Maria Chiara Marsciani

Clara was feeling disconnected from everything, her parents, her friends.
Then she meets the newcomer to her group of friends, Leonardo, he makes her heart pound and her knees go weak.
Follow the ups and downs of their relationship as Clara try’s to discover who she really is.

I could not connect with Clara. She was an emotional mess and came across as younger than her 22 years. The contempt she had for her parents was like that of a 16 year old.

”for a few, brief moments she tasted what life could be”

Enter Leonardo, handsome, dashing and attentive. Suddenly it’s like a light has turned on and Clara is looking at a bright future.

Leonardo sounded genuinely interested in Clara and her thoughts, asking questions, listening and giving advice. Clara, being self obsessed, drowning in her misery, whined on and never asked him a question about himself. Clara had deep rooted insecurities and I give Leonardo 10 points for putting up with her. Most guys would run a mile from a girl with so much emotional baggage.

The story read like a memoir and may have flowed better if it was told by Clara herself.

The storyline was not extraordinary. It was an average girl meets boy, falls in love and gets married plot.

I am reading as an adult and mother and I am sure a lot of 16 and 17 year olds would definitely connect with Clara and how she felt her parents were too strict and she was never good enough for them.

Marsciani has described beautifully the feeling, warmth and fun of an Italian family Christmas. Even though the dinners didn’t go well for Clara this is my favourite part of the book.… (altro)