Celina inherited both the cottage where her beloved grandmother painted her famous watercolors and a faded journal that hints at a long-ago Venetian love affair. It’s the priceless Canaletto hidden away with the journal that piques her curiosity, however. An art historian and appraiser, Celina can’t rest until she knows the story behind the painting – and how deeply the past owner, Conte Massimo di Palladino, touched her grandmother’s life.
Lucca Palladino doesn’t trust the lovely American who appears at the palazzo, particularly when he realizes his grandfather is smitten on sight. He’ll use any means, fair or foul, to remove Celina, including the seductive pleasures of a midnight gondola ride. All he has to do is avoid being seduced himself….
Architecture Lover’s Dream – Vivid Descriptions & Intriguing Plot A book by Jennifer Blake never fails to be worthwhile, carefully and invitingly crafted. She is masterful at vivid descriptions and makes you feel that you are there with the book’s characters. This novel takes place in Venice where Celina Steadman has been hired from the USA to appraise the art collection belonging to a consummate old-world Italian gentleman, Conte Massimo Palladino, who resides in an historic palatial Venetian dwelling. Massimo is charming but sparks fly when his son,…
Sweet, Romantic Story This was a very sweet love story. I felt the characters probably could have been a little more well developed but even so, I really enjoyed the story. What was especially nice too was the location – Venice. It really added a lot to the story. I definitely recommend this book if you like a nice short romantic read. I even quickly downloaded the first one in this series as I discovered I hadn’t read that one yet – The Tuscan’s Revenge Wedding. Not necessary to read them in order as they…
the story line was good, but … I liked the idea of the story, but it did not feel finished. There was little dialog between the characters, mostly background thoughts. When, why and how often did Lucca drop kisses on Celina when crossing bridges? What lead Celina to allow it after finding out he followed her for days? What was in Marilee’s journal that was so significant? What was Massimo’s reaction when he read the journal? Did he get to read it? Excerpts from the journal would have been interesting. Book one was…