Page 16 - Gears and Ears February 2014

Book Reviews

A Couple of Valentines

Overview

The Ultimate Poet of Love, RITTIK CHANDRA’s “Valentine” is a beautiful, heart-stirring
collection of love poems that surely to touch your true love’s heart in a profound and
meaningful way. He explores all “the magnificent regions of the heart,” and opens you to the
lover within. This nice collection of poems makes the perfect gift for any romantic and can turn
any day into Valentine’s Day.

In keeping with our theme, here’s a book where the man character is named “Valentine.”
Overview
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.
Editorial Reviews

People: “Trigiani’s ... Valentine, struggles to balance her life as a shoe designer with her love life. A smart chick-lit read.”
Today Show: “A sweet and sexy love story.”
BookPage: “Valentine is one of Adriana Trigiani’s most winsome characters (yes, she even rivals the Big Stone Gap gang)....
Brava, Valentine is laugh-out-loud funny...but it’s also an unexpectedly poignant examination of the power and pull of family,
faith and love.”