Eight hundred grapes, by Laura Dave

I was disappointed in this novel by popular author Laura Dave. I had read another book by her and found it to be entertaining (The night we lost him), but this one is so problematic that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. The main character, Georgia, runs home to her parents after seeing her fiancé, Ben, walking down the street with another woman and a child; after confronting them, she learns that the woman is a former lover and the child her fiance's. He only learned about the child several months ago, but had kept it secret from Georgia for all that time, even though they're not only set to be married in a week but also relocate to London, where Ben's ex and child live. Once at home, Georgia learns that her parents are selling their vineyard and planning to separate, as her mother has taken up with a former romantic interest from decades ago. Georgia further learns that there's a rift between her two brothers, because Finn is in love with Margaret, Bobby's wife, and the feeling is mutual. If that isn't enough drama, Georgia's parents are selling their small, family vineyard to a large corporate operation, and Georgia starts trying to sabotage the sale. My problems with this book abound. First, the writing is atrocious. Granted, I have an advance reader's edition, but that can't account for the awkward sentences and terrible plot. Second, none of Georgia's actions are believable. She runs out into the street in her wedding dress, which she is being fitted for, when she sees Ben with his ex and the child. Then, she goes home, packs a bag, and drives nine hours in her wedding dress to see her parents? If she had left right from the shop to make the drive, it would be almost believable, but she packs a bag, so she must have gone home to do it. She also goes to the headquarters of the company that's buying her parents' vineyard, interrupts a board meeting, and fights with the President over the purchase. She then files an injunction against the sale in a scene that makes it look like the process of filing an injunction involves just going to a courthouse and filling out a piece of paper (is it really that easy?) Third, characters repeatedly make comments that are unclear as to their meaning, and it's not explained. A good editor might have cleared some of this up, but this book comes across as a first draft, rather than an almost completed book. Advance reader's editions often have typos, which I can overlook, but there are so many problems with this book that the fact that it's an ARE can't account for all of them. I can't recommend this book.