Book: Very Valentine
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Pages: 286
The Angelini Shoe Company, one of the last family-owned businessess in Greenwich Village , has been making exquisite wedding shoes since 1903 but now teeters on the brink of financial collapse. To save their business from ruin, thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli- apprentice to and granddaughter of master artisian Teodora Angelini - must bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into twenty-first century. Juggling her budding romance with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design chalenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine returns to Italy with her grandmother in a quest to build a pair of glorious shoes to beat their rivals. And in the course of discovering her true artistic voice and so much more in La bella Italia, Valentine will be turning her life and the business upside down in ways she never expected.
Hello, Angels!
The weather is sunny, smiley and nice and it attracts butterflies. So it attracts my desire to leave you a review!
I have manage to read this seemingly small book for the enviable four days. Weird? I usually read 700 pages for a shorter time... Definitely weird, but it wasn't easy.
I have started the book because it seemed interesting. Only it seemed. Apparently it wasn't. The story is not that bad, but I don't think this book was for me. There was no chemistry between us. The first hundred and sixty pages were disaster - I had to make myself read them, the story was monotonous, bland, boring, filled with way too much descriptions of places, rooms, decor, even clothes and shoes. If Adriana wanted to show us that the Italian - American families are an utterly posh, mixed with tasteless choise of bright colors and sequins, combined with all sorts of tiger, leopard, and whaterver stamps they could find - she has managed to convince me never to touch such a book again.
The story was telling the life of Italian - American family Angelini and Roncalli, along with thirty - three year old Valentine Roncalli, which lives with her Grandmother Teodora Angelini, and they both make wedding shoes. So far - so good. We are now diving into Valentine's story and all of the descriptions of her family - trust me, it was a complete challenge for me to even go to hundred and fourtieth page - it took me four days. Valentine founds out that the family company is at the edge of bankruptcy; then Valentine is having a wild relationship with a restaurant owner and a chef - Roman Falconi; oh, and let's not forget - she is trying to find a way to save the company while her greedy brother Alfred is trying to force her grandmother to sell the business and the house.
Then there is lots of family drama. I know that Adriana wanted to show us a typical Italian family, but let me tell you this - fighting about money, arguing about money, drama (because of money) is what made those hundred and forty pages complete disaster. Oh, and let's not even start with the endless descriptions of Valentine's mother and her apparel. I am telling you - the book didn't even contained that much information about her other family members than it had of Valentine's mother. I get that for Adriana the mother may be an important part but.. the book was not about Valentine's mother - it was supposed to be about Valentine.
Then we have the action - it's completely at times illogical. Just as you are standing at one place and reading and then - BAM! - you are in a completely different time and place... Is it that easy to go from Spring in Italy to Thanksgiving?! Then there were more description of clothes, shoes, food and decor than it was ever of actions. I have managed to pull all my strength and get over it, because I really wanted to see how this will end. It's a good thing that I am such a stubborn reader.
Now we get to the point where Valentine has a relationship with Roman Falconi - I did not see the passion here, at all... I can't see why does Adriana thinks that it's there. For me Roman was the typical image of a man that you should not start a relationship with and you should run away. He is handsome, good, romantic, nice, with manners - but only from time to time, because the work is always on first place for him. If he could make time for Valentine - it will be only for..you know. Always making excuses, always apologizing.. Girl, you better run far away from this guy! This man? No,thank you, I'll pass. However, that was not what Valentine was thinking- she was quite okay to be ditched out every time because of his work, she was quite understanding that the work is on first place, and she was okay to be with him only from time to time and for , well.. you know for what. And that is not okay! That is why the romance is bad and the passion is not even there.
Then we move on to the next part of the book, that for me some what made the torture of hundred and sixty pages of descriptions worth it. Valentine and her Grandma are going to Italy. Now step by step, the book actually started to make sense. The descriptions started to fall in place. The little streets, the hotel, the food, all the details that come out with Valentine's work... Everything managed to fall in place and make sense. Even for a moment I've managed to imagine that I am there with them. Valentine and her grandmother's journey in Italy is filled with emotions, passion, secrets and romance. Yes, I have managed to see the romance and passion here - the beautiful sceneries, the nature, the food. Trust me, hundred and sixty pages of torture were worth it just because of the trip to Italy and Valentine's soul searching there.
Even though in the beginning the story was not that good, I am safe to say that I quite enjoyed it at the end. I definitely don't read chicklit that often (or at all), so this book was quite different, but overall I would definitely read another one.
At the very end after I got to Italy and Capri Island, a lot of details about the plot have become clear. I have managed to see a typical Italian -American family, that fights with the day - to - day obstacles in life, but it's very close. I can't be indifferent to that.
As much as I loved the ending, I cannot forget about the torture at the beginning of the book, so this is my rating:
Rating: 3 / 5
If you are a fan of chicklit - then this is definitely something you would love. If you are not, like me - then it doesn't hurt to try. You might be pleasantly surprised. It's a good thing that I am such a stubborn reader and I didn't left the book in the middle. I don't regret my decision.
I am leaving you here with Adriana Trigiani and her passion for wedding shoes.
Don't forget: A book a day keeps the reality away!
XoXo, - K.