In 1805, Reims, France Nicole Clicquot is grieving her beloved husband. He left behind a vineyard and a little girl. Nicole must work hard to support her daughter and secure their future even if it means ignoring the gossip about her. As Nicole tries to ignore them, she hears a rumor about her husband and that he died with a terrible secret. His secret can cause the entire town to turn against her.
Nicole is heartbroken and her reputation is in tatters. She turns to her husband's oldest friend, Louis. He is eager to help with a warm smile and advice that eases her troubled heart. After a good harvest season and her first wine has been produced, Nicole feels her that her luck has finally turned. She feels that she will be welcomed back into the local community and her future will be secure.
The ongoing war has caused complications and some of Nicole's friends are hiding secrets from her. She doesn't know who she can trust. Nicole is torn between trusting her head and her heart. She knows that she will have to pour her entire life into her business otherwise, she will face ruin.
I thought this was an interesting read about a person I never knew about. I assumed that the champagne house was actually owned by a man. It was interesting to read about Nicole's struggles to follow her heart while everyone was doubting her. However, I did find that the book was rather lengthy and slowly moved along at times. If the book was a bit shorter, I would have found it a lot more entertaining.
