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Cross My Heart #2
Ледено сърце
Продължението на „Градът на тайните“
В общество на измамници на кого ще се довериш?
Венеция, 1585 г.
Изминали са три месеца, откакто Лаура де ла Скала е открила убиеца на сестра си с помощта на Сегретата – могъщо женско тайно общество. Благородничките, събрани в него, търгуват с най-смъртоносното оръжие – тайните.
Сега Лаура е сгодена за своя любим Роберто и е по-щастлива от всякога. По време на нейната първа мисия за Сегретата обаче годеникът ѝ е арестуван в стаята си до тялото на мъртва жена. Халим, неустоимо красив турски принц, който е на посещение във Венеция, идентифицира трупа – това е неговата сестра! И поставя условие – или Роберто ще бъде екзекутиран заради убийството, или Османската империя ще нападне Венеция.
Лаура отчаяно иска да спаси както годеника си, така и любимия си град. Доказателствата срещу Роберто обаче се трупат, а тя се чувства все по-привлечена от Халим. И съмненията започват да се прокрадват в главата ѝ – дали Роберто ѝ казва истината? Това, което младата жена открива впоследствие, е мрежа от заговорници, която обхваща почти всичките ѝ близки хора...
Интригуващият роман на Саша Гулд кани читателите в дворците на висшето общество на Венеция през XVI век – общество на скрити връзки, политически интриги и опасни тайни!
В общество на измамници на кого ще се довериш?
Венеция, 1585 г.
Изминали са три месеца, откакто Лаура де ла Скала е открила убиеца на сестра си с помощта на Сегретата – могъщо женско тайно общество. Благородничките, събрани в него, търгуват с най-смъртоносното оръжие – тайните.
Сега Лаура е сгодена за своя любим Роберто и е по-щастлива от всякога. По време на нейната първа мисия за Сегретата обаче годеникът ѝ е арестуван в стаята си до тялото на мъртва жена. Халим, неустоимо красив турски принц, който е на посещение във Венеция, идентифицира трупа – това е неговата сестра! И поставя условие – или Роберто ще бъде екзекутиран заради убийството, или Османската империя ще нападне Венеция.
Лаура отчаяно иска да спаси както годеника си, така и любимия си град. Доказателствата срещу Роберто обаче се трупат, а тя се чувства все по-привлечена от Халим. И съмненията започват да се прокрадват в главата ѝ – дали Роберто ѝ казва истината? Това, което младата жена открива впоследствие, е мрежа от заговорници, която обхваща почти всичките ѝ близки хора...
Интригуващият роман на Саша Гулд кани читателите в дворците на висшето общество на Венеция през XVI век – общество на скрити връзки, политически интриги и опасни тайни!
328 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2013
14 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
Sasha Gould
4 books42 followersSasha Gould lived in Venice until she was nine years old. She later studied fashion in London. Her favorite things are opera, ballet, and romantic movies. She now lives in the Lake District of England with her cat, Tosca, and writes about Venice, the beautiful and mysterious city she knows and loves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 15, 2022
3.5 stars.
I liked this one, although truthfully I forgot much of what happened in the first book. Nonetheless, Laura is a stubborn, determined young lady who works hard to do what's right. This book had some wonderful tension in the writing, which kept me eagerly reading, as I just wanted to know how things would work out. There were some intriguing twists and turns that kept me guessing, and while the ending is left slightly open, I was pleased with how things were wrapped up. The atmosphere of Venice, and a secret society of women made this one even more fun to read. I'm glad to cross another series off my to-read list!
I liked this one, although truthfully I forgot much of what happened in the first book. Nonetheless, Laura is a stubborn, determined young lady who works hard to do what's right. This book had some wonderful tension in the writing, which kept me eagerly reading, as I just wanted to know how things would work out. There were some intriguing twists and turns that kept me guessing, and while the ending is left slightly open, I was pleased with how things were wrapped up. The atmosphere of Venice, and a secret society of women made this one even more fun to read. I'm glad to cross another series off my to-read list!
May 20, 2013
There are, to my mind, two basic kinds of historical fiction: those that endeavor to be historically accurate and those that really don't, merely using the lavish historical backdrop to entertain. Personally, I like both kinds. The only time the latter's not good is when it has pretensions to being history as well as historical fiction, and teaches readers a bunch of incorrect information. Heart of Glass falls into the latter camp, and, from what I can tell, the political maneuverings of the novel have no bearing on reality. However, it's also a fun, engaging story and written to uphold the power of women, so I really don't mind that I'm not learning Venetian history from its pages.
Sasha Gould built this series around an awesome historically inaccurate idea she had:Venice run behind the scenes by a secret society of women. While there may not be a historical basis for this, I am all kinds of behind this kind of alternative history endeavor. All throughout history, there have been women behind the scenes affecting the course of history through their husbands, but, here, Gould is bringing them together and making them a more independent force.
These women endeavor to keep rocky Venetian politics more stable and less affected by the changes in power. They aim to be more fair and to help Venice, rather than an individual's political aims. I love that the Segreta are shown as powerful in many ways: physically skilled with weaponry, clever, and influential. Laura herself is a perfect example of this, determined, caring and strong. I like that's actually intelligent and puts thought into her actions, not always reacting solely with emotion.
However, much as I love this uplifting of women, I did think that Laura was a bit too powerful. She's engaged to the Doge's son, so she is very high in society, but I still doubt that the male councillors would ask her opinion on things. Certainly they would not with a bunch of other men in the room. The amount that even men respect her at her tender age seems rather out of place.
The only other drawback for me was the villains. Much of the mystery is very obvious and the villains have no real motivations other than grasping for power or unclear revenge. I prefer there to be a bit more depth to a villain. They ought to be somewhat understandable at least, if not relatable. Heart of Glass could have been more nuanced and had a better impact were that the case.
