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farenmaddox's review
3.5
On the other hand, it's too long. Some of the backstory stuff could have been handled quicker and there was at least one too many episodes of convalesence. I sympathised greatly with Fiore's medical trauma, but the amount of repetiveness given to it was excessive. Because of those reasons, the pacing felt wrong in a few places.
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
Minor: Confinement and Sexual violence
meli_thebookworm16's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
"I like to be perceived by you."
.
.
OH MY GOD. THIS BOOK.
I have to admit I was extremely hesitant about this book. First, it was from an unknown to me author, and times are very trying for me personally right now which makes me very prone to just re-read one of my comfort books instead of trying something new. I know. Second, there was an extensive list of CW that I found in the Graph, and even though most of the stuff that I tend to avoid are off page (mind you, I value my mental sanity and do not enjoy triggering myself when I am reading, which I do for fun, thank you very much!), I have been burned in the past so I had to think it twice lmao.
I am so glad that despite all of that I gave this book a chance. THIS BOOK IS SPECTACULAR!!
I LOVED Fiorenzo. Fiore is a courtesan, who is in the search for his ideal patron, someone with money, who will give him security, stability and this person must be old-ish, which will minimize the risk of him being cast aside when such patron eventually gets tired of him, which he knows it is what will inevitably happen because it is the fate of every courtesan he has met. He meets Enzo, an enigmatic man who wears a bauta mask (aka a Casanova’s mask that covers the whole face) and who does not remove the mask not even in the privacy of his chambers, and from the very beginning of their sexual encounters they have an incredible connection. Their relationship starts as a mere transactional one, because of Fiore’s occupation, and very rapidly starts progressing into something very treasured and intimate between a uninhibited but very broken inside and jaded individual, Fiore, and a reserved, awkward and equally broken one, Enzo. They are open and frank with each other, and even when their relationship still has not progressed to discuss their exclusivity of an actual relationship, it is that openness and the absolute trust in the other that makes everything work because they are devoted to each other. They cherish and protect each other fiercely. The amount of yearning in this book feels like something that should be punishable by law because it made me want to eat my fist multiple times.
Also, the hurt/comfort. Good Gods, the hurt/comfort!! This book is for the hurt/comfort girlies (gender neutral), who like the hurt to not trigger them and want pages and pages of comfort and people bathing the other one, playing the lute for the other one, reading to them and overall taking care of their beloved while they are convalescing that will turn your heart to mush, repeatedly, to your absolute delight. It is also for those who find great comfort in vowing to destroy and wreak absolute vengeance on those who hurt your loved one.
This book is also for those who unabashedly and unapologetically adore poetic prose; the prose in this book is exquisite. Full stop.
Fiorenzo is the most gratifying trope fest. It has size difference, bdsm (dom/sub, crop, bondage and a full sea-chest of toys ready to use) where the shorter one prefers to top (Fiore) and the bulkiest one prefers to bottom (Enzo) which in the grand scheme of things is not something that perhaps other people might include in their reviews but it would be a gross neglect on my part to omit it, because this caters to my very personal interests. And the smut was REALLY GOOD. On top of that, it has insanely hot homoerotic sparring between lovers. I felt I was in heaven.
Which leads me to mention one thing that I particularly enjoyed and it was how the conversation about Enzo’s physical peculiarity, as the character himself calls it (and not to be referred to as an intersex individual out of respect for real intersex people, per author request since the peculiarity in question in this case has a fantastical source, aka related to dragons) was handled. Honestly, it is very simple, if a book has people talking about boundaries, and making sure those boundaries are always respected it will get bonus points from me.
Additionally, if you are kind of sick and tired of everything being so misogynistic and queerphobic irl, I have great news for you. This is the book you oughta read. Superbly researched, the story set in the late 14th century in Halcyon, a fictional realm loosely inspired by the Venetian Republic and also borrowing some artistic tradition, costume and cuisine from other parts of Italy, is delightfully queernormative. Not only are same sex relationships not taboo, but it has a very refreshing attitude towards gender that simultaneously thrilled me and made me so sad that this was not the world I was living in; most of the authority figures were women. Tons of bonus points.
My only gripe, and it is a very teeny tiny one, almost inconsequential, is that for a book of close to 700 pages the ending felt a bit rushed. Maybe I wanted to see a bit more of their HEA together. And yet, the last sentence almost brought me to tears, with the sheer joy of having experienced the beautiful healing journey that is Fiorenzo.
