Tag Archives: Women’s Fiction

The Supreme Macaroni Company

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Author:  Andriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Women’s Fiction                            macaroni
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

 

Goodreads:  For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This historic business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the school teacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

A piece of surprising news is revealed at The Feast of the Seven Fishes when Valentine and Gianluca join her extended family on a fateful Christmas Eve. Now faced with life altering choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: “A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything.” The proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves — the bitter and the sweetness of life itself.

Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: a portrait of a woman and the man she loves, her passion for craftsmanship, and the sacrifices it takes to build and sustain a family business while keeping love and laughter at the center of everything.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the third and final book in the series about the Roncalli and Angelini family.  This book is about Gianluca and Valentines marriage, learning to live with one another, work and family.  

With all the details that Adriana Trigiani gave the reader in the first book, I would have thought the wedding in this book would have had more description.  The wedding felt rushed to me.

The ending surprised me.  I was not expecting where the author went with the story.  It made me think – don’t want to say too much – I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

I have not read The Shoemaker’s Wife yet.  I will definitely do read it soon.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Brava, Valentine

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Author: Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harpers Collins Publishing          brava
Genre:  Women’s Fictions
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  Adriana Trigiani’s bestselling novels are beloved by millions of readers around the world. From the Big Stone Gap series to Lucia, Lucia, each is a sumptuous treat as Trigiani tells hilarious and romantic stories that we want to return to again and again.

Very Valentine, an instant New York Times bestseller, introduced the contemporary family saga of the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted wedding shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903.

As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. 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.

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.

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 finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis and Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the second book in the trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini family.  The second book has wonderful descriptions so you can see what she is writing, but not as much as the first book.  I feel like the first book gave me all the background to set me up for this book.

Watching Valentine take over at the family company was very interesting.  There were a lot of challenges at the Angelini Shoe Company.  Valentine enjoyed the challenges at work, but wanted more in her life.  Her relationships are explored in this book. Her love interest is not the one I would have picked for her.

I enjoyed Valentines travels in this book.  I wanted to go with her!! – at times I felt like I was with her thanks for Trigiani’s writing.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Very Valentine

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Author:  Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Genre:  Women’s Fiction              very
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  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 sincFour e 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.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the first of a trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini families.  Adriana Trigiani writes with such detail, I feel like I can see exactly what she is writing about.  Throughout the whole book I felt like I was right in the middle of this family.  It was fun to feel like I was a part of it, but looking from the outside.

If you love details and a lot of description, you will really enjoy this book.  There were times when I got lost in the description and forgot where I was in the story.

I am anxious to see where Adriana Trigiani takes the family in the next book.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Things Remembered

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Author:  Georgia Bockoven
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks      things
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  To face the future, a woman must let go of the past. . . .

Returning to her childhood home in the golden hills of Northern California means regret and pain for Karla Esterbrook. Yet she can’t refuse when her ailing grandmother, Anna, asks her to help settle her affairs. After all, Anna raised Karla and her younger sisters after their parents’ death twenty years before. But from the beginning a powerful clash of wills separated Karla and her grandmother, leaving them both bitter and angry.

Little does Karla know that a very determined Anna will do everything in her power to bridge the chasm between them. But can the wounds of the past truly be healed? For Karla, opening her heart could lead to more hurt—or perhaps to reconciliation . . . and a love the likes of which she has never known. 

Ope’s Opinion: This is my February book off Kristin’s of Kritters Ramblings bookshelf.

If you haven’t read Georgia Bockoven before this would be a great place to start.  This story is very heartwarming.  When you start reading you will immediately have a connection with the characters.  

This story reminds me to enjoy and cherish my time with my girls.  Having traditions and making memories to pass down to the next generation is important. I did have a few tears while reading since I have lost my mom. This story is not morbid or even sad – it is more hopeful.

I will be reading more Georgia Bockoven’s books.

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on…..

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Best Kept Secret

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Author: Amy Hatvany
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster              best
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  Cadence didn’t sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea.

Her drinking snuck up on her – as a way to sleep, to help her relax after a long day, to relieve some of the stress of the painful divorce that left her struggling to make ends meet with her five-year old son, Charlie.

