I absolutely loved Lori Nelson Spielman’s The Life List and The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany may be even better!

A family curse generations earlier doomed all second-born daughters in the Fontana family to a life without lasting love. And for 200 years, the curse held strong. So when Aunt Poppy (a second daughter) invites fellow second daughters Emilia and Lucy to accompany her to Italy for her 80th birthday with a promise to break the curse, the girls defy their strict Nonna’s wishes and head across the ocean. Emilia has accepted her fate, settling into a life that’s as comfortable as the ugly wire-rimmed glasses and old sweaters she wears. Meanwhile, Lucy gives herself to any man who shows interest, hoping that one of them will be the key to breaking the curse.

Aunt Poppy is full of wisdom for both girls… but will she be able to break the curse? She says the love of her life will meet her on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her birthday, but is this just a recipe for disappointment?

Emilia Antonelli is a single 29 year old who is constantly bossed around by her Italian family. Her family has a supposed curse where the second-born daughter never marries and she happens to be the second-born daughter.

The family dates the curse back to Trespiano, Italy where Filomena Fontana and her younger sister Maria’s story takes place. Filomena was always jealous of her younger sister’s beauty. Cosimo, Filomena’s boyfriend made unwanted advances towards Maria. Maria rejected them and despite this, Filomena warned her that if she took Cosimo away from her she would forever curse all second-born daughters in the family. One day Cosimo trapped Maria down by a river, where he thought he wouldn’t be seen. He forced a kiss from her and Maria pushed him away. Filomena saw only the kiss and she threw a rock at her sister hitting her in the eye. Maria lost her sight in that eye and it drooped. Maria never got married. The family believes since the day Filomena issued the curse, not a single Fontana second-born daughter has found “lasting love”.

Emilia lives in an apartment that is owned by her grandparents and works as a baker alongside her grandmother at her family-owned store Lucchesi Bakery and Delicatessen. Her father works at the deli and her sister is the cashier. Her mother died from leukemia and her Nonna Rossa (her grandmother) took over the mother role, raising her and her sister Daria.

Being the second-born daughter, Emilia doesn’t search for love or bother to give her best friend Matt a second look even though he is interested in her romantically. Her family uses her as a childcare provider and as a worker. When her estranged great Aunt Poppy (Nonna Rosa’s sister) contacts her about going on a trip to Italy with her to celebrate her 80th birthday, Emilia despite protest from her family, decides to say yes to her Aunt Poppy and finds herself on a trip to self discovery as well as revisiting a hidden family history that could shatter everything.

At first I thought, another love story? But as I read on I became really engrossed in the novel. The descriptions of Italy are fantastic and I felt like I was there. The characters come to life and I came to realize it isn’t just a romance story, it is about finding your voice, your true self, family, and the bonds that hold it together. I was completely blown away by the emotional journey this novel took me on.

Emilia is a devoted daughter and granddaughter, always doing what her family demands and never questioning if it is too much. She is the second born daughter and in her family the second born daughters have been cursed to never marry or find love. But is the curse real? When her estranged Aunt Poppy, another second daughter, invites her to go to Italy with her Aunt Poppy promises to break the curse. Will Emilia go on the trip with Aunt Poppy or will she be the good daughter and let the curse continue? A story of the power of family expectations and lore and the strength it takes to find your own way.

I really enjoyed this inter-generational family story. Even though I guessed the "big" twist, I happily continued reading. The main character's growth and personal transformation was very believable and natural. So glad I took a chance on this novel! Would make a good book club book,

Having lived in Italy before, I loved to read all the great descriptions of the area and of course the amazing food! The complex family dynamics, with great cultural and family crazy interaction...such a fun read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley/Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I can unabashedly say it was charming.

I loved the characters, the settings and the story. I love how the main plot line of the book was interspersed with a subplot line of the past that explained what happened that led up to the present time frame of the main storyline.

Without reveaing any of the plot that would require a spoiler, a rift exists between Rosa (Nonna) and her sister Poppy but we don’t know why. Rosa refuses to let anyone in the family have anything to do with her sister – who did her wrong so many years ago…and no one has dared cross her as she rules the family with a fear based on this silly family curse of second daughters in the Fontana family never marrying over many generations. It’s a curse that Emelia and Luciana are hoping – both as second daughters – to break. When Aunt Poppy offers Emelia the opportunity for a trip with her to Italy, it is the chance of a lifetime to create change. It is up to her to decide if she can defy Nonna Rosa to make the trip.

I found the writing, the scenery, the characters and story line to be very well done and compelling to read. I couldn’t wait to see how the story unfolded and find out what happened. I liked how the author paced the story by alternating the chapters so you had to wait to find out what happened in the history sections.

Highly recommend the read.

This is a lovely and lively portrayal of Italy along with family secrets that are unearthed to the benefit of second-born daughters. The characters are well-portrayed and the plot line is entertaining.

A two hundred year old curse is wreaking havoc on the second born daughters of the Fontana family. Emilia and her cousin Lucy have different opinions, with one thinking it’s baloney and the other believing it’s the real deal. When they get a call from their great aunt asking them to return to Italy, where the 80 year old matriarch will meet her true love and the curse will be lifted once and for all, the girls can’t say no. The beauty, mystery and heritage of Italy come to life in this lovely novel