Rated of 5
by Carm D. (Omaha, NE) The Blind Contessa's New Machine
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and retained my interest through the entire story. I would have preferred a different ending but the characters are wonderful. This is a lovely first novel.
Rated of 5
by Celia A. (Takoma Park, MD) I wanted it to be better
This book was a fast read, but it didn’t grab me. Carolina Fantoni, the contessa of the title, was the only character who seemed particularly fleshed out. The characters are based on historical figures, so perhaps Wallace had less to work with for the characters of Pietro (the husband) and Turri (the friend and inventor of an early typewriter). I did enjoy Wallace’s description of Carolina’s experience as she was going blind. This wasn’t a bad book, but I wanted it to be better.
Rated of 5
by Roseann B. (Santee, CA) A tale of loss, both physical and emotional
The real premise of this romantic story is the fact that Carolina realizes she is going blind right before her wedding day and while most do not believe her, Turri does and creates a writing machine (typewriter) which leads to a hidden romance and a love triangle that lasts a lifetime.
I should begin by saying that I generally stay away from romances, unless there is some paranormal aspect present, but I really enjoyed this story. The romance, while ever-present, does not overpower the trials that Carolina faces at dealing with blindness. I think that losing my sight is my (and probably most readers') greatest fear and Ms. Wallace has Carolina face it with dignity and grace. I also love the idea that someone would create a way for his beloved to communicate when she no longer could write. Wallace also adds a depth to the characters which is not often seen in romance fair—there are undertones of deeper psychological torment throughout that made this a book I did not want to put down.
Rated of 5
by Joan V. (ny) The Blind Contessa's New Machine
This book was an interesting read, but the ending was rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered. Some of the characters, Pietro, the husband were a bit too conventional. To me the most interesting and original character was Turri. He was the most three dimensional person in the book. On the positive side, the descriptions of the Contessa going blind and her eventual blindness were very vivid. You could feel Carolina’s fear mounting as her blindness progressed. The scenes where she learned to travel around the house at night and find her way to the lake were interesting, but became a bit repetitious after awhile. I definitely would like to read more by this writer.
Rated of 5
by Kim L. (cary, IL) The Blind Contessa's New Machine
I found this book to be slow to start. I was disappointed in the ending, it left me wanting more. This was because there was no real depth to any of the characters and I felt let down when I finished the book. It was an intriguing storyline which led me to read the book but it didn't satisfy.
Rated of 5
by Kim L. (cary, IL) The Blind Contessa's New Machine
I found this book to be slow to start. I was disappointed in the ending, it left me wanting more. This was because there was no real depth to any of the characters and I felt let down when I finished the book. It was an intriguing storyline which led me to read the book but it didn't satisfy.
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of 5
by Carm D. (Omaha, NE) 
of 5
by Celia A. (Takoma Park, MD) 
of 5
by Roseann B. (Santee, CA) 
