Fiorenzo

by Sebastian Nothwell

Fiore has a plan. Find a wealthy elderly gentleman, delight him until the end of his days, and retire on the resulting inheritance. It’s the best outcome a low-born courtesan in the city of Halcyon can hope for.

And it seems a perfect scheme… until a mysterious masked man upends it.

Banished from university after a disastrous duel, Enzo wanders the city searching for scraps of the affection he’s lost. His public mask conceals private agonies. A single night in the company of a courtesan, however, balms his wounded heart, and he finds himself returning again and again to Fiore, revealing more of himself than he’s ever dared before.

Furthermore, and more astonishing still, Fiore finds he returns Enzo’s affections.

But while Fiore wears no mask, he nonetheless has secrets of his own. And when the ghosts of their pasts return to haunt them, only the bond of trust between them will carry them through.

~

Fiorenzo is a queer fantasy-of-manners romance featuring secret identities, hurt/comfort, and a happily-ever-after.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, M M Romance, Queer, Historical Fiction, LGBT

685 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2023

About the author

Sebastian Nothwell writes queer romance. When he is not writing, he is counting down the minutes until he is permitted to return to writing. He is absolutely not a ghost and definitely did not die in 1895.

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing in the world mine for free / But my love, mine, all mine, all mine (My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski).

Just in case no one else has said it already: nobody out here is doing it like Sebastian Nothwell! I can't get enough of the way he writes! It'd be impossible to emphasize enough how the tenderness and care that he gives to his characters is a sight to behold and manages to take my breath away each and every time. Granted, as of writing this, I’ve only read two of his books (including this one, Fiorenzo), but it’s astonishing how the prose is always adorned with such a romantic flourish that makes it a challenge not to swoon with every sentence. Hopefully I'm not laying it on too thick, but it’s actually been a minute since I’ve cared about the characters in a story this much! It's gotten to the point where I miss them already despite having just finished the novel! But I'm probably getting ahead of myself, so I'll start by saying that the basic plot follows Fiore, a charming, handsome, and art-dealer chic courtesan who’s desperately looking for a sugar daddy to set him up comfortably for the rest of his days... and as luck would have it, then enters Enzo, a well-off lord who can be the answer to all of Fiore’s problems, but not exactly in the ways he’d originally imagined. As they say, real love is really scary, and money only pays the rent, love is forever, that's all your life, love is heaven sent. I think it goes without saying that I thought that this was the loveliest of lovely stories. I especially enjoyed reading from Enzo’s point-of-view because, while he’s certainly not as flashy or fiery as Fiore, his calm and sensitive demeanor gave the book the much-needed glue to hold everything together, keeping things grounded. Besides, it was achingly wonderful to see Fiore through his adoring gaze. Oh, he also gets an A+ in my grade-book for awesome character design in that… he wears a cool mask. That does it for me. In fact, that's all I need, really. Ahh, I’m sure it’s obvious, but I hope it’s clear that I loved this book so, so much, and I tear up just thinking back on it! It’s a little uncanny how much of it feels specifically catered to my interests as a reader! But perhaps most importantly, this is a book that understands the most important thing; nothing is more romantic than the ever-so-slightly-macabre, and hey, why not add a duel to the death? ... You know, for good measure. How very Shakespearean. Love it!

“You,” Enzo murmured against Fiore’s lips as they broke off for breath, “are a devotion.”

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one writes yearning, unconditional love quite like Sebastian Nothwell - this was an absolute masterpiece (arguably, his best yet).

Right off the cuff, Sebastian's resplendently lyrical prose throws us into a colorful world with even more colorful characters. The setting is beautiful and with every word I read I felt like I was being transported to a different realm all-together. Every new place we visit in the story had my jaw on the floor - what I wouldn't give to visit even one of these paintings-come-to-life. There were romantic little details and nods to history that I so appreciated. Nothing pleases me more than a writer who does their research - the medical accuracy alone left me delighted. Obviously, certain liberties are taken in a work of fiction, but the way that Nothwell interweaves those liberties with historical points of reference is seamless and is something that I've come to associate with his works specifically. Sometimes you can feel the author's enthusiasm through their writing and it just makes everything that much more enjoyable.

There is such sweetness in all of Nothwell's past characters and Fiore & Enzo are no different. I am in love with these two selfless, soft, sweet idiots. In every book he writes, there is a large emphasis on, rather than loving someone in spite of their faults, loving them faults and all. His characters are always so endearingly flawed (as is any person) and the unconditional love they have for each other makes my heart full to bursting.

Another similarity to previous works: Fiorenzo has some delicious bits of spice to balance out the sweetness that I ate up like a woman starved. There are BDSM elements in this one that are slightly more stark than his previous books and I am here for it. If Nothwell's books have taught me anything, it's that I need to invest in a proper sea chest (false bottom and all, iykyk).

NOT TO MENTION THE HURT/COMFORT. UGHHHH. Bury me with a copy of this book when I die because it's everything I could want and I must retain the ability to read it again and again until the end of time. I never wanted it to end. There are a few questions left unanswered but, if I know Nothwell's writing style like I think I do, we should hopefully be coming back to Fiore & Enzo's story and some of those questions will have answers.

The only thing that could eclipse my adoration for this book is Fiore & Enzo's adoration for each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

✧While I received a free ARC of this book from the author, all thoughts are my own.✧

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I’ve ever read by Sebastian Nothwell and I received it as a complimentary ARC from the author with the expectation of a review.

3.75/4 stars

What does this have?
- Poetic prose (all euphemisms in keeping with a nautical theme)
- Caretaking (like so much caretaking all other caretaking books pale in comparison)
- hurt/comfort
- casual queerness
- size difference
- rich/poor
- historical/fantastical setting
- a comprehensive list of CWs at the beginning of the book

When is this set?
For me this constantly read like late fourteenth century Venice meets Florence after the second outbreak of the pest 1360-63 – it is however set in a fictional version (Halycon) of the historical (not sure when) Venetian area where there is a different form of governing, currency, attitude towards gender and sexuality (i.e. being in a queer relationship is not frowned upon) and luckily a lot of medical knowledge otherwise this book would have been cut short several times :D

What did I really enjoy?
- These characters fell in love with each other so sweetly and shyly and both completely unaware of how loveable they are
- The sense of place…the blues, the greens, the browns and reds swirling in my mind
- The very casual way they just increasingly spent more and more time with each other
- How the size difference was at times explained
- How much joy the characters drew simply from being there for each other and kissing and the adoration you could feel in each caress be it a touch on the cheek or a kiss on the forehead
- The convalescing (and it’s a good thing I did as there was a lot of it!)

Quotes

”Fiore had landed safe and sound in Enzo’s embrace. His heart, however, never came down.” (p. 285)

“Fiore wondered which one he was – a trifle or a distraction. ‘Neither,’ said Enzo, at which point Fiore realized he’d wondered aloud. Fiore’s face went up in flames. Enzo set the lute aside. He leaned in toward Fiore. A glance to Fiore’s mouth and back again begged silent permission. Fiore granted it with a nod. And, at long last, Enzo bent to kiss him.
‘You,’ Enzo murmured against Fiore’s lips as they broke off for breath, ‘are a devotion’. Against all his better sense, Fiore almost believed him.” (p. 466)

“You preserve things as you perceive them. And the way you perceive me is how I’d like others to perceive me.” (p. 529)

What did I not enjoy so much?
- I felt slightly teasered by the ‘there may be dragons’ and hoped for more dragon-ness than there was :’)
- The very magical setting and feeling didn’t quite translate for me in their happily ever after which felt incomplete for me (I can’t remember them saying they love each other for example and the decision they’ll stay together is implied by Fiore getting his things to move into Enzo’s place and with the family discussing how the match is fine… The last scene had beautiful hopefulness but for me personally I needed a big magical HEA epilogue)


NSFW infos:
- One MC who is smaller and a courtesan, tops, likes to dominate (He has one ball instead of two and a scar along his penis because he was supposed to undergo a forced operation as a child to become a castrato but could flee mid-procedure. In the course of the book to free himself from captors he offers up his body and it is implied he is taken somewhat forcefully which is not described on page)

- One MC who is taller, masked due to scarring from a duel and a duke who comes from a noble line which apparently used to transform into dragons which they cannot today but he has a “vestigial vent, or cloaca, left over from when my ancestors transformed themselves from mythic monsters into mortal guise.” (240f.) and has “internal testes-again like a reptile or bird” (241). He himself refers to his hereditary cloaca as a cunt and is worried how it will be perceived by the other MC, so they have anal sex first and after he reveals his anatomy they have penetrative sex in his cunt which is the only hole they use when having penetrative sex thereon after. He cannot become pregnant, his anatomy is magical and therefore not to be equated with intersexuality as we know it today (bottoms, likes to be submissive)

- Strict top/bottom dynamic
- Bondage
- Penetrative sex
- Masturbating for the other
- Courtesan MC continues to have sex with others because it is part of his job which is not on page and stops once they notice they’re in love with each other

[Adaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I am a huge fan of the MCs Nothwell creates and this time was no exception. Both Fiore and Enzo are very distinct, both with very different upbringings that color their actions. Both very decent human beings. And not perfect.

