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His Last Duchess

by Gabrielle Kimm (Goodreads Author)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 664 ratings · 120 reviews

When sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici marries the fifth Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este, she imagines life with her handsome husband will be idyllic. But little does she know that he is a very complicated man. The marriage is fraught with difficulties from the start, and, as time passes, Lucrezia becomes increasingly alienated. For Alfonso, the pressure mounts as the V...more

Paperback, 406 pages

Published by Sphere (first published August 5th 2010)

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Mar 31, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-historical-fiction

In July 1559, Tuscany sixteen year-old Lucrezia de' Medici is affianced to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. It is on the surface at least, a good match, the young, beautiful and wealthy Lucrezia and the handsome, intelligent and titled Alfonso. Three months later they are married. But it is on their wedding night that any hope of a fulfilled and happy marriage begins to unravel.

The marriage is left unconsummated, with Lucrezia feeling abandoned, unfulfilled and bewildered. Alfonso is mortified, ashamed...more In July 1559, Tuscany sixteen year-old Lucrezia de' Medici is affianced to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. It is on the surface at least, a good match, the young, beautiful and wealthy Lucrezia and the handsome, intelligent and titled Alfonso. Three months later they are married. But it is on their wedding night that any hope of a fulfilled and happy marriage begins to unravel.

The marriage is left unconsummated, with Lucrezia feeling abandoned, unfulfilled and bewildered. Alfonso is mortified, ashamed and questioning his inability to perform with Lucrezia, as his lusty sexual appetite has never failed before. This failure on the wedding night then sets the tone for the rest of their marriage.

As Lucrezia becomes disenchanted with her husband and marriage she takes an interest in the fresco that Fra Pandolf, a celebrated artist and his apprentice Jacomo are preparing to piant in the Castello. She is attracted to the tall, dark-haired and talented Jacomo, finding in him the fulfillment and love that she she craves and hoped for with Alfonso.

With Alfonso still impotent with Lucrezia, he becomes increasingly worried, as without an heir, the Pope intends to reclaim the rights to the Duchy of Ferrara. Alfonso spirals downward into despair and madness, blaming the innocent Lucrezia for his problems and finally decides upon a drastic solution.

Although Alfonso and Lucrezia were real, it is unknown exactly what happened to Lucrezia after three years of marriage. There is speculation she died of natural causes, that she was murdered by Alfonso or that she was committed into a convent. Gabrielle Kimm has woven her very own story about the fate of Lucrezia based on the poem by Robert Browning. This is Gabrielle Kimm's debut novel. She has written a beautiful story, rich in historical detail and researched thoroughly. Her descriptions of the manufacture of lime (used for the frescoes), the preparation and painting of frescoes, the sport of falconry are impressive and add to the 16th century atmosphere of this historical fiction.

This novel moves briskly with its captivating love story and wonderful history. Though initially (throughout Part I) the narrative did seem slow with constant references to sex. Characters seemed to be thinking, talking or having sex. Or thinking about having sex. Or talking about sex while having sex. However, these constant references are understandable, as we soon discover the whole crux of the novel stems from the sexual dysfunction of the central male character, Alfonso.

Highly recommended as a romantic historical fiction and I look forward to Gabrielle Kimm's next work based on Francesca, a secondary character in His Last Duchess and mistress to Alfonso.

Note: For another wonderful account of Lucrezia de'Medici's mysterious death, try 'The Second Duchess' by Elizabeth Loupas, which is coincidentally a debut historical fiction, also based on the poem by Robert Browning.(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2011, france-italy-spain

The real-life story of whatever happened to Lucrezia de' Medici is intriguing. Why, then, was this book so slow? Where was the drama, the tension and the mystery, and why didn't I care about any of the characters?

I ended up skim-reading the second half after really struggling with the first. Very disappointing.

