THE PATRON SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES was an absolute delight start to finish. At just over 280 pages, this is a tiny whisper of a novel but one bursting - much like the town’s pipes - with story. The massive cast of characters (the entire population of 212 isn’t far off here!!); the ridiculous movie being made: equal parts spy novel, romcom, action blockbuster, AND musical; a tiny Italian village; and several rowdy animals including a rampaging goat had me turning the pages in record time. And more than once I found myself giggling out loud, usually when Speranza was calling upon yet another saint to give him a helping hand.

I typically don’t read slice-of-life novels, but I’m so glad I took a chance on this one. Christine Simon’s debut was a total knockout and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Also, with more than one reference made about Easter, this weekend would be an A+ time to grab yourself a copy!

Not the type of book I would usually pick up but this was very light and had some fun elements to it. I could have done with a little less detailing of random things but overall it was a fun story that went exactly the way I figured it would. If light-hearted stories are your jam, you'll love this but I prefer a little bit of tension.

This book is charmingly hilarious. I love how this town came together and wanted to see what else they would unknowingly get up to. There were a LOT of characters and at times it was hard to keep track of who was who. This was a quick, fun read.

Nice story about a town in trouble and its quirky saviors and characters! Will appeal to the gentle reads crowd and anyone wanting a nice escape!

Good story!

Description
The self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village is determined to save his hometown no matter the cost in this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming debut novel.

Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Speranza has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. So in a bid to boost tourism—and revenue—he spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby.

Unfortunately, the plan works a little too well, and soon everyone in town wants to be a part of the fictional film—the village butcher will throw in some money if Speranza can find roles for his fifteen enormous sons, Speranza’s wistfully adrift daughter reveals an unexpected interest in stage makeup, and his hapless assistant Smilzo volunteers a screenplay that’s not so secretly based on his undying love for the film’s leading lady. To his surprise—and considerable consternation, Speranza realizes that the only way to keep up the ruse is to make the movie for real.

As the entire town becomes involved (even the village priest invests!) Signor Speranza starts to think he might be able to pull this off. But what happens when Dante Rinaldi doesn’t show up? Or worse, what if he does?

A “hilariously funny and beautifully written” (Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Better Luck Next Time) novel about the power of community, The Patron Saint of Second Chances is perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman and Maria Semple.

Cute little story with humor along the way. What lengths will one man go to save his town. It’s a fun read that will leave you smiling.

This book was a complete delight! In a way it reminded me of the humor in the PG Wodhouse books. I enjoyed the cast of characters and some of their antics had me laughing out loud. I was surprised to find that this is a debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Christine Simon. Maybe the world can have a revisit to Prometto and Signor Speranza?!

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The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon is a whimsical novel about a mayor trying to save his small Italian village by making a movie. This is Ms. Simon’s debut novel.

Vacuum repairman, and part-time mayor, Signor Speranza has a problem; his village of Prometto, Italy (pop. 212) must come up with the astronomical sum of 70,000 euros. Otherwise, the water pipes will not be fixed, the village will be uninhabitable, and its inhabitants relocated.

Signor Speranza comes up with a cunning plan, he’s going to start a rumor that the famous Italian movie star, Dante Rinaldi, is going to make a movie in the town, causing an economic boon. The plan, however, grows out of control when the town’s inhabitants participate with gusto, and his teenage daughter becomes social-media famous.

This is one of those light, charming, yet highly implausible books which are sometimes fun to read on a lazy afternoon. The cast of characters is fun, the tone is light, and the narrative is simple and doesn’t take too much thinking.

The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon makes it clear that nothing is ever simple in Prometto, however. Signor Speranza comes up with the money, loses it, asks for favors, and to top it all – making a movie is not cheap either-even if the main star doesn’t know he’s in it.

The web of lies Signor Speranza weaves, his missteps and gaffes are entertaining, reminiscent of the European movies I loved as a child. I enjoyed the aspects of reading about living in a small town, where everybody knows everybody else, and don’t hesitate to get into your business.
I actually lived in a similar situation previously.

I could, however, have done without some of the juvenile jokes. For me, they work very well in movies, not so much in a book. Some were funny, most I rolled my eyes at, but I thought they mostly took away from the well-written narrative instead of adding to it.

The book, nonetheless, has some quirky characters, which I found to be charming. The rich butcher, his talented, and not-so-talented sons, a clergyman who turns a blind eye, and, of course, your quintessential Italian family.

