Tuesday 21 July 2020

The Casanova Papers by Kate Zarrelli

Something different again for me as today is my stop on the blog tour for erotic romance The Casanova Papers by Kate Zarrelli. My thanks to Rachel Gilbey from Rachel's Random Resources for my invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.



The Blurb:

Ellie Murphy takes a contract teaching English at a school in Venice. There she meets the sexy, enigmatic Professor Piero Contarini, from an ancient Venetian family, and agrees to help him in his work curating a new edition of the memoirs of the famous seducer, Giacomo Casanova. Taking their task seriously, they start to enact his adventures with each other, ecstatically revealing their own kinks as they do so. But who is watching them from the shadowy alleyways of Venice?

The Casanova by was published by eXtasy Books on 7th June 2020 and you can purchase it from Amazon UK and Amazon US.



My Review:

Well, this was a wee treat for me as I don't read erotica very often. This is a slim volume of just 149 pages and was easily read in one sitting. It won't be for everyone as it is very explicit but there is more to this story than just sex. I have to say, though, that I am not a huge fan of the front cover - far  too busy for me.

Ellie Murphy can't find a teaching job in the UK and her life has stalled so she takes her friend's advice and takes a job teaching English to students in Venice. When there, she agrees to work with Professor Contarini on his work on Casanova. Their attraction is instant and strong, and they embark on a passionate, steamy romance.

Ellie clearly has a strong sex drive and a vivid imagination and this is evident right from the beginning. And as soon as she meets Piero she imagines what he might be like, what they might do together and is almost overwhelmed when some of those fantasies come true. Piero is attractive and enigmatic, and old fashioned and gentlemanly in many ways. But there's a hint of something dark in his past...

Ellie and Piero role play some of Casanova's romantic encounters and these moments are explicit and breathtaking. I loved the historical details such as the outfits they wore and the eighteenth century terms for intimate body parts. The settings in Venice are beautiful and I loved exploring the city and learning about it's history.

The sex scenes here are quite beautiful and elegant, and very explicit. Ellie also poses for an artist friend of Piero, and these sittings are unexpectedly steamy - I found myself holding my breath through some of the later ones - they really are something.

So, the sex scenes are graphic and enjoyable to read. Alongside that you have a developing love story as lust evolves into something deeper. And throughout there is a hint of darkness leading to an unexpected episode towards the end of the book. And because of the couple's love of history there is an old fashioned beauty and elegance to everything. So much so that Ellie's use of a sex toy early on seemed slightly incongruous.

Love, sex, art, history, a little bit of jeopardy and great attention to detail all in one quick, immensely enjoyable read. And I discovered the word 'tumescence', which might just be my new favourite word!

The Author:


Kate Zarrelli is the romance and erotica pen-name of Katherine Mezzacappa.  Kate is Irish but now lives in Carrara in Northern Tuscany, between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with her Italian husband and two teenage sons. She is the author of Tuscan Enchantment (eXtasy: Devine Destinies). Kate/Katherine writes historical, erotic, feel-good and paranormal fiction, set all over Europe, and in her spare time volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.


Author Social Media Links:

Twitter - @katmezzacappa
Facebook - katezarrellibooks


Giveaway:

Your chance to win an inky black pendant of Portoro marble, with a golden streak at its heart, from the quarries above La Spezia (Open INT),

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

ENTER HERE



Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour! 



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