Oh, I loved this book! It had everything one could want in an escapist read. Set against a gorgeous Italian landscape, this book takes us on a journey of family (and their secrets), romance, mystery, heart, and hope.

For more than 200 years, there has been a curse in the Fontana family resulting in no second-born daughter having ever found lasting love.For cousins Lucy and Emilia who are the second-born they really hope that the curse isn’t real, When Lucy is invited to travel to Italy with her elderly aunt she jumps at the chance and convinces Emilia to go with them. This was an enjoyable escape story that centered on family, love and facing truths. Of course, theres food and romance and fun along the way and if you like family secrets a big one gets reveled that was surprising.

Such a wonderful and heartwarming book with complex characters that everyone will enjoy. The imagery was fabulous, and I loved every minute of this story about love, loss, sisters, and finding oneself.

FULL AUTHOR INTERVIEW ON FRESH FICTION
1--What’s the name of your latest release? 

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

2--What is it about? 

The book, set in Italy, chronicles a life-changing journey of three second-born daughters who, according to centuries-old family lore, are believed to be cursed, never to find lasting love.

But eccentric Aunt Poppy never believed in the curse. She invites her great nieces--and fellow second-born daughters--to accompany her to their homeland of Italy, where Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her 80th birthday, and break the supposed curse once and for all.
As the trio traverses the Italian countryside, hearts are lost, memories are found, and secrets are revealed. . . secrets that could threaten the Fontana family far more than a centuries-old curse. 

3--What word best describes your heroine(s)? 

Independent

4--What inspired you to write about this group of women?

When I worked as a high school guidance counselor, it wasn’t unusual for my young female students to come to me, heartbroken over some doomed teenaged romance. I tried to assure them they were young and had decades ahead of them, that if I had a crystal ball, we’d see that one day they would be happily in love. But I wondered, might the opposite be true as well? What if someone knew, from a very young age, that they would never find love? Might they actually live more fully, more authentically, without the pressure of finding love? That became the premise of the second-daughter curse.

5--Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? 

Emilia turns to her sister, Poppy turns to her nieces.

6--What do you love about the setting of your book? 

I fell in love with Italy when I visited a few years ago--its rich history and magnificent art, their pasta and vino and charming people. Each region has its own distinct personality, so it was fun to take my characters from the floating city of Venice, to the rolling vineyards of Tuscany, to the enchanting Amalfi Coast village of Ravello.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I LOVED THIS BOOK. 5 STARS!

I knew I had loved Lori’s previous work- specifically The Life List- and when I saw this book I knew I had to have it.

What I Liked:

That cover is GORGEOUS!!!!!!

Emilia. I could identify with her. She’s “happy” but is she really happy? Or is she just safe?

Poppy’s stories. Oh my heart was in Italy with her- feeling her hope, her heartbreak, her love.

 

Bottom line: This book was my last book of 2020- and it was a perfect book to end the year with. So filled with charm, love and hope- I just can’t say enough positive things about this book.

 

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

Italy has always been a popular tourist destination for Americans. It is also the original  home of many American families. Pasta and pizza continue to be some of our favorite foods. So when I saw a book titled The Star-crossed Sisters of Tuscany, I was immediately drawn to it. In some ways the story met my expectations, but let me give you fair warning. Not all of the story unfolds in the lush Italian countryside. It begins in the Brooklyn neighborhood of a second generation Italian-American family, in particular the suffocating world of second daughter Emilia, sleepwalking through life under a family curse placed on all second-born daughters by the domineering matriarch of the clan.  When she is given a chance to break the curse by traveling to Italy with her black sheep aunt Poppy and her man-crazy cousin Lucy, Emilia finally works up the courage to defy her Nonna and make the journey. At that point Poppy begins to tell the story of the curse and her own tragic life finding and losing love in Italy.
The story is at its best as it switches back and forth recounting the drama of life after the Second World War and sharing the richness of contemporary Italian life for the three traveling women. The segments showing Emilia’s personal struggles are in marked contrast and made this reader anxious to hurry through. Every time she stroked a scar on her lip, you knew Emilia was in conflict.
If you could get by her weakness and Lucy’s x-rated language, there was plenty to enjoy in the story of the star-crossed lovers of Tuscany and the tidy ending to all the drama.