Heart of Glass is engaging from beginning to end, and I never found myself bored or my attention wandering. It's a very quick read, and those who enjoyed Cross My Heart will certainly want to read this one as well. The ending left room for another book, and I suspect I'll be reading that one too!
Sasha Gould built this series around an awesome historically inaccurate idea she had:Venice run behind the scenes by a secret society of women. While there may not be a historical basis for this, I am all kinds of behind this kind of alternative history endeavor. All throughout history, there have been women behind the scenes affecting the course of history through their husbands, but, here, Gould is bringing them together and making them a more independent force.
These women endeavor to keep rocky Venetian politics more stable and less affected by the changes in power. They aim to be more fair and to help Venice, rather than an individual's political aims. I love that the Segreta are shown as powerful in many ways: physically skilled with weaponry, clever, and influential. Laura herself is a perfect example of this, determined, caring and strong. I like that's actually intelligent and puts thought into her actions, not always reacting solely with emotion.
However, much as I love this uplifting of women, I did think that Laura was a bit too powerful. She's engaged to the Doge's son, so she is very high in society, but I still doubt that the male councillors would ask her opinion on things. Certainly they would not with a bunch of other men in the room. The amount that even men respect her at her tender age seems rather out of place.
The only other drawback for me was the villains. Much of the mystery is very obvious and the villains have no real motivations other than grasping for power or unclear revenge. I prefer there to be a bit more depth to a villain. They ought to be somewhat understandable at least, if not relatable. Heart of Glass could have been more nuanced and had a better impact were that the case.
Heart of Glass is engaging from beginning to end, and I never found myself bored or my attention wandering. It's a very quick read, and those who enjoyed Cross My Heart will certainly want to read this one as well. The ending left room for another book, and I suspect I'll be reading that one too!
September 21, 2013
While I liked this sequel to Cross My Heart ok, it was very predictable. It was obvious to me who the traitor to the Segreta was and what people were behind other things too. I also thought it unbelievable that Laura would be blamed and hated by people for things someone else was accused of. I found it hard to believe that the people would have turned on Roberto the way they did and side with a Turk, considering the hate that a lot of people in the city harbored for him and his people, and And why was Laura so taken in by him? Wouldn't she have been angry with him for the way he spoke about Roberto The only reason that I could see was that he had a sister who died, and she could relate to that. Not a good enough reason. There are a couple of villains who escape at the end of this book, so there is an opening for a third book in the series. However, it could also end with this one, just like it could have ended after the first book, and that would be just fine with me. I've enjoyed these books but at this point I'm not really dying to read more.
September 6, 2019
I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to see what came next for Laura and Roberto.
Everything seems to be going smoothly for Laura now that her match to the old and creepy Vincenzo has been swept away and she's engaged to the Doge's son. Her place in the Segreta is secure and she's helping out people instead of just being the one who is helped.
The plot of this story I liked in general. A girl is found dead in Roberto's apartment with all the evidence pointing at him. Some things don't line up though. His declaration that he woke up amidst the crime scene, the immediate response of the guard(how did they know there was a dead girl in this apartment?), as well as a few other things. Now Roberto is thrown into a horrible "jail" and tortured while his family is unable to help despite their power. Then the visiting prince Halim declares that the dead girl is his sister and thinks spiral even further out of control.
Meanwhile Laura is trying to get the Segreta to help but they're not so sure that Roberto is innocent and decide to let events play out. There's a coup, betrayal, escape, murder, secrets(of course), and exposure.
In short there's a lot of excitement and wondering who is good and who is not.
There were some negative points though. First we don't see much of Roberto which made him feel very much the reverse of what we'd normally freak out about in a woman. His entire purpose is to be blamed for a crime he says he hasn't committed. Locked up and powerless his every movement is because of someone else. He never actually does anything for himself until the very end. He's captured most of the book and basically waiting for someone to rescue him.
But my biggest problem was Laura. Firstly her stupidity. Secondly her toeing the line of faithfulness.
To explain. She finds out a HUGE secret. She finds out--from her father--that there's a coup in progress. She's in the freaking secret society that deals in secrets and yet she does NOTHING with this information. The royal family is HER soon to be inlaws and she doesn't bat an eye over the news that they're going to be overthrown. She doesn't tell the Segreta--not even one member. This seemed like a major oversight on her part.
I know if she HAD said something then the coup might've been foiled and it was needed for the storyline. So I GET that the Segreta couldn't know, but instead of making Laura completely derp out the author should've just made it so she had no idea. There was no reason for her to get this news in advance instead of being surprised when it happened since she did NOTHING with the information.
She also doesn't question some major red flags about Roberto's situation until she's slapped in the face with the answer. Like the fact that Roberto wakes up in his apartment and shortly after a platoon of guards descends on the place knowing there's a murder. I mean they show up, bang on the door, barge in and are clearly expecting to find something--which they do. How did they know? It makes no sense. It's clearly a setup. The killer or one of the killer's cronies told them. I figured that out the minute the guards showed up.
Then we have Halim and Laura's relationship. Halim shows up and fixates on Laura. After staring at her on the dock he singles her out to be a server at this party. Um, thanks? Who is going to be like, "oh thanks for choosing me to play the role of a serving woman for a bunch of lecherous men."
Then the next day he picks her as a tour guide--which she mentions makes no sense. Despite the fact that she's ENGAGED and her fiancee is locked up in a prison where he's being severely mistreated she's constantly pushing the line with Halim. She's getting all fluttery and dreamy eyed over him. She goes on and on about her life, her family, her new sister-in-law, her time in the nunnery, but she doesn't mention what should be one of the main highlights of her life--her fiancee.
It was actually awkward to read as the whole time you notice her obviously not mentioning Roberto. Why? Because she likes Halim. She's all doe-eyed over him and she doesn't want him to know she's taken. It's painfully obvious. Then Halim flat out asks her if she has anyone special and she LIES. Nope, she's single, she says.
