Targeting the wrong mark means card sharp Becky has to leave London for good. Offered a chance to make enough money to retire on, she takes one last job - in Venice, helping Conte Luca del Pietro get justice for his murdered father.
Becky isn’t like any other woman Luca has ever met. A woman from London’s worst rookeries, Becky has pulled herself up by the literal bootstraps until she can fit into any level of society she pleases - even the very highest. Posing as his cousin, half Venice’s elite are quickly convinced she’s his intended bride. Instead, she’s honing her skills to take down his worst enemy, the man who stole a fortune which didn’t belong to him and then murdered Luca’s father.
The thing I liked best about Becky was that she had a very steady moral compass. Clear and unwavering, once she’d made up her mind what was right and wrong she didn’t deviate. And Luca, for one of the most aristocratic, wealthiest members of Venice’s elite, was a lot more respectful of Becky’s morals and her abilities than I expected - probably lot more than any real member of Venetian high society of that era would have been. But then, reality is often cruel, and we turn to fiction to escape.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read another Regency romance set in Venice, and it was genuinely fascinating to immerse myself in the glittering world the author drew for us on the page. Impeccably researched and intricately detailed, this is a jewel of a historical romance, with characters to fall in love with and some really intriguing, unique storylines. I loved every bit of it from beginning to end. Five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review from the author.