HF Virtual Book Tours Review: Casanova's Secret Wife by Barbara Lynn-Davis

Title: Casanova's Secret Wife
Author: Barbara Lynn-Davis
Format: ARC
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: July 25, 2017
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Caterina Capreta was an innocent girl of fourteen when she caught the attention of the world’s most infamous chronicler of seduction: Giacomo Casanova. Intoxicated by a fierce love, she wed Casanova in secret. But his shocking betrayal inspired her to commit an act that would mark her forever . . .

Now twenty years later on the island of Murano, the woman in possession of Caterina’s most devastating secret has appeared with a request she cannot refuse: to take in a noble-born girl whose scandalous love affair resembles her own. But the girl’s presence stirs up unwelcome memories of Caterina’s turbulent past. Tested like never before, she reveals the story of the man she will never forget . . .

Bringing to life a fascinating chapter in the history of Venice, Casanova’s Secret Wife is a tour de force that charts one woman’s journey through love and loss to redemption."

My Two Cents:

"Casanova's Secret Wife" is the story of Caterina, who when we meet her in the book is a married woman who goes to a convent when she summoned by an old friend. This friend wants her to take in a  young pregnant woman who unmarried and at this time, that is socially unacceptable. Caterina knows that she will be scrutinized for taking taking in this woman and she is not sure she can take on any more scrutiny for a variety of reasons. But she agrees to take her in and at first she doesn't really know why she does this considering her history with the woman who asked a favor of her. As we find out in the book slowly Katerina has a long history with this woman. Told in sweeping prose that captures Murano, an island just off of Italy is Venice, and many other hidden secrets, this book captured my attention. 

As we find out in the story, Caterina who becomes secretly married to the infamous Casanova. I have to admit before reading this book I, of course, had heard Casanova used as a description of very amorous person but I have to admit that I didn't know very much about Casanova as an actual person. We get insight into his character as we see how 14 year old Caterina is entranced by Casanova and lives on his promises even when he doesn't see apt to keep them.

The detail in this book is great! The author draws on a lot of detailed writings that Casanova himself put together in order to come up with this story. And the setting, oh, the setting! I love any book set in Italy. I especially loved that this book was mostly set in Murano, a place that I had a chance to visit and one that I really really enjoyed. 

I really enjoyed the writing! I love the way that the author is able to give us just a little bit of a little bit of detail about Caterina's past at a time which really kept me reading. I also liked the part about Caterina taking in this young woman and eventually opening herself up to her as Caterina was once in a very similar position. 

Overall, this was a great story with great historical detail and kept me entertained throughout.