Play Audiobook Sample
Bella Fortuna Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.02) - 183 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
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.
Just when she thinks everything is falling into place, Valentina is forced to reexamine her life to see what truly makes her happy. As she soon learns in a place as magical as Venice, what seems like misfortune can turn out to be anything but. 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, the Rialto, the little islands of Murano and Burano. And maybe along the way she'll discover that bella fortuna (good luck) isn't what you're given but what you make.
Download and start listening now!
"This book touched my heart because on the first page she says she was born on the day before Valentine's Day and therefore is unlucky in love. Well my second son was recently born on 2.13.12!! And this is something that crossed my mind when he was born. I was happy to see she was lucky in love in the end. ;) I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially because I love Italy."
— Kate (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“From the streets of New York to the canals of Venice, Rosanna Chiofalo creates a warm and lively story the reader won’t want to see end. Valentina DeLuca is a heroine with intelligence, heart, and courage, the kind of person every woman wants for a dear friend. Time spent with her is a sheer joy.”
— Mary Carter, New York Times bestselling author of The Pub across the Pond -
“Go to Venice. Ride a gondola. See St. Mark’s Square. Chase the pigeons. Then go back to your hotel room overlooking a canal, take out Bella Fortuna, and read. It will make your whole day perfecto.”
— Cathy Lamb, New York Times bestselling author -
“An inspiring read about second chances with love after tremendous heartbreak…The novel has a pleasant narrative, and the details of relationships and descriptions of Venice are thorough and well written.”
— RT Book Reviews -
“Brings the Italian immigrant community and neighborhoods richly to life…The tale is charming.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Reading Rosanna Chiofalo’s depiction of a modern Italian American family is like digging into a fresh bowl of pasta—warm, welcome, and satisfying. A deeply felt debut that affirms the importance of friends and family—Italian-style.”
— Lisa Verge Higgins, author of The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship -
“Like a gondolier navigating the canals of Venice, Rosanna Chiofalo takes you on a magical ride filled with family and friends, love and loss, heartbreak and happiness. Bella Fortuna is a warm glimpse into Italian American life.”
— Holly Chamberlin, author of Last Summer -
“Sometimes tough, sometimes tender, always heartfelt and honest, Bella Fortuna is a lively, finely stitched tale of life and love, family and friendship, and a zest for cose Italiane!”
— Peter Pezzelli, author of Home to Italy
Awards
-
A BookPage Book of the Day, September 2012
Bella Fortuna Listener Reviews
-
" Wedding dresses, romance, Venice - check, check, check. Lovely book about an Italian American family, their wedding dress boutique and life. Oh, and recipes in the back. Check! "
— Rebecca, 2/18/2014 -
" My Sicilian heritage made me absolutely love this book! Valentina and her family and neighborhood friends were delightful and charming. For a debut novel, it is fantastic! "
— Florence, 2/18/2014 -
" I would have given this more, because the charm of Italy and the wedding things made the plot as a whole quite pleasant, but Chiofalo's horrendous dialogue frustrated me to no end. Chiofalo should take some classes before she attempts another book. "
— A., 2/15/2014 -
" Not sure if I liked the timeline so much. It really jumped around "
— Joggingt, 2/15/2014 -
" This was a pleasant, fast-moving read, though rather predictable -- an ok romance, with some colorful characters. I had been bogged down by my previous book, so this was a good choice, but not one I would encourage all my friends to read. I enjoyed "traveling to Venice" with Valentina -but mostly because I have traveled there too. Actually, my favorite part of the book were the recipes in the back! I highly recommend the lemon cookies and the veal saltimbocca! "
— Karen, 2/13/2014 -
" This book took me about a month to read and not because I didn't like it; I did. I just couldn't find the time to read this past month. It was pretty good story, but a little predictable. "
— Sara, 1/8/2014 -
" This is the second book that I have read recently about an Italian-American family, and it was such fun! I enjoyed the 'journey' to Venice along with Valentina...I may just add Italy to my 'bucket list' after reading this book! "
— Staciel, 1/6/2014 -
" Not a great literary feat, but enjoyable storyline, settings and characters. Improved editing was needed with this book. "
— Carol, 1/4/2014 -
" Loved it! Can't wait for her next book! "
— Sue, 12/22/2013 -
" Yeah Valentina! Great character! Who wouldn't want to find love in Venice? How romantic. Good story. Great note to end my 2012 reading on :0) "
— Lorelie, 12/12/2013 -
" A simple story- pleasurable to read but will not stay long in the mind. The best part of the story for me was reading all the Italian and being able to understand it. I enjoyed to book as a very light interlude; do have to agree that it seems written with a 50's attitude/perspective. "
— Amy, 10/25/2013 -
" I felt like in the about 10 pages that there was inappropriate material for me so I quit reading it. "
— Patricia, 6/24/2013 -
" I really liked this book very much! It reminded me of the author, Adriana Trigiani, who wrote Big Stone Gap. I would definitely re-read this book!!! Makes me want to go to Italy! "
— Liza, 5/21/2013 -
" Insipid...don't bother...I only finished it because I'm a tightwad and I bought it before coming to Italy. Terrible. "
— Susan, 5/2/2013 -
" The writing was so forced and awkward and the travel descriptions were overdone and felt like they were lifted from Fodor's. I liked the bridal industry as a backdrop, but this was way too corny for me! I found myself scanning parts that were just too dull! "
— Jane, 12/15/2012 -
" This story had potential, but as I read I kept thinking it was a shame it was that it was so apparent that it was a first novel. There were parts with description that were overly done. And the parts in Venice seemed too travel-bookish. "
— Lynda, 12/12/2012 -
" This book was light and fun but very predictable. The second half of the book was much more interesting than the first half. The first portion of the book dragged on and much could have been cut without taking away from the main story line. "
— Jeannie, 11/2/2012
About Rosanna Chiofalo
Rosanna Chiofalo is a first-generation Italian American whose parents emigrated from Sicily to New York in the early 1960s. After graduating with a BA in English from Stony Brook University, she knew she wanted to be around books and have a career in writing. For twenty years, she has worked as a copywriter and copy director for several New York City publishing houses.
About Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.