Rating: 
Summary: Transporting and rich
Review: A classic romance for the intelligent woman who could use an escape. This story never drags. Instead, it unfolds rhythmically, all the while building suspicion and suspense, and at the same time delighting the reader with beautiful visuals painted in words. It's like strolling through a romance display in an art gallery.
Rating: 
Summary: Falls short
Review: At first glance, this book is the standard romance novel of girl meets boy, girl loses boy, and then a happy denouement. Nevertheless, as it turns out, "Gianna" is more than a story with the usual twists of fate that lead to a romantic conclusion. Upon close examination, we find the heroine is an emotionally insecure woman in spite of possessing a high degree of intelligence and beauty holding down a successful career. Even though she has obviously had relationships with men in the past, none have been successful because of these insecurities that stem from being raised by a nagging Italian mother who is mired in ancient family values that are out of touch with the 21st Century and modern women. Although Gianna tries to be free of her mother's apron strings, she is always pulled back to the old ways and can't live the life she wants until she breaks free of her upbringing. Her best friend has strong values and tries to make Gianna understand that she is heading down a path to unhappiness, but Gianna thinks her friend is being judgmental and allows her emotions to take over which brings about the usual results. "Gianna" starts out well, but many flaws in this work soon become apparent. Instead of the author relying on gimmicks to resolve thorny issues, it would have been better for her to give the heroine the wherewithal to overcome the obstacles that block her way to happiness. The plot becomes derivative of an old soap opera and descends from there into mediocrity. Ms. Holmes writing lacks the maturity for "Gianna" to be a winner. At times, there is too much verbiage as though the author is required to fill a prescribed number of pages, and the careless editing caused this reader to be distracted from the flow of the story. Furthermore, her writing is missing that certain warmth and sparkle that would bring life to her prose. In short, Ms. Holmes style is sterile. She needs to better understand her inner Self in order to inject soul into her work and possibly rise above the level of the ordinary in her chosen genre'.
Rating:
Summary: Falls short
Review: At first glance, this book is the standard romance novel of girl meets boy, girl loses boy, and then a happy denouement. Nevertheless, as it turns out, "Gianna" is more than a story with the usual twists of fate that lead to a romantic conclusion. Upon close examination, we find the heroine is an emotionally insecure woman in spite of possessing a high degree of intelligence and beauty holding down a successful career. Even though she has obviously had relationships with men in the past, none have been successful because of these insecurities that stem from being raised by a nagging Italian mother who is mired in ancient family values that are out of touch with the 21st Century and modern women. Although Gianna tries to be free of her mother's apron strings, she is always pulled back to the old ways and can't live the life she wants until she breaks free of her upbringing. Her best friend has strong values and tries to make Gianna understand that she is heading down a path to unhappiness, but Gianna thinks her friend is being judgmental and allows her emotions to take over which brings about the usual results. "Gianna" starts out well, but many flaws in this work soon become apparent. Instead of the author relying on gimmicks to resolve thorny issues, it would have been better for her to give the heroine the wherewithal to overcome the obstacles that block her way to happiness. The plot becomes derivative of an old soap opera and descends from there into mediocrity. Ms. Holmes writing lacks the maturity for "Gianna" to be a winner. At times, there is too much verbiage as though the author is required to fill a prescribed number of pages, and the careless editing caused this reader to be distracted from the flow of the story. Furthermore, her writing is missing that certain warmth and sparkle that would bring life to her prose. In short, Ms. Holmes style is sterile. She needs to better understand her inner Self in order to inject soul into her work and possibly rise above the level of the ordinary in her chosen genre'.
Rating:
Summary: Modern fairy tale
Review: For the most part, this book is a fairy tale and should be regarded as such. The only part of this fantasy that rings true is Ms. Holmes' description of the nagging Italian mother who is never satisfied with anything her daughter does.
It is also unlikely that Gianna's brother who is married to the infertile wife would go and have an affair for that reason alone. Ms. Holmes paragraphs are overly descriptive, rambling, and corny, and she definitely lacks an understanding of human nature, men in particular. "Gianna" is laced with spelling errors and an incorrect name of a male opera role. This poor editing and fact checking lends to the reader a feeling of amateurishness. Other than that, reading Gianna is a harmless way to pass two hours.
