By Adriana Trigiani
Haper Collins
Publication Date: February 9, 2010
ISBN: 978-0061257070
Last year I had the pleasure of reading Trigiani's first book in the Valentine trilogy, Very Valentine. I've been excited about this second installment since, and I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. It didn't suffer from the middle book curse.
Brava Valentine picks up not long after Very Valentine ended. Teodora, Valentine's grandmother, is marrying her long-time love, Dominic in beautiful Tuscany, Italy. Now that Valentine is free of her unfortunate ex-boyfriend, her sights are set on the kind Guanluca, Dominic's son (ed. note: yes, that part is kind of weird to think about, but he's so dreamy it's okay). The rest of the book follows Valentine as she tries to launch a new line of shoes, delves into her family's history, travels to Spain, and figures out what's important in life.
I have to say, I love following Valentine's life. She's led by passion, yet practicality. She, with time, learns to delicately balances her life's aspirations career-wise (managing her family-owned custom shoe store) with her own passions, relationship-wise. And that's exactly what the book is about - how to balance the two. How to start seeing life as a "we" and not just a "me." I learned a lot from her.
Once again, Trigiani beautifully sets the scene, describing Tuscany with so many ornate details, I felt like I was back. From cobblestone streets to overenthusiastic hand movements when talking, I felt home. It's obvious she's a New Yorker, because you can practically see the sights she's talking about and smell the crisp air. Then there's Buenos Aires, where I truly must visit this second. And although I've never hand-made shoes, Trigiani has a great way of describing the processes in an way that doesn't distract or lose the reader.
But my favorite parts of her books are the characters. From her hair-brained mother who (quite like my own) acts more posh than she really is, to Gabriel, her gay best friend/roommate who's a design genius. By the end, they all feel like family.
Brava, Valentine isn't just a romance, it's a work of fiction with a romantic subplot. I love how she balances the two, almost effortlessly. And it's fun watching Valentine grow as the story progresses - learn that it's possible to open up and accept good things in your life. Mostly, I like that, much like a delicious Italian feast, there's so much more than what's seen.
Since this IS the second book in a series, many plots were left untied. It did annoy me that one plot point was simply dropped, but it only leaves more to be discussed next February. True to form, there's more to be expected in this series, and I'm definitely excited to see where Valentine heads to next.
An excerpt of the book
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