“Love, in any of its forms, is what takes this journey from a bleak black-and-white pencil sketch to a magnificent oil painting.” There are so many beautiful, profound lines in this glorious book about opening up our lives to possibilities! Emilia is the second daughter in a family which believes that second daughters are cursed, that they will never find love. She has been living her life at the whim of her stern grandmother, until her Aunt Poppy, another second sister, invites her to accompany her to Italy. What follows is a heartfelt, beautifully-written novel that takes us from Brooklyn to Venice, Tuscany, and the Amalfi Coast. Along the way, Emilia learns her aunt’s story; a story filled with love, heartache, and secrets. I loved reading about Italy, which the author describes in such a way that I truly felt that I was there.

This story pulls you in with the secrets, myths, family tales, a curse, relationships, with a backdrop of Italy and New York. Definitely a book club selection.

Great read for fans of Adriana Trigiani. An Italian family whose second daughters are cursed to not get married. Em is a second daughter, who does not believe in the curse, and has convinced herself that at 29 years of age she is okay with her life alone. That is until her 80 year old aunt invites her on an Italian vacation. Poppy tells Em her own story as well as imparts wisdom about life. Delightful characters.

Dramatic, intimate, and full of family secrets... Spielman pulls you into a multi century family saga against the culturally rich backdrops of Italy and New York Italian communities. with all the modern accouterments a chick lit book needs. I didn't want to put this one down. This book gave me a trip to Italy if only from my couch.

What an amazing story. Deep dark family secrets are not what they seem to be.
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Have you ever read a story that just makes your heart sing? A story that is so rich and warm you just want it to go on forever? The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany is that book.

Speilman gifts her readers with an amazing story that crosses generations and completely pulls you in. From New York to Italy, The Berlin Wall to a tiny church in Ravello, we hear a story about a love so profound it can cross the ages.

With tears a plenty, we meet the characters who are so different and unique you can’t help but be entranced by their story. Spielman delves deep into the human psyche with shades of manipulation, jealously, heartbreak, profound love, and more. We meet characters we love and those we love to hate. Those deep dark family secrets are so much more than what they seem.

I just wanted this book to keep going. I wanted more for Poppy. I want to know what happens to Emilia. I just want more!

For an amazing story that will leave you with a warm heart and a bit weepy too, this book is one that will set the mark for those yet to come. Speilman brings it with her storytelling skills and the colorful, rich experience we are left with once we close the pages. The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany truly does make our heart sing.

This is the story of two young women, cousins, finding out just what could be possible in their lives if they take a chance. When their great-aunt Poppy invites them to visit Italy with her they almost immediately shut that idea down. She won’t take no for an answer though and soon they take off on a life-changing trip. I adored Aunt Poppy, hoped for the best for Emilia, and found a place in my heart for her polar opposite cousin Lucy. This is the story of secrets born out of desperation and their far-reaching effect on so many people. I really enjoyed this novel and kept thinking it would make a great movie. I loved the Italian setting and endearing and larger-than-life characters brought to life by Lori Nelson Spielman. This is one of those books that had me shedding a few happy tears at the end. I love when that happens!

For two centuries the second daughters in the Fontana family have been cursed to remain single. With the intention of breaking the curse, three second daughters take off on a trip to Italy to break the curse. One gets a wonderful sense of Italy, family interactions yes, romance. Not to be missed.

Simply delightful! A curse was set upon the family more than two hundred years ago. No second born daughter will find lasting love. The present day second born sisters travel with their Aunt Poppy to Tuscany. This story offers beautiful descriptions and colorful people, humor , and love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun and colorful family excursion through myths and secrets. It was entertaining with so many twists and turns. I found it somewhat tedious mid way through the book and wondered if the ending was crafted too quickly. A good, easy summer read.

Take a trip to Italy from your armchair as three second-born daughters attempt to break a centuries old curse that has denied them true love. Lori Nelson Spielman’s THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY is a beautifully told tale of the desire for love, the destruction of an old family “curse” and three determined women who discover long-buried family secrets among the beauty of a country made for romance. Heartwarming, emotionally vibrant, the “action” lay in the descriptions, the feelings, and the search for happiness and companionship.

Lori Nelson Spielman has created a tale of beauty and determination and colored each page with her words as these women form a sisterhood of strength and love. I enjoyed every page, saw each sight, smelled the aromas and felt the emotion in every step taken.

Definitely a read to savor as the magic of this story unfolds like a modern-day fairytale romance.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley! This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book is a delicious treat of romantic adventure in one of the most amazing scenes on the planet, Italy! A 200 year old curse is the driving force in the story as the second born daughters in this dynamic family are cursed never to find lasting love. Through accepting an exciting proposition from Great Aunt Poppy, cousins Emilia and Lucy travel to their family homeland and have the excitement of a lifetime! This story is about how a trip can change your lives and also that you are never too old to follow your dreams. The dialogue and character development is beautiful and the scenery is so perfect, you can literally visualize it as the story unfolds. A lighthearted and heartwarming read....this is not to be missed!

