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momadvice's review against another edition
3.0
I took a gamble on reading this book because it is nothing like anything I would normally pick up. I am not a big fan of the romance genre though so my thoughts on this book come from that place.
This book was a cross between The Notebook and Bridges of Madison County… a beautiful story of unrequited love that will leave you a tad frustrated and rooting for true love in the end. I read about it in a magazine and considering the author’s credits (producing shows like The Wonder Years, Dawson’s Creek, & Sisters) thought it would be a great book to add to my beach bag.
The story takes place during WWII and Lily Davis is awaiting the return of her husband, Paul, from the war. The two married too soon and had only been together two weeks before Paul was shipped off to war. Lily is left for three years on her own waiting for the man she hardly knows to return so they can begin their life together. During that three years though, Lily has changed so much and her fiery, independent spirit has grown even more fiery and independent.
As the town prepares for the soldiers’ return, Italian firework expert, Jake Russo, is hired to put together a welcome home firework show for the town. A chance encounter, brings Lily and Jake together and Lily finds herself falling deeply in love with Jake…a love like she has never experienced before.
Within a few short days, Lily begins to question who she is and who she would be if she stayed with her husband Paul. She is left with the tough decision of honoring her soldier husband and family’s wishes or following her heart and leaving with Jake.
The author captures their love beautifully in this short book with a surprising twist at the end that will leave your heart aching for Lily and the decisions she had to make.
A quick read that is perfect for the romance-loving reader and Nicholas Sparks die-hards. This is definitely chick flick material!
This book was a cross between The Notebook and Bridges of Madison County… a beautiful story of unrequited love that will leave you a tad frustrated and rooting for true love in the end. I read about it in a magazine and considering the author’s credits (producing shows like The Wonder Years, Dawson’s Creek, & Sisters) thought it would be a great book to add to my beach bag.
The story takes place during WWII and Lily Davis is awaiting the return of her husband, Paul, from the war. The two married too soon and had only been together two weeks before Paul was shipped off to war. Lily is left for three years on her own waiting for the man she hardly knows to return so they can begin their life together. During that three years though, Lily has changed so much and her fiery, independent spirit has grown even more fiery and independent.
As the town prepares for the soldiers’ return, Italian firework expert, Jake Russo, is hired to put together a welcome home firework show for the town. A chance encounter, brings Lily and Jake together and Lily finds herself falling deeply in love with Jake…a love like she has never experienced before.
Within a few short days, Lily begins to question who she is and who she would be if she stayed with her husband Paul. She is left with the tough decision of honoring her soldier husband and family’s wishes or following her heart and leaving with Jake.
The author captures their love beautifully in this short book with a surprising twist at the end that will leave your heart aching for Lily and the decisions she had to make.
A quick read that is perfect for the romance-loving reader and Nicholas Sparks die-hards. This is definitely chick flick material!
rosetyper9's review against another edition
5.0
I waited to write the review on this book because there were just no words to form to even begin to articulate how awesome this book is. This book is one of those books that changes or ruins you for the rest of your life. The love that Lily gets the priviledge to feel is intense, I cried so hard when reading this book, and that doesn't happen often. The author knows exactly how to capture the readers heart in the palm of his hand and cause the reader to start questioning everything they know about love, life, and loss.
The setting is amazing, the town, the characters, the writing, everything about this book is absolutely wonderful. It had a bit of a Nicolas Sparks feel to it, but something that was also completely Mr. Stepakoff's. I hope to see many more novels by this author.
The setting is amazing, the town, the characters, the writing, everything about this book is absolutely wonderful. It had a bit of a Nicolas Sparks feel to it, but something that was also completely Mr. Stepakoff's. I hope to see many more novels by this author.
mycouscous's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly written Southern love drama sent against a WWII backdrop. The plot felt pretty familiar -- a young woman is torn between honoring her committment to her enlisted husband and persuing the passion she finds with an outsider. I liked the Toccoa setting, especially since I've been to the train station that is so central to some of the plot. However, it was a very tired theme that was delivered in a trite manner. Stepakoff needs to polish his writing. (Jake Russo this, Jake Russo that, Jake Russo, Jake Russo... -- I get it. He's named Jake Russo.) For fans of Nicholas Sparks and light Southern fare.
bookwormadventuregirl's review against another edition
4.0
This was a love story like The Notebook meets Bridges of Madison County. Enjoyable!
whatsheread's review against another edition
Fireworks Over Toccoa reminds me of Bridges of Madison County mashed with the movie, Titanic. If your first response to this description is that this is not a good combination, you are 100 percent accurate. In my opinion, Fireworks Over Toccoa is what gives romance novels a bad name.
The truly sad part is that it could have been quite beautiful. The entire story hinges on how much the reader cares about Lily. Unfortunately, she comes across as a poor, little rich girl that is forced into a choice between love versus responsibility. Antonio is more interesting a character, but the disjointed vignettes that are meant to expose his secrets are misplaced and distracting. The imagery is absolutely horrible. (My personal favorite mentions how her skin was like butter melting on hot grits.) What was meant to be beautiful turns out to be clunky and awkward.
Fireworks Over Toccoa could have been gut-wrenching and passionate. Instead, it is cliched, predictable and just plain cheesy. The best part about the novel is that at 260 pages, one can finish the entire novel in a matter of a few hours. No more time is needed to experience this example of bad romance.