It wasn’t always like this. Just a few years ago, Cadence seemed to have it all,a successful husband, an adorable son, and a promising career as a freelance journalist.But with the demise of her marriage, her carefully constructed life begins to spiral out of control.Suddenly she is all alone trying to juggle the demands of work and motherhood.

Logically, Cadence knows that she is drinking too much, and every day begins with renewed promises to herself that she will stop.But within a few hours, driven by something she doesn’t understand, she is reaching for the bottle – even when it means not playing with her son because she is too tired, or dropping him off at preschool late, again.And even when one calamitous night it means leaving him alone to pick up more wine at the grocery store.It’s only when her ex-husband shows up at her door to take Charlie away that Cadence realizes her best kept secret has been discovered.

Heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately life-affirming, Best Kept Secretis more than just the story of Cadence,it’s a story of how the secrets we hold closest are the ones that can most tear us apart.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a book with a heavy subject.  It seems on the surface that this book is about alcoholism – and it is.  But is also about any secret that is kept, that could be harmful.  When you share your difficulties they loose their stronghold and you can find others to help.

Amy Hatvany writes in such a way that you feel her words – not just read them. The story is told from Cadence’s point of view.  It flipped back and forth from present to past without any subtitles, but you could figure it out.

Although this may be a hard read, it is worth each moment you spend with these characters.  It will open your eyes to the struggle of addiction and the support needed to become whole again.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.            de9fc-4chairs

Save Me

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Author:  Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing               save me
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Grand Central Publishing

 

 

 

Goodreads:  Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they’re restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good–until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he’s fallen head over heels for someone else.

Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne’s life hangs in limbo until the day Owen’s new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a slow moving, deeply emotional book.  As you follow Daphne through her heartbreak, you can really feel her heaviness.  I like books that  are realistic, but at times this one is so realistic it is difficult to read.

It is hard to read about a marriage that has so many struggles.  Daphne has hard decisions to make.  Her family and friends don’t always agree, but they obviously love her and want what will be best for her.

I felt like Owen was lazy.  Marriage takes work.  It takes time and effort to put someone else first.   Owen just thought of himself and the short term happiness.

Kristyn Kusek Lewis wrote a very real look at one marriage.

Rating:  Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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Capitol Hell

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Author: Jayne J. Jones & Alicia M. Long             capitol hell
Publisher:  Beaver’s Pond Press
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source: BEA

 

 

Goodreads:  When recent college graduate Allison Amundson, a small town girl from South Dakota, lands the highly sought after job of scheduler to the newly-elected and rising star of the United States Senate, Senator Anders McDermott III, she thinks she is on the fast track to success.

However, she quickly learns that crazy co-workers, a high maintenance boss, an over-the-top family and an unexpected Presidential bid make Capitol Hill seem even more dysfunctional than portrayed on TV. In fact, it is Capitol Hell.

The second Allison sets foot in the prestigious Senate Russell Building, things begin to go awry. Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota.

As Allison struggles to juggle a new career, her blooming love interest in Cam (a quiet but loyal Legislative Assistant), and her ever-declining bank account, she is comforted only by her co-worker Janet, a fireplug who spends the majority of her time on-line dating, trying to land a Senator of her own.

Just as Allison and Janet begin to figure out the ins and outs of Capitol Hill, their lives are turned upside down when Senator McDermott announces his bid for President of the United States. Soon, Allison and Janet find themselves at the center of one of the craziest campaigns in history, and hilarity ensues.

This off-beat, funny novel captures and shares what it is like to be a young staffer working on Capitol Hill.

Ope’s Opinion:  If you have spent any time in Washington, DC, or Capitol Hill, or interested in political insights – you will really want to read this book.  It will keep your attention from beginning to end.  It has some humor  – some so close to realistic it made me giggle.

The authors of this book obviously had insider information – it was interesting and informative as well as entertaining.  I am sure Allison’s office mates are similar to office mates everywhere – you may relate to some of them.

There were some unanswered questions left at the end.  Does that lead us to a sequel?