The setting is also wonderful. Based on Venice, you can’t but feel transported to it. Feels quite magical. The book also has amazing hurt/comfort and some lovely kink.

What didn’t work as well for me was the pacing. The book is long. Yet the end feels a bit rushed. I would have loved a proper epilogue, especially to see how their HEA actually looks like. I needed a bit happy time of them together.

There is also a couple of plot points that are brought up but lead nowhere. Which is a problem I had with Nothwell before, like in Mr Warrens Profession, where the MCs where top notch, but the pacing and resolution was a bit clunky for me.

In conclusion, I recommend it, the writing and the setting is beautiful and the MCs very interesting and well written characters.

This book was an ARC, given by the author with the only expectation being a review.

[✨Meli the bookworm✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know you don't like to be perceived."
"I like to be perceived by you."


4.75 ⭐

OH MY GOD. THIS BOOK.

I have to admit I was extremely hesitant about this book. First, it was from an unknown to me author, and times are very trying for me personally right now which makes me very prone to just re-read one of my comfort books instead of trying something new. I know. Second, there was an extensive list of CW that I found in the Graph (that I will add at the end, because I think it is important since the book deals with a lot of heavy topics), and even though most of the stuff that I tend to avoid are off page (mind you, I value my mental sanity and do not enjoy triggering myself when I am reading, which I do for fun, thank you very much!), I have been burned in the past so I had to think it twice lmao.

I am so glad that despite all of that I gave this book a chance. THIS BOOK IS SPECTACULAR!!

I LOVED Fiorenzo. Fiore is a courtesan, who is in the search for his ideal patron, someone with money, who will give him security, stability and this person must be old-ish, which will minimize the risk of him being cast aside when such patron eventually gets tired of him, which he knows it is what will inevitably happen because it is the fate of every courtesan he has met. He meets Enzo, an enigmatic man who wears a bauta mask (aka a Casanova’s mask that covers the whole face) and who does not remove the mask not even in the privacy of his chambers, and from the very beginning of their sexual encounters they have an incredible connection. Their relationship starts as a mere transactional one, because of Fiore’s occupation, and very rapidly starts progressing into something very treasured and intimate between a uninhibited but very broken inside and jaded individual, Fiore, and a reserved, awkward and equally broken one, Enzo. They are open and frank with each other, and even when their relationship still has not progressed to discuss their exclusivity of an actual relationship, it is that openness and the absolute trust in the other that makes everything work because they are devoted to each other. They cherish and protect each other fiercely. The amount of yearning in this book feels like something that should be punishable by law because it made me want to eat my fist multiple times.

Also, the hurt/comfort. Good Gods, the hurt/comfort!! This book is for the hurt/comfort girlies (gender neutral), who like the hurt to not trigger them and want pages and pages of comfort and people bathing the other one, playing the lute for the other one, reading to them and overall taking care of their beloved while they are convalescing that will turn your heart to mush, repeatedly, to your absolute delight. It is also for those who find great comfort in vowing to destroy and wreak absolute vengeance on those who hurt your loved one.

This book is also for those who unabashedly and unapologetically adore poetic prose; the prose in this book is exquisite. Full stop.

Fiorenzo is the most gratifying trope fest. It has size difference, bdsm (dom/sub, crop, bondage and a full sea-chest of toys ready to use) where the shorter one prefers to top (Fiore) and the bulkiest one prefers to bottom (Enzo) which in the grand scheme of things is not something that perhaps other people might include in their reviews but it would be a gross neglect on my part to omit it, because this caters to my very personal interests. And the smut was REALLY GOOD. On top of that, it has insanely hot homoerotic sparring between lovers. I felt I was in heaven.

Which leads me to mention one thing that I particularly enjoyed and it was how the conversation about Enzo’s physical peculiarity, as the character himself calls it (and not to be referred to as an intersex individual out of respect for real intersex people, per author request since the peculiarity in question in this case has a fantastical source, aka related to dragons) was handled. Honestly, it is very simple, if a book has people talking about boundaries, and making sure those boundaries are always respected it will get bonus points from me.

Additionally, if you are kind of sick and tired of everything being so misogynistic and queerphobic irl, I have great news for you. This is the book you oughta read. Superbly researched, the story set in the late 14th century in Halcyon, a fictional realm loosely inspired by the Venetian Republic and also borrowing some artistic tradition, costume and cuisine from other parts of Italy, is delightfully queernormative. Not only are same sex relationships not taboo, but it has a very refreshing attitude towards gender that simultaneously thrilled me and made me so sad that this was not the world I was living in; most of the authority figures were women. Tons of bonus points.

My only gripe, and it is a very teeny tiny one, almost inconsequential, is that for a book of close to 700 pages the ending felt a bit rushed. Maybe I wanted to see a bit more of their HEA together. And yet, the last sentence almost brought me to tears, with the sheer joy of having experienced the beautiful healing journey that is Fiorenzo.
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CW:
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Torture, Blood, Animal death (hunting scene), Classism, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder
Minor: Rape (villain against hero; the actual event is off-the-page, but the lead-up to it and the aftermath are dealt with on-the-page), Death, Alcohol, Death of parent (one hero is an orphan and the other hero's father has passed), Sexual violence (villain against hero; the actual event is off-the-page, but the lead-up to it and the aftermath are dealt with on-the-page), Pandemic/Epidemic (the plague is over before the story takes place), Sexual assault ( villain against hero; the actual event is off-the-page, but the lead-up to it and the aftermath are dealt with on-the-page)
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[I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

It's so hard to find a historical romance that ISN'T set in the UK or US so thank you Nothwell!!

Fiorenzo is an m/m historical romance:
-set in a fantasy Venice
-with an all vibes, little plot, slice-of-life feel
-tons of hurt/comfort
-tons of spicy scenes (the tall masc guy is the bottom and the shorter femme guy is the top)
-rich x poor romance (a trademark!!)
-interesting biology (iykyk)
-basically a cozy romance with low stakes. Well. Some very Crazy Things Happen but in true Nothwell style, you know everything will sort itself out!

Actually, the cozy romance writing style reminded me of Cat Sebastian but... better imo.

Basically we have two protagonists: the shy and brooding Duke Enzo, who goes around wearing a mask because he's scarred and disgraced after a duel gone wrong; and the courtesan Fiore, who is fun and flirty and loves art but cannot afford to become an artist. Both of them are heavily traumatized from their tragic backstories, and if you're familiar with those AO3 fics wherein the characters basically reveal their traumas to each other and heal together, then that's this novel in a nutshell.

Very predictably, my favorite character was Enzo. He's awkward, intense, and quick to swing his sword around, but he is fiercely loyal and loves with utmost devotion. In Twitter terms... he's a little meow meow. I swear, he's the type of character that gets people drawing fanart of him lol.

Once again, Nothwell has written a delightful queernorm world that mixes fact and fantasy. He also doesn't shy away from the oppression and violence that occured in these historical time periods, even if it's an altogether happy, cozy book. That's what I appreciate about his work.

Unfortunately, I couldn't give the book a higher rating because it felt bloated at almost 700 pages, considering that there's little plot. I felt like there were a lot of unnecessary repetitive filler scenes (ex: two whole chapters of Enzo buying Fiore fancy clothes, or repeating the same scene but from another POV, etc) and I would've enjoyed the book more if it were shortened. Despite that, it's a fun romantasy and I will read literally anything Nothwell writes. If you're into lush, langurous historicals then check it out, because Fiorenzo is lovely.

Thank you to the author for reaching out to me and providing an e-ARC. Fiorenzo releases tomorrow, on Sept 30th!

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B+ at AAR, 4.5 stars

Sebastian Nothwell’s Fiorenzo is a standalone tale of love and triumph over adversity set in a world inspired by the Venetian Republic in what feels like the late seventeenth/early eighteenth century. The author calls it a “fantasy of manners” – which brings to mind the comedies of manners of that period, with their secret identities, dastardly plots and dramatic storylines, and Fiorenzo certainly contains all of those. The romance is tender and warm with plenty of steam, the setting is richly imagined, well researched and well thought-out, and the characters are likeable and easy to root for. It’s unlike anything else I’ve read in quite a while, and I really enjoyed it.

