Holly‘s review of The Scarletti Curse
Strange, twisted carvings and hideous gargoyles adorned the palazzo of the great Scarletti family. But a still more fearful secret lurked within its storm-tossed turrets. For every bride who entered its forbidding walls was doomed to leave in a casket.
Mystical and unfettered, Nicoletta had no terror of ancient curses and no fear of marriage…until she looked into the dark, mesmerizing eyes of Don Scarletti. She had sworn no man would command her, had thought her gift of healing set her apart, but his was the right to choose a bride from among his people. And he had chosen her.
Compelled by duty, drawn by desire, she gave her body into his keeping, and prayed the powerful, tormented don would be her heart’s destiny, and not her soul’s demise.
I don’t like this book as much as I like Lair of the Lion
I also like the practicality the heroine, Nicoletta, shows. She isn’t given a choice about her marriage, but she does her best to work with what she’s got. I did find myself becoming frustrated with the way the hero, Giovanni, acted, however. His “me man, you woman” routine got old early in the book, as did the way he constantly brushed her aside, ignoring her concerns and fears. He was redeemed in the end, however, because once he opened up and committed himself, he was all in.
This is a dark read, so don’t go into it expecting something light. There are also paranormal elements and things that go bump in the night..all of which make for a fascinating, if at times frustrating, tale.
4 out of 5
This book is available from Leisure Books. You can buy it here
Good review, I liked this one, too, and the darker edge. And, like you, I liked even more Lair of the Lion, though you don’t hear much about either of these.