Publication: October 6th 2015 by Plato Publishing
Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!
Goodreads Summary: Seventy years ago, a collie mix brings two hearts together in war torn Italy. Will their story help their grandson find his own Christmas love?
**Winner of the Golden Quill award for best novella**
Goodreads Page
My Thoughts:
I've read one other short story/book from Aubrey Wynne in the past and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was nice to get a longer story told from her. It's quite short, so more of a novella than a book I would say, but it packs plenty of emotion and fun perspectives that jump from the present to the past during WWII. I love that era and I also love books that jump from the present to the past so this was definitely an intriguing read for me.
I liked the characters quite a bit. Although I'm not extremely familiar with the Italian culture, I still really enjoyed the portrayals this book had. I loved getting to know Dominic and his Italian family. I relate far more to Katie however (I'm actually studying to be an accountant!), and, of course, I love that she has red hair since, as a redhead myself, I can definitely say that redheads are overlooked in book characters. I also feel that Katie is a relatable character for those girls who don't know what to do when they lose their plans or control over a situation. She was cautious and realistic and something I can definitely relate to.
I like the way the story flowed and that we got to know Dominic and Katie's relationship before Katie is thrown a wrench in her perfectly planned life with Dominic bringing his grandmother to live with him. The characters were kept consistent and I loved getting to know Dominic's grandmother as Katie did. The setting is also a plus as it takes place during the holiday times and spans Thanksgiving as well as Christmas.
And, of course, I loved that Nonna, Dominic's grandmother, got to tell her love story to Katie. I love books that jump between times, from the present to the past, and getting to see older characters in their prime. I especially love wartime books and war love stories, so with Nonna's love story taking place in WWII, it definitely captured my heart. The flashbacks to Nonna's meeting Dominic's grandfather was some of my favorite parts of the book. Also, Dante is such a cute aspect of the book and I LOVE dogs. I also liked the way the book ended. I always enjoy endings that in some ways come full circle.
Likes: The flashbacks. Quick, easy read. The Italian characters and Katie's relatability. Dante.
Dislikes: The grammar and editing errors were pretty bad. I know not everyone has a strong grammatical background but when a passage is written twice on a page, literally copied and pasted it seems, that's just sloppy in my opinion.
Overall:
Recommend? Yes, if you enjoy wartime love stories.
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