Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Published By: Harper

Year of Publication: 2009

Categories: Chick lit, Fiction

Pages: 380

Summary (from goodreads.com):

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.

While juggling a budding romance with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design challenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine returns to Italy with her grandmother to learn new techniques and seek one-of-a-kind materials for building a pair of glorious shoes to beat their rivals. There, in Tuscany, Naples, and on the Isle of Capri, a family secret is revealed as Valentine discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life and the family business upside down in ways she never expected. Very Valentine is a sumptuous treat, a journey of dreams fulfilled, a celebration of love and loss filled with Trigiani’s trademark heart and humor.

Review:

Image: goodreads.com

Disclosure: I won this book at a contest over at Officially Twisted.

I’ve Got Your Number

Published By: The Dial Press

Year of Publication: 2012

Categories: Non Fiction, Chick Lit.

Pages: 433

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Review:

You know when you need that fun, light, easy to read book to just relax with and not thing about? Well this is one of those books. While I love my historical fiction, thriller, and non fiction books, I also like chick lit once in awhile. It’s almost like a guilty pleasure.

Poppy was a great main character. I could see bits of myself in her (maybe that’s why I liked her). She wants to make everyone happy, which ends up being impossible and leads to some interesting situations. You see her grow a lot throughout the book, from wanting to impress Magnus’ family to figuring out what will make her happy. It would have been easier for her to go with the flow, but she decides to be authentic to herself by the end of the book.

Dating is never easy, and it’s certainly not easy for Poppy. It’s always fun to hear about dating horror stories from my friends and coworkers. There are definitely a few cringe worthy parts in I’ve Got Your Number. I know I’ve had a few bad dates, so it’s always kind of comforting to read about someone else’s awkward moments even if they’re not real.

I love Sophie Kinsella books, and this one was no different. If you’re looking for a quick read that’s fun, this is the book for you.

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Image: goodreads.com

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library.