First published 1998
Chiara Ridolfi carries the weight of her ancient Florentine family name. The Ridolfis have always been different, marked by peculiar ways that set them apart from other noble houses. When Chiara meets Salvatore, a gifted physician without money or status, she feels something she has never experienced before. Salvatore dedicates himself to medicine and logic. He sees romance as a distraction from his work, a complication he cannot afford. Yet Chiara pursues him with the intensity that runs in her bloodline. Their friends watch this unlikely courtship unfold. These well-meaning observers offer advice, create opportunities, and interfere at every turn. Each attempt to help only tangles the situation further. Salvatore fights against feelings he does not want. Chiara struggles to reach a man who keeps pulling away. Both discover that good intentions can create the deepest pain, and that kindness sometimes wounds more than cruelty.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-romance
Setting: Florence
Period: 19th-century
224 pages · Paperback · Mariner Books