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Aug 13, 2012 Jean V. Naggar Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Sultry and deeply intimate...A vivid portrayal of the teenage bride [Lucrezia de’Medici] and the glittering but dangerously political world into which she was born...Kimm...writes with elegance and seductive charm as she weaves her magic on a rich and colourful story of love and hatred, obsession and intrigue. Beautifully descriptive, full of fascinating period detail and simmering with tension and sexual chemistry, His Last Duchess is a love story to savour.” --Lancashire Evening Post (UK)

“A s...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Sue Uden rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the very first word to the very last word, I loved this book. I was entertained, educated and entranced. I was back there, in the 16th Century, living in Italy with Lucrezia and her deeply damaged and menacing husband Alfonso d'Este. I felt her pain, her losses and her passion. My mothering instincts identified with her nurse, Giulietta and her waiting-woman, Catelina. They, and I, desperately wanted to protect her from... well, you will have to read the book to find out what!

I have to say...more

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Nov 09, 2011 SidneyKay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

You say Lucrezia and I say Lucrezia

You probably don't know this, but one of my favorite historical peeps in the world was Lucrezia Borgia, so when His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm was released I was very excited. However, even though my eyes were seeing the words Lucrezia de'Medici, my brain was interpreting those words as Lucrezia Borgia. So, when I began to read His Last Duchess nothing made sense. I mean really, I understand the words historical fiction. That is where you take history and c...more You say Lucrezia and I say Lucrezia

You probably don't know this, but one of my favorite historical peeps in the world was Lucrezia Borgia, so when His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm was released I was very excited. However, even though my eyes were seeing the words Lucrezia de'Medici, my brain was interpreting those words as Lucrezia Borgia. So, when I began to read His Last Duchess nothing made sense. I mean really, I understand the words historical fiction. That is where you take history and change it to fit your fancy. But, this book was quite a stretch. I knew this was historical fiction, but Gee Willikers, this was really historical fiction. And then I reread the back blurb and saw the light. Wrong Lucrezia! Mind adjustment time. Now, it just so happens that everything turned out just fine, because this was a really good book.

It's been a while since I've read an historical fiction...I always find the rewriting of history intriguing. Especially, when things turn out a little happier than they actually did. As it turned out, Lucrezia de Medici was the daughter of Eleanor of Toledo, who happens to be the subject of one of my favorite portraits. When my mind finally figured out which person we were reading about, I also did some research of my own on Lucrezia's siblings...made for some fascinating reading.

In case you didn't guess from the mistake with the Lucrezia's, this story takes place in Renaissance Italy, a time and place that is vibrantly alive. This time period was filled with such opulent stories. It's a shame that it is mostly overlooked in Romanceland. His Last Duchess is Ms. Krimm's debut novel, however, it has a rich texture that brings the story to life. There were so many interesting things going on in this book, and the details on Fresco painting was quite engrossing. All of the characters in the book are vividly written, and Ms. Krimm does a fine job of weaving all the "what if's" into her story. Sometimes in historical fiction, I have a problem with the "what if's" b-e-c-a-u-s-e a lot of time there is a plethora of historical information out there and the historical fiction part of it too unbelievable...for instance Tudor England and Henry VIII. The Tudor's are really overdone, and please no more skinny people playing Henry VIII. However, in the case of Lucrezia de' Medici there is little written documentation, so we can create all manners of great stories about her.

His Last Duchess has some wonderfully poignant moments, some very suspenseful moments and a great villain (her husband.) This is a well written historical fiction book, rich in detail and if you like this genre, you'll love His Last Duchess.

And, yes this is based on Robert Browning's poem, but don't let that stop you.
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Oct 13, 2011 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I typically read Regency Romances where the aristocracy often travels to Italy to escape boredom (or creditors). HIS LAST DUCHESS gives romance readers the same opportunity to find a different venue outside the British Isles, learn about continental politics, and embrace Italy's glorious culture. What sets this book apart from cookie cutter historical romances is its foundation in historical facts. The characters were real and Ms. Kimm fills in the blanks of their unknown history.

In fact, Ms. K...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a tale of love and lust. Ms. Kimm does an excellent job of weaving the strings together to create a compelling story of love gone very wrong and lust unsatisfied. At least within the confines of the marriage of Lucrezia and Alfonse. That does not mean it isn't found elsewhere.
Based on the poem by Robert Browning called, His Last Duchess, Ms. Kimm recreates the sixteenth century in its glory.

