Source: eLibary
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Series: Valentine #1
Genre: Women's Fiction, Italy, Romance
Length: 14 hours and 44 minutes
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
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Description:
Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, a vibrant cast of colorful characters who navigate tricky family dynamics with hilarity and brio, from magical Manhattan to the picturesque hills of bella Italia. Very Valentine is the first novel in a trilogy and is sure to be the new favorite of Trigiani's millions of fans around the world.
In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin.
My Review: This family focused novel has everything. There are failed romances, family drama, health scares, marriages, and sibling squabbles. It really has it all. But in the center of it all is the Angelini Shoe Company, a family business focused on creating couture wedding shoes. Only Valentine and her Grandmother are left to carry on the family tradition. Both must fight financial woes and life changes to continue the family business into the future. I enjoyed this story. I didn't think the Angeglini family was as dramatic as they made it out to be but maybe it's because I've seen crazier. The descriptions were vivid and I enjoyed the relationships between the family and friends. I didn't love the romantic relationships though. They didn't click for me.
On the narrator... I love Campbell and she does a great job with the accents. Valentine is often described as the funny sister or the funny one and I just never found her that way. I'm thinking this has to do with the fact that I listened whether than read this book. A few things seemed lost to my ears.
Overall, an enjoyable enough read that made me want to go buy shoes and visit Italy.
Source: eLibary
Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Series: Valentine #2
Genre: Women's Fiction, Italy, Romance
Length: 11 hours and 21 minutes
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Author's Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo
Description:
Valentine's dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, "the prince," Valentine's only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri. Despite their passion for one another and Gianluca's heartfelt letters, a long-distance relationship seems impossible.My Review:
As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, mentor and pattern cutter June Lawton guides her through her power struggle with Alfred, while best friend and confidante Gabriel Biondi moves into 166 Perry Street, transforming her home and point of view. Savvy financier Bret Fitzpatrick, Valentine's first love and former fiancée who still carries a torch for her, encourages Valentine to exploit her full potential as a designer and a business woman with a plan that will bring her singular creations to the world.
Brava, Valentine picks up where Very Valentine left off and the Angelini family is at it again. Valentine must adjust to being on her own for the very first time in both her personal life and her business. Now she's on a mission to prove to her brother that the Shoe Company can survive. Similar to the first installment there's the ups and downs of family drama, mistakes, failed relationships, and loss. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. I like seeing Valentine's growth and confidence but I'm still not crazy about her romances. I'm more in love with the Angelini Shoe Company than I am with the Angelini family.On the Narrator...
I enjoyed Ms. Campbell again. I also felt the same about the characterization of Valentine.
