous explanation

. Brooke is an intelligent heroine overall, but has one particularly TSTL moment when she

Spoiler

follows the villain into a cellar

.

The setting of an exclusive resort in California wine country is vivid and adds an extra dimension to the atmosphere of the story. The intro into the next book is very enticing and I look forward to reading Eli’s story.

Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link

Of the three Di Luca brothers, Rafe is the one who doesn’t want to stay put in their hometown in California’s wine country. But when his grandmother is attacked, security expert Rafe rushes home, intent on discovering her assailant’s identity. What he finds is that the attack was just the tip of the iceberg. A long-held secret in his family’s past has brought about new threats…and not just to the Di Luca family.

Brooke Petersson has been close to the Di Luca family ever since moving to Bella Valley as a teenager. But it was Rafe, in particular, who stole her heart all those years ago – and then broke it. Now she has to work with him to uncover the secrets lurking in Bella Terra, but being in constant contact with Rafe is hell on her nerves. The passion between them burns as hot as ever, yet even as she gives into the temptation that is Rafe, Brooke vows she’ll never again give her heart to him. Rafe seems equally determined to win her over, but with a dangerous enemy out to destroy everything the Di Lucas have built, Brooke and Rafe may not have a chance to find out if they’ll have a second shot at love.

Secrets and seduction make for a sinfully good read in SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA. The first book in Christina Dodd’s SCARLET DECEPTION series sizzles with passion, and Ms. Dodd keeps that hot blood pumping fast with a healthy dose of intrigue.

It was easy for me to become invested in Brooke and Rafe’s romance. Love has clearly never been a problem for them, but though they gave their hearts to one another at a young age, it’s clear they weren’t wholly ready for a forever kind of relationship until now. That doesn’t mean that Brooke simply falls into Rafe’s arms, no matter how fast the sparks between them fly. There’s a lot of past hurt to be dealt with as well as learning about the people they are now that has to occur. Ms. Dodd gives their relationship a wonderful sense of realism, which makes SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA even more engaging.

With the exception of the danger that the mystery of the SCARLET DECEPTION series brings about, the world of Bella Terra is lush and inviting; Ms. Dodd had me wanting to vacation at the Di Lucas’ resort. And speaking of the Di Lucas, the rest of the family was every bit as interesting as Brooke and Rafe. I adored Sarah, Rafe’s grandmother, sighed a bit over Noah, and holy mackerel, did the cliffhanger in SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA make me want Eli’s book! The only thing that disappointed me when I read SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA was that I finished it feeling upset that I did not have REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA on hand so I could keep reading.

I’ve loved Ms. Dodd’s books for over ten years and no matter what genre she writes in, Ms. Dodd wows me. SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA is an incredibly entertaining story that I’ll be re-reading many times over. In fact, I may just start a re-read right now. ;)


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here courtesy of Romance Junkies.

Rafe Di Luca runs a company of troubleshooters. He left Bella Terra a long time ago, leaving behind Brooke Petersson, twice. The first time, he left for the army, when he came back, suffering from PTSD, Brooke was helpless to resist him, even though she was engaged to another man.
He's back again because someone has attacked his grandmother. Coming back means he has to face Brooke once again, facing the fact that she no longer wants him or the life that he leads. Unfortunately, the person who tried to kill his grandmother is gunning for the whole family, and he has to try to keep his hands off Brooke while protecting his grandmother and his two half-brothers.