Alfonse d'Este is desperate to produce an heir so that his 900 year old family line will continue...more

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Jul 17, 2010 The Readings of a Busy Mom Riaz rated it 5 of 5 stars

His last Duchess is Gabrielle Kimm's debut novel which is inspired by the poem 'My Last Duchess by Robert Browing'. The novel has become a fave amongst my shelves and stands proud with its beautiful cover(you know you all agree). Holding it in my hands once received and even smelling the pages for this novel wasn't enough to hold me content, so it rushed to the front of my TBR pile and boy I'm glad I did.

I was immediately seduced by His Last Duchess and grew very fond of the characters Lucrezia...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Aik Chien 인첸 rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you want to read a good historical fiction, this book is what you need. Before marrying the Alfonso, Lucrezia lives a happy, free life with her parents. She expects her wedded life to be blissful and felicitous, but she does not understand the man under the admirable facade. He is actually a cold and distant man who cares little for his wife and only views her as a rare treasure.

Gabrielle has written this book in a way that readers will immediately connect with Lucrezia's pitiful condition an...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a little hard to pin down. I guess it's part of my lack of discretion when it comes to free/cheap e-books, but I generally don't look very deeply into the story synopses. Just from the cover and the brief on-line description, I just assumed it was another standard historical romance, set in medieval Italy. I suppose this could nominally be called a romance, but it's not standard by any means--it's much more a dark psychological drama, focused more on the sexual deviance of the Duke...more This book is a little hard to pin down. I guess it's part of my lack of discretion when it comes to free/cheap e-books, but I generally don't look very deeply into the story synopses. Just from the cover and the brief on-line description, I just assumed it was another standard historical romance, set in medieval Italy. I suppose this could nominally be called a romance, but it's not standard by any means--it's much more a dark psychological drama, focused more on the sexual deviance of the Duke of Ferrera and its impact on the rest of the characters.

I found myself repeatedly questioning why the author would take the approach she did, but at the conclusion of the book, Robert Browning's poem "His Last Duchess", which was the inspiration for the story, was included and everything became clear. I don't specifically remember reading this poem previously, but its tone reminded me of my own favorite poem from high school, Browning's "The Laboratory." (and I freely admit I didn't remember the author nor the name, just the macabre subject matter--thank you, Google!) With that reference material in hand, I can say that the book was an interesting imagining of the story behind the story--the duke who is obviously obsessed with the painting (and love-hate memory) of his last duchess even though he did away with her and is now shopping for a new duchess. I agree with the author that the discovery that the poem is based on a real Duke of Ferrera and his wife, Lucrezia di Medici, makes the story even more fascinating.

That being said, I can't truly say that I "liked" it. I gave it three stars because it was decently written and I frequently had a hard time putting it down, but the subject matter was just too disturbing. (view spoiler) I've read plenty of books that disturbed me that I still came out of saying, "That's amazing!" but this one just didn't quite have that something to get it to that point.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Ivy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am actually rating this 2 and a half stars, but since you can't give half stars, I am being generous. Gabrielle Kimm writes a novel based on a Browning poem about a man who admires a painting of his wife, but that admiration becomes hatred when it is clear that she met an untimely death.

Kimm writes her novel as historical fiction, setting the plot in Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia deMedici is a 16 year-old girl from a powerful family. She is betrothed to the heir of one of Italy's oldest and most...more I am actually rating this 2 and a half stars, but since you can't give half stars, I am being generous. Gabrielle Kimm writes a novel based on a Browning poem about a man who admires a painting of his wife, but that admiration becomes hatred when it is clear that she met an untimely death.

Kimm writes her novel as historical fiction, setting the plot in Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia deMedici is a 16 year-old girl from a powerful family. She is betrothed to the heir of one of Italy's oldest and most influential families. As a young woman of wealth and status, her duty is to marry and produce and heir. Unfortunately, her new husband, the Duke of Ferrara has not been able to consummate the marriage. For some reason he is not able to perform and this produces a growing resentment towards his wife, as he blames her for his problem. The Church has warned the duke that his inability to produce an heir will cost him his title, lands, and wealth as it will reclaim all. The Duke's desperation propels him to unspeakable acts.

