A very interesting read

Confused thoughts of a 14 year old, told through the wiser (older) author. It falls short of the mark in many ways, from the shallowness of the characters (very one dimensional), to the cheap imagery which is meant to be sensual and comes out looking cheap. The worst shortcoming: It leaves you wondering what motivated any and all her characters to behave the way they did!

Please eat a full meal before reading this book, otherwise you will feel very HUNGRY! The food in this book sounds so scrumptious, and the author make even a simple chicken broth sound so delicious, that you will find yourself thinking about Italian food for dinner all day!
The book itself is historical fiction, Mount Vesuvius DID erupt, the Germans and the Allies did fight in the way described in the book, and there seems to really have been a Wedding Officer for the English Army during that time in Naples. It was very interesting to see the author combine all these facts into a romance. My only negative: It was written by a man! Instead of "romance" I felt it was more "male fantasies". Aside from that, I really liked the humor, the Italian phrases, and definitely the FOOD!

I feel this book was put together with the bits and pieces she discarded from the other books about Henry VIII and his wives. The plot is interesting, but she could have done so much more with it!

This book should be required reading at schools in this country. Marcus explains so clearly what our politicians and our liberal media has cost him, and continues to cost us, the families of service members. Hoo-Yah, Marcus Luttrell!!!