I have to agree with the negative reviews of this novel. I love historical fiction and used to live in Venice, so was really excited to receive this as a gift. Sadly, I was disappointed from page 1. The characters were weak, there were too many secondary characters, the plot was predictable, clumsy and slow-paced, and Ian and Bianca's "I love you, I hate you" got old really quickly. I would not recommend this to anyone unless they wanted a cure for insomina.