IN REVIEW: Brava, Valentine

In Adriana Trigiani’s follow up to Very Valentine, Valentine Roncalli is back in Italy and attending her grandmother Teodora’s wedding. Teodora is planning on staying in Italy after the wedding and settling down with her new Italian husband. This means the family business that they share, the Angelini Shoe Company, is without its long-time manager. Valentine, as Teodora’s apprentice, was always expected to take over. When Teodora and Valentine meet to discuss the business’s future, Teodora shocks her granddaughter by including her grandson and Valentine’s almost-estranged brother Alfred as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Just last year, Alfred had tried to convince everyone that the best option for the shoe company was to sell it’s long term location in Greenwich Village and perhaps even shut down the not-so-profitable operation altogether. Valentine wonders as she and the rest of her family depart Italy how she could ever successfully work with her brother on a day-to-day basis.

Valentine has two things that are really bothering her. The first is Gianluca, her new step-grandfather’s son who tried to romance her the first time she came to Italy. It seems he hasn’t forgotten his intense attraction to her when they meet again. After a near-miss post-wedding, their mutual attraction still isn’t fulfilled and he takes center stage in Valentine’s thoughts. The other thing plaguing Valentine is the launch of her new economic shoe line, the Bella Rosa. As she prepares to look for manufacturers abroad, she uncovers a family secret. This secret takes her to the shores of Buenos Aires and to meet some extended family members she never knew existed. When Gianluca surprises her during her trip, things definitely heat up. But Valentine’s commitment to work starts to get in the way of her love affair very quickly. Will Valentine be able to resolve work and romance?

I enjoyed this book slightly more than Very Valentine. Many of the smaller elements really worked for me; Valentine's gay friend Gabriel moving into their Perry Street home, her sibling's affair, and the subplot with her renewed friendship with ex-boyfriend Bret. All this goes in the background while Valentine takes center stage, trying to move forward in both her professional and romantic life. While Valentine doesn't know what she wants in the latter, she definitely is a lot more focused with the Angelini Shoe Company in this tale; her focus made me like her more as a character. The loss of one of my favorite characters at the end is sad; it also helps propel the story to a new level. I really liked this story. I hope Valentine Roncalli comes back with her fabulous shoes again soon.

IN REVIEW: Very Valentine

Valentine Roncalli’s little sister just got married. This has the Queens-born 33-year old single woman reflecting on her life; her only major romance in ended several years ago and she unexpectedly switched careers to be an unofficial apprentice to her shoemaking grandmother not long after. With the threat of her family’s custom wedding shoe business going under, it’s time for Valentine to step up. And step up she does. Valentine decides to take the Angelini Shoe Company into the 21st Century, both by designing a brand new shoe that can be mass marketed to a larger consumer base and by competing for a coveted window display in Bergdorf’s for the upcoming Christmas season. While she attempts to step up her game professionally, she also has to deal with several dramatic changes to her personal life. A man, Roman Falconi, a chef in one of Little Italy’s hottest new restaurants, takes an interest in her and they start dating. Not too long after, Valentine’s father is tragically diagnosed with prostate cancer. As the expectations in her life continue to build and build, she takes a business break and jets off to Italy with her grandmother for shoemaking supplies. She’s disarmed by how much the trip relaxes her; her grandmother opens up to her like never before and she meets Gianluca, a man who makes her question her new relationship back home. Will her shoes win the window? Which man will she end up with?

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani is a light and quick read. This book is full of fashion, romance, and class. You’ll be disarmed by just how much you’ll enjoy this title. Trigiani accurately captures the craziness of a close-knit Italian family, the whirlwind and confusion of a brand new love, and the professional frustrations of a working artist. She is strongest when she delves into the intricacies of the shoemaking profession, highlighting little known facts about what goes in to making the perfect pair of pumps. If you’re looking for a great inside scoop into the Greenwich Village and Little Italy area of New York City, the book also mentions and features many real-life locations. The descriptions of the food are mouth-watering, and the recent paperback release features many new recipes you can try making at home. I recommend Very Valentine; In fact, I think you’ll fall in love with it.

A Very Good Read, Indeed!

So, after a much delayed start, I have started to read Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. Just as I thought I might, I'm loving every minute of reading it.

The story here is much more dense than Viola in Reel Life. It's interesting to read two different styles (young adult, then adult) from the same author. Valentine tends to include a lot more elaborate descriptions of things, especially the Greenwich Village home that the titular Valentine lives in with her grandmother. It's a place I'd like to live, too ... even if I'm stuck in what used to be the guest room (as she is).

I still have a lot to go in the story, but right now? Valentine is an apprentice for her grandmother who makes custom shoes, mostly for weddings. I don't know a lot about shoemaking, so I'm learning something new from this book. The business is in trouble since grandmum, in order to keep the business afloat, took out a lot of loans over the years which have finally ballooned into the badness that all loans become. Valentine is trying to find a way to keep the business afloat while her evil brother (okay, he's not evil... but he is the most villainous character so far) is seeing it as his opportunity to put grandma in a nursing home and get his way. Directly after all this happened, a chance encounter with a young PA from a movie filming near their shop (who happens to have THE SAME EXACT NAME AS MY REAL LIFE SISTER!!) gets their shoes in a movie production. Will this help save the shop? I'd like to think so, but I guess I'll have to read on to find out.

They'll be a little big of a delay since real life is getting in the way of my literary one; this weekend I'm moving a few blocks away into a studio apartment. After I'm settled, I'm planning on delving into the novel completely so I can move on to the sequel, Brava, Valentine.

A Very Valentine Contest!

Are you a secret reader of my blog? It's time to reveal yourself... because you could win a prize!

To celebrate the paperback release of Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (I'm sure you noticed the <----- addition to my blog over there- click on the link for more info), HarperCollins will be mailing 3 special winners a copy of the book! How do you enter this fabulous contest? Just comment on this entry! You will need to include your e-mail address. This contest is only running for one week. The last day to enter will be Friday, January 22, 2010. Winners will be notified by e-mail, then will need to e-mail me their physical address in order to receive their prize. Pretty simple, right? You may remember Ms Trigiani's first YA novel, Viola in Reel Life was featured on my Top YA books of 2009 list.

As the month of love approaches, look for a lot more Very Valentine madness. The sequel, Brava, Valentine is being released on February 9, 2010. You can look forward to reviews of both titles right here.