Tuscany for Beginners: A Novel
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.86 (717 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0345478800 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-07-08 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
War has come to lovely Tuscany–let the fur and focaccia fly!. Oh, the dream of escaping to Italy–and the nightmare of reality.Belinda Smith has found her very ownTuscanvalley in the sun, having abandoned a dreary cheating husband and an even drearier English town. Have Belinda’s fabulous days of ruling supreme in this corner of the world come to an end? Will the carnivorous Lauren consume Belinda’s dreams al fresco? Will Lauren’s gorgeous son Kyle steal Belinda’s lovely, overworked daughter away from home and hearth (who will do the cleaning, for God’s sake?). A place just like Belinda’s–only much more glamorous. Even worse, Lauren, whose charmingly calculated smile Belinda recognizes as quite like her own, threatens Belinda’s existence as the epicenter of all things ex-patriot in the valley. Running Casa Mia, her own too, too divine bed and breakfast, everything is coming up sunflowers and olive groves for La Contessaof the Valley. Life couldn’t be more perfecto! Until, that is, the arrival of Lauren–a beautiful, feisty Wall Street ball-breaker who has the gall to announce her plans to open a new B&B
"Travelers Beware of Bitter Innkeepers" according to Stacey M Smith. You won't get a "Tuscan tour" a la Frances Mayes, or much locals insight like Peter Mayle. But you'll get a satirical enounter with a funny little gagle of ex-pats who have put a valley in Chianti on its ear.I really enjoyed the authors style and tone. Her wordsmithing skill is breezy and fun - but the characters were irritating. Belinda, the main character, is so petty, self absorbed, and idiotic that it was a bit difficult to read past the first couple of chapters. I kept reading hoping that either she'd get a taste of her own medicine or divine intervention would provide her with a cl. Funny and entertaining Cathe I really enjoyed this very humorous book about a snobbish and overbearing B&B owner in Tuscany. The book alternates between Belinda's diary entries - her version of what her life is like - and what her life is really like. The difference is really funny.The other characters in the book are great as well - from Belinda's timid daughter Mary, to the resident writer who does more drinking than writing, to the brash American who opens up a rival B&B. While they may sound stereotypical, the characters are not one-dimentional and they work really well in this story.To add to the enjoyment of t. Ab Fab meets Hyacinth "Bouquet" in Italy D. V. Malcolm Truly one of the funniest books I've read in a long, long time. If you're a "Keeping Up Appearances" and an "Absolutely Fabulous" fan of British comedies, then you'll love this book.Edgy, uproarious, hypocritical, snobbery-at-its-sneering-finest and hilarity are but a few of the words to describe this story. Imogen Edward-Jones really knows how to tackle obnoxious characters and make them "almost" likeable and even noteworthy. So if you're down in the dumps, pick up this book.
Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. That's bad enough, but when Lauren's son falls for Belinda's daughter, mamma mia, the fur really flies! British novelist Edwards-Jones makes a boisterous American debut with this bawdy, bewitching comedy of ill-manners. All rights reserved. From Booklist Five years after discovering her philandering husband in flagrante delicto, Belinda Smith is living la dolce vita as the proprietor of a B and B deep in the heart of Tuscany, where, surrounded by a contingent of fellow British expats, she reigns as the valley's self-appointed contessa. Throw in her long-suffering daughter, Mary, playing Cinderella to Belinda's wicked-stepmotherish personae, and the pieces are