Karen Ross (3)

I loved this book even though it has many of the elements I usually dislike. The writing was beautiful and simple, yet flawed at the same time. The writing is very simplistic yet the descriptions are delightful. There are many places in the story when the writing is rushed in order to get us to the next point in the story. It is a “fairy tale”-type story yet I didn’t mind. I found myself rooting for all the characters although I could clearly predict what was going to happen. This is a story of love, secrets, ghosts, the beauty of Italy, and the strength of friends. So just as I loved the characters with all their faults so too did I love the book with all its flaws.… (más)

Grab an afghan and a glass of chianti and settle down for a cozy read! Karen Ross has given us a wonderful story in her first novel. It is the story of Mary, a pretty typical 30-something woman who is looking for a little more in life than she has. She wants to find her soul mate – someone she can love – and who will love her - for the rest of her life. She lives in Philadelphia near a small Italian market, whose owner she regards as almost a second father. Listening to him talk about Chianti has made her yearn to see it for herself, and she finally gets the chance when her boyfriend, Garrett, offers to take her there for vacation. After they arrive, Garrett becomes engrossed in problems at his job- and ends up leaving her there when he returns to Philadelphia. Mary meets – and falls in love with Luca. Mary is only in Chianti for a week – and then has to return home – to Garrett???
The book is beautifully written – almost a travelogue about the Chianti region of Italy. Ms. Ross’s love of the area definitely comes out in the way she describes it. It makes me wish that we had spent more time there when we visited Italy years ago!… (más)