If it wasn't bad enough she just omitted Roberto from her free-sharing, she's now completely denied him when pointblank asked. She tries to justify this choice by saying that Halim has no right to this special part of her life. Um, not buying it. It was super lame. The whole country knows about her engagement so it's not some secret part. It's public. Also, she didn't mind sharing her personal history about being locked in the nunnery and how horrible that was, etc.
Every encounter after that with Halim is full of these little flirtations and her feeling all warm and gushy inside. We'd never tolerate some guy doing what Laura does with Halim while he was engaged--especially if his fiancee was imprisoned. She's letting this guy constantly put his hand on her lower back and get close and physical and say intimate things to her. She is constantly thinking thoughts that are not appropriate for her situation.
Laura lies to Roberto after the one trip and says, "It was a complete bore. I thought only of you." Bull. That is not even close to how she acted on that trip.
Laura gets caught in a compromising situation with Halim and her sister-in-law definitely can tell something's going on there. Later Laura tries to explain but it's super awkward and she is even realizing that everything she's saying doesn't sound believable.
Near the end Laura even admits that she almost kissed Halim--to Halim(she never tells Roberto about anything that went on between them as "it'd be too much for him to handle.").
Two other points that annoyed me. One was that Halim kills someone--an innocent person who stepped in to defend Roberto when Halim went after him about his sister. And not only is there zero consequences for this but Halim never ONCE apologizes or seems upset about this. He just leaves. I would be absolutely messed up if I accidentally killed a person while trying to take out someone who I thought killed a loved one. The reaction-or lack of it-makes sense later but what was annoying was that Laura and the people who cared about the person who died didn't care. Laura felt bad for Halim and spent ZERO time angry with him about it.
The second was that Laura
In summary, the plot was interesting and there was lots of twists that kept me guessing. But Laura's stupidity and her flirtation with Halim really disagreed with me.
Everything seems to be going smoothly for Laura now that her match to the old and creepy Vincenzo has been swept away and she's engaged to the Doge's son. Her place in the Segreta is secure and she's helping out people instead of just being the one who is helped.
The plot of this story I liked in general. A girl is found dead in Roberto's apartment with all the evidence pointing at him. Some things don't line up though. His declaration that he woke up amidst the crime scene, the immediate response of the guard(how did they know there was a dead girl in this apartment?), as well as a few other things. Now Roberto is thrown into a horrible "jail" and tortured while his family is unable to help despite their power. Then the visiting prince Halim declares that the dead girl is his sister and thinks spiral even further out of control.
Meanwhile Laura is trying to get the Segreta to help but they're not so sure that Roberto is innocent and decide to let events play out. There's a coup, betrayal, escape, murder, secrets(of course), and exposure.
In short there's a lot of excitement and wondering who is good and who is not.
There were some negative points though. First we don't see much of Roberto which made him feel very much the reverse of what we'd normally freak out about in a woman. His entire purpose is to be blamed for a crime he says he hasn't committed. Locked up and powerless his every movement is because of someone else. He never actually does anything for himself until the very end. He's captured most of the book and basically waiting for someone to rescue him.
But my biggest problem was Laura. Firstly her stupidity. Secondly her toeing the line of faithfulness.
To explain. She finds out a HUGE secret. She finds out--from her father--that there's a coup in progress. She's in the freaking secret society that deals in secrets and yet she does NOTHING with this information. The royal family is HER soon to be inlaws and she doesn't bat an eye over the news that they're going to be overthrown. She doesn't tell the Segreta--not even one member. This seemed like a major oversight on her part.
I know if she HAD said something then the coup might've been foiled and it was needed for the storyline. So I GET that the Segreta couldn't know, but instead of making Laura completely derp out the author should've just made it so she had no idea. There was no reason for her to get this news in advance instead of being surprised when it happened since she did NOTHING with the information.
She also doesn't question some major red flags about Roberto's situation until she's slapped in the face with the answer. Like the fact that Roberto wakes up in his apartment and shortly after a platoon of guards descends on the place knowing there's a murder. I mean they show up, bang on the door, barge in and are clearly expecting to find something--which they do. How did they know? It makes no sense. It's clearly a setup. The killer or one of the killer's cronies told them. I figured that out the minute the guards showed up.
Then we have Halim and Laura's relationship. Halim shows up and fixates on Laura. After staring at her on the dock he singles her out to be a server at this party. Um, thanks? Who is going to be like, "oh thanks for choosing me to play the role of a serving woman for a bunch of lecherous men."
Then the next day he picks her as a tour guide--which she mentions makes no sense. Despite the fact that she's ENGAGED and her fiancee is locked up in a prison where he's being severely mistreated she's constantly pushing the line with Halim. She's getting all fluttery and dreamy eyed over him. She goes on and on about her life, her family, her new sister-in-law, her time in the nunnery, but she doesn't mention what should be one of the main highlights of her life--her fiancee.
It was actually awkward to read as the whole time you notice her obviously not mentioning Roberto. Why? Because she likes Halim. She's all doe-eyed over him and she doesn't want him to know she's taken. It's painfully obvious. Then Halim flat out asks her if she has anyone special and she LIES. Nope, she's single, she says.
If it wasn't bad enough she just omitted Roberto from her free-sharing, she's now completely denied him when pointblank asked. She tries to justify this choice by saying that Halim has no right to this special part of her life. Um, not buying it. It was super lame. The whole country knows about her engagement so it's not some secret part. It's public. Also, she didn't mind sharing her personal history about being locked in the nunnery and how horrible that was, etc.
Every encounter after that with Halim is full of these little flirtations and her feeling all warm and gushy inside. We'd never tolerate some guy doing what Laura does with Halim while he was engaged--especially if his fiancee was imprisoned. She's letting this guy constantly put his hand on her lower back and get close and physical and say intimate things to her. She is constantly thinking thoughts that are not appropriate for her situation.
