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Chasing Fools
Relationships are complicated even under the best of circumstances. For Varda Dorfman and Tommy Campi, these are the worst of times. Varda, an illegal foods smuggler, has pissed off Anthony Carluccio, the kingpin of the local underground dinner club, and put her plans for the future in serious jeopardy. Her boyfriend Gino won't quit bugging her to get married, even though his mother hates her. Tommy, Gino's brother and the ladies man of the family, can't even introduce the love of his life to anyone: he's secretly gay and dating the son of Carluccio's biggest competition. And now Tommy's getting pressure to go public.
When Carluccio's hit man turns up dead in Varda's closet after snacking on poisonous mushrooms, all hell breaks loose. Varda's running for her life, and since his mother is dating Carluccio, Gino's convinced the only way to save her life is to finally drag her to the altar. And when people start discovering Tommy's hush-hush relationship, things really start to get interesting.
When Carluccio's hit man turns up dead in Varda's closet after snacking on poisonous mushrooms, all hell breaks loose. Varda's running for her life, and since his mother is dating Carluccio, Gino's convinced the only way to save her life is to finally drag her to the altar. And when people start discovering Tommy's hush-hush relationship, things really start to get interesting.
284 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2012
3 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Aida Brassington
2 books53 followersAida Brassington is an award winning writer who lives in the suburbs of Pennsylvania with her husband of five years and a Great Dane named Patrick.
She is a former political junkie with a deep interest in artisan food, reading, and scuba diving. She has never spent time in a mental institution but often questions her mental health.
Aida can be bribed with chocolate. Bribed into what? Well, that all depends.
She is a former political junkie with a deep interest in artisan food, reading, and scuba diving. She has never spent time in a mental institution but often questions her mental health.
Aida can be bribed with chocolate. Bribed into what? Well, that all depends.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 14, 2012
Such a good book! Mmm-mmm-mmmhm! I am still having a happy glow from reading it. ^^
For now the review is posted on Rain Hart's and my blog, so check it out -
here
A goodreads review will be added later on.
General conclusion? Go and buy this book for yourselves!!
For now the review is posted on Rain Hart's and my blog, so check it out -
here
A goodreads review will be added later on.
General conclusion? Go and buy this book for yourselves!!
July 11, 2012
I was lucky enough to get to read this before publication. I have to say this was the most unusual....erm.....romance/family drama/dark comedy/wise guy/foodie/gross-out story I ever read! Yeah, genre is hard to pick but that doesn't really matter.
I confess that when I first started I was kinda WTF? The main character, Varda, is an illegal food smuggler. *snicker* I am not a person with a weak stomach and there's very little that grosses me out but the book opens with her on a job and....yeah, I'll let you read that yourself, LOL. But that's not what Varda wants to do with her life. She's saving up for her dream.
I liked all the characters. I really liked how they progressed, in regards to how I perceived them. In the beginning, when they're being introduced and we're getting the backstory, I was thinking that they were a pretty weird bunch for one reason or another. And they stayed weird, but the more I read of them, the more I loved them. The weird/quirky didn't go away but just kind of faded into part of who they were. Because I cared about them, their quirks in no way trumped the love and care they showed for each other. Or the lengths they would go to in helping each other out, oh God. So hilarious!
Varda is finally ready to retire from smuggling. The wanna-be wise guy who runs one of the underground dinner clubs that she supplies wants her to do one more job for him, and Varda refuses. So he actually puts out a hit on her.
The scheming that Varda's boyfriend Gino, his family & their friends come up with the keep her safe is so ridiculously funny. I can't remember when a book made me laugh more than this did. Honestly, when I started, I was kinda "I don't know about this" but by the end I was so hooked in to the story.
The writing is just what I would expect from Aida Brassington, having read her debut novel Between Seasons. Her prose is as always, crisp, clear and very readable. Her descriptions of the characters and their world made it real to me.
Awesome, unique, and fun as hell to read. Loved it!
I confess that when I first started I was kinda WTF? The main character, Varda, is an illegal food smuggler. *snicker* I am not a person with a weak stomach and there's very little that grosses me out but the book opens with her on a job and....yeah, I'll let you read that yourself, LOL. But that's not what Varda wants to do with her life. She's saving up for her dream.
