The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

Written by Lori Nelson Spielman

Narrated by Lori Nelson Spielman, Carlotta Brentan and Kathleen Garrett

An International Bestseller!

A LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick!

A trio of second-born daughters sets out on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love, by New York Times bestseller Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List.
 
Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.
 
Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Nov 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9780593165669

Lori Nelson Spielman

Lori Nelson Spielman is a New York Times, USA Today and Der Spiegel bestselling author. She is also a former speech pathologist, guidance counselor, and homebound teacher. She enjoys fitness running, traveling, and reading, though writing is her true passion. Her first novel, The Life List, has been published in thirty countries and optioned by Fox 2000. She lives in Michigan with her husband and their very spoiled cat.

Reviews for The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a decent read but not as good as I had anticipated. An old Italian curse on second daughters' never finding love haunts Emilia and her cousin Lucy, until her Aunt Poppy proposes a trip to Italy to break the curse. The author weaves together Poppy's life story with Emilia's story in the modern day trip. I pretty much had it figured out about halfway through the book; I kept on reading to see how the author would come to the ending. The descriptions of Italy are nice, but some of the things that happen seem a bit far-fetched and too good to come true.

[jillhannah-910468 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Boy, did I need to read this book! The story encompasses everything important in life: family, dreams, goals, truth, and love.
There's a family curse against the second-born daughters in their family, one that goes back several generations, one that Emilia doesn't want to believe, yet she's living her life in expectations of the curse.
Then comes an invitation from her crazy-and distant-aunt Poppy, asking her to take a trip to Italy for Poppy's 80th birthday where she will marry the man she loves and break the curse.
The story follows the two women, and Lucy, Em's cousin who is also living under the curse, as they travel to Italy. The travels through Italy were a bonus to this entertaining story. I loved traveling, and tasting, vicariously through the characters!
The story doesn't take the simple way out in several situations and relationships, which keeps you guessing. It also brings home the point of so many truths: Is being married more important than being loved? Do we make our own future or do we let others pick it for us? Do we take a chance on life-and people?
This is an entertaining story, one that will lift your spirits and give you hope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this great read!

[anniik_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was wonderful. Sad in parts, yes, but beautiful and the type of book that really touches your heart.

[okies-600424 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I gave this audiobook an hour but it wasn't for me. No sorry I gave it up when I looked up how long it was - 13.5 hours. For that amount of time, it has to contribute big time to one's life!

I know a part of my reaction was the narrators' voices, who are listed as Carlotta Brentan and Kathleen Garrett. Not sure if it was the tone of the voices or the style of their reading.

[bookbuddies_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Melodramatic. Improbably plot. Not very well written. Lovely descriptions of places in Italy.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Star -Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman is a 2020 Berkley publication.

Family secrets, curses, lost and found love, romance and good food!!

The second daughters of the Fontana family are believed to be cursed- doomed to live a life without love. Emilia and her cousin Lucy, both second daughters, are invited to visit Italy by their Aunt Poppy, who has been disassociated with family for years.

Going against her grandmother’s wishes, Emilia, a straight-laced girl who lives a quiet, unadventurous life, decides to accept the invitation, hoping her aunt's promise of breaking the family curse is true.

Once in Italy, the girls discover their aunt’s health is fragile and that she is intent on meeting up with her one true love after decades of separation. As Poppy regales the girls with stories from her past, Emilia and Lucy explore the Italian culture and discover the truth themselves, their own past, and how to live life with gusto!

I found myself caught up in Poppy’s historical story, and less engaged with Emilia’s. Lucy’s role was underdeveloped and seemed tacked on as an afterthought. That aside, I really enjoyed this gentle story about breaking away from the limitations and expectations that bog down the full experience of life and love.

The Italian backdrop adds a beautiful air of culture, history and romance that took the story to a higher level. It was almost like taking a virtual trip, whisking me away on a lovely romantic adventure!

3.5 stars

[drapple_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book more than I expected to. A multi-generational story about family, love, and superstition, this book kept me reading to see what would happen next. I also loved the portions set in Italy.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely charming! I loved the back and forth between two second born Italian American daughter (cousins Emilia and Lucy) and their great Aunt Poppy's romantic love story in the sixties. Their mysterious (and forbidden) great aunt Poppy takes Em and Lucy out of New York City to an all expenses paid trip to Italy. The goal of the visit is for Aunt Poppy to find her old lover on her 80th birthday and break the curse that plagued their family for generations. The curse says that all second born daughters will never find lasting love due to either death or heartbreak. It's been challenging growing up hearing that their whole lives but Em and Lucy decide to hell with it and embark on a crazy Italian adventure with a relative they barely know. It's romantic, it's crazy, it's fantastic. Wonderful plot and characters. I was definitely invested and thoroughly enjoyed the unconventional ending. I want more books about this family!

[coverloverbookreview · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A story that centers on a family curse isn’t a typical story I’m attracted to, but how could I resist this gorgeous cover and Italian setting? I’ve visited Italy twice, and I loved learning about the culture. And of course, I gained a few pounds sampling the food… But all that’s beside the point. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in the lovely land of love, it’s easy to appreciate this Italian countryside and unique characters.