I throughly enjoyed this family saga especially the relationship between the aunt and nieces. I found the 2nd daughter curse to be quite believable coming from an Italian family myself. I adored how the crazy Aunt taught the girls how to let loose and live. I loved the main and side romances in the story and appreciate that they didn’t take over the plot. This is a wonderful feel good story about family and life.

WOW! Lori Nelson Spielman the author of “The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany” has written a captivating, magical, intense, intriguing, and heartwarming novel. The genres for this novel are Domestic Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Romance. The timeline for this novel is set in the author’s present and goes back to the past 200 years when it pertains to the characters or events in this story. Three second-born sisters are obsessed to find out if there is a way to break the 200-year family curse, where the second sister is said to never find love. The author describes her colorful characters as complex and complicated. There are family secrets and betrayals.

Not all of the family are true believers that there is a curse, but many do. When Emilia, a second-born sister has the opportunity to go to Italy with her estranged Aunt Poppy, she jumps at the opportunity. I love the way the author vividly describes the events and scenery!

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, memorable, and heartwarming story for other readers.

Well-written, interesting characters in a beautiful setting.  Enjoyed following Emilia"s development from doormat to strong, self-assured woman.

This is a fantastic travel romance story that was so charming. It you love Italy this is a great book for you to read because the author does a fantastic job of bringing you into the country and making you feel as though you are there without just feeling like you are reading a ton of descriptions. The characters are really well developed in this one and I liked them all for their own individual personalities. The majority of the story takes place in modern times with occasional flashbacks. Flashbacks aren't my favorite things because they tend to take me out of the story line but I didn't mind these and felt that they did add to the story. Overall I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.

Poppy is freaking delightful.  Oh how I wish I was related to this wonderful human.  She was my favorite part about this story.  I could have read a whole book about Poppy.  Combine love and the Italian countryside and you have an absolutely delightful read.  Take me to Tuscany!

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!

How could I not fall in love with a novel that took me on a beautiful escape through the Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields and the enchanting Amalfi Coast villages? This story was written in a way I couldn't help but devour its pages. 

The second born daughters of the Fontana family take Italy by storm with their great aunt in hopes to reverse the curse that was set decades ago. But what they find on this journey instead is their true selves without all the added family pressure and old wives tales.

I loved every part of this book, the story as a whole is one I will always remember. This was my first book by this author but definitely not my last.

International bestselling author Lori Nelson Spielman returns with her third book, The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany, a contemporary fiction set in the Italian countryside. Through beautiful prose, Lori Nelson Spielman immerses readers in the alluring setting of an even more captivating story. . .

Emilia and her cousin Lucy are confused when their estranged great-Aunt Poppy invites them on an all expense paid trip to Italy. All three are second born daughters a fate that means they will never find happiness due to a curse made generations ago. Poppy says that she can break that curse by meeting her true love on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on the day of her 80th birthday, a date that is fast approaching. Emilia is happy with her life as a single woman but her cousin Lucy’s dreams of love and a family so they anger their family by taking this trip. What they discover while on the trip may change their lives forever.


The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany was the perfect blend of women’s fiction and the magic of romance. Any novel set in Italy has the magic of that land built in but Poppy’s tale of lost love filled me with hope. Emilia and Lucy are the grand-daughters of Poppy’s sister and so are curious about their Aunt whom no one ever speaks. Emilia who never breaks the peace within her own family decides to go on this trip and blows caution to the wind. That one moment of rebelliousness changes her inside and she can no longer go back to the person she was prior to the trip. Lucy on the other hand seeks love from everyone in the hope that someone will fall for her and the curse will be broken so she goes along willingly hoping that Poppy’s promise will come true.

Out of the three ladies, Poppy’s story is the most compelling. Mostly because she had found love, but also because she was 80 and at the end of her life. If she finds love again even the short time she has left is worth all of the heartbreak without. That is the lesson I learned from this novel. Through Emilia and Lucy’s story I learned hope. Which is just as strong an emotion as love but in this case not quite as compelling for me. I did really enjoy their newfound relationship with each other and how the three ladies grew a bond that couldn’t be broken.