Young, savvy and beautiful, twenty-year-old Fiore is a courtesan in the great realm of Halcyon. He plies his trade cheerfully from his accommodation by the shore – below deck on the Kingfisher, a grounded ship that has been converted into a tavern – and when the story begins, is getting ready to entertain whoever is seeking company on the final night of the festival of Saturnalia. Leaning against the rail on the top deck, his eye is drawn to the shadows – shadows which slowly resolve into the outline of a man dressed all in black, wearing the traditional bauta mask, with its distinctive, prominent beak obscuring everything from nose to throat. He can’t see the man’s eyes, but he can feel them on him. Fiore throws him a winning smile and waves in invitation, and is pleased when he sees him making his way towards the gangplank.

Enzo has only recently returned to Halcyon following his forced withdrawal from university, and has spent most of the time since then visiting the different islands and exploring places he hasn’t been to since he was a child. Wending his way alongside the canals on the last night of Saturnalia, he finds himself among the crowd outside the infamous dry-docked ship and looks up to find himself staring at the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. It hadn’t been his intention to hire a courtesan for the evening – it’s not something he’s ever done before – yet the man’s beauty, his sensuality and his confidence were so utterly captivating, that Enzo is already thinking about a second visit.

A couple of weeks later, Fiore is heading off to see his friend Artemisia, a sculptor of some renown for whom he models regularly, when Serafina, the other courtesan who lodges on the Kingfisher, scoffs that he’s unlikely to find himself a wealthy patron in an artisan’s workshop and suggests he should try the theatre district, specifically the Opera, as it’s “filled to bursting with nobles, aristocrats, [and] patricians”. Fiore – who has very good reason for his aversion – is chilled to the bone at the merest suggestion of going anywhere near the Opera, even as he has to admit that Serafina is right, so later that night, he turns his steps towards the theatre district, even though his every instinct is screaming at him to walk in the opposite direction. He has come to a stop at the marble steps leading to the Teatro Novissimo when a deep, soft voice addresses him, a voice he recognises. Fiore turns to see the gentleman in the bauta mask gazing down at him, his warm brown eyes smiling. They spend the evening together, walking, talking, drinking coffee, and ending it in spectacular fashion back in Fiore’s bed. Before Enzo leaves, he asks if they can meet again – perhaps Fiore would show him around the city? Fiore is only too happy to agree.

The romance between Fiore and Enzo develops at a leisurely pace and we watch them fall in love as they spend time together wandering around the city, visiting artists studios, and very slowly sharing something of themselves and their lives with each other. Enzo is smitten with Fiore and makes clear that he would like to be his patron, but Fiore has experienced too many broken promises in his young life to take him seriously. It’s true that his offer had a different ring to it, but it’s no matter, because Fiore already has a plan – to find an older, wealthy gentleman who will predecease him and leave him well provided for so he’ll never have to work again. Enzo clearly has the wealth – but not the years.

There’s a lot going on in this book, but the author doesn’t rush it and allows the story to unfold at a good pace. With Fiore and Enzo obviously deeply in love (well, it’s obvious to us if it isn’t quite to them!) before the halfway point, there’s plenty of time to explore and further develop their relationship as their mutual affection and trust grows deeper. There’s a lot of hurt/comfort, with conflict provided by a mixture of internal and external forces; I don’t want to give anything away, but illness, injury and more have parts to play in the story, as does Fiore’s self-doubt – he doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Enzo and has one foot out the door because he’s waiting for Enzo to realise the same, so focused on not letting Enzo break his heart that he is prepared to break it himself. Enzo senses that something is holding Fiore back, but doesn’t know what it is or how to ask.  He returned to Halcyon under a cloud, following a duel with a fellow student which led to him being banished from university and has been miserable under the restrictions placed upon him by his older sister, the head of his family. He wears the bauta both to conceal his scars and his identity, not wanting to remind people of the shame he has brought upon his family name, and was resigned to a life without affection or compassion. But falling in love with Fiore changes things, bringing love and happiness back into Enzo’s life and giving him something to fight for. He just has to convince Fiore to stay.

I really liked the world the author has created; it’s both familiar and not, and I found the combination of well-researched and realistic historical detail and fantasy elements completely immersive. I appreciated the different attitudes towards religion, sexuality and gender, and that the ruler of Halcyon is a woman (a Prince), and that women can be dukes and viscounts as well as men. The sometimes archaic word choices – such as “dropt” for “dropped” – are perhaps a bit of an affectation, but they work to provide a bit of period flavour, although there are only so many times I can read about “swords” and “silken sheaths” in sex scenes before I start rolling my eyes.

Fiorenzo is quite a long book and things move at a fairly leisurely pace, yet I was never bored. The fabulous period detail permeates the novel in a subtle way that transports the reader into Halcyon’s streets and canals and coffee-houses, and Fiore and Enzo are adorable together. Their romance is well-developed so we get to see how deeply they long for each other (seriously, there’s some top-level pining going on here!), and how they both work to accept and understand and make each other’s lives better. The secondary characters are well-rounded and I liked that the class difference between the leads is addressed appropriately and not just brushed under the carpet. The eventual HEA is very well-deserved – and that last line is perfect. Recommended to anyone looking for a well-written historical romance with something different to offer.

Note: This book contains references to sexual assault and some violence and gore. A full list of TWs can be found using Amazon’s Look Inside feature.

This review originally appeared at All About Romance .

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ecopy of this book via BookSirens. This has not influenced my review.*

This was a lovely, fairly low angst romance! A bit of angst because both men weren't sure if the other really wanted them, but they were still spending all their time together anyway, and as the reader, you know they'll figure it out and have their HEA.

The characters were both so sweet, and their romance was so tender and understanding. Also sexy, and the sex scenes were infused with sweetness too.

There was a lot of surgery and injury and recovery, as well as one character who has a phobia of surgeons/doctors because of a past experience, but there was also a lot of help and comfort and care. If you like hurt/comfort, then you are in for a treat. But do mind the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

I would call this a non-magical fantasy, set in a Venetian-inspired world that's mostly realistic but has some differences from real history. The setting sounded beautiful, and I especially loved the clothes!

One character has some unique anatomy, and although it's not intended to represent the experiences of trans or intersex people, I feel like it still helps to normalize different types of bodies, which I like.

Overall, this was a sweet and gentle romance with equally sweet and gentle characters, so much hurt/comfort, and a beautiful Venetian-inspired setting that I really enjoyed!

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook via TTS*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes lots of hurt/comfort, non-magical fantasy, Venetian-inspired settings, sweet characters, and gentle m/m romance.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Alix Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un grand merci à l’auteur pour cet ARC et sa confiance.

J’ai été subjugué.e par le décore d’inspiration vénitienne. On baigne dans une époque et culture bercée par les arts et la mythologie dont la plume de l’auteur restitue à la perfection l’ambiance des cafés ensoleillé et des grands-places clairsemées de lanternes multicolores pour conjurer les ombres à la nuit tombée.

Fiore est un jeune courtisant passionné de dessin mais également fasciné par la sculpture et admiratif de toute forme d’art.
Il mérite amplement d’être adoré comme Enzo rêve de le faire mais craint tant pour son cœur qu’il se refuse à trop espérer.

Enzo est… très mystérieux. Ça va être compliqué de vous parler de lui sans révéler quoi que ce soit.😅
Enzo est un green flag ambulant.
Loyal à une faute, d’une dévotion et d’une sincérité indéfectibles, il est tout simplement incroyable!
Ces deux-là ont remplis mon cœur d’émotions.😭♥️

(Très) riche en passion, c’est ce genre de livre calme qu’on ne soupçonne pas, et tout d’un coup BAM!💥De l’action et du gore sortant d’on ne sait où prenant complètement au dépourvu. (Lisez bien les TW/CW).

C’est mon tout premier roman de cet auteur, alors je ne sais pas si c’est spécifique à ce livre en particulier, mais j’ai adoré le fonctionnement de la société vis-à-vis du rôle selon le genre.
Hommes et femmes sont égaux en tout, il n’y a pas de rôle inhérent à un genre et aucun jugement concernant la sexualité.🙌♥️ Ça fait tellement de bien d’être dans un monde comme celui-là.
C’était assez déstabilisant au début, je ne m’étais pas rendu.e compte à quel point je m’étais habitué.e à certains comportements et manque de respect qui se sont malheureusement incrustés dans notre société.

J’ai cependant été (énormément) déçu que Lucrezia n’ait pas eu ce qu’elle mérite (pourrir au fond d’un sac dans l’océan). Après tout, on coupe généralement la tête des serpents.😒

Autrement une incroyable découverte!
Je lirai avec un grand intérêt les autres livres de l’auteur. Il a vraiment une plume incomparable.🥰

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If he dies, I will follow him to the grave.”