This ridiculous story worked well, it was funny and charming. Signor Speranza straight man to a comedic cast, especially his assistant Smilzo, was a delight to read, if a bit predictable.

Although I didn’t love the story line of this book - it was just too far fetched to be believable, it definitely made me laugh. Given everything going on in the world today, a funny book felt good! In order to come up with enough money to fix the towns water pipes, Signor Speranza comes up with a lie to get the members of his small town to invest. Before he knows it the entire town is involved in making a movie, but what will happen when the famous actor doesn’t show up. If you’re looking for a funny, over the top read, this one is perfect!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copies!

This book had a charming quality to it and the humor was the strength by far. An older man needing a large sum of money in order to save his town was a cute premise. While it could have easily veered into far out, ridiculous territory, the story and characters somehow worked without having to suspend too much disbelief.

Signor Speranza has a big problem on his hands. He needs to come up with 70,000 euros to pay for the water pipes in his Italian village. If he doesn't find the money soon, the water commission will shut off the water, and all 212 residents in the village will be left with no choice but to move. Speranza starts a rumor that a movie star will be filming nearby. He hopes this white lie will boost tourism and bring in some much needed revenue. But he finds himself in a bigger pickle when he realizes he might need to actually make a movie.

So yeah, everything starts snowballing out of control and you just sit back as the main character tries to solve one problem just as another one pops up. It's a light read but at times the pacing felt off and I'd lose focus on the story. There are some good moments in the book but it didn't reach heartwarming status for me. The elements were there in terms of interesting family dynamics but I would have loved if if they were explored more in depth.

Maybe not a perfect read, but it put a smile on my face more than once and that's not the easiest feat.

This was a cute, quick, and easy read with a stunning cover. It made me giggle a few times and it was a lovely book to read at the end of an evening after a long day. I enjoyed snuggling into bed and escaping into this gorgeous little book.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute and funny contemporary book about the self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village desperately trying to save his hometown no matter the cost. Signor Speranza is told by the water commissioner's office that unless he can come up with 70,000 Euros to fix the town's pipes, the water will be shut off and all of the town's 212 inhabitants will be forced to disperse. So what's an informal Mayor to do? Why, spread a false rumor that a famous heartthrob actor is shooting his new movie in the village, of course! His hope is that tourists will flock to the town and the revenue for the pipes will be raised.

To Signor Speranza's surprise, the rumor rapidly spreads and the entire town wants in on the action, including 15 of the butcher's huge sons, his daughter, and his vacuum repair assistant. As the lie spirals out of control and Speranza is forced into making more and more decisions, he finally realizes that the only way to keep raising money is to actually make the film. But what happens if the heartthrob doesn't show up in town. Or worse, what if he does?

This was a cute and humorous book that is a quick and easy read. The main character is at times bumbling, especially when it comes to his daughter, but also cunning enough to keep the ruse alive. His lie comes from a place of love for his community, which is clear through all of his interactions with the various minor characters. The book is touching and sweet, and will give you all the feels. If you need a pick-me-up to get you out of a book slump, this is the perfect book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

The Patron Saint of Second Chances was a fun and quirky story. There’s a lovable cast of characters that you can’t help but root for. I especially enjoyed the main character, Signor Speranza, and his assistant, Smilzo. While not every joke always landed, I did have several laugh out loud moments while reading this. Where I struggled with the book, though, was the absolutely ridiculous plot. You really have to suspend belief to be able to get through this and I don’t think all readers will have the patience for it. While I did have some frustration – and it took me a little longer than normal to read a book of this size – I was able to just go with the flow and have a fairly enjoyable time with it.

Sadly, I was very disappointed in this book as I looked forward to it from the day I heard it was coming out. I found the writing style very difficult to get interested in and the book a chore to finish.

This short novel is a movie comedy in text form! Set in the south of Italy, it's heart is Signor Speranza, a man with a mission to save his small town from imminent death. When Speranza was a young man, he made the decision to stay in Prometto, while others were abandoning it for bigger cities and brighter ambitions. Now, he and his family have to figure out how to save their livelihoods and their small, quirky community.

I laughed a lot, and escaped for a precious few hours to a beautiful setting and someone else’s problems.

Don’t skip the acknowledgements!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for access to this arc.