Emilia Fontana is who I connected with the most. Though she is very different from me as a whole, we do share some similarities. She seems to be a pleaser, trying not to cause waves or disrupt or disagree with anything her domineering Nonna lays out there. But she isn’t quite as content as she first appears.

I didn’t really care for Lucy, initially, but she shows growth and develops understanding as her time in Italy progresses. She believes in the family curse, and she desperately seeks to get married because she wants to break the curse. Certainly, she is in need of self-discovery before she can truly find love.

Both second-born daughters, Emilia and Lucy fall under the Fontana Family Curse that states they have no hope in finding love. When they accept a paid trip to Italy to visit Aunt Poppy, they discover secrets, surprises, and once in a lifetime adventures!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[arthistorychick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman
Source: NetGalley and Berkley
Rating: 5/5 stars

Poppy Fontana has waited, literally waited for decades to be reunited with the love of her life. As the black sheep in the family, Poppy has long been estranged from her family, that is, the part of her family who believes in the centuries old curse that has doomed every second born daughter to a lifetime of hopelessness and despair because they cannot ever have a true and lasting love. At nearly 80-years-old, Poppy is bound and determined to prove them all wrong and along the way, she is going to convince two other second-born Fontana girls.

Emilia has thoroughly convinced herself that a life without love is just fine with her; she will gladly continue to work in her family’s bakery, live in her small apartment, and settle for the occasional fling. No, love isn’t the cards for Emilia, but it has nothing to do with a silly curse. Conversely, Emilia’s brash and bold cousin, Lucy, is utterly convinced her love life is doomed and the proof of that can be found in the string of bad dates in her past. With her mother constantly on her about finding a man and settling down, Lucy is at her wit’s end so when Emilia comes to her with an offer of an all-expenses paid trip to Italy, guaranteed to break the curse, Lucy just can’t say no.

Emilia’s life revolves around her family and their needs. She is the dutiful child, the one who bends over backward for everyone else, and always does as she is told. To go to Italy with her aunt Poppy and Lucy would be outright rebellion, but for once in her life, Emilia is ready to be bold, to take a chance. From the moment the three women meet – Lucy, Emilia, and Poppy – there is tension in the air. Lucy is rude, pessimistic, and outraged at having to spend time with an old woman like Poppy. Ever the peacemaker, Emilia does her best to smooth over the situation while Poppy refuses to acknowledge such bad behavior. In fact, Poppy seem impervious to anything but her own happiness and achieving her goals. She has clearly told Lucy and Emilia they have a great deal of freedom during their trip, but on the day of her 80th birthday, Poppy must be on the steps of the church where she wed her long-lost husband. Though the girls are skeptical, Poppy is paying their way and if it means breaking the second-daughter curse, well, they’re will to go along for the ride.

The first days in Italy are a whirlwind with Poppy charging along and introducing the girls to their mother country. As a wild and free-spirit, Poppy is a wonderful tour guide with a true love and passion for Italy. As she makes her way around the city, she slowly begins to explain to the girls how the curse on their lives can be broken. Little did either girl know that the key to breaking of the curse lies in the story of Poppy’s own life and how she came to be the Fontana black sheep. Though Lucy is seriously put out, Emilia sees the story of Poppy’s life as a gift. As the days pass, not only do the girls begin to learn more about Poppy’s past but also about her quite uncertain future. Even the testy and nearly-always irritable Lucy begins to soften around the edges and both she and Emilia make it their mission to see Poppy’s dreams realized.

Along the way, both Emilia and Lucy also begin to unravel the mystery of their own lives. Lucy finally confronts an uncomfortable truth she has long suspected, but been fearful of acknowledging, and Emilia begins to realize she has long been the whipping post of her family, the one everyone else relies on but does little for in return. In so many ways, Italy is a type of awakening for Emilia and Lucy and both have their wild and wondrous aunt to thank. To thank her, the girls go to extraordinary lengths to get Poppy to her meeting place, but as her birthday comes to a close, it seems all their hopes are going to be dashed.

The Bottom Line: I think this book may very well be one of my favorites of the year! I could not nor did I want to put this book down, so I didn’t. Damn adulting and damn responsibilities, I saw this book through, cover to cover in a single sitting. At its core, this book is all about family, for better or for worse, and how the power of words can so dramatically and negatively impact an entire family. From the moment she decides to travel to Italy with Poppy, I was Team Emilia; Lucy took a hot minute to warm up to, but once she calmed down and I understood her a bit better, I simply adored her. The three women together are so entertaining: Lucy with her boldness and lust for life, Emilia with her calmer, quieter manner that makes her more cautious, and Poppy with her wild stories and absolute belief in love and its ability to conquer all, even 200-year-old curses. The three women become so important to one another in such a short amount of time, they bolster each other’s spirits, they encourage, the correct, they teach, they laugh, and they love. As each woman, especially Lucy and Emilia come into their own, they decide it is high time to start living their life on their terms and not according to what their ill-tempered and often mean family members believe. I found myself applauding the strength and the courage of these women, their bravery and willingness to forge their own path even in the face of their families’ disappointment. I laughed, I cried, and I completely devoured this book. Though it is told completely in the present, it is truly a past meets present read and that blending of the two happens through Poppy’s recollections and stories. In all, a truly wonderful and uplifting book sure to please all who love family sagas.