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Seduced by the hot sun and blinding passions of Renaissance Italy, sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici sees a gilded life stretching ahead. Her wealthy new husband handpicked her to be his bride, and his great castle in Ferrara will be her playground. But Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara quickly proves to be just as dangerous and mysterious as he is dark and handsome, and the stone walls of the castle seem to trap Lucrezia like a prison.
Only the duke's lover Francesca seems able to tame his increasing fury, as his desperate need to produce an heir drives him deep into precarious obsession. With her head full of heartbroken dreams, Lucrezia flees from him down a dangerous path that may cost her everything.
Step into the elegant world of the Robert Browning poem "My Last Duchess," as imagined by Gabrielle Kimm, where she brings to life the passions and people of sixteenth-century Tuscany and Ferrara. It is a chilling story of forbidden love and dark decadence that will haunt you.
In Browning's masterpiece, the Duke speaks of his last Duchess on the wall, painted by Fra Pandolf, "looking as if she were alive." In this, Kimm's second novel, she creates the circumstances that lead up to the ominous moment when the Duchess is dead and the Duke jealously guards the painting's likeness. The Duchess is Lucrezia de' Medici, the teenage heir to a considerable 16th-century fortune who is set to marry the powerful Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. The excitement of the marriage ceremony is overshadowed by the misery of the marriage night—the Duke cannot perform. We learn it is no medical matter—the Duke's mistress Francesca has two of his children—but a matter of temperament. Lucrezia's innocent beauty prevents his "stiffening." He keeps trying, but his withering penis (it's practically a character itself) is beginning to turn him mad. The Duke's madness—a buzzing in his head, an obsessive fury and relief found only in the cool confines of the castle dungeon—is a modern take on Browning's villain, and makes the Duke credible. After two years of an issueless marriage to Lucrezia, the Pope is threatening to take away Ferrara if he does not produce a legitimate heir. Meanwhile, the Duke has hired Fra Pandolf to paint a large fresco and Lucrezia is unexpectedly taken with his assistant, Jacomo. The two begin an affair and plan to run away together, once they figure out how to solve the mountain of complications their escape would create. The Duke, more desperate and sadistic than ever, has decided to poison Lucrezia, but not before Fra Pandolf paints her portrait, so he can once and for all possess her. Far more erudite than the average bodice-ripper, the novel straddles the line between the gravity of historical fiction and the trite predictability of romance.
Few surprises, but a punchy end redeems the occasional awkwardness.
danja
Posted March 5, 2012
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Great book with great story line. Stayed up late to finish it.
6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 5, 2012
I enjoyed it. What it lacks in historical depth it makes up with drama and romance.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The beginning started slow for me, but I like to give an author a couple chapters to lure me into finishing the entire book – and Gabrielle Kimm did that. I thought the mild start served a purpose; it shows Lucrezia’s innocence and gentle heart. As she matures, she maintains some of that innocence and discovers what she desires in life, and a spouse. Her husband, the Duke, is a dark character and becomes this ominous shadow that makes this romance different from many others I’ve read.
Honestly, I had doubts about this story for a few chapters, but I was glued to this book for the last hundred or so pages and couldn’t put it down. I was surprised by the emotions this book invoked. I loved Lucrezia, her naivety, and compassion. The Duke made me uncomfortable, had me on constant alert, and became this character I despised. There were certain sections where I wondered why the author created these other characters, but I grew to care about each of them, and they were vital to the story. Gabrielle Kim did a magnificent job tying up all the loose ends and settling any “what happened to so-and-so” questions I had.
Very good read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 4, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Very likable, realistic characters in a very detailed, lush setting. I completely lost myself in this world.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 19, 2012
This was a good book! Gabrielle Kimm is a wonderful author who spins a great historical story. I did find times in the story where I begin to feel a little antsy...and wished she would push forward with the plot. But overall, a good book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 17, 2012
Okay this is my first review.. because this is the first time that i
have felt compelled to write one... DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK WITHOUT READING
SAMPLE FIRST. I ready the prologue and the first paragraph, and was
done. I felt the author tried to use "big words" and was
constantly repetitive in order to make up for her lack of talent. I
understand using descriptive words. And i Don't expect to know every
word but when i have to look up about 3 words in a single paragraph..
thats taking it too far
Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2012
The story had great potential, but did not live up to it. There were many scenes in the book where I was very anxious to see what happened next, but disappointed when it just became long and "dragged" out and I just wanted it to be over! There was also a scene that was kinda "sick"- (ie. dead girl). The ending was also "short & sweet"; would liked to have seen more to "wrap it up" better, so to speak. I would give this author a 2nd try (if it's free) to see if there were improvements to her writing.
Anonymous
Posted June 3, 2012
I did not like this book at all. A waste of good money. Story was about a deranged Duke and his abuse of his young bride, AND Pet dog. The bride then has an affair with an artist. I plan on deleating this book ASAP!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 9, 2012
The ending was pretty disappointing. Not my favorite, but not bad.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jwilliams3
Posted May 2, 2012
I dont usually bother writing reviews. But I really enjoyed this book. And I'll deffinently read more by this author!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 2, 2012
HISTORICAL FICTION IS ALWAYS A FUN READ AND THIS ONE IS NO EXCEPTION
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 30, 2012
This book was difficult to put down. Alfonso both intrigued and disgusted me. I enjoyed learning about this time period through the light of these historical characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 25, 2012
His Last Duchess was just an ok read. It was clear the author did her research on the process of frescos. I don't think the little side stores tied together very well in the end.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 12, 2012
This is the first book I've read of Gabrielle Kimm, but won't be the last! It was a page-turner -- I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I thoroughly enjoyed His Last Duchess.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Good historical romance. Don,t care if the setting is time period correct its a Novel not a History book. Well worth your time to read
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.My6kids
Posted April 5, 2012
Book was good. Story line was interesting. Ending was cool!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.NIcole1994
Posted April 5, 2012
I highly recommend this book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 4, 2012
I really liked this book but it did leave some questions as to what had happened to some characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 22, 2012
This book was pretty good. I would recommend if you have some time on your hands. I liked the location/time period it was written for. I just kept feeling like something else should happen, so I guess it could use a little more depth. Some parts of it seemed out of place, and I found it hard to get through those parts. Overall, though, a nice story, with a decent ending.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 17, 2012
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Overview
Seduced by the hot sun and blinding passions of Renaissance Italy, sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici sees a gilded life stretching ahead. Her wealthy new husband handpicked her to be his bride, and his great castle in Ferrara will be her playground. But Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara quickly proves to be just as dangerous and mysterious as he is dark and handsome, and the stone walls of the ...