Sometimes we love books because they push the envelope and stretch the boundaries of our imagination, taking us places we would never think of going on our own. Just as often, though, readers fall in love with books because they are “comfort reads,” taking a familiar formula and telling the story in a fresh voice. The Sicilian’s Bride is a very good example of this second type of book. Most of the plot elements will not seem terribly exotic to readers, but the author breathes such life into them that the story is a true pleasure to read.

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Isabel Morrison, an American orphan raised in foster care, never knew she had any family until a mysterious uncle left her a vineyard in his will. The bequest comes at a fortuitous time in her life since she feels she really needs a new beginning. So, she begins to educate herself about winemaking and then travels to Sicily to take possession of her vineyard.

It’s something of a rude awakening. In addition to finding herself facing details she never thought of in her many dreams of winemaking, Isabel also reaches the vineyard to discover a rather dilapidated house in need of major repairs and vines that have been neglected. The local who shows her to the house, Dario Montessori, makes it clear that he intends to buy the property back from her, but even after seeing how much work she will have to do to make a go of things, Isabel resolves to stay.

Dario’s family also have vineyards, and they once owned Isabel’s property. The family had to resort to selling the property at what was a personal low time in Dario’s life, and it soon becomes clear that he feels responsible and has a deep need to get the property back into the family. He sees Isabel as an interloper and, while he is polite to her, he is also irritated at her stubbornness.

Much of the book, predictably, deals with the battle of wills between Dario and Isabel over the vineyard. He’s convinced she’ll never make it work, and she is just as certain that she will succeed. In a refreshing twist on many similar power struggles I have seen, Dario and Isabel find ways to work together even as they disagree with one another. For instance, Dario helps Isabel find good workers even as he remains determined to buy the land back once she decides to give up. And as Isabel proves herself to be devoted to her task and willing to take on plenty of difficult and dirty labor on her property, Dario comes to respect her very much. And this respect begins warming into love.

Even though I did enjoy the book for the most part, it wasn’t without its rough moments. For starters, did the author really have to give her hero the last name “Montessori”? Given the association with Montessori schools, I couldn’t help being just a bit amused and annoyed all at the same time. And then there was Isabel. By and large, I liked her and I could see why Dario would hold her in high esteem – by the second half of the book. But in the first half or so, she’s a little too pigheaded and, even though she had somewhat romantic notions about running a vineyard, she seemed to have put little thought into the practical side of her plans. If this were a historical, I’d call her behavior “feisty and curl-tossing.” Lastly, some loose ends of backstory are left unexplored by the end of the book and while I didn’t mind this much since I so greatly enjoyed the romance, I did still notice the omissions.

Still, even with these issues, The Sicilian’s Bride ended up being a surprisingly good read. The author evokes her setting well, and it’s a very sweet story without ever being saccharine. I truly enjoyed the relationship between hero and heroine. Dario and Isabel don’t start on the best of footing, but watching them develop a real partnership of equals made me smile. Though the love scenes are very subtle, there’s a sweetness and warmth pervading the book that makes it feel like a romantic dream indeed.