CROSS MY HEART by Sasha Gould Book Review
Series: Cross My Heart, #1
Publication Date: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating: 
– Acceptable | 
Summary: Venice, 1585.
When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura’s father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice’s fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura’s prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister’s death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.
Book Review Overview:
- CROSS MY HEART follows a pretty generic historical romance plot with – unfortunately – a dash of insta-love
- One juicy secret saved my opinion of the book; I devoured the last 1/3 of CROSS MY HEART
- First in a series, but the story ties up with a satisfying ending; best guess is the series will be comprised of companion novels.
When I first started reading CROSS MY HEART, I could not believe how generic the plotline was. After her sister Beatrice dies, Laura is pulled out of the convent and is forced to marry Beatrice’s betrothed. But – gasp! – there’s a really hot guy that catches her eye. Giacomo is a painter and of course since he’s just a starving artist he’s forbidden. It was insta-love at first sight and for a while, the book could not get any more predictable.
But just when I was about to give up hope for this book, one juicy secret saved my opinion. I admit I saw it coming halfway through, but this secret led me to just devour the last third of CROSS MY HEART. I was hooked.
One major qualm that I had about this book was the writing style. I felt like the writing style made CROSS MY HEART sound like a contemporary novel but the characters all wore old-fashioned clothes. I guess this creates more appeal to teen readers, but at the same time, I felt like the novels lost a bit of historical authenticity. However, Gould’s writing still manages to make the setting alive. I loved reading about the gondolas and it did feel like I was reading a novel set in Italy.
According to GoodReads, this is the first in a series, but since the novel ties up nicely, I’m guessing the other books in the series will be companion novels that explores other stories about the Segreta.
Fans of Anna Godbersen’s the Luxe series will enjoy this novel.
Other Book Reviews:
Debra’s Book Cafe
About the AuthorSasha Gould lived in Venice until she was nine years old. She later studied fashion in London. Her favorite things are opera, ballet, and romantic movies. She now lives in the Lake District of England with her cat, Tosca, and writes about Venice, the beautiful and mysterious city she knows and loves. |
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Hmm, sucks about its lack of historical authenticity. I hadn’t heard of this one, and I probably won’t rush out to get it, but I am super curious about this juicy secret you speak of. Hopefully my library will get it in at some point!