Review: Brava Valentine

Brava, Valentine (Valentine series - Book 2) by Adriana Trigiani

Publication Date: November 2010
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Genre: Fiction/Chick Lit
ISBN-13: 9780061257087
ISBN: 0061257087

(Received for review from TLC Tours)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Borders, IndieBound

If you live in Morehead, KY or the surrounding area:

Purchase from our local independent bookseller: CoffeeTree Books
Borrow from our local library: The Rowan County Public Library

Adriana Trigiani's Website: www.adrianatrigiani.com
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Synopsis (Book Blurb):

When Valentine's grandmother begins a new life in Italy, she places Valentine and her nemesis, her brother Alfred, "the prince," as partners at the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of handcrafted wedding shoes since 1903. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she unearths a long-buried family secret and finds herself torn between a past love that nurtured her and a new one that promises to sustain her, in this "dazzling" follow-up to Very Valentine.

Thoughts:

Valentine Roncalli is back in Brava, Valentine, Adriana Trigiani's follow-up to the very popular Very Valentine. Trigiani's descriptions are almost poetic in this novel. Greenwich Village, Tuscany and Argentina come alive for the reader in this great novel about a young woman who is determined to make it in a business that has been passed down through her family. Trigiani also has a flair for using humor and dramatic dialogue, that will capture the readers interest and keep them flipping those pages.

Valentine is up to her ears in work when her grandmother makes her a partner in the Angelini Shoe Company, the family business. With her brother and nemesis as her other partner, Valentine still finds time for romance. 80-year-old gram is getting married in Tuscany, there's a long lost cousin who wants to meet her in South America and she has a new roommate. Valentine's life is whirlwind and now she must decide whether she should pursue a new love or go back to an old one.

I really enjoyed this book. Adriana Trigiani does an excellent job of portraying a Italian American family. This is a book that really focuses on the in's and out's of a family. How they relate to each other in good and bad ways. The family dynamic in this book is refreshing and humorous. I just loved how Valentine interacts with not only her family, but her friends as well. The dialogue in this book is very well done.

Valentine is such a strong and determined character. She is the epitome of what I would consider a modern woman. She definitely isn't old school and she gets things done. She doesn't back down, even from her brother who is her nemesis and in fact because she doesn't the two of them get to learn more about each others strengths which brings them closer. Valentine is a career woman, a real go-getter and she will be a very identifiable character. Readers will understand how things are with a very close knit family, how much it takes to run a business in today's world and how much a long lost secret can affect everyone around you.

The character development is excellent but that is probably because we have had the background from Very Valentine. If you haven't read it yet, don't worry, Brava, Valentine could easily be a stand alone. Readers won't feel left out of the loop if they are starting in the middle of this series. This is a fast paced novel, with lots of great family issues to sort out and a little romance as well.

I recommend this book to those who love Trigiani's writing and to those who are looking for a great character based book. Valentine is just a joy! I can't say enough about how much I liked this novel, one of my favorites of the year!

Brava, Valentine is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




Millions of readers around the world love Adriana Trigiani's bestselling novels: the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Lucia, Lucia; Rococo; The Queen of the Big Time; and Viola in Reel Life, the first book in a new young adult series. She is also the author of Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from My Grandmothers. She lives in New York City with her family.