I am really glad I got to read this book as a first read. It was a wonderful story, and gave a new (possible) perspective into the lives of the Borgia family. I need to go back and read the first part of the series to get some of the background information, but I could easily pick up with the second book without much plot loss. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading mysteries set in historical times, with a little romance thrown into the mix.