Rating:
Summary: Gianna ... I loved this book!
Review: Gianna is a well written, compelling love story about an Italian-American woman "Gianna" and her love affair with Vincenzo. Without giving away too much of the story (and this is a story with several twists and turns), Gianna finds herself battling her conscience and the traditions on which she was raised as her romance with Vincenzo spirals into a deep love. Their scenes together are tender and sensual, and the author draws you into their lives with provocative text that makes you truly care about what happens to these characters and makes you route for a happy ending. I especially loved Gianna's interaction with her family which rang true to heart and reminded me very much of my Italian family. Gianna is a wonderful book which I heartfully recommend to everyone wanting to read a great romance and come away inspired! 5 stars!
Rating: 
Summary: A nice little story
Review: I cannot understand why the reviews of this book on this site are like a readers' discussion group. "Gianna", A Love Story", is nothing more than it sets out to be-a romance novel. This plot would easily lend itself to a script for a movie that could be shown on either the "Lifetime" or "WE" channels. It is reasonably well written, but not great, and follows the traditional formula for such a work, e.g. the definition of a romance novel. I found it to be enjoyable in spite of some long-winded and pretentious passages about Carnegie Hall and wine, but other than that, take it for what it is intended to be, a story of two people falling in love, struggling with their morals, but pressing on with their affair in spite of obstacles that keep rising in their path that seem designed by fate to keep them apart. The two lovers are presented with situations that could happen to anyone whether they are Italian or Polish. That's why we identify with them. The narrative at times is amateurish and Ms. Holmes has not hit her stride in this first effort, which can be considered to be a prototype upon which to build better narrative writing. One has to read Ms.Holmes' newsletter on her website to see her writing at it's very best. Although it borders on being an expression of self-help, it is truly excellent. Should her next novel come up to the writing excellence of her newsletter, she would be on her way to a fabulous writing career. Men would fall at her feet if they were lucky enough to read her work and see the passion and enthusiasm in it, which readily reveals her soul and intelligence. We women, who are hopeless romantics anyway and thrive on this genre', eagerly await her next opus. Read "Gianna" and enjoy it as the author meant it to be, an adventure in true and everlasting love.
Rating:
Summary: A nice little story
Review: I cannot understand why the reviews of this book on this site are like a readers' discussion group. "Gianna", A Love Story", is nothing more than it sets out to be-a romance novel. This plot would easily lend itself to a script for a movie that could be shown on either the "Lifetime" or "WE" channels. It is reasonably well written, but not great, and follows the traditional formula for such a work, e.g. the definition of a romance novel. I found it to be enjoyable in spite of some long-winded and pretentious passages about Carnegie Hall and wine, but other than that, take it for what it is intended to be, a story of two people falling in love, struggling with their morals, but pressing on with their affair in spite of obstacles that keep rising in their path that seem designed by fate to keep them apart. The two lovers are presented with situations that could happen to anyone whether they are Italian or Polish. That's why we identify with them. The narrative at times is amateurish and Ms. Holmes has not hit her stride in this first effort, which can be considered to be a prototype upon which to build better narrative writing. One has to read Ms.Holmes' newsletter on her website to see her writing at it's very best. Although it borders on being an expression of self-help, it is truly excellent. Should her next novel come up to the writing excellence of her newsletter, she would be on her way to a fabulous writing career. Men would fall at her feet if they were lucky enough to read her work and see the passion and enthusiasm in it, which readily reveals her soul and intelligence. We women, who are hopeless romantics anyway and thrive on this genre', eagerly await her next opus. Read "Gianna" and enjoy it as the author meant it to be, an adventure in true and everlasting love.
