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Book Review of Very Valentine (Valentine Trilogy, Bk 1)

Very Valentine (Valentine Trilogy, Bk 1)
Gr8Smokies avatar reviewed on + 98 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


No the best Adriana Trigiani book I have ever read.

The story centers on the Angelini Shoe Company, a Greenwich Village shoe company (since 1903) that creates custom wedding shoes. It is run by Valentine and her grandmother, salt of the earth Italians. When the company starts losing money, other family members start the pressure to sell the business.

Valentine is romanced by a local cafe owner who does not seem to have any time for her. (Valentine does not have much time for him either, but she is not called to task for this.) Because of his dedication to his work, he is considered selfish and not thoughtful. Valentine's dedication to her job, however, is considered admirable.

A long trip to Italy, spurred by a desire to win a shoe-making contest, adds a little color to the story. There are some good supporting characters here, but I found the main character, Valentine, to be contradictory, wishy-washy, and a little whiny. (She's right that her boyfriend works too much--but so does she!)

It was mildly enjoyable, but not a series that I will continue to read.