The blurb for “Patron Saint of Second Chances” sounded entrancing. Sadly it was not as charming and delightful as I wished it was. Or maybe it was too charming and silly. It turned out to be more of a genial farce. I could see this being turned into a movie like “For Roseanna” or “Waking Ned Devine.” In fact, I think I would have enjoyed the story more had I seen it as a film. There is a generous amount of suspension of belief needed in order to buy into the plot and keep going but the book makes that fairly easy if this is what the reader wants to read.

I didn’t find it “hilariously funny and beautifully written” but rather gently amusing at times, overly silly and slapstickish at others, and mixed with a little bit of sadness that basically we have a small dying Italian village with all the young people leaving and a mayor dedicated to trying to save what is left of it. Knowing nothing about Italian law, I’m not sure if the set up – the town not being able to afford to get its water pipes fixed – would actually lead to the dispersal of the townspeople – all 212 of them – but who knows.

There are a lot of characters who get thrown at the reader in a short amount of time and as most of them are introduced as Signor or Signora Name, it gets confusing telling one from another. After a while for a lot of them, I stopped trying. An elderly dog and a puppy also take up a lot of the plot time so add pee and puppy poo to the whoopie cushion jokes that I did not find funny.

Signore Speranza’s plan is far-fetched to begin with and only gets more so as the story progresses and the lies pile up. Frankly after a while, it’s preposterous to believe that the townspeople would still be swallowing it so perhaps this is a case of wishful thinking on a grand scale. Readers are advised to just let go as well and enjoy the antics and mayhem. Speranza is visited with twinges of guilt about what he’s doing but as it’s for “the greater good” rather than his own personal gain, he keeps going. It closely follows outlines of plots of comedy farces I’ve read and seen before. A heaping helping of “small town comes together” rounds things out. I’m not sorry I read it but the book did not live up to my hopes. C

First of all, I wanna thank @atriabooks and @netgalley for a free e-arc of “The Patron Saint of Second Chances” by @csimonwrites available on the U.S. on 04/12/22

I really enjoyed this book and it’s characters. Smilzo has to be my favorite by unanimous decision. I couldn’t help but picture him as Zero from The Grand Budapest Hotel which made me love him even more.

I found some parts of the story to be ridiculously funny. I mean, we were introduced to Signor Speranza in a very hilarious—in my opinion—manner. I knew from the very beginning I was going to love all the shenanigans that he would get himself into.

Such a lighthearted and fast read!

Look, “sweet & funny” is not my usual genre. And I don’t like plots that involve some sort of unrealistic ruse—they always give me so much anxiety! But I loved this book despite it being sweet, funny and unrealistic. The colorful characters were great and I loved the humorous moments—I actually laughed out loud listening to the audiobook! The narrator, TIm Frances, nailed the ‘grumpy old Italian in a velour tracksuit’ voice. This was such a departure for me but I really enjoyed its heart and humor. It would be a great summer travel pick.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @simon.audio for this review copy. The opinions are my own.

Perhaps you are one of those people who are thankful for second chances (some of us are thankful for third, and fourth chances)! In a quirky, lighthearted read, Christian Simon is celebrating Signor Speranza and his delightful neighbors, who desperately need a second chance to save their community. With several laugh-out-loud moments, the reader is reminded that the outside facade is not a true measure of the beauty inside. This sentiment is true of the sleepy, antiquated town of Prometto, Italy, that from all outside appearances, has no hope for revival. However, hidden behind the old, tired buildings is a beautiful community of friends and neighbors, just waiting for a reminder of their true worth. Prayers to Saint Jerome, the patron saint of libraries, that librarians and booksellers will add this delightful read to their shelves.

The Patron Saint of Second Chances will make a nice escapist summer/spring read. Signor Speranza is a vacuum repairman and the self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212). He must come up with 70,000 euro's to fix the town's pipes or the water commission will shut off the water which would be the end of their little village forcing all residents to relocate. In an effort to boost revenue and tourism, Speranza spreads a rumor that a movie star is filming his next project in the village. The rumor takes off and his only solution is to make the movie for real so no one finds out. The entire town becomes involved and it's one thing after another.

The book reminded me a lot of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island where you have small, unique setting that is as much about the place as the people. The plot is a little fantastical, but it's light and fun.

Thank you to Negalley and Atria Books for the electronic advanced readers copy.