3.5 stars, rounded up. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was a beautiful tale of love and loyalty. It was so incredibly tender and sweet while dealing with issues of loss, abandonment and past trauma. The writing really does transport you to the setting, gorgeous Venice described in alluring detail. Fiore is a sweet courtesan, witty and sassy at times, with lofty ambitions of becoming a kept man by a wealthy old man (preferably one who would expire quickly so he can live out the rest of his life on the fortune). With all that Fiore has suffered, he really does continue to suffer so much bodily harm in this book (seriously, he can’t catch a break). Alongside him is Enzo, the young, mysterious aristocrat who is entranced by Fiore from the first sighting. He also has peculiarities and a traumatic backstory, but his complete and utter devotion to Fiore is divine.

While the book started off great, I did find the pacing to be a bit off and the plot repetitive, yet the ending felt rushed. There were some plot holes and plot lines that drop off a bit. Overall, it could definitely be a shorter book and be just as impactful.

If you’re looking for:
🖤 Historical romance
🖤 Aristocrat x courtesan
🖤 Kink
🖤 Duels
🖤 Hurt/comfort
🖤 Mutual pining

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely read the same author twice in less than a year, so you can imagine what sort of temptations I was under (queer, eBook, no one else was checking it out, etc). Alas, while self indulgence was certainly the main motivator, this was not the breed of it for me, for reasons of both narratology and personal preference. To compare with Oak King Holly King, my first experience with this author, this work was very repetitive in terms of character differentiation (everyone is picture perfect save for this one set of explicitly evil types), character interaction ("I'm worthless." "No you're not." etc), and plot development (domestic, whump, escalating domestic, escalating whump, and on). And then there's the constant 'Oh I'm going to act like just in case this world/these rich people are bigoted. Wait, they aren't? Praise be!' that actively works to the world building's detriment, cause believe it or not, a lot of the nastiness in the world was set in place to keep rich folks rich, and it makes no sense to have a bunch of perfect souls striving around palaces that require an actively maintained imbalance of community resources. Take all that and make it go on for 500+ pages and you have something that would have required a great deal more sexy times (and a bit more variety of them to boot) to keep my interest from flagging. Still, as the person who manages my workplace's eMaterials, I have to be grateful to Nothwell for pricing his work as cost effectively as he does, as there really isn't a lot of queer stuff aimed at adults going around on Overdrive when you take its entire collection into account. And if this one wasn't entirely to my taste, there's a decent chance the next one might be so, and there aren't a lot of authors who fill this particular niche that I can say that about.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great steamy historical romance! I really enjoyed Fiorenzo and the characters in it. The historical elements were really fun to read and there was just a touch of fantasy which was cool. The romance was really well done, though there was less angst than I was expecting.

This is a really long book and I did find it dragged a little at parts in the middle, but then something exciting would happen so I didn’t find the length to be too long.

I’m also a fiend for hurt/comfort so I really enjoyed how much of that was present in this book and the characters were so tender with each other so overall I definitely enjoyed this one!

I received a copy of this book from BookSirens, but that has not influenced my review.

[Wilt · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is going to be a really difficult book to talk about because while I really enjoyed some elements of the story, the writing, and characters, there were just as many parts I had a tough time getting through and would would be hard pressed to find a reader to recommend the full experience to.

My main issue thankfully isn't with the story itself but rather the structure. This is a long book. Which isn't a bad thing, but even as a reader who typically loves brick-like books with lengthy descriptions and tangents and heavy character focus, I really felt like Fiorenzo could have worked better if the word count was halved. It felt like there were three different books here - in that the first 20% was a tense, mysterious erotica that pulled me into a world erupting with vibrant culture and history and artful texture. I loved the beginning of this book, everything from the opening scene to the physical intimacy to the presentation of a city that made me wish I could walk around its streets and harbors and galleries and fountains and art and canals, and I could go on. Even with the fast paced romance unfolding I was intrigued to see where it would lead between these two interesting, complex, confident characters.

But the remaining 80% took such a dramatic pace shift that I struggled with to the very end. Moreso because it kept going back and forth between huge blocks of slow, overly detailed descriptions of mundane events (and never ending self-depreciation), and the actual riveting plot full of cool settings and gripping motivations and impactful consequences. Because like I said, I really liked the story here! But the mundane moments were simply too drawn out and even repetitive. That isn't even to say they needed to be cut out all together, they were just way, way too long and somewhat boring compared to the rest of the book that shined so well. They drowned out some truly interesting sections of story and writing, and made for an overall negative reading experience.

But one more thing I did really enjoy was Enzo's anatomy. I didn't even know before I started reading this book that there would be something of interest there. The author's note had me intrigued, but when I tell you I sat up in excitement and shook my e-reader when I picked up on where exactly it was leading it would be an understatement. Even though Enzo isn't trans or intersex (by the author's word), as a trans man reader I am ecstatic to see broader explorations of non typical anatomy in queer romance. Especially when it's presented as a point of pleasure for the one who has it, and doesn't take away from his masculinity. It's exciting to see, and very enjoyable to read, and I don't think him not being trans or intersex took away from the experience at all. Fictional experiences like these, I think, can actually help normalize the real-world variances present in queer circles, especially because it's not that far off from what some people do have, and it's just plain fun to read. Though, I did feel the actual reveal lacked any feeling of impact or narrative satisfaction, that is again another unfortunate victim of the book's structure.

All in all, this book has a lot of charm and a genuinely compelling story. But it's way too long, with not enough substance to justify it. I'm still glad I finished it, for the sections that did shine, and for the ending that did fill me with a satisfied yet unexpected spark of joy. For the characters, and the art filled world, and the wounds, and the rage, and healing. But I could not read it again, or really recommend it as it is, and that is a huge shame.

This author feels like he has a lot of potential to shine, and I want to know what other queer stories he's written. There are so many elements here that align exactly with what I enjoy. But it would be a challenge to get me to read more from him without the assurance that his other works have had much stronger editing intervention.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

Fiorenzo is a Venetian-inspired gay historical fantasy romance following the relationship of a courtesan and his mysterious masked lover. Fiore is a courtesan with a plan in mind—find a wealthy elderly man, become his, then inherit his wealth upon his death. Things don’t go according to plan when he catches the attention of a masked man called Enzo and both develop an attraction and affection for each other past the typical courtesan-client relationship.

This was exceedingly well written with beautiful prose and an engagingly well developed world. All this is then anchored by the surprisingly touching romance between these two men. Fiore is just such a lovable character with a tragic past who suffers so many misfortunes in the book. Enzo, meanwhile, is a man of mystery with a certain anatomical quirk—he is descended from a noble family of former dragon shifters with the only traces of it now being a vestigial cloaca in addition to his usual male anatomy (as someone who took both zoology and embryology in college, pretty sure that’s not how it works). That bit of anatomic anomaly plays heavily into the spice of the book, which was indeed spicy with some light BDSM elements.

This book is long—way longer than I would expect a romance book to be. It does have a serial quality to it that would explain (and break up) its length with the many events that happen in the book coming across as episodic. You won’t hear any complaints from me though because I just loved following along with the (mis)adventures of Fiore and Enzo and the beautiful relationship they develop that exemplify the hurt/comfort trope.

Fiorenzo is a beautifully written gay romance between a a courtesan and his client set in a historical fantasy setting.

*I received an eARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review

[Elaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine

~

Fiorenzo, by Sebastian Nothwell
★★★★★

3rd person, dual POV
Genre: MM, Romance, Historical, Alternative World, Courtesan/Brothel,
Triggers: BDSM (dom/sub, crop, bondage), references to sexual assault (off-page), allusions to past childhood sexual assault, mutilation, references to death of family member, past illness from plague/pandemic, gore, medical scenes, scenes of surgery, prejudice against left-handedness, poison, scenes of swordplay and dueling

~

Fiorenzo is an epic adventure in an alternative historical world where a Duke is charmed by a young courtesan with a strong spirit. The world-building was incredible, from the realistic portrayals of historical Italian life, to the additions of alternative-world elements, such as the Duke's being descended from dragons, the evolution of unique anatomy, and the fact there are women as Dukes and Princes.

Our two main characters are enchanting and each have a dark past and past betrayals to overcome.
A duel has left Enzo with facial scars and a fierce reputation as the Dueling Duke of Drakehaven. He uses a bauta mask when out in public to hide the scars on his face.
Fiore is a courtesan from the Kingfisher, working as a freelance agent of sorts. His life has been a long streak of bad luck – an orphan sent to the conservatorio because of his singing voice, trained to become an opera singer until a trauma made him run away. After some years, he became Fiore a courtesan and has been one ever since.

Together, they make an intriguing couple. Enzo, who has forsaken all hope of affection or compassion unless he's hidden behind a mask, and Fiore who is a free spirit with a jaded outlook on life. They come together purely by accident, but choose to remain together. The tenderness, heat and deep emotional affection displayed between them is profound and beautifully woven into every passage.

