Tuscany for Beginners: A Novel [Paperback]

Imoge Edwards-Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2005

Oh, the dream of escaping to Italy–and the nightmare of reality. . . .

Belinda Smith has found her very own Tuscan valley in the sun, having abandoned a dreary cheating husband and an even drearier English town. Running Casa Mia, her own too, too divine bed and breakfast, everything is coming up sunflowers and olive groves for La Contessa of the Valley. Life couldn’t be more perfecto!

Until, that is, the arrival of Lauren–a beautiful, feisty Wall Street ball-breaker who has the gall to announce her plans to open a new B&B. A place just like Belinda’s–only much more glamorous. Even worse, Lauren, whose charmingly calculated smile Belinda recognizes as quite like her own, threatens Belinda’s existence as the epicenter of all things ex-patriot in the valley.

Have Belinda’s fabulous days of ruling supreme in this corner of the world come to an end? Will the carnivorous Lauren consume Belinda’s dreams al fresco? Will Lauren’s gorgeous son Kyle steal Belinda’s lovely, overworked daughter away from home and hearth (who will do the cleaning, for God’s sake?). War has come to lovely Tuscany–let the fur and focaccia fly!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Five years after discovering her philandering husband in flagrante delicto, Belinda Smith is living la dolce vita as the proprietor of a B and B deep in the heart of Tuscany, where, surrounded by a contingent of fellow British expats, she reigns as the valley's self-appointed contessa. With her hastily--and cheaply--remodeled villa more downtrodden than upmarket, her decorating style more Oscar Madison than Martha Stewart, and her hostessing skills more Marquis de Sade than Relais et Chateaux, Belinda just may be the most inhospitable hotelier since Basil Fawlty. Throw in her long-suffering daughter, Mary, playing Cinderella to Belinda's wicked-stepmotherish personae, and the pieces are in place for Belinda to receive a royal comeuppance. Enter Lauren, a svelte, savvy, sophisticated American widow who buys a neighboring villa and opens a rival B and B. That's bad enough, but when Lauren's son falls for Belinda's daughter, mamma mia, the fur really flies! British novelist Edwards-Jones makes a boisterous American debut with this bawdy, bewitching comedy of ill-manners. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Absolutely hysterical. I could not put it down.”
–Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345478800
• ISBN-13: 978-0345478801
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,207,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RECOMMEND THIS ONE AS A VERY FUN READ, April 14, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tuscany for Beginners: A Novel (Paperback)

I found my self smirking and actually laughing out loud several times during the reading of this one. The author is quite insightful and certainly has great ability in being able to express herself in a very humerous way. The author uses a very easy reading sytle, perfect and appropriate syntax and is obviously a born story teller. Being somewhat into food, and having a wife who is beyond expert in the art of cooking, I enjoyed the inserted recipes throughout the book. If you are looking for a good, funny, relaxing read, then this one is for you. Recommend it highly.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and entertaining, March 24, 2006

By 

Cathe Fein Olson "Avid reader and writer" (curled up with a book) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tuscany for Beginners: A Novel (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this very humorous book about a snobbish and overbearing B&B owner in Tuscany. The book alternates between Belinda's diary entries - her version of what her life is like - and what her life is really like. The difference is really funny.

The other characters in the book are great as well - from Belinda's timid daughter Mary, to the resident writer who does more drinking than writing, to the brash American who opens up a rival B&B. While they may sound stereotypical, the characters are not one-dimentional and they work really well in this story.

To add to the enjoyment of the book, Belinda includes some really delicious Italian recipes in her journal as well.

If you want a bit of well written fun, you will like this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ab Fab meets Hyacinth "Bouquet" in Italy, May 21, 2009

By 

D. V. Malcolm "DVMBoston" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tuscany for Beginners: A Novel (Paperback)

Truly one of the funniest books I've read in a long, long time. If you're a "Keeping Up Appearances" and an "Absolutely Fabulous" fan of British comedies, then you'll love this book.

Edgy, uproarious, hypocritical, snobbery-at-its-sneering-finest and hilarity are but a few of the words to describe this story. Imogen Edward-Jones really knows how to tackle obnoxious characters and make them "almost" likeable and even noteworthy. So if you're down in the dumps, pick up this book.