Review: Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo

Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo

Kensington Books

August 2012

Format: Paperback, 304 pages

First line: I’ve never considered myself very lucky.

From the inside cover: In this warm,
enchanting debut novel, Rosanna Chiofalo evokes the extraordinary beauty
of Venice, the charm of a close-knit New York neighborhood, and the
joys of friendship, family, and surprising second chances…

Valentina
DeLuca has made hundreds of brides’ dreams come true. At Sposa Rosa,
the Astoria, New York, boutique where she, her sisters, and their mother
design and sew couture knock-off gowns, she can find the perfect style
for even the most demanding customer. Now, it’s her turn. Valentina has
loved Michael Carello ever since he rescued her from a cranky shopkeeper
when she was ten years old. He’s handsome, chivalrous, and loyal. And
in a few weeks, she’s going to marry him–in Venice.

But just
when she thinks everything is falling into place, Valentina is forced to
re-examine her life to see what truly makes her happy. And as she soon
learns, in a place as magical as Venice, what seems like misfortune can
turn out to be anything but, although who knows what may be waiting
around the next corner? The chance to enjoy a moonlit gondola ride, to
sip Prosecco in St. Mark’s Square, to eat mouthwatering gelato, to put
aside “sensible” for once and see where the warm Italian breezes guide
her as she visits all the sights she’s dreamed of: The Doge’s Palace, Il
Rialto, the little islands of Murano and Burano. And maybe, along the
way, to discover that bella fortuna–good luck–isn’t what you’re given,
but what you make.

My thoughts: A few weeks ago, while browsing the bookstore, I saw this book sitting on a table. I was immediately drawn to it – isn’t the cover striking? Well, I’m glad I picked it up – it’s a fantastic love story that makes you want to believe in happy-endings and true love. I was completely caught up in this story right from the first page, falling in love with the main characters and feeling emotionally connected with them as well.

Valentina, her mother Olivia and two sisters own Sposa Rose, a bridal boutique where they design wedding dresses. Valentina is in the process of planning her own wedding to Michael, who she has loved since she was a young girl when he came to her rescue. Being born on Friday the 13th, just one day short of Valentine’s Day, has always led Valentina to consider herself unlucky in love. After designing, and then making, what she believes to be the perfect dress and planning a dream
wedding and honeymoon in Venice, Valentina is ready to walk down the
aisle in Italy. But an unpredictable tragedy shakes the DeLuca
clan to the core, and forces them to reassess what family really is.

Told mainly from Valentina’s
point of view, but also alternating with her mother Olivia’s point of
view, the story moves effortlessly back and forth from the present to
the past and we see how both fall in love for the first time as well as the
second time. It is so easy to get caught up in the storylines – between the well-developed characters and the well-described settings, it’s almost as if you are right there in Astoria or Venice with Valentina and Olivia.

I loved this book. It is filled with so many heart-warming scenes as well as many heart-breaking ones. There are many secrets throughout the book and as they come to light, you can see how they shaped each of the characters. Yes this book is does have its happy-ending, but it’s really about the journey in life to get to the happy-ending, a journey that is not without its pains and sorrow. This is the debut novel for Rosanna Chiofalo and I look forward to seeing what she writes next…she is definitely an author to keep an eye on!

As I mentioned in the beginning of my review, I found this book at the bookstore – I hadn’t heard about it before seeing it and am glad that I went with my gut and picked it up. What’s the last book you picked up that just called to you?

(I purchased this book.)