I liked all the characters. I really liked how they progressed, in regards to how I perceived them. In the beginning, when they're being introduced and we're getting the backstory, I was thinking that they were a pretty weird bunch for one reason or another. And they stayed weird, but the more I read of them, the more I loved them. The weird/quirky didn't go away but just kind of faded into part of who they were. Because I cared about them, their quirks in no way trumped the love and care they showed for each other. Or the lengths they would go to in helping each other out, oh God. So hilarious!
Varda is finally ready to retire from smuggling. The wanna-be wise guy who runs one of the underground dinner clubs that she supplies wants her to do one more job for him, and Varda refuses. So he actually puts out a hit on her.
The scheming that Varda's boyfriend Gino, his family & their friends come up with the keep her safe is so ridiculously funny. I can't remember when a book made me laugh more than this did. Honestly, when I started, I was kinda "I don't know about this" but by the end I was so hooked in to the story.
The writing is just what I would expect from Aida Brassington, having read her debut novel Between Seasons. Her prose is as always, crisp, clear and very readable. Her descriptions of the characters and their world made it real to me.
Awesome, unique, and fun as hell to read. Loved it!
might-read-freebie
December 29, 2012Free on Amazon 12.28.12
August 1, 2012
Received book from author for a fair and honest review: 3½ stars/5 stars
Aida Brassington’s Chasing Fools is a light read with a bit of romance, humor, suspense, a seriously colorful cast of characters, and some really weird food. Since this adult novel absolutely revolves around its large cast of characters, I thought it best to provide you, dear reader, with a rundown of who’s who.
Varda: cheese maker, Gino’s girlfriend, the bane of Flora’s existence and former exotic food smuggler. Yes, that is apparently a real job ☺ Varda is strong-willed, mouthy, and absolutely in love with two things: cheese and Gino.
Gino: Varda’s hopelessly romantic boyfriend and Tommy’s brother. He’s an Italian Catholic from Philly, with a penchant for wearing really bad clothes and using words like “homeslice”. Gino is sweet and delightfully oblivious to his own lameness; he actually thinks the super saggy pants are awesome and calling people “homeslice” is still cool.
Tommy: Gino’s gay brother and Ryan’s boyfriend. Hands down, Tommy is one of my favorite characters in this novel. He is sweet, feisty, often squeamish, but willing to walk through Hell for his family and friends. Tommy’s strength lies in his love of his family, and his devotion to Ryan. You just can’t help but love him.
Ryan: Tommy’s boyfriend. Ryan is a darling who adores Tommy and is willing to go along with any crazy plan, as long as it helps Tommy and makes him happy. Lucky for Tommy, Ryan’s parents have a shady background, and a skill set that comes in quite handy.
Anthony C.: What a pig! Anthony C. is a slob of a man, who fancies himself a connected man of the mob. Anthony loves weird, exotic, and often seriously disgusting foods, which he has Varda procure for him. Anthony’s girth is only overshadowed by two things: his incompetence and his stupidity. I laughed out loud at a few of his stupid moves.
Flora: Holy cats! Flora is a beautifully written Italian Catholic widow who is absolutely certain Varda is no good for her son Gino. The things that come out of this woman’s mouth are as hysterical as they are offensive. I am not quite sure how Varda manages to control her need to punch Flora in the nose ☺
Nana: I loves me some Nana! While Nana doesn’t make much of an appearance early in the novel, when she does show up, she’s there to play. Nana is a great character with a rather surprising background, and once Nana really gets going, even her family is a bit frightened by her.
Bottom line: Chasing Fools plot is a bit weak for me, but it is carried through by the delight of this novel, its characters. Brassington has put together such a weird set of people and circumstances that what initially seems to be rather odd and far-fetched somehow comes together in the end and makes perfect if warped sense. The novel’s pacing is good, the unfolding of the plot is not rushed, and all of the characters have ample time to develop and fit themselves into their place within the plot. With this being said, I still wasn’t jumping up and down with anticipation to plow through this one. I liked the story, I really liked the characters, but I was left with an overall impression of this being an OK read. Would I recommend it? Yeah, I would, but I honestly can’t say it should be pushed to the top of your TBR list.
Aida Brassington’s Chasing Fools is a light read with a bit of romance, humor, suspense, a seriously colorful cast of characters, and some really weird food. Since this adult novel absolutely revolves around its large cast of characters, I thought it best to provide you, dear reader, with a rundown of who’s who.
