Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani weaves together themes of family, romance, food, and shoes. Valentine Roncalli is in her mid-30s, lives with her Grandmother, and makes shoes for a living. Within her family, she has the identity of being the funny one who uses humor to deal with the myriad of things life throws at her. Although Valentine has the role as the family comedian, don’t go into Very Valentine expecting a hilarious romp. Rather, expect to see plenty of family interactions as well as a dash of romance.
The premise of Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani is that the family shoe company is failing. People no longer care to spend extra money on custom-made shoes. Valentine, company apprentice/partner, must find a way to turn the company around before her lame-o brother can sell off the property which is worth some big money. Along the way, Valentine eats great food, experiences love, heart ache, and must make some excruciating choices with her priorities.
I actually really enjoyed Trigiani’s writing style. I think she does interactions with family members well. I will admit to seeing reviews on goodreads complain about the amount of detail she uses, but to me, I found that enhanced the story. For example, she would describe what this character, Roman — a chef who is Valentine’s love interest– has cooked and I would feel myself salivate. I also feel that I learned a bit about shoe-making, without those details, I would have been in the dark as to how much work really does go into a custom shoe.
As for Valentine’s family, they are stereotypical Italians. They are loud, dramatic, and eat excellent food. They also tend to be fiercely loyal and quite close to each other. It was awesome getting a glimpse of them at events like weddings, and family dinners. To me, it was easy to picture how much they loved each other. It’s nice seeing a supportive family in fiction – instead of one rife with problems.
The romance added a nice dimension, but I felt it to be a bit disappointing. I did really like Roman at first, but then some of his actions led me to wonder what exactly Valentine was thinking by dating him. I mean, she could do better. I guess with Roman, I didn’t feel that second-hand sizzle. No worries though, because Trigiani did wrap it up very nicely.
Other Reviews of Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani:
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wow, you read fast. I remember when you received this book.
I'll most likely get this book to read, based on your review.
I saw this book at the bookstore and picked it up and put it back. I think I'm going to go back and get it! Nice review.
I need to get to this. You have motivated me.
I keep seeing this book everywhere, and I definately think I'm going to pick it up. Thanks for your review! :]
I loved this authors Big Stone Gap series and am looking forward to reading this one. I have it and will get to it this month.
You are right – she does a great job with family interactions.