While the book has a slightly lyrical, literary style it works perfectly for the historical background and the nature of the characters. There are some amusing uses of metaphor, such as the constant use of sword and nautical themes in intimate situations. The writing is steeped in detail, both ancient and artistic, that it's impossible not to be instantly drawn into the world Nothwell is weaving, from the language use to the architecture and how the words paint a picture of time and location so clearly.

The story starts beautifully slow with Enzo and Fiore meeting, progressing through their tentative relationship at a pace that fits the budding romance and gives us time to see the bond growing between them. Then, at around the halfway mark, I think I held me breath for an entire 10%, because things suddenly took a turn that left no doubt that everything was about to change. Yet, the chemistry between Fiore and Enzo never wavered, becoming stronger for the adversity they faced. Regardless of who was at risk, the other was there to comfort, protect and care for them.

I loved how tentative Fiore was to believe and trust in Enzo, despite his flirtations and obvious affection. It spoke of how deeply he'd been betrayed and hurt in the past, making it hard for him to trust anyone and how aware he is of his own position in society. Alternatively, Enzo has the luxury of not caring about his position and exceeding people's expectations of him to do whatever he wishes. Even when Fiore is injured, Enzo does everything in his power to keep him safe and well, using all that position and authority that he never cared for, to make sure Fiore is safe.
Having undergone surgery without anaesthesia myself, I felt Fiore's pain. Though he was clearly terrified – having a fear of chiurgeons/surgeons – Enzo never judged him for that, instead respecting his choices and never telling him to feel any different or forcing him to face his fears. He takes care of Fiore with such tenderness that it made me want to cry, especially when Fiore was mentally and emotionally scraped raw.

When it comes to secondary characters, I loved Fiore's artist friend Artemesia, the loyal hound Vittorio, and Enzo's sister Giovanna and her family. I wasn't fond of Lucrezia, and I don't think I was supposed to be, but I would have liked to see a little more of his mother at the end.

~

Any issues?
I wouldn't call them issues, but there were a few things I noticed. For an ARC, there were very few editing issues, though I did notice some. One thing that jarred me a little – probably my Britishness getting in the way – was the constant use of the word “cunt”. It's just not a word I can read comfortably. The first few pages mention money, in terms of zecchini, and throughout there are clothing terms or historical elements that I felt a little lost navigating. I had to use Google and my dictionary a lot.

Mostly, my issues were plot gaps. I wanted to know what became of Orazio, but that was never explained. If that's to come in a following book, I'd read it, no doubt. But I did want even a sliver of a hint as to his fate. I also feel like that missing period of Fiore's life, between leaving the conservatorio and taking up residence at the Kingfisher could have used a little more explanation as it was entirely glossed over, though I (perhaps wrongly) assumed that meant he'd been on the streets, in a far less pleasant version of courtesan life.

However...in the long run, I couldn't bring myself to give this book anything less than the 5 stars it deserves, and I'll be adding it to my bookshelf to sit alongside Oak King Holly King.

~

OVERALL

Fiorenzo is an incredibly emotive, captivating story of two people who should never have found themselves together but who fit so perfectly that there's no denying what a perfect match they make. No matter the trials or troubles they face, they've faced them together and lead the reader on an enchanting journey through danger, ecstasy and pain to come out the other side stronger and more in love than ever. Nothwell has already secured a place on my physical bookshelf with his last book, but this book shows me I need to make more space because I can see many more of his books gracing my shelf into the future.

~

Favourite Quote

“what would you do with me when I'm old and flabby and wrinkled?”
Enzo smiled. “With any luck, I shall likewise become old and flabby and wrinked by then, and we would make a well-matched set.”
Another wistful smile graced Fiore's perfect lips. “Perhaps.””

“even with the mark on, Enzo had felt more seen by Fiore than he had by anyone since he'd first donned it.”

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Sebastian Nothwell is auto-buy for me. His books are always well-written, deeply romantic, and often historical, at least in tone, if not outright fact. Fiorenzo is no different. The story is set in a Venetian-style medieval world, and Nothwell has created two utterly charming and endearing characters in Enzo and Fiore, whose devotion to one another is compelling and sweet, if occasionally a bit saccharine. There are decently constructed secondary characters and, while none of them steal the limelight from Enzo and Fiore, they do add to the overall flavor of the book and the impetus of the plot. The world building is strong and there is enough illusion to the Venetian Republic to give the readers an anchor by which they might a fix their imaginations.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs trigger warnings for multiple scenes in which the smaller/poorer/physically weaker of the two heroes is at risk or gravely harmed. This is basically: beautiful, small man is physically hurt and then has chapters of slow, painful recovery, and then it happens all over again, and then it happen all over again for a third time!

And if you know this author, it’s not the first time they’ve lavishly described similar situations for similar characters. Which is my least favorite attribute of their writing.

Also, just as with many of their other books, the two heroes are pure of heart, deeply loyal and fall in instalove pretty much the second they meet. Any challenges are either one of them worrying he is unworthy, or an external person. It’s true love, pure hearts and external bad guys all the way. Which ultimately becomes for me too bland and naive.

I’ll check in on this author in future in hopes they evolve to new themes. In the meantime, they’ll no longer be an auto-buy for me.

[S.O. Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of hurt/comfort… and hurt/comfort… and also hurt/comfort, this book is for you. The story contains some heavy content, but the pain is most definitely worth the reward. Absolutely check it out if you enjoy historical fantasy-of-manners romance!

[Karen Rós · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a hate review, and this isn’t a bad book, it just didn’t work for me. I’m sure it will work for plenty of other people. Honestly I’m disappointed because I thought I’d enjoy this, and I wanted to like it, but the book just managed to hit every single one of my Nope buttons.

Reasons why I didn’t like it but somebody else might:

- no less than FOUR lengthy periods of convalescence during which Fiore and Enzo lovingly take care of each other. Three for Fiore and one for Enzo. This bored the hell out of me, I just do not enjoy reading about characters spoon feeding each other and carrying each other places

- how quickly they thought of each other as “his” and how protective/territorial Enzo became about Fiore. I get that this is a huge and popular trope in romance fiction but I have a violent dislike towards it

- utter lack of conflict ! Now ymmv on this one, but from the get go Fiore and Enzo were down for each other and the only “conflict” between them was Fiore angsting about whether Enzo & family would accept a courtesan

- related, these two always said and did exactly the right thing to each other. If there was even a minor misunderstanding it was cleared up right away. I’m not advocating for huge unnecessarily dramatic misunderstandings, but the fact that neither of them even once by accident did or said something potentially hurtful that they could work through? Huge turn off for me - I’m here to read about people,not perfect puppets that never do anything wrong towards their beloved

- there was some external conflict but that didn’t appear until more than halfway through the book (the first half consisted of convalescence - first Fiore recovered from appendicitis, then Enzo from a hunting injury) and in both cases Fiore got severely injured and had to recover under Enzo’s loving and territorial care. My issue with this is that the conflict never seemed like a real threat and even the time Fiore was kidnapped & injured, the whole thing seemed weirdly anticlimactic?

Further reasons I didn’t like the book:

- the pacing was way off and this book was too long. I would’ve cut the first two convalescence periods and instead put more focus on the characters getting to know each other doing normal activities. As it is, I am struggling to understand why exactly they fell for each other and so quickly? They’d met, what, twice? Before Fiore got appendicitis and Enzo just…took up residence with him nursing him to health?

- far too often when a POV switched the next section would start with a summary of previous events from the other POV. I have never been a fan of rereading the same ground from different POVs, and in this case it really didn’t add anything. Each of those instances could’ve been replaced with a sentence or two about that POV character’s feelings and we could all move on to the next order of events.

- the world building did not work for me. I’m sorry. I read the author’s note at the start and so I knew going in tha Halcyon is fantasy Venice but not Venice and had different gods. Except then I start reading and…it’s Venice. And there is a lot of Italian and a lot of known mythology (Neptune, Orpheus and Eurydice, Prometheus, etc). The book even starts with a Saturnalia celebration! Why not come up with new names for everything? As it was I just kept getting pulled out of the world.

- I also don’t buy for a second that Enzo didn’t know how to tell freshwater and seawater fountains apart ahfkdkfldld what. WHAT.

- “and there may be dragons” THERE WERE NO DRAGONS.
It was brought up that Enzo might have potential dragon ancestry and that he’d even tried to transform into a dragon in the past, so I felt there was a trail of hints being laid that Enzo would, perhaps in some dramatic moment, transform into a dragon. Nope, this was just never brought up again.

- the intersex thing. Look. If you put in your author’s note that Enzo’s genital situation is a fantasy and results from in-Universe magic stuff (in this case potential dragon ancestry?) and in the same breadth ask the reader to not refer to Enzo as intersex out of respect for real intersex people - as his genital situation does not exist in real life and as far as my anatomical knowledge goes, pretty impossible - then…the very LEAST…you could do, is to actually include real intersex characters in the novel. Enzo during his medical school time did research about this and there wasn’t even a throwaway line that he’d found a single other intersex person?? Do intersex people just not exist in this world? Does Enzo get to be “intersex” only so he can have both a cock and a cunt and it makes for hot smut scenes? I am not on board with that at all.