Varda: cheese maker, Gino’s girlfriend, the bane of Flora’s existence and former exotic food smuggler. Yes, that is apparently a real job ☺ Varda is strong-willed, mouthy, and absolutely in love with two things: cheese and Gino.
Gino: Varda’s hopelessly romantic boyfriend and Tommy’s brother. He’s an Italian Catholic from Philly, with a penchant for wearing really bad clothes and using words like “homeslice”. Gino is sweet and delightfully oblivious to his own lameness; he actually thinks the super saggy pants are awesome and calling people “homeslice” is still cool.
Tommy: Gino’s gay brother and Ryan’s boyfriend. Hands down, Tommy is one of my favorite characters in this novel. He is sweet, feisty, often squeamish, but willing to walk through Hell for his family and friends. Tommy’s strength lies in his love of his family, and his devotion to Ryan. You just can’t help but love him.
Ryan: Tommy’s boyfriend. Ryan is a darling who adores Tommy and is willing to go along with any crazy plan, as long as it helps Tommy and makes him happy. Lucky for Tommy, Ryan’s parents have a shady background, and a skill set that comes in quite handy.
Anthony C.: What a pig! Anthony C. is a slob of a man, who fancies himself a connected man of the mob. Anthony loves weird, exotic, and often seriously disgusting foods, which he has Varda procure for him. Anthony’s girth is only overshadowed by two things: his incompetence and his stupidity. I laughed out loud at a few of his stupid moves.
Flora: Holy cats! Flora is a beautifully written Italian Catholic widow who is absolutely certain Varda is no good for her son Gino. The things that come out of this woman’s mouth are as hysterical as they are offensive. I am not quite sure how Varda manages to control her need to punch Flora in the nose ☺
Nana: I loves me some Nana! While Nana doesn’t make much of an appearance early in the novel, when she does show up, she’s there to play. Nana is a great character with a rather surprising background, and once Nana really gets going, even her family is a bit frightened by her.
Bottom line: Chasing Fools plot is a bit weak for me, but it is carried through by the delight of this novel, its characters. Brassington has put together such a weird set of people and circumstances that what initially seems to be rather odd and far-fetched somehow comes together in the end and makes perfect if warped sense. The novel’s pacing is good, the unfolding of the plot is not rushed, and all of the characters have ample time to develop and fit themselves into their place within the plot. With this being said, I still wasn’t jumping up and down with anticipation to plow through this one. I liked the story, I really liked the characters, but I was left with an overall impression of this being an OK read. Would I recommend it? Yeah, I would, but I honestly can’t say it should be pushed to the top of your TBR list.
October 29, 2012
3,5 stars for women superiority here.
There's two plots here; Varda's - the food smuggler, and Tommy's - the closeted gay.
And how's their story intertwined, it's involved Italian mafioso, Irish mob and the hunting for poisonous fungus!
A fun reading, but I more enjoyed Tommy's plot. He and Ryan is such a cute couple. I just cant connect with Varda and Gino. I even hate Varda a little in the beginning. When Tommy came out to here she's told here friend right away. Jeezzz... :/
And when I said "women superiority" off course it's not Varda, but that Nanna and Budgie!
The ending was a bit rushed, I meant I wanna see Tommy's Ma reaction when he come out to her.
I think Aida need to write MM Romance in the future (^.^)v
There's two plots here; Varda's - the food smuggler, and Tommy's - the closeted gay.
And how's their story intertwined, it's involved Italian mafioso, Irish mob and the hunting for poisonous fungus!
A fun reading, but I more enjoyed Tommy's plot. He and Ryan is such a cute couple. I just cant connect with Varda and Gino. I even hate Varda a little in the beginning. When Tommy came out to here she's told here friend right away. Jeezzz... :/
And when I said "women superiority" off course it's not Varda, but that Nanna and Budgie!
The ending was a bit rushed, I meant I wanna see Tommy's Ma reaction when he come out to her.
I think Aida need to write MM Romance in the future (^.^)v
March 28, 2013
I thought this would be another cozy with some food thrown in. Not a cozy, but very cute. Great character development. One star deducted for minimal poor editing, mostly missing words. Would recommend, but not for all.
July 27, 2012
I loved this book after recieve recieved the book in a Goodreads giveaway. I'm a new fan of Aida Brassington now.
Read
August 1, 2012loved it!
Want to read
February 15, 2016215pgs, Romantic suspense with a gay storyline
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews