Daniela Sacerdoti writes beautiful stories about the complications of family ties. I always get caught up in her compelling narratives and her wonderfully crafted characters.

This is book one of four planned books telling the story of the four Falconeri sisters.

This time, Sacerdoti transported me to Casalta, a little village nestled in the heart of Tuscany and introduced me to the Romeo-and-Juliet-style feud between the Falconeri and the Orafi families. I was held spellbound as Sacerdoti convinced me that sometimes the past can be a very difficult place, one that’s almost impossible to leave.

When her 24-year-old main character, Lucrezia ‘Lulu’ Falconeri returns to Italy after being banished at 12 years old, she discovers that by a stroke of bad luck, she’s millions in debt. I couldn’t put this book down because this story about love, resentment, guilt, and loyalty pulled at my heartstrings and made me binge-read. I had to find out if the Casalta girls pulled together to work out the debt and help each other shoulder the burden.

I loved the reminder that there’s more to life than working around a schedule and I can’t wait to return to Florence and see Bronzino’s four portraits after whom the Falconeri girls are named.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.