Laura lies to Roberto after the one trip and says, "It was a complete bore. I thought only of you." Bull. That is not even close to how she acted on that trip.
Laura gets caught in a compromising situation with Halim and her sister-in-law definitely can tell something's going on there. Later Laura tries to explain but it's super awkward and she is even realizing that everything she's saying doesn't sound believable.
Near the end Laura even admits that she almost kissed Halim--to Halim(she never tells Roberto about anything that went on between them as "it'd be too much for him to handle.").
Two other points that annoyed me. One was that Halim kills someone--an innocent person who stepped in to defend Roberto when Halim went after him about his sister. And not only is there zero consequences for this but Halim never ONCE apologizes or seems upset about this. He just leaves. I would be absolutely messed up if I accidentally killed a person while trying to take out someone who I thought killed a loved one. The reaction-or lack of it-makes sense later but what was annoying was that Laura and the people who cared about the person who died didn't care. Laura felt bad for Halim and spent ZERO time angry with him about it.
The second was that Laura
In summary, the plot was interesting and there was lots of twists that kept me guessing. But Laura's stupidity and her flirtation with Halim really disagreed with me.
April 9, 2014
A solid, if slightly predictable, historical fiction novel. Gould does a fine job of capturing the atmosphere of Renaissance Venice and keeping the plot moving at a fast pace. I enjoyed it, but probably won't remember much about it in a few months.
December 5, 2013
Very enjoyable, with some twists and turns I didn't expect, and some that I did. :) I got a little annoyed with the "oh, my love!" lines, but overall a great second book.
September 28, 2018
This story is evolved around Laura Della Scala in Venice in 1585. Laura is apart of a secret society called the Segreta. One night after meeting the Segreta she went back to the ball to find her fiance, Roberto, but Roberto wasn't there. So she went to his place to find a dead women on the floor covered in blood. He was put in jail then a Turkish prince, Haliam came to deal with Roberto's crime, and turned out the women was his sister. Haliam wants Roberto executed for his crime or his empire will attack. Laura worries about both her city and Roberto, but she begging to doubt Roberto.
I loved this book because i'm not a reader, I always got bored of reading of what I was reading till I read this book. This book kept the action going, for example at the very beginning Laura was sword fighting Roberto. The book keeps you very interested. This book is perfect for people who hate reading. The Segreta is a group of women who trade secrets and help each other out.They have assassinated people, threatened people, scared them.
They are kinda like the law but in secret. In the book and on the front and back cover it says "In a secret society, who do you trust". She loses her faith in Roberto, and finds out even the segreta is keeping secreat from her.
I mean I would understand if people wouldn't like it, a lot happen and its easy to get lost.
I loved this book because i'm not a reader, I always got bored of reading of what I was reading till I read this book. This book kept the action going, for example at the very beginning Laura was sword fighting Roberto. The book keeps you very interested. This book is perfect for people who hate reading. The Segreta is a group of women who trade secrets and help each other out.They have assassinated people, threatened people, scared them.
They are kinda like the law but in secret. In the book and on the front and back cover it says "In a secret society, who do you trust". She loses her faith in Roberto, and finds out even the segreta is keeping secreat from her.
I mean I would understand if people wouldn't like it, a lot happen and its easy to get lost.
October 21, 2014
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? I love, love, love the pretty black-and-gold fan, but there's a huge leering character impersonator staring at me!! Ahhh!!!! I preferred it when she wore a mask.
Characters: Laura continues to be a wonderfully unannoying protagonist. She's capable and takes action when no one else will - all without having The Attitude. Heck, when she's taken captive at one point, she blows up an entire ship! How awesome is that? She doesn't sit back and let stuff happen all around her. When people she loves are threatened, she jumps in and tries to stop it. Roberto (Giacomo) was sadly not in Heart of Glass much, and I did miss him. it was nice to finally meet Laura's brother Lysander and his wife Emilia, though. I neither disliked nor became attached to Lysander, but I did really like Emilia. She was quiet and sweet, but definitely had her own opinions. However, I did not like Halim from the beginning. He was too familiar with Laura, and there was just something about him that wasn't right. In the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with his character, but I can't say why without giving away a major spoiler.
The Romance: The synopsis threatens a love triangle with the arrival of handsome Halim. I was dreading this throughout the whole book. Laura is sensible, and I liked her and Roberto's relationship. I didn't want her to suddenly turn into a nonsensical female simply because she meets another guy who happens to have intriguing eyes and a bright smile. Let me reassure like-minded Readers: the love triangle is practically nil. Laura comments a few times on Halim's attractiveness, but she remains steadfast to Roberto, and then something happens that completely obliterates any possibility of a love triangle. So have no fears! Laura is saved, and she and Roberto have no unpleasant fights.
Plot: Laura is soon to be married to Roberto, the Doge's eldest son. Her brother has come home for a visit, with his charming wife Emilia. Her work with the Segreta has been satisfying, and things are overall looking up. But then Roberto is discovered in his apartments with the body of a dead woman, blood drenching his hands. He's arrested, and only Laura believes in his innocence. When the woman is identified by the Turkish prince Halim as his sister, it sends the diplomatic negotations the Doge has entered into over the edge, and soon Venice is threatened with war. Meanwhile, it's discovered that the Segreta may have a traitor in their midst, and Laura has concerns that her old enemy Carina may in fact not have died, as she once thought. Intrigue is rampant in the streets of Venice, and Laura is running out of time to save her fiance, the Segreta, and her beloved city. The plot of Heart of Glass was better than Cross My Heart, if only because it had fewer nigglies. Revelations that promised foreshadowing actually ended up playing an important role, and character motivations were made clear. Like with Cross My Heart, there's a lot of twists and turns going on, and also like Cross My Heart, some of the twists are quite obvious. It didn't make them any less good, though, and there are still a number of surprising revelations, along with some surprising deaths. I wasn't really sure if I liked the return of Carina. How many books have ended with the death of a villain, only to discover in the sequel that against impossible odds, the villain actually survived? I think the book could have still been just as good without the inclusion of Carina, but she wasn't an awful addition, so I got over my initial disapproval.
Believability: I sadly don't know a great deal about Venetian politics, so I can't say much in that area. But as with Cross My Heart, it feels like the Author has done her research; certainly in the social protocol section. True, Laura goes about the city unescorted several times, but she and other characters express concern over how this will appear to other people, and they decide that given the circumstances, it's a necessary risk. The one thing that bothered me was the use of horse-drawn coaches within Venice. As far as I know, Venice never had these. I could be mistaken, and please let me know if I am, but it struck me as being incorrect.
Writing Style: Sadly, it is still in present tense, and it doesn't suit Heart of Glass any better than it did Cross My Heart. However, the Author has abandoned a lot of her superfluous details, and she once more managed to create a mysteriously enchanting Venice. I fell in love with it.
Content: None.
Conclusion: While the climax is certainly exciting, I also felt that it really didn't need to be so dramatic. I loved all of the conspirators - as soon as one was exposed, another popped up, until there hardly seemed to be anyone Laura could trust. In some ways it was overwhelming, but it also worked. What felt like "too much" was Laura being abducted. It really wasn't necessary to have such an extravagant ending; I felt that the Author probably could have still had satsifying commuppence for the villains without going through a big sea battle. That said, a part of me also kind of enjoyed it. Laura once more got to show off her resourceful and determined nature, and the villain's death was very satisfying indeed. And he didn't make the grievous error of monologuing! Yay! The book ends with the promise of a sequel, and quite honestly I'm not sure how I feel about the two villains she chose to spare returning. It's getting a little perilously close to cliche, but maybe it will be all right. Heart of Glass really surprised me. With the possibility of a love triangle, I thought it was going to be a huge disappointment, but it wasn't. Laura proved her mettle to me once again, and I look forward to seeing her continue to be a good protagoinst.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read, fourteen-and-up, great for historical fiction and mystery fans.
Characters: Laura continues to be a wonderfully unannoying protagonist. She's capable and takes action when no one else will - all without having The Attitude. Heck, when she's taken captive at one point, she blows up an entire ship! How awesome is that? She doesn't sit back and let stuff happen all around her. When people she loves are threatened, she jumps in and tries to stop it. Roberto (Giacomo) was sadly not in Heart of Glass much, and I did miss him. it was nice to finally meet Laura's brother Lysander and his wife Emilia, though. I neither disliked nor became attached to Lysander, but I did really like Emilia. She was quiet and sweet, but definitely had her own opinions. However, I did not like Halim from the beginning. He was too familiar with Laura, and there was just something about him that wasn't right. In the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with his character, but I can't say why without giving away a major spoiler.
The Romance: The synopsis threatens a love triangle with the arrival of handsome Halim. I was dreading this throughout the whole book. Laura is sensible, and I liked her and Roberto's relationship. I didn't want her to suddenly turn into a nonsensical female simply because she meets another guy who happens to have intriguing eyes and a bright smile. Let me reassure like-minded Readers: the love triangle is practically nil. Laura comments a few times on Halim's attractiveness, but she remains steadfast to Roberto, and then something happens that completely obliterates any possibility of a love triangle. So have no fears! Laura is saved, and she and Roberto have no unpleasant fights.
Plot: Laura is soon to be married to Roberto, the Doge's eldest son. Her brother has come home for a visit, with his charming wife Emilia. Her work with the Segreta has been satisfying, and things are overall looking up. But then Roberto is discovered in his apartments with the body of a dead woman, blood drenching his hands. He's arrested, and only Laura believes in his innocence. When the woman is identified by the Turkish prince Halim as his sister, it sends the diplomatic negotations the Doge has entered into over the edge, and soon Venice is threatened with war. Meanwhile, it's discovered that the Segreta may have a traitor in their midst, and Laura has concerns that her old enemy Carina may in fact not have died, as she once thought. Intrigue is rampant in the streets of Venice, and Laura is running out of time to save her fiance, the Segreta, and her beloved city. The plot of Heart of Glass was better than Cross My Heart, if only because it had fewer nigglies. Revelations that promised foreshadowing actually ended up playing an important role, and character motivations were made clear. Like with Cross My Heart, there's a lot of twists and turns going on, and also like Cross My Heart, some of the twists are quite obvious. It didn't make them any less good, though, and there are still a number of surprising revelations, along with some surprising deaths. I wasn't really sure if I liked the return of Carina. How many books have ended with the death of a villain, only to discover in the sequel that against impossible odds, the villain actually survived? I think the book could have still been just as good without the inclusion of Carina, but she wasn't an awful addition, so I got over my initial disapproval.
Believability: I sadly don't know a great deal about Venetian politics, so I can't say much in that area. But as with Cross My Heart, it feels like the Author has done her research; certainly in the social protocol section. True, Laura goes about the city unescorted several times, but she and other characters express concern over how this will appear to other people, and they decide that given the circumstances, it's a necessary risk. The one thing that bothered me was the use of horse-drawn coaches within Venice. As far as I know, Venice never had these. I could be mistaken, and please let me know if I am, but it struck me as being incorrect.
Writing Style: Sadly, it is still in present tense, and it doesn't suit Heart of Glass any better than it did Cross My Heart. However, the Author has abandoned a lot of her superfluous details, and she once more managed to create a mysteriously enchanting Venice. I fell in love with it.
Content: None.
Conclusion: While the climax is certainly exciting, I also felt that it really didn't need to be so dramatic. I loved all of the conspirators - as soon as one was exposed, another popped up, until there hardly seemed to be anyone Laura could trust. In some ways it was overwhelming, but it also worked. What felt like "too much" was Laura being abducted. It really wasn't necessary to have such an extravagant ending; I felt that the Author probably could have still had satsifying commuppence for the villains without going through a big sea battle. That said, a part of me also kind of enjoyed it. Laura once more got to show off her resourceful and determined nature, and the villain's death was very satisfying indeed. And he didn't make the grievous error of monologuing! Yay! The book ends with the promise of a sequel, and quite honestly I'm not sure how I feel about the two villains she chose to spare returning. It's getting a little perilously close to cliche, but maybe it will be all right. Heart of Glass really surprised me. With the possibility of a love triangle, I thought it was going to be a huge disappointment, but it wasn't. Laura proved her mettle to me once again, and I look forward to seeing her continue to be a good protagoinst.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read, fourteen-and-up, great for historical fiction and mystery fans.
December 26, 2025
This is the second book in the series. Laura and Roberto are engaged and Laura continues to be involved with the Segreta. While she is sent to meet with an important contact from outside of Venice, things begin to go awry. Roberto is found with a dead woman in his room who is the sister of the Turkish prince who is on a diplomatic mission to Venice. With Roberto’s trial looming, Laura must decide who she can trust as she tries to clear Roberto’s name. But there is a traitor in their midst and an old enemy has reappeared. This storyline wasn’t as successful as the prior book and I thought there were some continuity issues.
September 21, 2017
Nope. See-saws all over character development but in a simple way. Laura is rather an unintelligent character to me who always does her own thing and happens to be in the right place at the right time and somehow ends up totally all right in the end. And the end was too detailed in its effort to tie it all up in a triumphant way. As with the prequel, this book didn't live up to its potential to me. And would have been better without the aspects of romance I think.
December 14, 2022
This picked up at the end which bumped it up to a 3 star. But Laura is one of the dumbest characters and some of the choices she makes made me want to bang my head against a wall. I feel like the character development and some of the plot was really shallow.
However it was a quick book to read and entertaining near the end and I could see the younger age of YA liking this.
However it was a quick book to read and entertaining near the end and I could see the younger age of YA liking this.
August 12, 2018
Cheesy but entertaining, with good continuation from the first book but not with all ends tied. I wonder if the author was hoping to be able to add more to this story with additional books but never had the opportunity. That said, it's still a solid ending.
June 6, 2024
An a fast paced sequel . The plot really took off but I feel like it left some of the characters behind for development. There was some darker stuff happening and some twist that just didn't seem necessary. But I did enjoy the setting of the book!
February 15, 2018
Well, that was pointless.
May 30, 2019
Venice part 2 previewed
January 30, 2023
3.5 stars
April 1, 2013
For everyone who read the incredible story, Cross My Heart, this is the sequel that, if possible, is even better than the first.
Here we begin with Roberto - the Doge’s son - honing his battle skills with the love of his life, Laura della Scala. Laura is the young lady who solved the murder of her sister three months ago by joining up with the secret society of ‘masked’ females who call themselves the Segreta. These are women who help one and all, by trading their massive skills and huge network of resources for secrets.
One day, when Laura heads out to choose her wedding dress, she runs across a young woman whose face is adorned with the proof that she’s being beaten by her husband. Laura tells her to come to a very specific spot where the Segreta will meet that night, in order to see justice done. However, when the woman arrives, the secret she trades is one of war - a secret that the Segreta will use in a very interesting way.
Soon the night comes where Laura goes out on her first ‘special mission,’ sent by the head of the Segreta. Unfortunately, the mission is a bust, but what���s worse is when Laura returns to the city and finds a murdered woman in Roberto’s home.
Dealing with the pain of watching her beloved go through agony over a crime he did not commit, Laura must also deal with her father - who is still far more interested in money than he is in his children. Although Laura enjoys the company of her brother, the wife he has chosen is not up to snuff in her father’s eyes, and he constantly complains about her.
However, when Roberto is accused of murder, her father does receive a glint in his eye, when Prince Halim and the Turks arrive in Venice on a strictly diplomatic trip. The city goes into an uproar over the visit, but the Prince is extremely interested in Laura, and wants to vie to win her hand from the Doge’s son who has literally been pushed off his glamorous throne. When it is revealed that the dead woman was actually Prince Halim’s sister, the Prince tells all of Venice that the Ottoman Empire will strike if Roberto is not put to death immediately.
The adventure begins as Laura and her masked Segreta women try their best to unearth the secrets and lies that have been put in place, racing against the clock in order to save both Roberto and their beautiful city.
As was said in the beginning, it is always a thrill when ‘Book II’ is even better than the first. This author has done a magnificent job continuing the tale of Roberto and Laura, and readers will not be able to put this down!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
Here we begin with Roberto - the Doge’s son - honing his battle skills with the love of his life, Laura della Scala. Laura is the young lady who solved the murder of her sister three months ago by joining up with the secret society of ‘masked’ females who call themselves the Segreta. These are women who help one and all, by trading their massive skills and huge network of resources for secrets.
One day, when Laura heads out to choose her wedding dress, she runs across a young woman whose face is adorned with the proof that she’s being beaten by her husband. Laura tells her to come to a very specific spot where the Segreta will meet that night, in order to see justice done. However, when the woman arrives, the secret she trades is one of war - a secret that the Segreta will use in a very interesting way.
Soon the night comes where Laura goes out on her first ‘special mission,’ sent by the head of the Segreta. Unfortunately, the mission is a bust, but what���s worse is when Laura returns to the city and finds a murdered woman in Roberto’s home.
Dealing with the pain of watching her beloved go through agony over a crime he did not commit, Laura must also deal with her father - who is still far more interested in money than he is in his children. Although Laura enjoys the company of her brother, the wife he has chosen is not up to snuff in her father’s eyes, and he constantly complains about her.
