Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Love and Agita, a new romcom from Grayson Avery!
About the book:
Love & Agita
“The Hating Game meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding!”
You think you have a crazy family? Meet Leo Donati, a great guy from a wacky NY Italian family, who is expected to live his life a certain way. There are a few family rules etched in stone that he has done his best to follow:
1. Attend Sunday family dinner. It’s at 2:00. Nobody knows why.
2. Love your mother.
3. Never tell Nonna you’re full. Unless you have a death wish.
4. Marry Italian.
5. Family comes first. Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever.
The only problem? He’s not living his best life. Not even close. Single, lonely, and spending way too much time at the gym burning sexual energy and ungodly amounts of pasta, Leo hopes his life will change when his father hands over the family business. If only things were that simple. A takeover offer on the business puts Leo on the war path against a strikingly sexy, but overly competitive Jewish woman who is seemingly intent on ruining his life. At least that’s how Leo sees it.
As tension rises and Italian tempers flare, Leo wonders if perhaps hate isn’t the most accurate word for how he feels about his new nemesis. But it could never work. Yeah, the pizza bagel exists, but real-life cultural divides are more complicated than that, aren’t they?
Humor abounds as corporations and cultures collide. Leo tries to thwart the takeover, find love and happiness, while also trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death by his Nonna’s wooden spoon.
Love & Agita is a laugh-out loud, romantic comedy that has it all: twists, turns, emotional depth, sparkling chemistry and hilarious banter that flies off the page.
prevail?
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My thoughts:
It’s been long time since a book made me laugh so much…
And it all started so innocently- with a family dinner! Of course, if the family in question is the Donatis, the dinner is anything but peaceful and quiet. Leo Donati, the uberresponsible, probably underpaid, certainly underappreciated ‘heir apparent’ to the Donati printing business, can quote the five cardinal rules of an Italian family in his sleep. Guess what? I happen to know quite a lot about this particular culture and they are all ring true (apart from the animal print clothing, of course).
My heart went to Leo when instead of finally making him the CEO of the company he had been working so hard to make successful, his father decided to sell the business and Leo was expected to continue working their as ‘one of the assets’. Reader, I was torn… On one hand, I felt Leo needed to grow a spine and finally stand up to his family. On the other hand, I perfectly understood and related to his dilemma.
When the company that is considering buying the Donati business sends their representative to do the due diligence checks, Leo’s strategy is to do everything to see the deal fall through. What he isn’t counting on is the fact that the above mentioned representative is a smart and gorgeous Jewish woman who is about to steal his heart.
The banter between the protagonists was fabulous, but the rest of the cast-Leo’s parents, his useless brother and cousin, co-workers, even the barista in a nearby coffee shop- also possessed their own unique voices and mannerisms that contributed to seemingly effortless and yet memorable characterization. Leo and Rae have to go through a lot of self searching and gradual development to give their love a chance. I loved learning about their respective cultures and seeing how love can bring together two very different backgrounds.
The tone is upbeat and playful which makes the story easy to read. Even a hard core realist will appreciate the optimism of the finale. Can’t wait to read the sequel to find out how Leo and Rae are going to make their relationship blossom in future!
Author Bio
Grayson Avery is the author of The Sweet Water Circle Series, a romantic comedy series that focuses on childhood friends in their 30s and 40s as they help each other navigate the stormy waters of dating, marriage, divorce, and a whole lot of inappropriate, naughty, and downright hysterical situations. He is also the author of the upcoming book, Love & Agita.
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Thank you for stopping by and reading the post! Have a wonderful Monday!
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This sounds fun and heartwarming. Banter makes any romance much better. Amazing review!
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