Rinaldo Farnese and his brother, Gino, had just discovered an Englishwoman had inherited part of their farm. There seemed only one solution to reclaim their missing land: they would toss a coin and the winning brother would marry her!

"Why on earth did I agree to this crazy plan?! Thismultimillionaire Jack Bullen had a proposal for me—to pose as his girlfriend so he could avoid anunwanted marriage. I said yes—it was a wholelot better than going back to being a waitress. Itsounded like fun—a free holiday in Monte Carlo—who’d say no? —But Jack is gorgeous! Like Pierce Brosnan. It’sreally hard doing all this kissing and flirting when it’sall 'pretend.' I want it to be for real! And you know—I’m beginning to think he likes me, too…"

Gino's Arranged Bride by Lucy Gordon released on Jul 23, 2004 is available now for purchase.

The first comprehensive guide to women's promotion and use of textual culture, in manuscript and print, in Renaissance Italy.

"This book is the outgrowth of research efforts to help the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall appropriately furnish the home of George Mason and better interpret its history through a greater knowledge of Mason's personal life, business enterprises, and political activities."--Preface.

Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of Andrea Odoni is one of the most famous paintings of the Italian Renaissance. Son of an immigrant and a member of the non-noble citizen class, Odoni understood how the power of art could make a name for himself and his family in his adopted homeland. Far from emulating Venetian patricians, however, he set himself apart through the works he collected and the way he displayed them. In this book, Monika Schmitter imaginatively reconstructs Odoni's house – essentially a 'portrait' of Odoni through his surroundings and possessions. Schmitter's detailed analysis of Odoni's life and portrait reveals how sixteenth-century individuals drew on contemporary ideas about spirituality, history, and science to forge their own theories about the power of things and the agency of object. She shows how Lotto's painting served as a meta-commentary on the practice of collecting and on the ability of material things to transform the self.