Alfonso, the Duke of Ferrara is a depraved, violent psychopath. He sees women as whores who must be controlled at all costs. He has no love for anyone and flies into horrible rages at moment's notice, Lucrezia lives in constant fear of causing him any displeasure. She is thwarted at every attempt to establish herself in the castle and her need to feel wanted forces her into careless indiscretions.

From the beginning the novel has a very dark and depressing feel. Personally, I like to read books that make me feel good, or that if evil is present, it is thwarted when good finally triumphs. Yet, this book keeps me in a constant state of revulsion. The duke is a bastard and one hopes that he would get his, but the ending is anticlimactic and unsatisfying. I found some of the author's choices unbelievable. Historically, I can believe the situation of this unhappy marriage but I was hoping for Lucrezia to have a champion. The few people that are able to help her, however, do so in a very unsatisfying way. I guess I was hoping someone would beat the tar out of the Duke, yet he is left alive to see another day and continue his revolting exploitations.

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Dec 05, 2011 Louise Graham rated it 5 of 5 stars

His Last Duchess is the debut novel by Author Gabrielle Kimm.

At just 16 years of age, it is Lucrezia de' Medici destiny to marry the fifth Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este. Despite her rose-tinted glasses of what marriage to a Duke would be like, she couldn't be any further from the reality!

With outside pressure from Vatican to produce an Heir to be able to keep the title within his family, this is not as easy as it should be. Alfonso becomes more resentful and distant towards his Duchess and run...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

The poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning is one of my favorites. I have read another novel that was also based upon this poem, "The Second Duchess" by Elizabeth Loupas, which was a great novel. This poem is very much a poem that inspires you to read between the lines, and that is exactly what Gabrielle Kimm has done in order to create her novel "His Last Duchess".
Set in Renaissance Italy, it tells the tale of the Duke of Ferrara's first wife and duchess, Lucrezia de'Medici. The female prota...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Rio (Lynne) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

1.5 stars. I hate when you really look forward to a book and then you find yourself skimming and forcing yourself just to get through it. Lucrezia de Medici is one of those historical mysteries. A poem has been left in history about her "My Last Duchess" and historians want to know what happened to her? Alfonso, the controlling husband and Lucrezia the fun loving girl. Should make for a great novel right? The story never took off. It was very slow. The author didn't make me want to turn a page....more

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Aug 20, 2010 Deborah Swift rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the sort of book to take away with you on a wet weekend as it immediately conjures a sense of the hot sun of Renaissance Italy.

One of Gabrielle Kimm's strengths is that she is able to convey that heat and light to someone like me, sitting in Cumbria with the grey rain sheeting down outside. Her other strength is in describing the minutiae of life in a Tuscan estate, including a wonderful description of the kitchens, the intricacies of falconry, the manufacture of lime, and most of all th...more

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May 12, 2011 Abigail Yow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels, books-from-my-personal-library, historical-fiction

I really wanted to give this a higher rating, I really did but sadly, the one thing that prevented a higher grading allocation was the writing. This is in no way the fault of the author. I just couldn't get into the writing.

His last duchess tells the story of a young de' Medici heiress, Lucrezia married to the Duke of Ferrara - Alfonso D'Este. At a tender age of 16, she could easily imagine herself settling into marriage with the perpetually black-clad Duke. However, Lucrezia soon finds herself...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Magic realism, post-apocalyptic tomes, and now I'm reading a historical novel which is something I very rarely do... and I really enjoyed this one. When I say "historical", this one's only loosely based on real people but is set in 16th century Italy and speculates at the story behind Robert Browning's poem My Last Duchess. It's well researched and I learned a fair bit about the preparation and painting of frescoes, and the characters are really well drawn. Lucrezia is very likeable heroine, and...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Skylar Burris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

I guess I'm a sucker for those Kindle daily deals. What a $15 book that's only 99 cents? And I've never heard of the book? I'll buy it anyway. After all, I did read that Robert Browning poem it's based on a couple of times...So it turned out to be something of a torrid and rather graphic Harlequin romance style book, with a higher vocabulary and more scenery. The one good thing about it was that the villain was not one dimensional as he very well could have been. Yet it was so predictable that I...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read

This book is based on a Robert Browning poem about "His Last Duchess" - a poem written, in part, about Lucrezia de Medici, who married the Duke Alfonso Este...and then disappeared from record 3 years later. This book assumes that treachery was involved and it was Alfonso's doing.