Rating:
Summary: West Coast Review
Review: I wanted to give a West Coast perspective/review of Gianna that is more in line with the first review of 5 stars. I believe the subsequent reviewers missed the underlying themes and elements that make this book such a good read. First of all, though clearly a romance, it's far from the typical bodice-ripper with long, drawn out passages. The author's prose is crisply descriptive, and I found each scene propelling the story forward. Though Gianna and Vincenzo find love, there are specific elements that keep them apart. Gianna's alliance to her family, specifically her mother, show the staunch life of being raised in a traditional Italian home where respect of parental opinions and values result in suppression of feelings and ultimately life-altering choices. These decisions that Gianna made might have been different had her mother not been so judgmental, and Gianna, in hindsight, realizes that she should have given her mother the opportunity to be supportive. Consequently, Gianna's fault lies not in being insecure but in being a respectful Italian-American daughter, which in itself is not a flaw but a strength of character. Gianna's best friend, Trina, was raised in a similar household, and through the author's characterization, we see that Trina is the flipside of Gianna-someone very regimented in opinions who will repeat the cycle of a strict, moral-based Italian-American household. Another immensely important scene deals with Gianna's brother (Michael) wanting to have an affair because his marriage has become wearisome due to difficulties in conceiving a baby. The stress of infertility rocks marriages to the core, and Gianna learns that Michael's temptation to have an affair has nothing to do with him not loving his wife. This is vital to her own affair with Vincenzo, and it ultimately effects her decision when he proposes. I found this novel to be layered with deep meaning. It is not a typical romance and should not be viewed like one. Rather, it's a piece of fiction with serious themes, drizzled with romance. 5 stars
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Mary-Jo Holmes has written a riveting tale of love and passion in "Gianna". The emotions leapt off the pages and into my heart making me feel that she was writing just for me. Her narration can be compared to listening to an old time radio show where the listener uses her imagination to visualize the realistic characters and settings described in the broadcast. Ms. Holmes has set the table for a party and served up the feast that is so delicious that you have to finish every morsel, including the cannolis and espresso for dessert. The descriptions she gives of the Hudson Valley and Italy is so vivid that they make one feel as though they have been there. Furthermore, this novel is so well crafted that it cries out to be turned into a script for a TV movie as suggested by another reviewer. Perhaps the author had this in mind for a future project. I hope so! What makes this novel so good though, is seeing how the heroine, Gianna, works through the conflict between her love for Vincenzo, who is married but loves Gianna, and her conscience. She lives and breathes this man all the time, wanting to be with him every waking moment, but gets pulled back to reality by her strict, moral, upbringing that taught her that an affair with a married man is wrong. Therefore, she must make a decision about continuing her relationship with Vincenzo. Were they both completely open and honest with each other in the beginning? Does she walk away from him without closure, thus leaving him in the dark as to why she doesn't want him, which is fine if she never crosses paths with him again, but if she does, then what? They are still hung up on each other! Does she sit down with him and tell him frankly she can't get involved with a married man, and send him away with closure? Neither party may be happy about this option, but at least she will feel that she did the right thing for herself, and he will know where he stands, and will likely give up pursuit of an affair that he now realizes can never happen. Alternatively, does she go to him regardless of the consequences and take a chance on love, either having her hopes dashed on the rocks of despair or winding up happily with him? Do the twists and turns of fate resolve their relationship favorably or unfavorably, and do things always happen for a reason, as the author believes? Above all, will Gianna act in a mature way and maintain her pride and bearing regardless of whatever hand Fate deals the lovers? With all these possibilities, the reader has to throw up her hands and ask in frustration, "Why are all the good ones taken?" Mary-Jo Holmes is analogous to a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis in the spring after spending a long winter in hibernation. The romance novel reading public, through this work, will learn about her writing talent. Another reader recommended reading her newsletter on her website. I did! It's wonderful and so inspirational. This lady has a big, warm heart and it's present in "Gianna". Where has she been hiding these past years? She's a dazzling writer who should be getting more exposure. She will after this effort.
Rating: 
Summary: Am I the only one who feels like this?
Review: Mrs. Holmes is to be commended for writing a romance which demonstrates her facility at writing descriptive paragraphs. Her inclusion of lovely Italian poetry is a nice touch. However, the characters are totally unbelieveable. That you could mistake your old uncle's voice and that of a handsome young stranger is laughable. Books shows no understanding of human nature and logical progression of events at all. Poetry, though nice, does nothing whatsoever to enhance the storyline.
How someone could assign a 5 star review is beyond me.
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