Dante's Gift

A Chicago Christmas, Book 1

By: Aubrey Wynne

Narrated by: Tom Jordan

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Kathleen James has put her practical side away for once and looks forward to the perfect romantic evening: an intimate dinner with the man of her dreams and an engagement ring. She is not prepared to hear that he wants to bring his grandmother back from Italy to live with him.

Dominic Lawrence has planned this marriage proposal for six months. Nothing can go wrong-until his Nonna calls. Now he must interrupt the tenderest night of Katie's life with the news that another woman will be under their roof.

When Antonia's sister dies, she finds herself longing to be back in the States. An Italian wartime bride from the 1940s, she knows how precious love can be. Can her own story of an American soldier and a very special collie once again bring two hearts together at Christmas?

©2015 Aubrey Wynne (P)2017 Aubrey Wynne

Really liked

Kept me listening well written and liked the speaker would recommend this book and author to all my friends

short and sweer

a sweet short story. didn't change my life, but was a fun, short listen.

I received this audiobook at my request and I voluntarily wrote a review.

One love story helps the other.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This story two separate love stories intertwine with one another. The first love story is set in present-day Chicago about Dominic and Kathleen. The other love story is set during World War II in Italy between Dominic's Italian born grandmother and his American soldier grandfather. I've never listened to a love story where one love story is vital to the second.

When the Story begins Dominic is going all out in order to proposed to his longtime girlfriend Kathleen. Their relationship hit a snag when Dominic has to bring his grandmother over from Italy when her sister dies. Kathleen has never had a close-knit family nor does she understand affection so she does not understand why Dominic wants to bring his grandmother over so that she can live with him.

When Dominic first and informs Kathleen about the decision to bring his grandmother over she acts like a petulant child. She is completely unhappy and she does not want anybody ruining her future for her. I can honestly say that I dislike Kathleen when that scene occurred. It did not become better until she finally meets Antonia, Dominic's grandmother. I do understand with Kathleen is coming from because this was unexpected and having somebody in a new house as a married couple is difficult. However the way that she talked about Nonna was unnecessary.

I have to admit that the story between Dominic's grandparents was just simply amazing. The meeting was simple the romance however was not. The romance consisted of love, trust, and just all-around respect. I do believe that is how Dominic wants his relationship with Kathleen to be.

Kathleen and Dominic did balance each other out and when Kathleen decided to stop being so analytical but everything and start thinking with her heart she grew on me. Her upbringing was very sterile and impersonal and she did not get the whole big Italian family and being in each other's business and just generally being happy to be around one another. There were certain moments that she realized that she had a high opinion of herself and took herself down a peg.

Overall this was a wonderful holiday story. This story does start in October and does end in December. Tom Jordan did a wonderful job narrating the story and I believed 100% and what he was saying. I believe the love and the hurt and the joy that he brought to all of the characters. This is the first book from Aubrey Wynne that I have read and it will not be the last.

6 stars!

Dear Santa, for Christmas I would like a Dante of my own. A Dominick wouldn't be bad either if he continues to have Tom Jordan's voice. This is truly a heartwarming story. You get two love stories all in one. I did get teary eyed so beware. Highly recommended!

One of the Best!

I fell in love with this story! What a well written book that spans time and cultures. I will definitely be listening to this beautiful story again. I thought the narrator did an outstanding performance with his distinguishable voices for the various characters. Plus, I love his voice. The author wrote such vivid imagery and included so many realistic details that I could picture so much in my mind. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. This book is a standalone listen and part of a series. I will definitely be listening to more books by this author and narrator.

Grandma is sweet!

Wynne has a good romance here. But I will say that I was not a fan of the leading lady. Kathleen was very rude and annoying through most of this story. I'm glad she learned to grow up, but honestly she was breaking my heart being all like: I don't wanna be with you and your grandma in the same place. Pretty rude considering the grandma was of sound mind, she just couldn't live on her own as she was old and needed some help. I'd understand if the grandma had alzheimers or dimensia of some sort. I really enjoyed grandma's story about her love life. It was very sweet and heartbreaking. Dominic is also a sweet and loving boy/man. I found it endearing the way he loved his grandma. It was in that caring for family kind of way, not being a momma's boy way. I give the story a 4.5/5 stars. 

