Terri-Lynne DeFino

What a clever book!

Three elite writers and one of the leading editors find themselves together waiting out the remainder of their days at a retirement home for writers and those in publishing, fondly referred to as “the Pen” (pun intended). Alphonse, a legendary author and philanderer, has just arrived and becomes smitten with orderly Cecibelle, a young woman scarred both inside and out. Using Cecibelle as his muse, Alphonse starts writing again, something he hasn’t done for over a decade. When Olivia and Switch learn of Alphonse’s new manuscript, each jumps in and writes alternating chapters. Editor Judy lends her editorial skills, and the fun begins.

The book written within is just as entertaining as the novel itself. Truly a fun, unique spin and so well-written. I loved all the characters, those who the book was about, and those within the book that the characters wrote.

This is a wonderful read.

… (más)

This book not only has many stories to tell, it also literally has another book written by the characters as well. Original, uplifting, and at times heartbreaking. The characters in this book really are characters and they each have their own story to tell, their own secrets to keep, their own fight with the past, and their own fear of the future and how quickly it seems to be arriving. Each character bolsters the others and brings out more than they would ever be without one another. Beautifully written, wonderful to read, and impossible to forget.… (más)

While I am 1/2 Italian, I am not Jersey Italian, so some of this was foreign to me. I did laugh at some of the descriptions of the terms, and the infighting and meddling in each other's lives. Part of the story was very sweet and loving, and other parts were a bit over the top.
This is basically a story of a messy Italian family, multiple generations of men and women - butting into each other's lives, usually with a whole lot of love. There are some issues - pregnancy, depression, aging, and more, but overall not too taxing.
For anyone with a large family, this is a love story to you!… (más)