Valencia and Valentine and Tiny Umbrellas

Book Review

Book: Valencia and Valentine

Author: Suzy Krause

Published: July 2019

Wine Choice:  Tiny Umbrellas Mascato

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Stand Alone

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Fiction

How long did it take me to read this book:   Approximately One Week

Audible: One Week

If you ever wonder, I am a mix of reading the actual book and listening to the Audiobook. This is one of the books I read, then listen to the Audiobook while running errands and driving.

Valencia and Valentine is another book that I read the blurb and thought, oh, how nice maybe this will be about generational age gap showcasing love and Friendship.  Well, it did showcase love, and it did showcase Friendship, but not in the way you would expect.   I will say, unlike Curios Bookseller Protagonist “Fawn,” who was just an awful human. Valencia really isn’t that bad; I actually like her, and I am sorry she dealing with mental health issues (OCD) that cripple her life. I appreciate the author showcased how these issues stopped her from living but that Valencia tries to push past these issues.  Interwoven is the story of Mrs. Valentine, who indeed is a little old lady who I think at the core of herself is a HOOT and a half.  I want to go sit with Mrs. Valentine and listen to the regal stories of her past, the love of her husband, and any wacky adventures this lady has live. 

As the book progresses, you start to sense that Valencia and Mrs. Valentine will never meet, which makes you wonder how these two people help each other. As the author mentions, “The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.”

This is truly nothing in this story that is relatively straightforward. I will be honest I can see this as a Netflix Movie or a limited series run on Hallmark. It is actually very well written and engaging for Valencia and Mrs. Valentine’s storyline. I ask myself can I suggest this book to friends. Not really. It takes a particular reader, someone, who reads to invest in a character, not an outcome. When I think of all of my friends and books they like to read or books, I remember their face lighting up. I don’t see this book fitting into their reading schedule.  If you want an excellent quirky read, have you asked questions about what’s going? How? Why? 

Then this book is for you.   

While reading the book at home, I  was sipping on the 2019 Moscato Tiny Umbrellas. This Moscato is super fun, but basic Moscato you can pick up anywhere, its sweet and great as a dessert wine. The Tiny Umbrellas made me think, what would Valencia think of tiny umbrellas.

I hope you enjoy this review.

Che Michelle