The truly sad part is that it could have been quite beautiful. The entire story hinges on how much the reader cares about Lily. Unfortunately, she comes across as a poor, little rich girl that is forced into a choice between love versus responsibility. Antonio is more interesting a character, but the disjointed vignettes that are meant to expose his secrets are misplaced and distracting. The imagery is absolutely horrible. (My personal favorite mentions how her skin was like butter melting on hot grits.) What was meant to be beautiful turns out to be clunky and awkward.
Fireworks Over Toccoa could have been gut-wrenching and passionate. Instead, it is cliched, predictable and just plain cheesy. The best part about the novel is that at 260 pages, one can finish the entire novel in a matter of a few hours. No more time is needed to experience this example of bad romance.
ladyhighwayman's review
5.0
I was teetering between three and four stars to rate this, until it made me CRY. Crying = automatic five stars. It is rare for a book to make me cry. I probably can count how many times I've cried over a book on one hand.
People are comparing this to Nicholas Sparks, but as I have never read him, I won't.
I read this in about a day; it was a fast read, but by no means a light one. This book proves the term 'quality over quantity'.
It tells the story of Lily Davis, married just three weeks when her husband was shipped off overseas in 1942. We find her in 1945, just days before her husband is set to return. Set in Tocca Georgia, Lily goes about her normal life, if you want to call it normal, unpacking everything and setting up house. In the course of all this, she runs across Jake Russo, who is in town to create the fireworks display on the 4th of July. Meeting him shakes up Lily's life. She realizes she barely knows the man she calls her husband and that she is tired of her organized, planned out southern life. She feels passionate about this dark stranger, who she has only known for a short time. Passionate enough to leave her entire life behind?
I was intrigued by Jake Russo, an Italian American, who fought in WWII while his own father was being kept in an interment camp back in America. There's a great flashback scene where Jake is talking to his father through the gate of the interment camp he's being kept in. He's confused and asks his father how can he fight for this country who is keeping his father - who has never caused no harm to anyone - locked up? I'm glad that this subject was brought up in this book. Interment camps are often overlooked in American history. And Italian interment camps are something that the government has barely acknowledged even happened.
I was completely swept up in the storytelling. It is a beautiful story that left me breathless. I'm so happy I won this, I probably wouldn't have known about it, otherwise.
People are comparing this to Nicholas Sparks, but as I have never read him, I won't.
I read this in about a day; it was a fast read, but by no means a light one. This book proves the term 'quality over quantity'.
It tells the story of Lily Davis, married just three weeks when her husband was shipped off overseas in 1942. We find her in 1945, just days before her husband is set to return. Set in Tocca Georgia, Lily goes about her normal life, if you want to call it normal, unpacking everything and setting up house. In the course of all this, she runs across Jake Russo, who is in town to create the fireworks display on the 4th of July. Meeting him shakes up Lily's life. She realizes she barely knows the man she calls her husband and that she is tired of her organized, planned out southern life. She feels passionate about this dark stranger, who she has only known for a short time. Passionate enough to leave her entire life behind?
I was intrigued by Jake Russo, an Italian American, who fought in WWII while his own father was being kept in an interment camp back in America. There's a great flashback scene where Jake is talking to his father through the gate of the interment camp he's being kept in. He's confused and asks his father how can he fight for this country who is keeping his father - who has never caused no harm to anyone - locked up? I'm glad that this subject was brought up in this book. Interment camps are often overlooked in American history. And Italian interment camps are something that the government has barely acknowledged even happened.
I was completely swept up in the storytelling. It is a beautiful story that left me breathless. I'm so happy I won this, I probably wouldn't have known about it, otherwise.
kellyhager's review
3.0
This is an incredibly sweet (and sad) love story in the vein of Nicholas Sparks. But don't judge; Stepakoff wrote for The Wonder Years. So this is a book that you can read in public with no shame. :)
This is set toward the end of World War II. Lily's a young bride and very excited that her husband, Paul, is coming home after three and a half years of being in Europe for the war. He'll be home in less than a week, and so she's working hard to get their house ready. (She's spent much of the separation back in her parents' home.)
And then she meets Jake, who just might be her soulmate. So there's a choice--the life she's already committed to, or the life she didn't know she could have.
If you're in the mood for a great love story, wait til March 30 and pick this up. The prose is a little purple, but I'm a big fan of melodrama, so that just made me like it more. :)
(And Emily Giffin, one of my favorite authors, said it's a "luminous love story that readers won't soon forget.")
I hope they make this into a movie.
This is set toward the end of World War II. Lily's a young bride and very excited that her husband, Paul, is coming home after three and a half years of being in Europe for the war. He'll be home in less than a week, and so she's working hard to get their house ready. (She's spent much of the separation back in her parents' home.)
And then she meets Jake, who just might be her soulmate. So there's a choice--the life she's already committed to, or the life she didn't know she could have.
If you're in the mood for a great love story, wait til March 30 and pick this up. The prose is a little purple, but I'm a big fan of melodrama, so that just made me like it more. :)
(And Emily Giffin, one of my favorite authors, said it's a "luminous love story that readers won't soon forget.")
I hope they make this into a movie.
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