Tom did a good job narrating. He had good voices for the main characters and I think captured the tones for each well. I definitely feel like he added a lot of fun to this story and I'd love to listen to him perform something else! Studio production sounds great as well. I give it a 5/5!

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Aubrey Wynne. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Sweet and Heartfelt

This is a really sweet novella. I really enjoyed it! I listened to the audio version of this story, and the narrator did an excellent job. He has a really good tone to his voice. I'd recommend the listening experience. This book features 2 great love stories. One is of Kathleen and Dominic, he's ready to propose, but something happens that makes him want to bring his grandmother to come and live with him. Kathleen has never met the grandmother, so she's unsure about marrying Dom. Kat and Dom's relationship becomes a little strained, but they care for each other. I see Kathleen's point, and I think Dom should've approached the proposal differently or at a different time. Kat and Dom are cute together, and I liked them both. The other story is of Dom's grandma, Antonia, and his grandfather during WWII. He was an American soldier and she a small town Italian girl. This story is adorable! This book leaves the reader with a warm heart. Lovely read!

Current generation can always learn from the past

Too many cooks in a kitchen comes to mind, but then, there are those cooks who love to share food, wine and friends.
I can sympathize with the main female character, as sharing a house with an older domineering female would not be my idea of marital bliss.
However, you need to read (or listen) to the writer's words of wisdom, to understand how some elders are not the same as others.

A Worthwhile Romance to Hear

4/5 Dante’s Gift by Aubrey Wynne

Narrated by Tom Jordan

Summary: Two love stories woven into one. Present tale: A girl isn’t quite sure she wants to commit to the perfect guy because his grandmother suddenly becomes a part of the picture. Past tale: An Italian girl meets an America GI in the winddown and aftermath of WWII.

Additional Comments:

- I’m not a huge fan of stories that bounce from the present to the past, but this was pretty well-done.

- Choosing a male narrator for the book is a pretty bold move, but Tom Jordan did a lovely job with it.

- Characters 4/5: They’re pretty well fleshed out, but I don’t remember their names. Dante’s the dog in the past story. That much I remember because the title didn’t make much sense until the last third of the story. I remember liking the BFF of the present day female lead.

- Conflicts 3.5/5: The romantic conflicts aren’t that mind blowing, but they work.

Conclusion: A worthwhile romance to listen to any time.

*I received a free copy of the audiobook, but I have chosen to review it. All thoughts are my own.

A Very Pleasant Experience

Would you consider the audio edition of Dante's Gift to be better than the print version?

I have not read the book but I can say that this was a very pleasant experience. It leave me on the fence about whether I would purchase the book or not. I enjoyed having Mr. Jordan read the story to me. It also frees me up to do other things and still get my book fix. I could picture listening to this story as I go about getting the house ready for the holidays. Or even as I put all the holiday stuff away.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dante's Gift?

I think the most memorable moments came when Dominic's grandmother comes back to the states and tells Kathleen a story about true love. In this book you get two romance stories for the price of one.

Which character – as performed by Tom Jordan – was your favorite?

It might surprise you but it was Antonia. He doesn't try to sound female but he doesn't have to in order to enjoy listening to him tell this tale. Antonia had a way of having me think of my own grandparents and that just brought an automatic smile to my face.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't say that I had an extreme reaction but I did really enjoy listening to Antonia's story. Just like Kathleen, I came to look forward to where the story was going.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Jordan has the perfect voice to bring this story to life. He changes his tone just enough that you can tell when a female is speaking. Ms. Wynne has written a perfect Christmas romance. Mixing the past with a current romance was something I looked forward to. The story shows that the women of the past can have something in common with today's women. I hated having to stop but when your boss comes in to the office, you can't really keep listening - even though I wanted to. There was never any perfect spot to stop which made it just that much harder.

It may seem like a Christmas story but you could listen/read this book at any time of year. It's a story that seems to end too quickly. But the good news is that you can go back and listen to it at any time. Mr. Jordan has the type of voice that you just have to listen to what he's saying. This means you're left with no choice but to concentrate on what he's saying. You also know if a narrator has done their job when you can visualize every scene that passes by. This story made me a fan to both the author and the narrator.