"Exciting gothic"
Contessa Caterina Donati hated her life as a paragon of
Boston Brahmin behavior because all her wealth and social
standing left her lonely. Her father simply did not care
what happened to her. Her blue-blooded spouse was abusive
in his better moments. With the death of her husband, Kate leaves for Tuscan,
Italy to restore her spouse's villa to the magnificence it
once displayed. Her undergoing seems Herculean, her
changing her life makes the task more difficult. The
villagers refuse to help, detesting the Donati family for
closing the fields and deserting them five years ago. When
Kate is ready to quit and return beaten to Boston, Roberto
Vela offers to help her. As they begin to fall in love,
Roberto with his own troubled past asserts she is too good
for him as she is an aristocrat and he insists he is just a
peasant. However, questionable accidents occur leaving
Kate to wonder if Roberto wants her to fail. THE GROTTO is gothic romance at its brooding atmospheric
best though the tale remains inside the sub-genre box. The
locale is perfect and Roberto is the ideal gothic hero
while Kate is the perfect female protagonist. Though not
quite the typical virgin she shares many of the same
characteristics as one. The villain's actions remain a
secret that Evelyn Rogers never reveals, but as she did
with DEVIL IN THE DARK, the author provides a tale that sub-
genre fans will enjoy. Hopefully, her western romance
readers will want to read her excellent gothic and see how
versatile Ms. Rogers really is. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 21, 2002
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