However, when Roberto is accused of murder, her father does receive a glint in his eye, when Prince Halim and the Turks arrive in Venice on a strictly diplomatic trip. The city goes into an uproar over the visit, but the Prince is extremely interested in Laura, and wants to vie to win her hand from the Doge’s son who has literally been pushed off his glamorous throne. When it is revealed that the dead woman was actually Prince Halim’s sister, the Prince tells all of Venice that the Ottoman Empire will strike if Roberto is not put to death immediately.
The adventure begins as Laura and her masked Segreta women try their best to unearth the secrets and lies that have been put in place, racing against the clock in order to save both Roberto and their beautiful city.
As was said in the beginning, it is always a thrill when ‘Book II’ is even better than the first. This author has done a magnificent job continuing the tale of Roberto and Laura, and readers will not be able to put this down!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
April 30, 2014
So much better than the first! And I liked the first.
Heart of Glass features a much more kickbutt heroine than we saw in Cross My Heart. No more frightened, unsure Laura, but a woman who is rocking the Segreta and making Venice a better place. When fellow Segreta members vote not to act on certain matters, Laura takes it into her own hand and does what needs to be done. When dearest Roberto gets framed for murder, Laura has to act alone to put evidence together to prove him innocent, ignoring the tiny voice of doubt painted in her mind by all the propaganda. When even Roberto gives up, it's Laura that saves his flippin' butt.
You know, I almost didn't read this one. In the blurb, it talks about Laura leaving Roberto behind for some new suave Turkish prince, and I was like, "Heck no! Are you kidding me? After all that in Cross My Heart, Gould is just going to make him some cheating murderer, and land Laura with some new guy? Why would I want to read that?"
Well, I did anyway. You know, curiosity.
And I'm so glad I did! Much, much better than the blurb led me to expect.
The question now is, is it over? There is one loose end, but everything else sorted out, and it FELT like it was ending... but what about that last loose end? That last threat?
I must investigate.
Heart of Glass features a much more kickbutt heroine than we saw in Cross My Heart. No more frightened, unsure Laura, but a woman who is rocking the Segreta and making Venice a better place. When fellow Segreta members vote not to act on certain matters, Laura takes it into her own hand and does what needs to be done. When dearest Roberto gets framed for murder, Laura has to act alone to put evidence together to prove him innocent, ignoring the tiny voice of doubt painted in her mind by all the propaganda. When even Roberto gives up, it's Laura that saves his flippin' butt.
You know, I almost didn't read this one. In the blurb, it talks about Laura leaving Roberto behind for some new suave Turkish prince, and I was like, "Heck no! Are you kidding me? After all that in Cross My Heart, Gould is just going to make him some cheating murderer, and land Laura with some new guy? Why would I want to read that?"
Well, I did anyway. You know, curiosity.
And I'm so glad I did! Much, much better than the blurb led me to expect.
The question now is, is it over? There is one loose end, but everything else sorted out, and it FELT like it was ending... but what about that last loose end? That last threat?
I must investigate.
September 3, 2016
This book was by far better than Cross my Heart. When I read Cross my Heart I felt like something was lacking in the story--I liked it an everything, but it was just missing that umph that would make it a 5 star book. This book, Heart of Glass had it all.
Overall, I'd say this book took the first one up a level. I really like the character we have in Laura now. She has really grown from the naïve convent girl in book 1 and has become a strong, intelligent and independent woman. More-so in this book than the last book I see the connection between her and Roberto.
I really liked the plot of this book. I was constantly guessing and re-evaluating my theories as I read. It wasn't totally predictable which was great!
I'm not sure if there will be a third book, but if there is, it is going to have a tough act to follow with this one!
Check out more book and series reviews (including this one!) on my blog SERIESous Book Reviews as well as book recaps!
Overall, I'd say this book took the first one up a level. I really like the character we have in Laura now. She has really grown from the naïve convent girl in book 1 and has become a strong, intelligent and independent woman. More-so in this book than the last book I see the connection between her and Roberto.
I really liked the plot of this book. I was constantly guessing and re-evaluating my theories as I read. It wasn't totally predictable which was great!
I'm not sure if there will be a third book, but if there is, it is going to have a tough act to follow with this one!
Check out more book and series reviews (including this one!) on my blog SERIESous Book Reviews as well as book recaps!
February 6, 2014
Here we are in Venizia again...
Thank goodness, Laura actually is not as genre-blind as I first imagined(so you, reader, are saved from believing that - although she does, really, tell Halim she is not seeing anyone and you know how that turns out - ), and shows herself to be tough as nails.
In that regard, though, I have a qualm(not only for her killing people without much remorse, also the realistic aspect of that). Is it possible that a young woman, newly out of a conservative convent, would defend herself and in the process kill a person and thenafter just. . . get over it?
-_-
Not likely.
Once again Venice is interesting, the cover is much, much better than the first(fine, I did borrow it from the library on account of the jacket art), and it is suspenseful, dramatic, and(85%) interesting.
N.B: I almost gave it up mid-way on account of the seemingly-charming Halim caring less about Laura once the romantic aspect is gone, however as it's revealed that he's not all that - ....
Thank goodness, Laura actually is not as genre-blind as I first imagined(so you, reader, are saved from believing that - although she does, really, tell Halim she is not seeing anyone and you know how that turns out - ), and shows herself to be tough as nails.
In that regard, though, I have a qualm(not only for her killing people without much remorse, also the realistic aspect of that). Is it possible that a young woman, newly out of a conservative convent, would defend herself and in the process kill a person and thenafter just. . . get over it?
-_-
Not likely.
Once again Venice is interesting, the cover is much, much better than the first(fine, I did borrow it from the library on account of the jacket art), and it is suspenseful, dramatic, and(85%) interesting.
N.B: I almost gave it up mid-way on account of the seemingly-charming Halim caring less about Laura once the romantic aspect is gone, however as it's revealed that he's not all that - ....