I wanted to enjoy this book because I love historical fiction. But there was just something...lacking. I wish I could put my finger on it. The characters felt robust, but, something about the storyline left me wanting. A...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Beckie Treble rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a historical romance set in Italy. The duke married a young girl, and on their wedding night and every night after, they couldn't consumate the marriage, stage fright is just horrible, right?

anyway, I didn't really like the book, i hated the duke, he was horrible to everyone, and in the end he tries to kill her. maybe it was the style of the writing or even the content. i won't read the second book anytime soon. I might re read at a later date. but deffo not any time too.

this is ju...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Anissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, reimagined-and-alternate-tellings, favourites

With most books that I love (& by love, I mean rate with 5 stars) & recommend, I tend to say the least. Possibly because I've little to complain or criticize with the story & execution & if given the chance, I'd divulge every beautiful detail & plot point spoiling it for anyone else looking to read it. I will say this is a beautifully & vividly crafted story. I felt like I was there from the first page to the last. When you're reading & realize that your breath is hit...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Robin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-bargains, kindle, historical-fiction, royalty, 16th-century

I was hesitant to buy this after reading the sample. I found much of Lucrezia’s behavior to be childlike for her 16 years. I think the author is trying to portray her as spirited but it comes across to me as immature instead. At that age, she would be considered a woman and a woman uses her intellect and wit to be spirited, not by behaving like a child.

So why did I buy it? The Kindle version was on sale for only $0.99 - not much to lose and I was interested to see if it got better beyond the sam...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Ana Luisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Este é um livro simplesmente surpreendente. Um livro que desde o início me suscitou alguma curiosidade, sendo amante confessa de História muitos são os romances históricos que li e assim que que me foi apresentada a sua sinopse quis lê-lo de imediato. Esta é uma obra que, na minha opinião, se encontra muito bem documentada e que mostra a valiosa pesquisa que a autora fez.
Apesar de no início me ter parecido que iria ser uma história com muitas descrições e detalhes não muito importantes para a a...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars

A reasonable, if unchallenging read.Rather too predictable for my taste-there was clearly little doubt as to the conclusion!
The characters were well drawn-if a tad sterotyped. The baddie truly was a bad 'un, despite appearing as quite a reasonable character in the early portion of the book.
There's not too much in the way of plot-instead the author strives to give a possible explanation for Browning's famous and admired poem "My Last Duchess"-and on this score, he succeeds very well. The occasio...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Sarah N rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book actually had promise, considering the amount of research the author did. But the ridiculous way the characters talked and acted showed that that research stopped at a certain point. Without that touch of realism, the research into other areas was basically pointless, turning the book into just another silly bodice ripper. But maybe that's what she was going for all along. *shrug* With that said, it was a rather pleasant break from my college textbooks and that was the purpose behind ge...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I gave this book 3 stars because it's not a wholly terrible book. The writing is brilliant and the story well constructed. My issues with it are that nothing really happens for very long periods and one of the subject matters it deals with. It was quite unnecessarily disturbing in parts. The ending, while the most exciting part of the book, was a bit anti-climatic. In fiction, you expect the bad guy to get what's coming but what happened here left me cold.

Despite my issues, I did like the book a...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Tabers rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I really got sucked into a book and this was one that did so for me. It was a different side to the story that I've read before, with the problems not on the womans fault but on the mans. At first I was a bit shocked at the detail of the intimate relationship, however, once you got past that the rest of the book was a bit less detailed. I didn't fully expect the book to take the turn that it did further to the end. Sometimes you just need a book to escape into, and for me...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Anna Meghan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

**I recieved a free copy of this book through goodreads giveaways**

A solid entertaining read. I really enjoyed the fact that it was based off the Browning poem and I think the author did a great job of recreating the tone. As far as charcters go however, I found myself in a lot of ways indifferent. Lucretzia is a sweet girl in a bad situation but I didn't find her, or her love story that interesting. To me the most intriguing part of the story was the duke, Alfonso, and I would have like more ab...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Bubbles rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book held so much promise that it ultimately did not deliver on. Perhaps it was my fault for expecting too much from it, or maybe I was disappointed because I was expecting a gritty historical novel and was handed instead a sappy historical romance whose other man just happens to be a dark, brooding asshole that makes it seem like it will be a gritty historical novel. Whatever the reason, this book did not live up to my expectations.

