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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
title: The Treasures of Venice
author: Loucinda McGary
genre: romance
pages: 318
published: September 2009/ ARC
first line: Samantha Lewis gazed over the nearly deserted square at the bulbuous crown atop St.Mark's Cathedral.
rated: 4 out of 5
Librarian Samantha Lewis is visiting Venice with a tour group after breaking up with her cheating fiancee. She was supposed to be on her honeymoon, but decided to go on the trip alone. One day while sipping her latte sitting outside a restaurant handsome stranger walks up to her and pretends they are together. He says, "Hello, luv, sorry I'm late" and then asks her to 'play along with him'. So, Sam decides to play along with and the two hurry off together. Sam knows something isn't right and wonders who is this man running from. She soon learns his sister has been kidnapped and Keirnan will do anything to get her back.
Had she actually let him kiss her?
What in the world had possessed her to act so recklessly? Only being kissed by Keirnan Fitzgerald hadn't felt the least bit reckless. It had felt oddly familiar, as if they were somehow destined to be together.
Now flashback to 15th century Venice where the beautiful and wealthy Serafina falls in love with a man named Nino, who is a working class sculptor. The two are forbidden to be together, and when Serafina's family insists she marry another man, the two lovers decide to run away together.
As the book progresses, it alternates from modern day Venice with Sam and Keirnan, to 15th century Venice with Serafina and Nino. And the reader slowly finds out how the two couples are connected. There's mystery, romance and a bit of the supernatural in this story. I enjoyed both sets of couples and I found myself unable to put the book down, especially towards the end.
special thanks to Danielle over @ Sourcebooks
