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mamasmrf22's review against another edition
4.0
Great read! Set in Florence in the late 1500's, this tale starts with a mystery that wraps up nicely through the course of a life narrative. There are subtle twists and turns, following a main character for whom it's easy to feel passion and empathy. There were a couple of plot lines that fell flat, but it didn't take away from the story.
chloekg's review against another edition
2.0
Light and easy beach read, this book is a colorful historical fiction with a touch of erotic longing. It's essentially a bestselling romance dressed up in period costume.
nicolepalmer's review against another edition
1.0
Awful. No plot, no interesting characters to yearn for, nothing. It follows the life of Alessandra Cecchi in painstaking slow detail of every breath she takes each day. It took until around page 365 for me to care even the slightest bit, even then I could have done without the book. Would have not even finished if I weren’t trying to read a certain number of books this year.
i_have_no_process's review against another edition
emotional
4.25
Superior in its genre. As deft and ensorcelling as many books, in their blurbs, pretend.
saberchild's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
Deliciously dark and weird. Plenty of like "what the fuck :D" moments. Romance novel that respected the surrounding plot. Modern themes but not in a jarring way - the characters all felt believable. Good moral greyness in a few of them. Really glad I read this after reading Pentiment hehe.
mad_lane's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
bethsponz's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, maybe more like 3.5 stars. I did not like the ending and it didn't follow along with her character's ambition at all. I did enjoy most of the story but found many parts quite boring.
vamprine2024's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
I finished Part I, realized I wasn't enjoying myself, and then skimmed some of the other sections. The characters are well developed, and the lead girl has an intriguing personality. I didn't care about the political and military problems with their town and elsewhere, the abundance of religious issues, or what was going to happen to the characters. When that happens, it's time to quit reading and move on to something else.
Still, Dunant has talent as a writer, and I am open to trying another of her titles.
Still, Dunant has talent as a writer, and I am open to trying another of her titles.
clamduncan's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0