So all in all. I understand why other people enjoy this book. I did not. I nearly DNF’d it at least four times and I only stuck with it because I had hope that it would get better - at the point when Enzo challenged another man to a duel, I thought for sure this time Fiore and Enzo will have a conflict ! But no, of course events unfolded exactly perfectly, once again, and I'm left with the feeling of having ingested an entire bowl of sugar.

[Sofia Boquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been 250 pages shorter, it definitely didn’t need to be this long and it’s annoying because it made me dislike the book even when I had loved the beginning. I absolutely loved the story in the beginning and the writing is just so beautiful! But then things just started to go downhill, it became dragged out and it just made things to complicated.

I don’t know how to feel about the romance because after a point it just stops progressing and becomes more of the same we have had about a hundred times already, sex. There are a lot of sex scenes and although I like a few sex scenes in a book it just becomes annoying if it’s to many, it doesn’t matter how much I like the couple, is still don’t want to read pages upon pages of them fucking. And thanks to this book I will never be able to hear the word “mast” without thinking about a dick. This author is really out here saying “his dick was at half mast” when referring to someone’s hardening dick. And also “releasing a spray of sea foam” when referring to someone coming. It’s just cringey to read, please stop.

I don’t like romance at the end of the book because all the way to the end Fiore questions Enzo’s motives. He feels like Enzo will discard him or grow tired of him even though you can clearly see that Enzo would never do that. And I do understand why it can be hard for Fiore to believe that Enzo means good seeing how he is a low born sex worker and Enzo is a duke, but in the end it feels like it doesn’t matter what Enzo does. Fiore will still not trust that Enzo actually likes him. Enzo will and does anything for Fiore, but it’s just never enough. He feels so ungrateful.


!spoilers!

My main problem with the book is that it makes things overly complicated. After the ball Enzo and Fiore are about to confess their love for each other, but instead of following the extremely good plan the author had already set up, he decided that Fiore was going to get kidnapped instead. I don’t understand what the point of it was except to just lengthen the book since it served no purpose except to cause more problems for our main characters and let Fiore get his revenge. Revenge is good, but it could have been done in so many other ways. At that point I was ready to give up but in now way will I dnf a book that I’ve already read 400+ pages on, so I forced my way through. The only reason I give it three stars is because the first half of the book is good and the writing is just so beautiful.

I also don’t understand this author’s obsession with hurting his characters and writing pages upon pages with them lying in bed, healing from nearly dying. It happened four times! Like why? What was the purpose?

[Kassu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars

Some of the odder things I really like include masks (I can probably blame The Labyrinth and David Bowie for it, like most of my kinks). I also enjoy historical MM romance, so this book seemed to be a great fit for me. In the end, the mask isn't really a sex thing here but there are other sexy things in the book. And I haven't read Sebastian Nothwell before, though I have been interested in some of his works.

The setting here is great: a historical fake Venice with alchemy, myths and legends, and a more equal society. Men and women seemed equal and same sex relationships were at least tolerated. It is not confirmed during the story whether any of the fantasy elements are actually real, so the book can be read as a historical in a fictional country or one can embrace the legends and think of things like dragons really having existed in this world.

A large part of the story is about the main characters getting hurt and then convalescing. Fiore really has to go through a lot of shit, and while majority of it has happened to him before meeting Enzo, there's a fair share still to come. But these two idiots are lovely together, even if they both think themselves unworthy of each other. I adore them both: Fiore with his confidence in his skills as a courtesan while acknowleding how much the profession restricts him, and Enzo, the gentle giant hiding from the world.

I was a bit afraid of the length, and it is a long book that could be trimmed a little bit, there is some repetition. But the intentional leisurely pace and domesticity of the book just wouldn't remain the same if too large portions were removed. Because there aren't major twists and turns in every corner, the book isn't hard to put down here and there, but I was never reluctant to pick it up again, so the pacing is okay. There are some more dire turns of events in the latter half of the book though, if people wonder whether it will "pick up".

I loved the ending and most of the road there. Maybe the book would be better with some trims but it is lovely as it is, and definitely convinced me to read Oak King Holly King and Mr Warren's Profession.

Includes on and off-page abuse to the extent of mutilation, and off-page sexual abuse.
Also includes rare rep, but it's kind of a spoiler, so tagging it: intersex.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kenra · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new fan of Nothwell, I've been having a grand time reading his works. This is my fourth novel by him that I've read...and alas, my least favorite so far.

That isn't to say that this was an unenjoyable read, for I enjoyed the majority of my time, but I did find myself befuddled by how often our main characters were injured and how much of our major scenes took place on bedrest. A poor summary of this book could be, 'gay boys find love as convalescents" and while a stretch, it's also not far from the truth.

The world-building was enticing to me, similar enough to Italian that it wasn't completely unfamiliar, and the light magical undertones of the world were lovely.

Nothwell's greatest strength lies in his breathtaking ability to craft beautiful, descriptive sentences, sprawling descriptions in a language that feels like it belongs to a different time and place. And also so well researched, I'm in awe.

[nikki]

DNF @ 37% because there is NO way this book has more pages. Nothing? Has? Happened? (Except for literally hurt/comfort alternating scenes.)

[Bizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t quite have the same magic as Nothwell’s other books. Fiore and Enzo were well-developed, interesting characters and I found their connection convincing and enjoyed their adventures. I really liked the magical/alternate universe Venice setting and all the details Nothwell provided about it.

However, the book felt about 200 pages too long and was quite repetitive at times. And while hurt/comfort is one of my favorite tropes, Fiore wound up in mortal peril too many times, to the point it felt like he was just being picked on to get a rise out of the reader. I think some of the feelings evoked by those situations and the resulting recovery could have been presented just as well, if not better, by choosing one of the situations and developing it in more detail, with more buildup and longer recovery.

Overall, this was still more magical and enjoyable than most romances are for me these days, but I wish it had been more ruthlessly edited.

[Amanda Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bro is obsessed with convalescing.

[Wanderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If novels had tags: period romance, steady burn, lust at first sight, past trauma, whump, healing, class differences, copius amounts of plague doctor, bodily insecurity, scars are sexy actually.

Long books, for me, often grow tiresome and difficult to get through. I find myself skimming scenes or jumping ahead to see if I can keep reading without losing much info on the story. It’s hard for me to stay engaged the entire time, and even harder still for me to sit and binge read for hours at a time.

Fiorenzo is none of that. At a hefty nearly 700 pages, this novel kept me entranced all the way through. It’s story is best described as meandering, a bit like a river with the occasional rapids or waterfalls along the way, but no less delightful to be swept away by.

Fiore is a courtesan with a plan, who wishes to find himself a wealthy, elderly patron so that he can live out his days in comfort when said patron passes away (goals, my guy. Goals). At a festival, he meets Enzo; a masked stranger who is as secretive as he is wealthy. Together, they learn to navigate a world of class difference, societal expectation, unconditional love, and healing.

THE YEAHS

Enzo: This gentle giant. He is the most loyal and beautiful character I think I’ve read in some time. If I could have a man with just about a half of all the good traits that Enzo possesses, I think I’d be a happy woman. The way he cares for Fiore, the way he cherishes him and pays not a single mind to Fiore’s history and class, or the expectations of his own place in life, it’s all done so incredibly well. I kept expecting there to be some ounce of jealousy from Enzo when Fiore took other clients, which, ugh, he’s a courtesan, what do you expect man, you can’t just possess him because you like him! But not once. It was pure bliss getting to know him.
Fiore: Sweet little firecracker. He’s been through so much. Fiore works as a courtesan, and carries himself proudly and unashamed of it. But underneath the surface, there is deep loneliness and isolation, and a shame that he seems almost unconscious of. He often jumps to the conclusion of of course, why would a courtesan be worthy of x? when he and Enzo are navigating some societal expectation, when all Enzo is trying to do is figure out what Fiore’s shoe size is or some such thing. It’s sometimes a little funny, but a lot of the time will pull the heartstrings taut. Fiore deserves the world, and Enzo is the right person to give it to him. Together, they’re just picture perfect.
The whump: I love a good angsty story. And this is cheerfully tagged on the authors instagram as whump. It’s done well. Oh, man there is one particular moment in this story where I was tied up knots, so if you love a character who has to work for his happiness, then you will find it here.
The narrative style: the novel is set in a land inspired by what I guesstimate to be around the equivalent of 1700’s La Serenissima, and the writing style reflects this. There’s an old world air to the way that it’s written, and I found absolute delight in the familiar, archaic medical terminology that dots the story. The choice in narrative style makes the setting so much easier to become absorbed in—it really does feel like I’m reading a story from that era, by someone who lived and experienced such things every day.
The creative anatomy: this is a bit of a plot point, so at risk of spoiling, I will keep it brief. I loved this plot device. It made the spice even spicier. Delightful.
The spice: Speaking of spice. This has the absolute most perfect amount for me. I’ve been finding some novels a bit too saturated of late (not sure why that’s changed), and was a bit nervous that Fiore’s job would mean smut every second scene. While sex and sexuality is a central theme of the novel, it’s not so -heavyhanded as to become repetitive. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the love of the gentle giant bottom and feisty tiny top dynamic? Chefs kiss.

