First, I must give much praise to Bertrice Small the author of BIANCA I've fallen in love with and look forward to the remainder of the series. I've been wanting to read books by Bertrice Small, but have not gotten the chance until now and she's fabulous!!!

I could not put BIANCA down, page after page, it became more interesting with great characters, romance, lust, family, and friends that could either love you or stab you in the back literally. The book is a history of cultures from Florence, Italy in 1474 and onto Turkey where not just one wife will do, but a harem of wives for men of high status is the way of life for their women.

In Florence, Bianca Maria Rosa Pietro d' Angelo is a most beautiful young woman who is well known among Florentine society. When Bianca walks to church with her mother, all the young men stop and stare at her in awe, for she is not only the most beautiful young woman they've ever set eyes upon, but they know she is ready for marriage and will make a great match for her family. Unfortunately, because of her brother's actions in covering up a tragic accident, her father is blackmailed by Sebastiano Rovere who is well known as a terrible and horrid man, but when Rovere demands that he will take Bianca as his wife, her father fears for the rest of his family and gives in to this terrible demand.

Bianca becomes very angry with both of her parents for having to marry such a terrible man who is much older than she. There are terrible rumors that he is a man with no soul and has murdered his first two wives. After a time, Bianca steps up to the plate and marries Rovere, but she is in so much fear of his strange sexual advances towards her. Rovere cuts Bianca off from her family and then begins his sadistic and debauched ways with her. She is sick to her stomach each time she must go to his bed. And as time goes by, the sexual advances become so horrific that Bianca would rather die then live with this crazy man for the rest of her life. After a time, Bianca finds a way to let her mother visit her and when she does, her mother is shocked as to what her daughter tells her. Orianna, Bianca's mother finds a way for Bianca to escape her nightmare living with Rovere. Her mother puts her in a convent and when it is safe, she finds a place for Bianca to live in secret, away from her sick and horrible husband.

Bianca's mother sets her up in the family villa by the sea where she recovers from her bad experience with her husband Rovere. While living in the Villa, she meets her neighbor Amir who she falls in love with and he with her, but as long as her husband is alive Bianca will not go against her marriage vows until it is annulled, then she will let Amir into her bed. As time goes by Bianca starts to give up hope for a future for her and Amir, but she receives news that her husband has been murdered. Now she is free to go forward with her life. The love between Bianca and Amir is not excepted by Florentine ways for Prince Amir is an infidel from another land. He is not of her religion, nor her culture.

Bianca's family is bound and determined to see her wed to a proper man of wealth and nobility of their choosing. She's just as determined to defy them and remain with the man she loves. BIANCA is a must read for the journey that both Amir and Bianca make will be dangerous to their survival. Looking forward to the second of this series!