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Reviewed by S. Mathur for Readers' Favorite
Aged in Secrets by Joana Ventura is set in the Portuguese coastal city of Porto and the vineyards along the Douro River. Catarina Sousa is a forensic accountant sent by her high-flying London firm to audit Valdeira & Filhos, known for their vintage port wines. Her report to the banking syndicate that backs the firm will decide the future of the company. Duarte Valdeira is the CEO of the company and the oldest son, who has just stepped into his father’s shoes a few weeks ago. Catarina is learning to relate to her Portuguese heritage and her own family’s history as immigrants in New Jersey. When she finds a discrepancy that could destroy the firm, she must learn how to balance the investigation with her growing attraction to Duarte. Can they save the firm without exposing the family’s deepest secrets?
Aged in Secrets is the first book in the Vintage Heirs series by Joana Ventura, but can be read as a stand-alone. Readers who like sophisticated contemporary romance will also appreciate the settings, with the old-world charm of Porto and the picturesque vineyards. The author expertly weaves together the worlds of high-stakes finance, forensic accounting, wine-making, and families on both sides of the Atlantic, with deep knowledge of each of these worlds. I particularly liked the descriptions of the city against the wild Atlantic coast, the rain, and the winding mountain roads. The complex characters, including not only Catarina and Duarte but also their families and vineyard estate workers, likewise add depth to the story, carrying the reader along a trail of buried family secrets entwined with financial intrigue.
