It Takes Two: A Novel

by Patrizia Chen

Francesca Rivabuona is fifty and exhausted by the monotony of her life. Stuck in a stale marriage with grown children who have long since fled the coop, and desperate to escape the endless cycle of Upper East Side dinner parties and charity luncheons, she jumps at the chance to write an article about Buenos Aires for a glossy travel magazine. Francesca is instantly captivated by Buenos Aires's palpable rhythm. She explores the city with her new friends -- a group of tango dancers who give her an insider's scoop into the best Buenos Aires has to offer -- and rediscovers the sense of passion and excitement she thought she had relinquished forever. As Francesca learns to master the sensual movements of tango dancing, she begins to let down her guard -- on the dance floor, in the bedroom, and in her personal life. Embarking on a steamy love affair with Argentina's most famous plastic surgeon, she knows that she has been irrevocably transformed by the pulsing, erotic thrill of life in Argentina. At once a tale of a middle-aged woman taking a stand against the disappointments of her life and a sexy, fast-paced, entertaining novel about the ecstasy of tango dancing, It Takes Two reads like a soulful irresistible, exotic, and sensual.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2009

Reviews

[Marilyn Maya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most annoying book I've ever finished

I am disgusted by this book. The author who has considerable knowledge about tango but zero about writing "created" such an unlikable character that I wanted to shake her. We hear about her husband who ignores her, her children who made the horrible mistake of growing up and her being so beautiful and from such a distinguished family au nauseum. It gets worse. Her characters are so unbelievable, not at all fleshed out and she makes the fatal mistake of telling, telling, and more telling of other peoples sad stories. There is no showing except for the sex that in the "end" can only be called gross.
I finished it, I admit. That is where my one star comes from. But like overeating donuts, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Francesa the main character speaks Italian and Spanish and Tango and the author is so disrespctful of her readers she doesn't bother to translate most of it
In one ironic part Francesca who is also an author quotes a famous Italian author saying that writing is like extending your hand; the reader will only take it if it is warm and friendly. This book is anything but warm. The main charater/author is so in love with herself, there are more "I" statements than should ever be in any book. The main character lacks character, lacks gratitude for anything but her beauty, her sex life and her wonderful cooking. Her husband who we never really know much about and their life in NYC (which sounded pretty good to me) is trashed as anyone else who dares to not agree with her. The other characters, are cartoonish. These include a bisexual confused massochist (an insult to homosexuals) his female and male lovers, her good friend who is given one story line at the end. Everything seems patched together except her love affair with herself, her cooking and her Argentian lover who buys shoes for her. huh? Even her cooking left me cold. The one star is for Tango and Buenas Aires which she decribes in detail and the passion that is tango. If you read this book you will regret it in the morning. I did. Comment | Permalink

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but instead found myself struggling through it at the halfway point, wanting to finish but happy that it wasn't much longer. While the sex scenes were certainly steamy and the dance descriptions interesting, I never really connected with any of the characters and found the story line to be predictable and unrealistic. I'm all for romance, but this one read more like a fairy tale for the middle aged set only in this story the handsome price arrived in a jet or Mercedes instead of the white horse.

Overall, not a terrible read but one I wouldn't recommend.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great fun, evoking the rhythms of the city of Buenos Aires as well as the rhythms of tango. Patrizia's (she happens to be a friend) love of people and food and tango and sex is evident--this book will definitely warm you on a cold winter's night.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible

[Bss · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's interesting how a middle-aged woman can start her life all over again.

[Joy Ricci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love it! Great escape - if you liked Eat, Pray, Love - you'll enjoy this. It's particularly suited for women over 50 year old women - something this type of fiction often ignores!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was at twenty pages into this book, I realized I may need to keep a glass of cold water handy!