.
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[I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]
purrson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder
tatjanaxyx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wilt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is going to be a really difficult book to talk about because while I really enjoyed some elements of the story, the writing, and characters, there were just as many parts I had a tough time getting through and would would be hard pressed to find a reader to recommend the full experience to.
My main issue thankfully isn't with the story itself but rather the structure. This is a long book. Which isn't a bad thing, but even as a reader who typically loves brick-like books with lengthy descriptions and tangents and heavy character focus, I really felt like Fiorenzo could have worked better if the word count was halved. It felt like there were three different books here - in that the first 20% was a tense, mysterious erotica that pulled me into a world erupting with vibrant culture and history and artful texture. I loved the beginning of this book, everything from the opening scene to the physical intimacy to the presentation of a city that made me wish I could walk around its streets and harbors and galleries and fountains and art and canals, and I could go on. Even with the fast paced romance unfolding I was intrigued to see where it would lead between these two interesting, complex, confident characters.
But the remaining 80% took such a dramatic pace shift that I struggled with to the very end. Moreso because it kept going back and forth between huge blocks of slow, overly detailed descriptions of mundane events (and never ending self-depreciation), and the actual riveting plot full of cool settings and gripping motivations and impactful consequences. Because like I said, I really liked the story here! But the mundane moments were simply too drawn out and even repetitive. That isn't even to say they needed to be cut out all together, they were just way, way too long and somewhat boring compared to the rest of the book that shined so well. They drowned out some truly interesting sections of story and writing, and made for an overall negative reading experience.
But one more thing I did really enjoy was Enzo's anatomy. I didn't even know before I started reading this book that there would be something of interest there. The author's note had me intrigued, but when I tell you I sat up in excitement and shook my e-reader when I picked up on where exactly it was leading it would be an understatement. Even though Enzo isn't trans or intersex (by the author's word), as a trans man reader I am ecstatic to see broader explorations of non typical anatomy in queer romance. Especially when it's presented as a point of pleasure for the one who has it, and doesn't take away from his masculinity. It's exciting to see, and very enjoyable to read, and I don't think him not being trans or intersex took away from the experience at all. Fictional experiences like these, I think, can actually help normalize the real-world variances present in queer circles, especially because it's not that far off from what some people do have, and it's just plain fun to read. Though, I did feel the actual reveal lacked any feeling of impact or narrative satisfaction, that is again another unfortunate victim of the book's structure.
All in all, this book has a lot of charm and a genuinely compelling story. But it's way too long, with not enough substance to justify it. I'm still glad I finished it, for the sections that did shine, and for the ending that did fill me with a satisfied yet unexpected spark of joy. For the characters, and the art filled world, and the wounds, and the rage, and healing. But I could not read it again, or really recommend it as it is, and that is a huge shame.
This author feels like he has a lot of potential to shine, and I want to know what other queer stories he's written. There are so many elements here that align exactly with what I enjoy. But it would be a challenge to get me to read more from him without the assurance that his other works have had much stronger editing intervention.
rachelgreenreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Fiorenzo is yet another Nothwell masterpiece. These characters are beautifully rendered as usual, with salient emotions that will have you feeling every feel right along with them. The tropes are gold: hurt/ comfort sweet enough to hurt your teeth, dueling, sword play (both kinds), cinnamon roll who would kill/ die for him, secret identity, class difference, height difference, a masquerade ball, mannerpunk, it’s all there!
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
Warnings for descriptions of genital mutilation (historical, moderately graphic), whorephobiaatlastheninth's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this. Fiore and Enzo are so sweet, I adore them. Also it's a dual POV, so you know that both of them are a mess and constantly pining for the other. And you get some important moments told from both POV's, which YES! I need that in more books.
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Rape, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Animal death and Child abuse
kerraaay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sierrajwrites's review
5.0
I knew if any book would rival Oak King Holly King as my favourite book of all time, it would have to be by the same author. This book captured everything I love about Sebastian Nothwell’s writing; a rich captivating world, heart wrenching hurt/comfort, characters so real they made you laugh and cry, and beautiful (and kinky) smut. This book is truly a masterpiece. I connected to Enzo more than I have to any other of his characters, his traits very similar to my own, even his violent-minded tendencies. It was a honor and a pleasure to read this book. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands to hug and worship.