Unable to find a suitable husband in New York, American heiress Clare Herschel had sailed with her mother to England, where parties from good families didn't care if the money came from trade when their coffers were empty. The eligible bachelors seemed a dour lot, until Emmett Markham, the Earl of Linwood, made Clare laugh. Soon they were in love, married, and Clare was almost as happy as she'd hoped. Bennett's father, the Marquess of Hadwell, wasn't exactly welcoming, and after her second miscarriage, Clare started to wonder if the apple hadn't fallen very far from the tree where Emmett was concerned. Emmett's villa in Sicily beckoned, so Clare left for Italy hoping the balmy weather would prove beneficial to her health. Since Emmett hadn't seemed to care, she didn't know what to think when he arrived on her doorstep, only to unhappily realize his father demanded she went back to London so they would appear the perfect couple when Emmett runs for a seat in Parliament. Little did they know that an earthquake would alter the course of their lives.

Upon reading the book description, it was clear that BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY would be a very emotional story. Miscarriages are often mentioned in historical romances but seldom explored in depth. It's a heartbreaking topic, further exacerbated by the aristocracy's exigencies for heirs, and Stacy Henrie just about gutted me. Ms. Henrie's structural choice for the story is extremely effective: the narrative alternates between the present and goes back to the moment Emmett and Clare met then moves forward in time. The transitions are done very smoothly, and the back and forth gradually allows us to see how Clare and Emmett's happy marriage started to slowly disintegrate, and ultimately how faith and hope supplants hopelessness.

The catastrophic earthquake that hit Sicily in 1908, a true historical event, plays a pivotal role in the story. It occurred to me while writing this review that the earthquake is an apt metaphor to describe the various stages of Clare and Emmett's marriage. I was completely immersed in the story, suffering along with Clare and Emmett, not really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and desperately hoping for them to recapture that initial spark.

Ms. Henrie has again crafted an extraordinary cast of characters, notably Lord Hadwell, Emmett's father, who is chillingly realistic, and the unforgettable Antonina. And yes, I cried. I've always praised Stacy Henrie's phenomenal storytelling skills and her stellar eloquence, and both are displayed to full effect in this moving novel. BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY is a story that shows us that true love will prevail, but that there is no magical solution. I fear I do not possess the necessary skills to express how I feel about this book. I knew the day would come when a Stacy Henrie novel would leave me at a loss for words, and I think the unforgettable BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY did it.