The plot itself isn’t even adequately described on the ba...more This book held so much promise that it ultimately did not deliver on. Perhaps it was my fault for expecting too much from it, or maybe I was disappointed because I was expecting a gritty historical novel and was handed instead a sappy historical romance whose other man just happens to be a dark, brooding asshole that makes it seem like it will be a gritty historical novel. Whatever the reason, this book did not live up to my expectations.

The plot itself isn’t even adequately described on the back. The true plot is Lucrezia Medici is unsatisfied with her marriage to the brutish and impotent (only around her) Alfonso d’Este, and falls in love with the painter’s apprentice crafting the Castello’s latest fresco. Even that, however, is not an adequate description.

This novel reads very much like someone who watched Titanic, was disappointed that Jack died and decided they were going to rewrite the Titanic romance in the Italian Renaissance with historical figures and with the other man a complete douchebag. His name was Jacomo. There was even a scene where her lover started sketching her naked. Granted, it was after they had sex, but the entire scene was giving me extreme Titanic vibes. And Alfonso is the ship with a giant hole in it. This is honestly the best way I can think to describe this book.

Everyone in this world is a decent person at heart, except for Alfonso. As a general rule, I’m getting tired of the other man being an abusive jackass and that is why the heroine is driven to infidelity. In the case of Alfonso, is it not enough that he was impotent to drive her to the arms of another man? Or what is wrong with an arranged marriage simply not working out to drive the heroine elsewhere? Do we really have to dehumanize her husband in order to justify her having sex with someone else? It’s a sad state of the world when the only justifiable reason for a woman to have an affair without fear of being branded a slut is only when her husband is turned into a complete monster. With regards to the historical Alfonso, even if he were such a brute, it would not be so jarring if everyone else weren’t such a saint in comparison. Even the man who decided his daughter was a whore and told her she had to give up her baby when it was born went rushing after her as soon as he realized she was missing.

Speaking of decent people, poor Chiara only exists within the context of the book (view spoiler) in order for the heroine to have the happily ever after with her beloved. You brave, decent soul, thank you for sacrificing the negligible impact you had on the story so that Lucrezia could run away with the starving artist of her dreams.

In regards to the ending, I don’t understand why she didn’t use their names after they ran away together. It was almost as if she were trying to keep their identity a secret, but any clever reader is going to know that it is the hero and heroine having such a happy and loving moment at the end. So why all the secrecy? Speaking of names, I wished on more than one occasion that someone would call Lucrezia something other than cara. There is more than one pet name in all languages.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not a bad book. It’s thoroughly researched and incredibly well-written. The fact that I finished reading it after I kept drawing comparisons to Titanic speaks volumes about her ability to keep a reader hooked. It was just not the book I was looking for. If, however, you are the type of person that would enjoy the love story of the Titanic set during the Italian Renaissance and with a happier ending, then by all means, read this book. You will absolutely love it.
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Jan 18, 2012 Cynthia Mcarthur rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is not only the story of the twisted Duke of Ferrera, Alfonso and his wife Lucrezia de Medici, but also of a whole group of people who rely on the two for support, either financially or emotionally. When Lucrezia and the Duke marry, Lucrezia is looking forward to her new life as wife, mother, Duchess. On their wedding night, the sadistic Duke finds that he can't reconcile his perfect still-life image of what his Duchess should be with the real girl in front of him, and thus begins two...more

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About Gabrielle Kimm

I am the author of 'His Last Duchess' (Sphere 2010) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82...

I live and work in West Sussex - writing most of the time, and occasionally teaching English and Drama in secondary schools.

I'm currently busy editing my new novel, 'The Courtesan's Lover' (Sphere 2011) which is due for publication on 29th September next year.

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title link	preview: His Last Duchess
avg rating	preview: His Last Duchess Goodreads rating: 3.52 (664 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8240528-his-last-duchess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327162038l/8240528.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8240528-his-last-duchess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm[/url]

His Last Duchess

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