If you’re a fan of women’s fiction and Italy, because truly that land was a character in this novel as well, I’d recommend reading The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany. It is sad, beautiful, and hopeful. Emotions that compel a reaction and make you think about your own life and paths still left to us to follow.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Three second born daughters travel to the Italian country side to break the family curse that they will never find love. They travel to Venice, the Amalfi coast and the through the Tuscan Hills to find love. Fun book!

" I'm most excited to see the film... The one we're told will flash before us when we die. I must say, I get goose bumps when I think about it. You see, my film will be part drama, part mystery, a bit of a thriller, with romantic comedy scenes tossed in for good measure. You, my dears, are still in the production stage of your movie. Make it riveting. Make every scene sizzle!"
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A HUGE THANK YOU to Berkley Pub for this ARC of The Star-Cross Sisters of Tuscany - what a beautiful story! 
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The Fontana women are cursed! Well, not all of them, only the second-born daughters; they shall never marry and are destined to be old maids. Second-born daughter Emilia has never really believed in the curse, but thus far no second-born daughter has married, which has Emilia questioning everything. When Emilia's estranged great-Aunt Poppy calls (the aunt the rest of the family swears is crazy) asking Emilia to travel to Italy with her for her 80th birthday to reunite with the love of her life, Emilia is skeptical, confused, but ultimately, she can't say no. A trip to Italy? With an aunt that has always intrigued her? Done.
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What ensues is a lovely, heart-wrenching, gripping journey through Italy as well as a journey through the past as Poppy tells her story - one that you WILL NOT GUESS. I mean, DAYUM. 
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What I loved: ITALY! Give me all the Italy! Pour a glass of wine and snuggle in because you will get all the love and feels and life lessons from this book. The overall message is one of promise: live life to the fullest, forgive and move on, and don't pass on a chance to love. I am just overfilled with the heartwarming-ness of this novel and recommend this read to everyone!

Family... Romance... regret... heart... hope... Lori Nelson Speilman swept me away to Italy and stole my heart with her vivid storytelling. For generations the second daughters of the Fontana family have been cursed, never to fall in love and get married. Emilia is resign to her fate, spending her days working in the family bakery and her nights at home with her cat.  Lucy’s approach is a bit different, she spends all her energy trying to find a man and is constantly getting her heart stomped on. When the cousin’s Aunt Poppy reaches out to take the girls on an all expenses paid vacation to Italy they are intrigued. But their grandmother has not spoken to her sister Poppy in decades and forbids the girls to go to Italy. Unfortunately for grandma the allure of an Italian trip and the possibility of the curse being broken is too much. So Emilia and Lucy pack their bags and head to Italy. The food... the sites... the sounds... the smells... the family secrets... As The ladies travel around Italy Poppy begins to share the story of her romantic yet heartbreaking past.

   I absolutely LOVED everything about this book! It is hands-down the best travel romance I have ever read. Sometimes when you read a book where travel is involved it can get really bogged down with descriptions of the food, and the sites, and all that. This book brought Italy alive, but the vivid descriptive writing did not detract anything from the gorgeous storyline. Emilia, Lucy, and poppy were such well developed characters with so much charm and heart as well as many insecurities  and flaws. Most of the story takes place in current times, but we also got a generous sprinkling of flashbacks about Poppy’s lovestory. This is a story that will make you feel. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated, I found joy. This is a can’t miss for anyone who loves the love.

This book in emojis  🐱 ✈️ 🍷 🎻 🇮🇹 

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Fantastic! I loved this! Emilia tells the bulk of the story, but Poppy gets several chapters to convey family history that Emilia doesn't have and that informs the journey they are on to Italy. While the family romantic curse drives the characters, this really is a story of self-discovery for Emilia and Lucy and one of self-revelation in some ways for Poppy rather than a romance.

I adored these characters. Emilia's family is INFURIATING. They left me seething and cursing almost any time they were on the page. I was happy to spend time with Emilia in Italy if only for the fact that her grandmother and sister didn't want her to go. But Emilia's journey was supremely satisfying, as was Poppy's and Lucy's. I would read this one again - it's a delight! (Language, LGBTQ+)

This is a delightful romp through Italy as three single women from one Italian family try to end a 200-year-old curse on their family. If you like romance and travel and Italy, you’ll love this book.