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Accidents of Marriage

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Author:  Randy Susan Meyers   accidents
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source: BEA

 

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Goodreads:  Accidents of Marriage explores a topic rarely shown in fiction: the destruction left in the wake of spouse’s verbal fury. Ben never meant to hurt Maddy. He never imagined his recklessness would lead to tragedy.

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he’s lashing out at her during his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids – which works to keep a fragile peace – until the rainy day when they’re together in the car and Ben’s volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.

Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.

Ope’s Opinion:  I am having a hard time reviewing this book.  I think it is a good story to highlight emotional abuse.  I am not sure there was anyone in this family who were not emotionally abused.  I think this was a realistic look inside a difficult family.   There were lessons to be learned from this book – they are hard lessons.  

 I did not “enjoy” reading it.  There were a few times I almost stopped reading.  It was kind of depressing.  I wanted to see improvement in the relationships, I wanted some resolution and I wanted to eventually like the family – that did not happen.

I have read Randy Susan Meyers and I will read her again. I think I would recommend The Comfort of Lies, if you have not read her before.

 

Rating:  Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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The Tailgate

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Author: Elin Hilderbrand                                   tailgate
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  A digital edition short story about young lovers at separate colleges, exploring the early years of the central relationship in Elin Hilderbrand’s forthcoming novel, The Matchmaker.

Clendenin Hughes first kissed Dabney Kimball during a Nantucket snowstorm freshman year of high school. Ever since that moment – God, the rush, the chemistry! – Dabney has known that she and Clen are an unsplittable unit – essentially the same person in two different bodies.

Of course, with Dabney now at Harvard and Clen at Yale, those bodies are 140 miles apart. And traveling is a serious challenge for Dabney, for reasons she’d prefer not to discuss, reasons having to do with her mother (or lack thereof). But with the big Harvard-Yale game coming up, Dabney is determined to make the trek to New Haven to see Clen. She’s even borrowed a sexy black outfit from a classmate down the hall.

But when she arrives at the tailgate to see sparks flying between Clen and Jocelyn, a girl with dark blue eyes and luscious black hair, Dabney fears the collapse of a bond she has never questioned before, a bond so important that she’ll be lost without it. A stirring portrait of young love at a crossroads,

THE TAILGATE introduces two irresistible characters and invites us into a world we don’t want to leave. To learn the fates of Dabney and Clen, read Elin Hilderbrand’s forthcoming novel, The Matchmaker.

Ope’s Opinion:  This story is very short and so will this review be.   It is exactly what it is  meant to be – a sneak peak into The Matchmaker to tempt you into reading the book.

This introduction will make you  want to know more about Clen and Dabney.  If you have already read The Matchmaker ( which I did – review June 9th ) this will be an interesting look at where it all began.

As usual Elin Hilderbrand, caught my attention and left me wanting more!

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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The Matchmaker

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Author:  Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company                matchmaker
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: A friend

 

Note:  Available to buy tomorrow.  June 10.

Goodreads:  A touching new novel from Elin Hilderbrand in which a dying woman sets out to find love for those closest to her – before it’s too late

Dabney Kimball Beech, the 48-year-old fifth generation Nantucketer, has had a lifelong gift of matchmaking (52 couples still together to her credit). But when Dabney discovers she is dying of pancreatic cancer, she sets out to find matches for a few people very close to home: her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech; her lover journalist Clendenin Hughes; and her daughter, Agnes, who is engaged to be married to the wrong man.

As time slips away from Dabney, she is determined to find matches for those she loves most – but at what cost to her own relationships? THE MATCHMAKER is the heartbreaking new novel from Elin Hilderbrand about losing and finding love, even as you’re running out of time.

Ope’s Opinion:  Elin Hilderbrand did it again.  She wrote a book so good you will remember the characters long after you have finished the read.  This book is all about the characters and their relationships to each other.

I really liked the way HIlderbrand wove the people Dabney matched together with what was going on in the present time of Dabney’s life.  It worked so well to give history in a refreshing way.

The end of the book gave you a feeling of everything being wrapped up.

I am ready for Elin Hilderbrand’s next book.  She does  not disappoint!

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on….
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