The Supreme Macaroni Company called to me, both because it was by Adriana Trigiani and because of the Italian heritage I knew would run deep in it. I'm always fascinated by glimpses into the lives of others. I also love Trigiani's ability to bring a whole family, an entire clan of loving, swearing, supportive people, to life. I was ready to get lost in another of her books. Keep in mind I had no idea this was the third book in a series. Apparently Valentine's story has been going on for two books previous to this, and therefore I was coming in at the end. On the bright side, it didn't even register that I'd missed anything at first. Valentine and Gianluca were easy to fall in step with. I was a little daunted by their age difference initially, but their family dynamic really drew me in. What kept me from falling in love with The Supreme Macaroni Company was that everything moved so quickly. Time flew as Valentine moved from being engaged, to being a married woman and beyond. I adored how much passion she had for her work. I wanted to see more of her creations. More of her personality. It all felt swallowed up by her relationship with Gianluca. Maybe if I had read the first two books I'd feel differently. Perhaps what I was missing happened in books past. All I know is that I ended the book feeling a bit cheated. It's true that it's harder to judge The Supreme Macaroni Company, simply because I didn't know this was the last book in a series. Still, I can't deny that I enjoyed the ride. The relationship between Valentine and Gianluca was bittersweet, and I did love the family as well. If nothing else I know I'll be going to back to read the two books before this.