The Second Date [Kindle Edition]

Mary Lydon Simonsen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Like a good antipasto, The Second Date is colorful, flavorful, and full of tantalizing little nuggets that aren't too filling - an excellent read, in fact, for anyone who grew up Italian-American in the 80's. And if you didn't - well, now you'll know what fun you were missing. --POD Book Reviews and More - Dianne Salerni

[A] very entertaining and well worth reading story by Simonsen... This is a fine novel by a promising writer. --Joseph's Reviews

This is a lovely book that spans several decades and gives the reader a vivid idea of what it is like to grow up in an Italian-American family. --Bestseller's World - Pam Reid

I have never really read a book where the image of an Italian-American was positive. From my childhood I have been bombarded with images of the stereotypes of Italian culture. Mafia bosses, goons, murderers, whacking. Not at all what I have grown up with as an Italian-American... The Second Date was completely different. Not only were the people familiar but the behavior, the language, the dialect was all a page from my life. I found myself laughing out loud in many places because it was so familiar. It would be lovely to see a book like this sitting next to Mario Puzo's novels as representations of Italian-American culture. Or better yet, replacing it altogether... The romance was also good. Nick and Sonia were so cute together. But it was the portrayal of Italian-American culture was the shining star in this book for me at least... I was really pleased with this novel. -- Books Like Breathing - Grace Lociano

The Second Date - Love American Style is a fine blend of blind dates, food, family, friends, and life. Set in the 1980's, it is written in an easy style, has good humor thrown in, contains the characters of overbearing mother, warring aunts, and the close friend. It's a joy to read as we witness Sonia's journey to find true love. The Second Date is a charming book, well-written with sympathetic characters and an all too true story line. There are many shining moments in this book and it is one not to be bypassed in modern romantic reading. -- The Book Shelf - L Anne Carrington

Product Description

Sonia Amundsen looks like a Nordic goddess on the outside, but her heart, soul, and stomach are all Italian. She is also a successful professional who is about to celebrate her 30th birthday. Although friends have been setting her up on blind dates for two years, she never goes out on a second date with any of them because she is still looking for that perfect guy. The problem is that she has very specific criteria as to who Mr. Right is. Sonia is beginning to think that such a man is not out there until.... Set in the late 1980s, Sonia is surrounded by an extended Italian family, a caring, but over-bearing mother, warring aunts who use family funerals to stage full-blow tragedies, and a close friend, whose main goals in life are to get pregnant and to help Sonia find true love. The Second Date explores friendship and love in the heart of the Italian-American community where food is second importance only to love.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 257 KB
• Print Length: 177 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1442157216
• Publisher: Quail Creek Publishing LLC; 1 edition (June 9, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002HWRQ2Y
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,825 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

From the time I read Pride & Prejudice in high school a long time ago, I have been tinkering with the plot line. What if Elizabeth and Darcy were based on real people? What was Georgiana really like? What if Anne De Bourgh actually had a personality? In 2007, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel, and the result is "Pemberley Remembered," which I self-published. I was very fortunate in that Sourcebooks Publishing, which specializes in Austen sequels, liked my book and bought the publishing rights to it. It will be out in December with a new cover and title, "Searching for Pemberley." This new book contains all of the original characters from "Pemberley Remembered," but it also continues the story of Maggie Joyce.

Having grown up in North Jersey (Elmwood Park), I had a lot of Italian friends, and they were a lot more interesting than my Irish relations. I loved their food, their enthusiasm, their culture, etc. So I recently wrote a story about love in the Italian-American community entitled "The Second Date," which is now available on Amazon.

I graduated from Elmwood Park High School in northern New Jersey. After marrying my wonderful husband, Paul, we moved to Texas and raised two beautiful daughters. After retiring from a career as a legal secretary in Dallas, I had a second career as a special education assistant in the Howard County, Maryland and Peoria, Arizona School Districts. I enjoyed both careers, but I'm really enjoying being an author more than anything I have ever done.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm related to Sonia!, September 26, 2009

By 

T. A. Costango "tac" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Second Date: Love - Italian American Style (Paperback)

I've just finished reading this book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I absolutely recommend it. For me, it was like going on vacation with my best friend, just that enjoyable. Ms. Simonsen has written all the characters in such a unique style that you will love them as much as her main character. This book will expose you to a wonderful, warm funny romance and introduce such colorful characters that you'll want to meet them. And if you're even alittle Italian, you'll recognize them. While growing up in a large Italian (and Irish) family myself, Sonia's family and their history was so familiar to me. I recognized so many of my relatives as I read! Mary's book brought so many memories back to me that I actually cried from laughter and the ones' about food and cooking were the absolute truth......I remember when I was young, I always wanted to go to my friends homes to eat so I could have "regular food"; every meal at our house, even breakfast sometimes, included gravy and noodles/pasta, but I didn't accomplish it too well as my friends always wanted to eat at my house! The author's sense of humor makes this book such an easy relaxing read. I will be in line for any book she publishes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, August 21, 2009

By 

C. Mason (Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Second Date: Love - Italian American Style (Paperback)

I love this book! It was very easy to read and I loved reading about the history of the families and how it was woven into the story. Ms. Simonsen has the gift of a very unique writing style. I felt right at home reading about Sonia and her familiy. It reminded me so much of my childhood growing up in the South and I found myself laughing out loud when reading about the one room no one was allowed to sit in with the plastic on the furniture and having to have a mediator at funerals. Go out and buy this book; it's GREAT!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gereat read, June 28, 2009

By 

S. Harrison "Shklung" (Elk Grove, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Second Date: Love - Italian American Style (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this story. I like how the author shows us this family, so real and refreshing. The romance is wonderful, but the family and their history was just as great.