A 3.5 rating. A delightful story about family, the myths that follow generation after generation, and love. Emilia is a second daughter, therefore she is cursed, according to the myth, to never find love. Because of the pervasiveness of this myth, she lives a very solitary life, making no effort to reach out to anyone. Her older sister, Dara, does her part to make Emilia's life miserable. Aunt Poppy is getting ready to celebrate her eightieth birthday and she invites Emilia to return to Italy with her. Poppy is the antithesis of the rest of her family. She is single, a college professor, has a male friend, rides horses, dresses in bright colors and has made a life for herself. She has a hidden past.

Poppy, Emilia and Luciana (another second daughter) set off for Italy and have one adventure after another. In chapters throughout the book, we hear more of Poppy's back story, and start to learn about the myth of the second daughter. The trip changes all three of their lives in ways none of them could have ever imagined. Emilia gets new glasses, finds a new love; Luciana figures out some things for herself, and Poppy's long-held dreams get a fresh injection.

Emilia is one of the many cursed, second-born daughters of the Fontana Family who are said will never be able to find love.

Emilia took this seriously because for generations, that seems to be what has happened.

Emilia's Aunt Paolina not only didn't find love, but she was ostracized from the family by her sister, and no one would tell why.

When Paolina asks Emilia to go to Italy with her, Emilia is torn between family loyalty and what she knows could be the chance of a lifetime.

I loved THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY from the first page when I saw those beautiful Italian names and the mention of delicious food.

The magic and fun never stopped as we listened to Aunt Paolina tell her story and as we enjoyed Italy through the eyes of the characters.

The characters were the best - especially Aunt Paolina.

THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY is a delightful, pick-you-up and a book that will keep the characters in mind even after you turn the last page.

It sounds like a full romance, but it is not.

THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY is a heartfelt, extraordinary read that makes you realize it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

It is about family and living your life to the fullest and loving like there’s no tomorrow.

And...if you like secrets, there is a huge family one that gets uncovered. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The second born sisters in the Fontana family are cursed to spinsterhood. In two hundred years, not one has broken the curse. Emilia does not believe in the curse. She is a modern woman living in NYC with her own apartment. And yet, she has lived in her older sister's shadow her whole life and was raised by a domineering grandmother who would do whatever it takes to keep Emilia at home with her family. Emilia's journey of self discovery starts with a phone call from her estranged Aunt Poppy (herself a second sister) inviting her to Italy. Along with another cousin, the three women make the trip where Emilia discovers her family has some serious secrets. The books descriptions of Italy are wonderful and make you want to take a trip of your own. This was a great story and I really liked the different narrators and time frames.

I was hooked at the description of this book. A 200 year old curse of every second daughter in the Fontana family. Poppy is a second daughter with a story to tell and she chooses her great-nieces Emilia and Luciana to share her story and wisdom with. Poppy's been estranged from the family for decades and she decides that this curse needs to be broken and she's the woman for the job. Told mostly by Emilia with backstory from Poppy thrown in I found this book incredibly difficult to put down! I will definitely be suggesting this to my book club!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this story of multiple generations told in different voices. Each of the characters showed interesting growth, and I loved the relationships between them. A beautiful tale.

I really enjoyed Lori Nelson Spielman's first two novels, so I was excited to hear that she was publishing another one and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I'm so glad she wrote The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany because it was an absolute delight.

The entire novel was incredibly good and so easy to devour. I loved both Emilia and Poppy's stories. I wish Lucy had gotten to share her own perspective through a narrative, but I still enjoyed getting to know her through Emilia's eyes. I thought I had guessed a plot point, but it went in a different direction than I was expecting, even though I was right about part of it. I liked that I was still kept in the dark for the most part and surprised later on. Lori's descriptions of Italy are amazing and she made me want to travel there. The family dynamics were interesting in their complexity.

This story was heartfelt and ultimately satisfying, like a bowl of delicious gelato. It has set the bar for my 2020 reading and I can't stop recommending it!

Movie casting ideas:
Emilia: Anna Popplewell
Lucy: Sistine Rose Stallone
Poppy (present): Sophia Loren
Poppy 1960: Mimi Keene
Gabe: Giulio Berruti
Matt: Noah Centineo
Sofia: Marianna Di Martino
Rico 1960: Luke Benward

This book was amazing! If there is one book that you read this year - this should be it.

This story was a great look at finding your true, inner-self and letting it shine, while breaking free of familial obligations. Two stories of second born daughters and a curse and how their connected. The curse is that second born daughters will never know/have love.

Emilia works in her family's bakery. She is kept in the back by her over-bearing, manipulative grandmother. Dressing dowdy, she embraces that embodiment. Her great aunt, Poppy, is also a second born daughter.

Poppy is determined to go to Italy for her 80th birthday and wants Emilia to go with her. She promises that by going she will break the curse. Lucy (another second born daughter and Emilia's cousin) comes along as well.

This story is moving, empowering and hands down fantastic. But at the heart of it, it's a love story. Definitely one-click this.

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.

Is the second daughter curse of the Fontana family really true or just embedded into the minds of the girls to believe the curse? Emilia and Lucy defy family members and go off on a journey with their Aunt Poppy to Italy. Poppy has announced she's meeting up with her long lost love on her 85th birthday. Could this event remove the curse that has kept Emilia and Lucy from loving? As they journey, both girls realize that their lives may have held them back from loving and not just a curse. Secrets are revealed and lives are changed. Heartwarming tale of family and love.