June 14, 2013
What would you do if your fiance was accused of murder? Heart of Glass is the Vinetian sequal to Cross My Heart http://tinyurl.com/ljq5pr5 and continues the story of aristocratic Laura and her involvement in secrets and conspiracies of the Segreta. "It is 1585 in Venice, and three months have passed since Laura della Scala solved her sister's murder after joining the Segreta, a powerful society of women who trade protection for secrets."
Laura is a powerful character who has to decide to fight for what she believes is true despite all the evidence or give up and take the handsome prince behind door number two. The book is beautifully painted in historic Venice with clothing, politics, romance, and action at the forefront. Can we all be as bold and daring for love as Laura?
If you like this series try Fiona Paul's Venom http://tinyurl.com/kgz8fro
Laura is a powerful character who has to decide to fight for what she believes is true despite all the evidence or give up and take the handsome prince behind door number two. The book is beautifully painted in historic Venice with clothing, politics, romance, and action at the forefront. Can we all be as bold and daring for love as Laura?
If you like this series try Fiona Paul's Venom http://tinyurl.com/kgz8fro
October 29, 2017
This was a nice continuation of the series. But there were some plot holes that should have been cleared up. For example the author never said how Aysim's maid got in Roberto's apartment. And was he drugged like Laura so he didn't know what happened? And what's up with Aysim saying Halim sought the counsel of Carina and then saying a few pages later that he doesn't trust women? And this is a little nit picky, but how come Aysim knows French fluently but not very much Italian? She said her mother was from Italy so you'd think that she would have learned Italian. But I still enjoyed the book as a light read. One more thing, how did Carina and Vincenzo get passed all the guards guarding the city? I would have made a giant reward for their capture that no one could have refused bringing them in. I think that's all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2015
First I will mention that Heart of Glass gets your attention much faster than Cross my Heart. Reading Cross my Heart I almost lost interest before it picked up the pace. In Heart of Glass Laura is fighting not only to prevent war with the Turks and to find traitors, but to save Roberto's life. Roberto has been false accused of murder and faces execution. Heart of Glass is well written, detailed, and has some history mixed in. This book is very serious though, and as wonderful as I found it, I do think the author could have thrown in a little humor here or there. An offhand comment, a funny sight, something. This is a great book for young adults who have an interest in Venice, mystery, and secret societies.
September 19, 2013
so good!! the women in this series are so wonderful -- compassionate and kind (Laura, Emilia) but also smart and dangerous (also Laura, the Segreta). in this book we really get to see the Segreta in action, including a scene where they humiliate and threaten a wife-beating soldier. excellent. these are women who go to any lengths for the truth and justice and protecting their society... including being willing to die for it. and Laura BLOWS UP A SHIP YEAH!
I was kinda wary of BUT he's not the only one, and it's not out of place given the time period.
so yes, more please.
I was kinda wary of BUT he's not the only one, and it's not out of place given the time period.
so yes, more please.
March 11, 2014
Even though I was able to guess at everything and see all the plot points coming a million miles away, this was still a fairly enjoyable read.
I don't really like the idea of Laura being married to Roberto, but meh. At least now her father won't be all creepy, trying to get her to marry ridiculously old dudes, simply because they're wealthy. I like the idea of Carina being a long-term villain. I can't believe Laura forgave Paulina! Ugh, that's totally going to come back to bite her. I know it!
I don't really like the idea of Laura being married to Roberto, but meh. At least now her father won't be all creepy, trying to get her to marry ridiculously old dudes, simply because they're wealthy. I like the idea of Carina being a long-term villain. I can't believe Laura forgave Paulina! Ugh, that's totally going to come back to bite her. I know it!
July 27, 2016
Rounding up what should be 3.5.
I suppose the first book was much better, more actions and intrigues, less romance (or drama). I don't know what made the author lose her original touch of suspense and mystery and all those thrill that came out in the first book, but I still enjoy the historical settings throughout the story.
Overall, I would give an 'okay' as a rating, since the story somehow turn to one of the 'love drama' I often stumble in other YA novels.
I suppose the first book was much better, more actions and intrigues, less romance (or drama). I don't know what made the author lose her original touch of suspense and mystery and all those thrill that came out in the first book, but I still enjoy the historical settings throughout the story.
Overall, I would give an 'okay' as a rating, since the story somehow turn to one of the 'love drama' I often stumble in other YA novels.
February 8, 2014
This author delivered a great adventure again. There were less surprises in this book compared to "Cross my heart" because the author used the same writing style. As a reader of this author I was able to figure out a few of the cliff-hangers before their conclusions were revealed. The characters in this book were well developed. The plot was believable. The book is worth the time it takes to read it.
July 21, 2013
Treachery everywhere to behold. Not only did Laura have to overcome obstacles, she had to listen and do the things she was forced to do, but she chose herself to really do the things she was supposed to. Her ability to forgive is very much overpowering on herself, something I wish I sometims had. But stubbornness is never rewarded or unrewarded.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2013
I enjoyed this one a little more than the first one—it had an interesting plot that kept you guessing. Again, the descriptions slowed down the story a bit. It also had several gaps where it jumped from one place to another without any kind of transition or break, and it was a little confusing for a minute each time it did that, but overall I liked it.
March 19, 2016
2.5/5
This book had such a great potential. It was like the tip of the iceberg of a great story. For a short book, it took a tremendous amount of time to finish it. Surprisingly, I kind of want more of this world. In my opinion, the book lacked fluidity between the great well written scenes. It felt less like a story and more like a collage.
This book had such a great potential. It was like the tip of the iceberg of a great story. For a short book, it took a tremendous amount of time to finish it. Surprisingly, I kind of want more of this world. In my opinion, the book lacked fluidity between the great well written scenes. It felt less like a story and more like a collage.
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