Brava, Valentine

From beautiful landscapes of Italy to the romantic setting of Buenos Aires and the city life of New York City, Brava, Valentine takes you on a journey of family ties, family secrets, and yes, romance.

I didn’t know that Brava, Valentine debuted at #7 on The New York Times bestseller list when I read it. I didn’t know that the first book, Very Valentine had found a home on Lifetime Television.   But after reading the new February release from Adriana Trigiani, I absolutely know why.  I finished the book and immediately needed more……the sign of a great book.  You don’t want it to end.  That’s exactly how I felt as the last few pages approached.

Adriana Trigiani has created a stunning cast of characters beginning with it’s heroine, an amazing young woman, Valentine, living in New York City surrounded by her Italian-American family.

The book had me hooked with it’s first line……”The most magical thing happened on the morning of my grandmother’s wedding in Tuscany. It snowed.” Aside from the beautiful imagery (I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of magical weddings in Italy?), there was a story there. I was intrigued from page one, and it didn’t ever end.

Valentine has taken over her grandparents business, a shoe company……she is an up and coming shoe designer. She is fiercely independent, career driven, creative, a loyal friend, and a young woman in her mid-30′s trying to figure out what her future holds. Oh, how I could identify with this woman. Not necessarily now, but a few years ago (pre-marriage, pre-baby).

Her family is quite the loveable (and typical) dysfunctional family. Her friends have their own issues and are mostly male. And then there’s this older man…..with the most amazing Italian accent. I’m not going to say too much here because I really don’t like spoiling plots……but what a romantic character, in an amazingly classy way. Valentine must learn to deal with the past in order for her to be able to figure out her future, something that she doesn’t even realize until it’s almost too late.

I was captivated and really can’t wait to get my hands on the first book. I’m on pins and needles waiting for the next…..oh, there better be a “next”!

BUY IT: You can find Brava, Valentine on amazon for just $15.59.

This post was written as part of a promotion for HarperCollins and their new book, Brava Valentine. They provided a copy of the book for review in exchange for my personal and honest opinions. No other form of compensation was received.