The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs | A Book Review

STATS:
Author, Susan Wiggs
Published, April 30th, 2013
Publisher, Harlequin MIRA
ebook, 432 pages
Series:  Bella Vista Chronicles (Book 1)

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
"SOMETIMES YOU STUMBLE ACROSS A TREASURE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY."


#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs brings readers to the lush abundance of Sonoma county in a novel of sisters, friendship and how memories are woven like a spell around us.

Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace—despite Tess's advice. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories.
But Tess's own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.
The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she's never heard of. Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep.
And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don't believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.

From one of America's most beloved writers, The Apple Orchard is a story of family ties—both old and new—and of the moments that connect our hearts.

MY THOUGHTS:
This happened to be on of those perfect books for me.  I love present day, mixed with historical fiction, romance, and mystery. I wasn't expecting all the history and the fact that I would learn a little about Denmark during WWII and their role of saving Jews from the Nazi's.
In fact - it wasn't at all what I expected but in a good way.  There are so many family secrets and lies and mysteries.  It doesn't help that the one person that could explain most of it is in a coma.
I loved watching Tess form relationships with those around her. The story ties thinks up pretty well but still leaves room for another book. It even has recipes.  I will most certainly read the next book in the series.