Review: The Secrets of Casanova by Greg Michaels

Title: The Secrets of Casanova
Author: Greg Michaels
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Booktrope
Publish Date: November 2013
Source: I received a copy from the publisher; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Loosely based on the life of Jacques Casanova, The Secrets of Casanova is a rich, lush novel of love, sex, family, ambition, intrigue, and adventure. Set in Paris of 1755, Casanova's luck is fading and his past is shoving up against his present with potentially disastrous consequences. What price must he pay to uncover a treasure of inestimable value? What hearts must he break along the way? Casanova's will and destiny collide again and again in this riveting historical fiction that brings to light a man of great passion and not a few secrets."

My Two Cents:

"The Secrets of Casanova" is the story of Jacques Casanova, the model for a million pick up artists and lovers. Before reading this book, I didn't realize that Casanova was even a real historical figure so I was interested in reading this book. This book is not only a book about Casanova's exploits as a ladies man but it also has a healthy dash of intrigue and mystery having to do with the Knights Templar (always an exciting topic for me to read more about).  I have to admit that I was a little skeptical of This is a great pick for those looking for a historical setting that has a bit of the flair of the fantastic! 

Like I said, I didn't know much about Casanova before reading this book. I knew that it's a word that is used to describe someone who loves the ladies and isn't necessarily content with just one woman. You do get to see this side of him but you also get to see another (and in my humble opinion, more interesting) side of him. In a way, Casanova feels very much like an early day James Bond. On one hand he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and putting his life in danger in some points. He's smart and savvy and knows exactly how to use his charm in order to get what he wants. I really liked reading the juxtaposition between how he gets the ladies and how he gets into and begins to solve the mystery in the book surrounding the Knights Templar. 


The writing of the book was pretty good. Michaels was able to take a basic historical story and add a lot of interest to it to create a story that pulls you in. I liked the pacing of the story for the most part but thought that there were a couple parts that could have been slimmed down a little bit. I really, really liked the part of the book where Casanova was looking into the whole mystery.