Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Bella Fortuna

By: Rosanna Chiofalo
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.90

Buy for $17.90

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

In this warm, enchanting debut novel, Rosanna Chiofalo evokes the extraordinary beauty of Venice, the charm of a close-knit New York neighborhood, and the joys of friendship, family, and surprising second chances.

Valentina DeLuca has made hundreds of brides’ dreams come true. At Sposa Rosa - the Astoria, New York, boutique where she, her sisters, and their mother design and sew couture knock-off gowns - she can find the perfect style for even the most demanding customer. Now it’s her turn. Valentina has loved Michael Carello ever since he rescued her from a cranky shopkeeper when she was 10 years old. He’s handsome, chivalrous, and loyal, and in a few weeks she’s going to marry him - in Venice.

Just when she thinks everything is falling into place, Valentina is forced to reexamine her life to see what truly makes her happy. As she soon learns, in a place as magical as Venice, what seems like misfortune can turn out to be anything but. Who knows what may be waiting around the next corner? The chance to enjoy a moonlit gondola ride, to sip Prosecco in St. Mark’s Square, to eat mouthwatering gelato, to put aside "sensible" for once and see where the warm Italian breezes guide her as she visits all the sights she’s dreamed of: the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto, the little islands of Murano and Burano. And maybe along the way she’ll discover that bella fortuna (good luck) isn’t what you’re given but what you make.

Rosanna Chiofalo is a first-generation Italian American whose parents emigrated from Sicily to New York in the early 1960s. After graduating with a BA in English from Stony Brook University, she knew she wanted to be around books and have a career in writing. For twenty years, she has worked as a copywriter and copy director for several New York City publishing houses.

©2012 Rosanna Chiofalo (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"From the streets of New York to the canals of Venice, Rosanna Chiofalo creates a warm and lively story the reader won’t want to see end. Valentina DeLuca is a heroine with intelligence, heart, and courage, the kind of person every woman wants for a dear friend. Time spent with her is a sheer joy." (Mary Carter, New York Times best-selling author of The Pub Across the Pond)
"Go to Venice. Ride a gondola. See St. Mark’s Square. Chase the pigeons. Then go back to your hotel room overlooking a canal, take out Bella Fortuna, and read. It will make your whole day perfecto." (Cathy Lamb, New York Times best-selling author)
"An inspiring read about second chances with love after tremendous heartbreak.... The novel has a pleasant narrative, and the details of relationships and descriptions of Venice are thorough and well written." ( RT Book Reviews)

What listeners say about Bella Fortuna

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    32
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    28
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable

I really liked this book. It has a slower pace, but leads you down a lovely windy road to get through the plot. Cassandra’s narration is the bomb. She really made this book even more enjoyable than I could have imagined. I will definitely read more from this author and listen to more audiobooks read by Cassandra Campbell.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lovely story

Good story, it's an easy read. Escapist reading with enough relationship development to make it interesting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

in the style of trigiani .. but not quite

I found this book to be a slightly better than average read, drags a bit in parts, but overall ok. Similar in subject matter and setting to a Trigiani novel, but doesn't have the same depth and heart. Worth the audible credit, though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Listen!

Starts off a little slow but as you read this book gets better and better. A very entertaining and engaging book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Lovely family romance

If you like fashion, Venice and weddings this one is for you. A little predictable and slow in spots but rewarded with a blissful ending. Beautifully read with flawless Italian through out.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring

Excellent book. Story was great. Felt a part of challenges Valentina experienced. Highly recommend. Great read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Seemed very similiar to Adriana Trigiani's stories

The story was very predictable. I could have guessed the ending by chapter two.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I will listen to this feel good story again

Love this detailed, sweet romantic story of a great Italian family in good times and challenging ones too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this Book!

What made the experience of listening to Bella Fortuna the most enjoyable?

I thought the performance was outstanding! The characters really seemed to come alive. I liked the story line, and am looking forward to reading the next book by Rosanna Chiofalo.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

I loved this book. It made me think of my family. I am a widow with 5 daughters so I loved reading about their close, loving family. I listened to this book which made it even better hearing the accents. Great book!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!