THE NAH’S

Orazio: This is only here for the sake of me writing something in this section. What a dick. Oh, and that other guy too. You’ll know him when you see him.

I can’t say that I skimmed through this novel even once. Every single theme, scene and plot device is meticulously placed for a reason. Even a drawn out scene about fencing is placed to set up the scenes following it, and to skim or skip it would risk losing the full impact of the following chapters. Fiorenzo is masterfully written, and seeing as this is the first novel of Sebastian Nothwell’s I’ve read, I will be immediately going through his back catalogue and getting every single one.

I was generously provided an ARC of Fiorenzo, and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gawd, I finally, FINALLY finished reading this. I feel like I spent the entirety of 2023 reading it - it's like the book version of climbing Mt. Everest.

First of all, I want to emphasize that I do really like this author. There are a couple of books in particular that are favorites – Oak King Holly King, and Hold Fast. Because of my admiration for the writing and stories in these other books, I’m giving this book 2 stars in recognition of the author’s talent and effort. For any other author, it would more likely have rated just 1 star.

That being said, this book was a really big miss for me and had lots of issues, which I can put into 3 categories: book length; writing/writing style; plot and characterizations. It’s a lot to cover, but this book was a lot to read so hopefully it’s fair to comment to some length.

Book length
While I don’t dislike enormous books per se, and have gladly read a number of them, this book felt like it was never going to end. Granted, if I had enjoyed it more, then the length probably wouldn’t have been as much of an issue, but because I wasn’t liking it, the length became overwhelming. I actually was going to stop and mark it DNF at around the 50% mark because it took so long to get just to that point, but I chose to take a break of a few weeks and come back to it, as I really wanted to give it a fair chance. Unfortunately the story itself didn’t improve in the 2nd half of the book.

For me, one of the reasons that the book length became so excessive is because the author was overly indulgent in scene setting and describing atmosphere. Now I will grant that the author actually has a knack for writing lush, evocative scenarios, but that can become too much of a good thing, especially when it pushes the actual plot movement and character interaction in the story aside. The book would have benefited from being less voluptuous and more plot-driven. It brought to mind daytime soap opera writing, where you can miss a week (or 2 . . . or 3 . . .) and when you tune back in, you find the plot has barely moved along. I know some people can successfully “skim” portions of books when they read, but I have never been able to do that.

Writing/writing style
The setting for this book is a take on Renaissance era Venice and the author chooses to reflect that by relying on a stilted, antiquated form of speech throughout the entire book. Because there’s no break from the archness of the writing, it quickly becomes annoying. I would compare this to the author’s use of a similar style in Oak King Holly King – in that book, the language works because it is limited to when one MC speaks/thinks and so serves as a reflection of cultural differences, as well as occasionally being used for humorous effect. In other words, because it was used sparingly and with particular intent, it worked really well in Oak King Holly King; in this book, it just became pretentious and took me out of the story time and again. Specifically, I hope to never read words like “dropt”, “moreso”, “whomst”, and “stone sac” (to name a few) e’er again, uh, ever again.

The author indulges in extremely purple prose in many of the sex scenes (of which there are quite a few). Some of them reached a point where they were more purple than Prince’s guitar. Here’s just a small sampling:

” . . . unleash a magnificent spray of seafoam which would’ve done Neptune himself proud . . .”

”His seed poured over Fiore’s knuckles and drenched his blade besides.”

This made reading many/most of the sex scenes (did I mention that there are quite a few of them?) almost painful, as many of the descriptions were embarrassingly cringey. (This is where that skimming ability would've come in really handy, as I’d have been doing that for the vast majority of the sex scenes . . . of which there are quite a few.)

There are also portions of the book where the exchanges between characters takes on an almost comedic rhythm of abbreviated interchanges mixed in with line breaks, which besides sounding awkward also pads the overall length of the book; for example:

Enzo hesitated.

A knock fell on the door.

Enzo turned toward it with undisguised impatience. “Who goes there?”

A voice both familiar and unfamiliar replied, “Your mother.”

Fiore’s heart leapt back into his throat.

Enzo stood.

Fiore seized his arm.

Enzo halted as if compelled.

“Please don’t be angry with her,” Fiore begged.

Enzo worked his jaw.

“Fiore—”

“Please don’t shout. Please don’t make a scene. Please—”

“Fiore, I—”

“Do not give her a reason to hate me.”

Enzo balked.

. . .and this reader fell asleep. Whoops, sorry. Truthfully, I know the author is a better writer than this and a good editor would have helped here enormously.

While this book is meant to be a romance (and it is), at about 50% (after the Big Reveal regarding Enzo) it falls headlong into reading more like porn/erotica than anything else, which is unfortunate because relationship building goes by the wayside and we are left feeling that the connection between the two MC’s ends up being far more about sex than anything else. The overall amount of sex – and the brio in which it is portrayed – is way beyond my enjoyment level.

Plot/Characters/Characterizations
The overall plot lines are quite soapy. One of the main themes for Fiore is that he wants to find an older sugar daddy to keep him:

“My bauta, as you call him, cannot discard me if he never has me,” Fiore insisted. He didn’t add, at least not aloud, And I can never lose him if I never had him. “Which is why I seek an elderly patron. Or at least middling-aged. I need never know the indignity of being thrown away if he drops off before I grow too old for his taste.”

This means that he “can’t” fall in love with Enzo, who is about the same age and absolutely perfect for him. Fortunately, Enzo is (way) smarter than Fiore and astutely points out:

“You are a young man.”

Enzo, confused, replied, “So are you.”

“For now,” Fiore admitted. “But what would you do with me when I’m old and flabby and wrinkled?”

Enzo smiled. “With any luck, I shall likewise become old and flabby and wrinkled by then, and we would make a well-matched set.”

A perfect rationale, none of which appears to sink into Fiore's fluffy, dense and annoyingly self-centered head.

By insisting on this condition for a lasting relationship, Fiore comes off as painfully vain and quite vapid. This overwhelming sense of vanity continues through the book and actually becomes more apparent in later chapters, when Fiore feels he is no longer as “beautiful” (and thus no longer as desirable) due to physical disfigurement, including to his face. Which is a completely idiotic stance, considering that Enzo has a physical disfigurement to his face to the point that he used to hide behind a mask, and Fiore is constantly telling Enzo that it doesn’t matter and Fiore finds him beautiful.

”How Enzo could find this face reflected back at him in the mirror every morning and not know it for one of the most beautiful faces in all the world, he couldn’t fathom. He (Fiore) opened his mouth to tell him so.

Adding to the soapiness is the fact that Enzo actually attempts to find Fiore a sugar daddy because:

Thus, if Enzo’s presence in Fiore’s life prevented others from approaching Fiore with opportunities, Enzo must then, as a good and true friend, take it upon himself to bring those opportunities to Fiore.

I mean, for the love of crap, really?

There is also an overly large dollop of standard miscommunication instances to put a cherry on top of all the soap. Towards the end, Fiore is constantly second-guessing (incorrectly) every single thing Enzo says and does, to the point where I'm not sure why Enzo continues to put up with his whiny ass. Sigh.

When it comes to Enzo's foibles, there is a plotline wherein we are meant to believe that his family has ostracized him and put him on a short leash due to an incident in his past that, quite honestly, feels like it’s hardly the kind of thing to elicit such a draconian reaction. Enzo is perpetually cowed by his two sisters because of his “sordid past”, to the point that the character feels almost pathetic. This guy is a duke and is part of a powerful, old, rich family, and yet he allows his sisters to literally control his every movement – it just doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t fight harder against these odd restraints they’ve put on him. Every time he has an interaction with one or both of his sisters, the author makes it clear that he is thoroughly brow-beaten and fearful, and yet in reality, the way the sisters act towards him never comes across as being anywhere near as horrible as Enzo envisions them in his own mind. Ultimately, it feels bizarre that Enzo has given these two such power over him.

