Rated  of 5
by Darlene C. (Woodstock, il)
A little of each, master of none
I was very excited to receive this book. Was hoping it would be of same quality as "The Other Boylen Girl". Although I was somewhat disappointed it was still a very good read. It seems the author could not decide if she was writing a historical novel or a romance novel. The result - a little of each. I found the first half of the book slow and plodding but it did get better in the second half.
One of the strengths of the book was the description of Siena itself and the history of the Palio (horse race). Having been fortunate to travel extensively in Italy it was great fun to read about the city and its history. Even if you've never been there, you will still enjoy learning about this amazing city.
I felt the plot development was a bit weak as was the character development, especially the male lead, Riccardo Bruni, who I found pretty one dimensional. The two female characters, Pia and Duchess Violante fared better.
Overall, I enjoyed this book enough that I will most likely read the author's other books about Italy. This is an easy read, a great summer beach book.
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