Book Review: THE PENDANT, by Mirella Patzer

  The Pendant, by Mirella Patzer

 With the summer heat already upon us here, I thought I’d take a break from my usual historical  reads to something slightly different while still set within the delicious past.   I indulged in an historical romance where the setting and period brought me back in history without the worries of historical accuracy of real events or people.  I didn’t want to be bogged down in any way- except for pure pleasure reading.  And- if the story could be one set in Italy- then what could be more perfect for me?

In Mirella Patzer’s, The Pendant, I got all that and more!  Set in medieval Genoa, this is the story of Countess Morena, (last living heir of Umberto Monterossa) and her abducting(in a good way, believe it or not) beau, Amoro, Duke of Genoa. Sure this is a story of a grand romance, but within it all, there is a quest for a treasure, a mysterious pendant, a rival-brute, abductions, marriage by force, a conniving temptress, atrocious situations (most of which involve torture), murder, heart wrenching moments, and yes, lots of love (involving hot passion...).

Not only is Patzer’swriting style exquisite, the plot to this story is fantastic!  Patzer knows how to weave a tale that will keep you guessing.  Of course, when romance is involved, one usually knows where the story is headed- but in this case, due to the high level of adrenaline and excitement, I was often caught off-guard, and entertained from beginning to end.  I must admit, that even some of the more gruesome situations kept me hooked so that I could find relief in the transition of the outcome revealed.  This was a true surprise for me, because honestly, I’m really not one to stomach graphics of any kind- and there’s a bit more sex than I was prepared for - YET; all that is quite secondary in relation to how fascinating the storyline really is.

Countess Morena is not your regular frail, romance beauty; and Duke Amoro is not your typical tall-dark- handsome- win’em all kind of royal.  The trials and tribulations at the hands of the horrid Ernesto,  saw our main characters live through defeat, humiliation and more, in the name of love and loyalty.  There’s so much detail in this story that I believe touches relevant issues that also apply in the lives of today’s women, in terms of gender equality, morals and virtue, choices and more...In other words there’s alot to ponder here.  In its intensity, The Pendant locks a whole realm of substance and content within heartfelt romance.

Deeper than I thought- I really enjoyed this.