Francesca
by Bertrice Small

New York Times bestselling author Bertrice Small continues her glorious historical-romance series featuring four sisters in Renaissance Florence who have anything but marriage on their minds….

When the Duke of Terreno Boscoso sends word that he’s seeking a wife for his heir, Rafaello, Florentine silk merchant Giovanni Pietro d’Angelo and his wife encourage a meeting for their headstrong daughter Francesca. She refuses to even consider it until her father makes her a promise: If Rafaello does not suit, you may return. She is therefore shocked when Rafaello chooses her as his bride and her parents agree to his proposal—without her consent.

Furious and feeling betrayed, Francesca flees into the forest and takes shelter at an inn. There, she earns her keep as a servant—and meets an unlikely suitor who steals her heart. But how certain can the future be for the runaway bride, who is still promised to another?

Originally published April 2013 in trade paperback for NAL Trade.

Bertrice Small's Bio

Born in Manhattan, Bertrice Small has lived on eastern Long Island for 26 years, and she loves it! She is a Sagittarian, married to a Pisces, with an Aries son. Her greatest passions are her family; Pookie, Honeybun, and Finnegan, the family cats; Nicki, the ederly cockatiel who whistles the NY Mets charge call; her garden; her work, and just life in general.

She is the author of 31 novels of Historical Romance including THE KADIN (pronounced Kah-deen), and the beloved series "The O'Malley Saga" and "Skye's Legacy". A New York Times bestselling author, she has also appeared on other best-seller lists including Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and the L.A. Times. She is the recipient of numerous awards including Best Historical Romance; Outstanding Historical Romance Series; Career Achievement for Historical Fantasy; and several Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times. She has a "Silver Pen" from Affair De Couer, and an Honorable Mention from The West Coast Review of Books.

Bertrice Small is a member of The Authors Guild, Romance Writers of America, and PASIC. She is also a member of RWA's Long Island chapter, L.I.R.W., and is its easternmost member.