Member Reviews
Adrienne is also an easy character to like. I love reading about Renaissance Italy. The suspense and romance are outstanding... . An amazing book. Beautiful cover also!
A fun travel through time novel that places Adrienne into the body of a selfish cruel ancestress' body on her wedding night. A much better place than the guillotine she may have been facing for aiding people escape the perils of the war.
This historical romance novel makes you experience the passion that exists between Isabella and Sandro as they learn to trust each other rather than continue the hate filled relationship that the two families had been living through. Adrienne was determined to change the history of these two lovers that she had come to know in reading Isabella’s journals.
Easy pleasurable prose by a great author!
In 1794 Countess Adrienne de Beaufort finds herself transported to 1499 Siena, escaping mortal danger as she attempted to smuggle a young French mother and daughter into her home, in order to escape the guillotine. She awakens in the body of her ancestress Isabella, a woman for whom deceit and treachery are a way of life. And not only is she in another time, she is about to face Isabella’s new husband, Alessandro di Montefiore, the heir to the Dukedom of Siena, on their wedding night.
Alessandro expects duplicity and betrayal from Isabella but soon finds himself captivated by her. Conflicted in his feelings, their fledgling romance goes from one extreme to another. Soon Isabella finds herself caught between her love for Alessandro and an awareness that fate may prevent them from having any future happiness.
I found this a fascinating story and loved the character of Adrienne/Isabella. Whilst she struggles to understand Sandro’s changing moods, she is still so determined to build on their feelings. She is determined yet understanding in all that she does. Sandro was not the easiest character to warm to but as he begins to trust Adrienne/Isabella, he soon becomes a man who is worthy of her. Consequently, he too became someone to admire. A fascinating story in such a rich and vibrant city, together with a well-developed historical aspect. I could not put this book down!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Countess Adrienne de Beaufort in 1794 is used to smuggling French aristocrats to England to save them from the guillotine. In a moment of mortal danger, fate plunges her across time to 1499 Siena and she inhabits the body of her ancestress Isabella, a woman for whom deceit and treachery are a way of life. She comes face to face with Isabella’s new husband, Alessandro di Montefiore, the heir to the Dukedom of Siena, on their wedding night. Alessandro expects duplicity and betrayal from his beautiful new wife. Why then is he seduced by the innocence in her eyes? Why then does he find himself prepared to take unimaginable risks because her spirit touches his heart?
I love how this time travel isn't about present time. Adrienne is also an easy character to like. I love reading about Renaissance Italy. The suspense and romance are outstanding... . An amazing book.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC
A lovely historical novel which I really enjoyed, and I may get more books from Nina Beaumont, since this is an author who has not come to my attention before. The author had the clever idea of sending the heroine, who becomes Isabella, to a different but historical time period, instead of going from the present day, which is more usual in time travel novels. She travels from revolutionary France to the Italy of Cesare Borgia's time. I do not wish to spoil the novel by revealing more than that, but the historical research involved in the tale is impressive. The novel is highly recommen ded.