Ava

by Janet Perroni

After World War I, follow Ava the daughter of an Irish immigrant family in America at the height of the Roaring Twenties, looking for love. Quickly, Ava has her first romantic encounter with a suave, handsome sailor. She becomes pregnant with his child just before his ship departs. Their love was never meant to last, and Ava is now an unwed mother struggling to survive. Following abuse and a series of bad decisions, Ava comes to learn the power of her own sexuality. She uses her beauty and body as tools to get what she needs, but this dangerous lifestyle cannot last. She returns home to her family only to fall prey to yet another ill-advised affair that takes her to Italy but leads to more heartbreak. Alone, Ava fights the stigmas of society. She battles to maintain a delicate balance between motherhood and independence in an antiquated world that loves to shun. Life offers many forks in the road, and we must choose our path. Although Ava's path is twisted and rife with despair, she finds the strength to stand on her own.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Fiction

Paperback

First published October 17, 2019

About the author

Hello!
I will be participating in the Miami Book Fair International November 19-20, 2022. Stop by to visit at the Author Solutions Booth!
A sequel will be published 2023 titled, ‘Ava Again’!
Thank you to everyone who participated in The Goodreads Giveaway for 'Ava". The books to the winners have been mailed and I hope that you enjoy them. There will be another giveaway later at Author Solutions/iUniverse Booth.

First Book published and already won awards!
Trust me I wrote many manuscripts but never thought that they were good enough to publish. This is the first in a series that I am working on.
I feel like it was published and then was lost in the pandemic but now resurrected.
Hope you enjoy it!

Ava-2021 Eric Hoffer First Prize Romance Winner
Ava-2021 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Winner Award
New York Times March 2021
The US Review of Books
Pacific Book Review
Scheduled for Frankfurt, Germany International Book Fair October 2021 under 'American and Canadian Showcase'.

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was interesting but the writing was absolutely awful. It seemed as if it was written by a middle school kid. There are definitely some serious editing/proofreading steps that were missed with this book. It drove me crazy that the spelling of one of the central character’s names kept changing throughout the book.

[Bobbie Barker Ulmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

[Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book. It was the first book I ever won in a giveaway and the author even sent a lovely handwritten note. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The content is not what I consider romance. Even with the one true romantic relationship within the story it was mostly just about physical encounters and little dialogue and connection between the two.

[Lauren Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the concept, the characters, the history and the plot with its many twists and turns for Ava. The story of a young woman coming of age and falls in love with an attractive sailor whose ship departs from port shortly thereafter. Later she has a wild affair with a married whose estranged wife returns causing a love triangle. Now alone with children her father arranged a marriage to a third man. Story of the difficulties she faced and survived. The story takes place in Boston but travels to Italy. A true inspiration!

[Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is horrible. There is no plot. It starts with Ava and ends with her daughter Mary.

Ava fell in love with Alistar, got pregnant and he left.

Ava used sex with Jose to pay for an apartment

Ava fell in love with Devon and became pregnant and he dropped her.

She had to marry Scott and became a sour bitch

Mary is now important and her pov is focused on.

The ending leaves nothing. The story leaves nothing to be desired.

[Lauren J]

Ava is full of emotions for high-stakes drama, blending heartbreak, and betrayal as she falls in love with a suave and handsome sailor as WWI is ending. His ship suddenly departs from Boston, and she is left alone to give birth to a son. Her life spirals out of control until she takes employment as a maid for a wealthy family. There she falls madly in love with their son. Everything is wonderful until his wife returns. It is a true empowering testament of perseverance!

[Gerald Alves]

I like the book and I suggest that people who like romance read it.

[Sharon Rynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing was that of a 1st grader. Theme was interesting but the writing was horrid.

[Gaetano Piccadaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and could not put it down. It was intriguing and captivated my attention from the onset.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty, romantic, and totally pulled me into 1920s Boston. loved it!

[Jeana Gambill Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the unforgiving world of early 20th-century Boston, Ava tells the gripping story of a naive young woman navigating a society that exploits her innocence for its own gain. Trapped by the rigid norms of the era and the stigma of illegitimacy, she faces relentless challenges that test her resilience and force her to become stronger and more resourceful.

The narrative vividly captures the harsh realities of a time when opportunities for women were scarce, immersing readers in Ava’s struggle for survival and self-determination against a backdrop of prejudice and hardship.

AVA is an intriguing and emotionally charged read, with compelling storytelling that keeps you hooked from start to finish. I found myself captivated by Ava’s journey and left yearning for more. Highly recommended!

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was okay but the storytelling was really bland. The main character is flat; she doesn't grow or change in the story, just goes along as events happen to her. Her one redeeming moment is when she stands up to her former landlord, I'd hoped it would be a pivotal point for the character but no. Would not recommend.