My final issue with the story is Enzo’s Big Secret. Spoiler Alert
About halfway through the book, Enzo reveals his entire anatomy to Fiore and he is described as having what the character himself terms a cloaca (as well as a penis). I know there a number of mm books that employ this concept, but those characters are always portrayed as “monsters/creatures”, interspecies, shifters, or some such not-fully-human entity. There is a vague attempt to attribute this to some sort of sexual interaction with a dragon in the family’s past, but it actually comes off as unbelievable as it sounds because it never gets truly discussed and quite honestly comes off as an urban myth type of situation. It somehow feels disingenuous when everyone in the book is presented as being 100% planet Earth variety human. If there had been a more tenable “past dragon sexual interaction” plot line, then it might have made more sense and the story would have flowed along, albeit along a route that I’m not a fan of (I don’t care for cloaca fiction – or tentacle fiction – or any other humanly impossible genitalia fiction. Heck, I’m not even a fan of size-based fiction.) Instead it feels almost gimmicky, which feels like a disservice to queer folk. It doesn’t help that from this point forward, Enzo’s c*** becomes such a focal point of every sexual interaction (of which there are many, but I guess you know that already.) I really grew tired of all the pulsing and clenching and dripping and what have you. I never like sex to come off as gimmicky (“let’s see how many times we can use the word c*** in one chapter!”) vs a meaningful exchange between two individuals. Market the book as erotica/porn and be done with it.

So, there were a lot of issues for me to unpack with this book, making it a hard slog to get through, versus an enjoyable read. If the author is moving towards writing books that fall more clearly in the erotica genre, I hope they are marketed as such so I can proceed with caution (if at all.) Personally, I’d love to see a return to more character/story-driven writing from this author, which they do so well.

I will end with kudos to the author for flying in the face of gender roles - there are a large number of typically male roles that are fulfilled by folks with female pronouns - i.e. Duke, Prince, manservant, household guard, doctor. Indeed, the population of this book seems skewed towards females, which is interesting in a book in the mm genre.

[Sofie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIORENZO 💙💙💙

Thank you so much Sebastian Nothwell for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Omg. This book. This book is literal perfection. I loved everything about it. Fiorenzo is a queer fantasy-of-manners romance, loosely based on Venetian culture during the Renaissance. Fiore is a courtesan who plans to find an elderly gentleman to marry so he can live off his fortune after they've passed. Enzo is a member of the elite whose life has stalled after he's been banished from university after a duel gone wrong. He now roams the city of Halcyon in a bauta mask so that others won't perceive him. One night, he meets Fiore, and the two are inexplicably drawn to one another. So begins a beautiful romance, but not without the threat of both their hidden pasts catching up with them.

When I think of this book from beginning to end, it feels like centuries have passed. And I mean that in the best way possible. So much happens, and there's so much character development and trust and loyalty and romance that I am constantly astounded by the story whenever I think about it. I absolutely loved both Fiore and Enzo. Fiore is flirty and sweet, while Enzo is so gentle and kind. They fit perfectly together. I also loved the plot. A lot happens, so the book is quite long, but I was never bored. I think Nothwell did a good job at depicting the PTSD that Fiore experienced because of his past. And Enzo was so understanding (as he should be).

Lastly, I LOVED all the hurt-comfort! This book is basically hurt-comfort galore. Just when you think it's over, more hurt-comfort is thrown in! And I personally loved it all because hurt-comfort is my all-time fav trope. So, I was pretty much in my element throughout this whole book.

I really really loved this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it comes out on SEPTEMBER 30TH! So soon! I HIGHLY recommend.

Additional thoughts:
♡ Enzo's reaction/behaviour between the 50-60% mark was badass and hot.
♡ The very last sentence of the book made me cry. I just love Fiore and Enzo so much. And Fiore came such a long way after everything he went through, ahhhhh, he deserves eternal happiness 😭🥹💙

[EmilyK Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to the author and BookSirens for my advanced reader copy of this book. As always, my review and opinions are honest and my own.**

I enjoyed the style and flourish of this book more than anything. The writing is illustrative and indulgent, painting a beautiful picture of what was (realistically) not such a beautiful place to live. There's dual POV from the two main characters, who fall in love just about immediately, so you get to see both sides. However, this becomes repetitive and I got frustrated reading about each of the main characters gushing about the other, essentially reading the same scene twice.

Most of the secondary characters aren't fleshed out, leaving the world a little 2-dimensional, and the secret backstories of the main characters didn't hold enough mystery or add enough tension to keep me emotionally invested. Additionally, the pace is slow and the prose is dense, meaning I found myself skimming but also feeling like I was missing important information as I went.

Spice scenes were reasonably good, though, and frequent. A win is a win.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

PRE-READ THOUGHTS
This sounds SO interesting!

STATS
⚠️ Stay Safe, Friends: many CWs but the author thoughtfully provides them all at the beginning of the book
⛰ Cliffhanger: no, but I would say it's a hopeful open ending
🌶 Spice Check: Carolina Reaper, are you serious? (you can find it in my profile!)
⭐️ Rating (?/5): 5/5!!!
🔂 Re-Readability: Y E S!!!

Thank you, BookSirens, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am shocked, thrilled, and excited to find another 5-star cozy comfort read! HOW LUCKY AM I.

TROPES SPOTTED IN THE WILD
•hurt/comfort
•rich/poor
•bedroom surprises (this applies in more than one way, iykyk)
•height difference
•"reversed dynamics" (this is very much a thing here but also putting it in quotations because society shouldn't be judging who does what in a physical relationship based on looks and size saUR)
•secret/hidden identities



SUMMARY + BASIC CHARACTER INFO AND RELATIONSHIPS
A determined courtesan and a masked gentleman come together (welp) and find comfort and enjoyment in the other. Together they explore their chemistry with each other and help soothe wounds and worries when secrets and scars are set to be revealed.

🗡️Fiore: great at his job, strong, resilient, proud, determined to make his own way, prefers to give rather than receive (this plays a role), enjoys art - observing, participating, and doing, struggles with self-worth but deserves so much, intelligent

👑Enzo: hulking but gentle and sweet, bends for the people he chooses to bend for (emotionally and otherwise), loyal, thoughtful, more of a wallflower (or as much as he can be), appreciates the little details that make up a person’s personality instead of just focusing on outward appearances or obvious characteristics, also enjoys art - observing and doing, has a unique family line, and with it a unique physical make-up

WHY YOU SHOULD PUSH THIS ONE UP/DOWN YOUR TBR

UP
•This setting reads as steampunk pirates in mythological Italy. Somehow. I really love it. Also, there are solid mentions of the plague as a timestamp, which further develops the universe. Although we are in a fictional universe, it reads as real-world adjacent.

•Love that Nothwell normalizes so much in this universe: sex work, queerness, "unconventional" sexual dynamics. This is the type of delivery I love and appreciate so much when authors really feel like they want to say something or make any kind of statement, intentional or not.

•Fiore and Enzo’s relationship develops pretty organically and naturally. While some could argue that it is an insta-love situation, I think the nature of their first meeting and the focus of their interactions being sexual due to Fiore’s work forges a closer bond faster. So, in this context, it felt like a normal progression for people who are engaging in intimate acts but who also choose to spend valuable clothed time together.

•Enzo and Fiore are just pure affection with each other; it is so precious to witness and it makes the reading experience feel cozy and warm. I love them and their journey so much.

•The ending is understated and felt right as it matches the almost gentle wave of Fiore and Enzo’s relationship. While I would have adored a more direct love confession, I think the simpler and subtler ways they expressed their love for each other worked well for their story.

•The descriptors are rich and the language and imagery are vibrant. Nothwell manages to write such detail without it being overwhelming or impossible to imagine and he brings that ability over to fleshing out and bringing his characters to life.

•I love good world-building and magic systems, and while the world-building was awesome in this, the “magic system” Nothwell constructs is medical, which I had so much fun reading. It almost connects my love of true crime-related science books with a historical romance.

•I love the realism Nothwell puts into his characters and their relationships; they’re flawed people but make the effort to enjoy each other, faults and all. Reading relationships and characters that aren’t absolutely pristine and sparkly makes for a more endearing pairing, I think.

•I found another comfort couple and read! There is just something so warm and delightful about this book and Fiore and Enzo that just make this tome of a story so fun and easy to read. Some points can feel a bit like stepping over a tiny stone curb, but the overall experience is great and relatively smooth.

DOWN
•This is a lengthy tale. At 700+ pages, it's not a super zippy read. But, it was still a lot of fun and I got through it pretty quick because I was so invested and engaged.

•At some parts (AND THIS IS A MINOR NITPICK), the flow hit tiny little curbs like I mentioned above. While that didn't do much to deter me, I can understand if it throws off other readers and makes things a little clunky.

OVERALL
This was such a great time. I was amazed to find ANOTHER 5-star comfort read right after finding the first one in a while! I am absolutely going to dive into the rest of Nothwell's works because his writing is gorgeous and his characters are so full and complete. I am so excited about his other works, I'm going to need to add them to my TBR immediately!

Until next time!