LOVED it! It was such a fun glimpse into the life of the wealthy and powerful in the 1700's in Italy. I love anything that shows the 'problems' of today are nothing new. If anything they seemed more risque back then then now! I would give examples but that will give away what happens in the book. It starts out slow but gains momentum. About 3/4 of the way through it suddenly hit me, "They are never going to be together!" and I felt so sad for them! At the end it sounds like they both lead very interesting lives and are okay, but their love affair is fascinating. It's fun when you recognize some of the names of famous statesmen/women and Casanova, etc.