A race to save a rare and priceless book becomes a redefinition of self for three people in 1897 London England.
Bound by limits dictated by society, Art Historian Nicolas Halstead lived a guarded life until a tempest in the form of Elenora Schwaab blew into his world. At first Nicolas can’t decide if the audacious American is simply mad or plotting blackmail for not only does she declare knowledge of his homosexuality, she offers him a marriage proposal.
After Ellie tells him of a previously unknown work of Leonardo da Vinci, a book of erotic love poems and sketches dedicated to the artist’s long-time lover Salai, Nicolas joins her in a race to save the book from destruction. Along the way they encounter Historian Luca Franco and discover a comfortable compatibility that comes to redefine their long-held notions of love. The trio embarks on an adventure of sensual discovery, intrigue, and danger. Little do they know Leonardo da Vinci’s book is far more than meets the eye.
Excerpt
Ellie suddenly treated us to a beauteous smile. Seeing it, I could only assume the machine of her mind had deduced some compelling philosophic correlation from the conversation. Refilling our glasses, she raised hers in a toast. “Gentlemen, if I may quote our good friend Leonardo, ‘The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.’ To redefinition!”
Raising our glasses with hers, Luca and I joyfully repeated at once, “To redefinition!”
To feed his own curiosity, Luca studied da Vinci’s world and his place in history. Ellie was drawn to the philosophy of the man long considered the personification of the Renaissance. I studied the mind behind man’s unique artworks — an interest formed from my personal affinity. What a trio we were.
We called for another bottle and the conversation flowed with the wine. Comfortable and relaxed, and fortified by grapes and cheese, we decided to forgo dinner and continue our conversation unhindered.
With the wine inspiring a languorous attitude, Luca sat back on the settee in complete ease. Crossing his well-muscled legs before him, he put a question to me, “Nicolas, isn’t it said by some, that da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait?”
I smiled thinking of my wife’s own enigmatic smile. Had she lived then, I’d swear it had been she who’d modeled for the artist. “There is speculation of that sort, yes. Other theory suggests the portrait is one Lisa del Giocondo. But I don’t believe that to be the case.”
“No?” Luca sipped his wine, clear interest on his handsome countenance.
I shook my head and explained my opinion, “For fifteen years the Mona Lisa went everywhere with him, it was even with him when he died. That’s hardly the action of a man who’d painted that portrait as a commission, is it? No, I see the work as a riddle. Her face compels us to try to read her character. Leonardo challenges us to interpret her thoughts, ‘to capture,’ as he said in his own words, ‘the motion of her mind and the passion of her soul.’ Then he draws a veil of ambiguity across her features and creates a riddle of her smile. On top of that, there is nuance to the form and shadow… something deliberate in the smoky quality akin to a magician’s trick.”
Luca asked, “The sfumato?”
That he knew the proficient’s term for the shadowy quality found in da Vinci’s oils surprised me. Nodding, I sipped my wine and continued, “The sfumato plays a role none of us knows, unless we learn the reason behind it from Leonardo’s own words. As I interpret it, the background and the subject are one and the same. In the Mona Lisa, I can see the artist’s face in the work. That’s clear when you see the man’s self-portrait and compare the two. But beyond the deliberate ethereal quality to the piece, there’s a part of me that believes the painting is a blending.”
I could tell Ellie was intrigued by the idea when she sat forward. “A blending, how so?”
“A blending of the artist himself, and Gian Giacomo Caprotti. This was the person for whom Leonardo held passionate love.”
Luca nodded. “Ah yes, Salai, the ‘little devil.’ I can certainly see that, now that you’ve mentioned it.”
In that moment I had the distinct impression Luca too was drawn to homoerotic art, led perhaps by his own sexual proclivity to identify with artists who walked a very different path in both love and life. Knowing how compatible Luca had been with our blond Dutchman, I was certain he’d find it interesting that Salai’s face and body could be found in several da Vinci artworks from sketches to oils to frescos. In for a penny in for a pound, I threw my seeds to the furrow and voiced it, “He wasn’t free in society to love whom he wished. So he used his lover’s face and form in many works he created. What he didn’t reveal blatantly, he concealed in symbolism. But it was there, his lovers were there.”
Pausing with her grape in mid-air, Ellie said, “I find this topic utterly fascinating.” Then, in her bold-as-brass fashion, she turned to our guest and asked, “You’re not put off by the topic of Leonardo’s homosexuality, are you Luca?”
In Great Britain the topic on the table was not usually discussed in a lady’s presence. Not that my nymph of a wife minded, indeed, she voiced it plain enough. Luca didn’t answer right away, instead he sipped his wine. I wished in that moment I could read his thoughts for he appeared nervous. I wished for a lot in that moment.
Luca met her eye. “Did you know the ancient Greeks didn’t consider sexual proclivity to be a social characteristic? They didn’t distinguish a person’s sexual desire by biological sex, only by the role that he or she played in the act.”
Ellie took on her lovely blush, and for the first time I realized both desire and discomfiture lie within the hue. She asked plainly, “Do you mean to say all that mattered in ancient society was whether someone played the active penetrator or the passively penetrated?”
Bold-as-brass. I chuckled.
Luca’s smile widened and his shadow-blue eyes sparkled. “Yes.”
I believe we were all aware of a sexual tension growing in the intellectual-rich loam. There were little things at play now: the way Ellie moistened her lips and looked at us with eyes that lingered from one to the other. The way Luca’s irises had darkened from snow shadow to moon shadow as he looked upon her. The way I’d catch myself with a reminder to breathe as my eye was drawn to these small distinctions. Like da Vinci’s sfumato, our mutual attraction hung in the air, and I was struck by the notion that the smoky quality depicted in his art was desire. Desire like this.
“Ah.” Ellie nodded in understanding and circled the rim of her wine glass with her fingertip. I could feel the gears turning in the perfect machine of her mind. She proved my estimation right when she laughed suddenly, “Why Signore Franco, I do believe you’ve evaded my original question.”
He touched his heart with mock surprise. “Would I do that?”
That made Ellie laugh just as she was about to sip her red wine, causing her to slosh it on her white silk blouse. “Fiddlesticks! Please excuse me gentlemen, I must see to this before it sets.” Giving us an adorable self-deprecating smile, she quickly excused herself. We watched her go and shortly after the tap ran in the bathroom.
To a man such as I who’d lived on the same side of the fence for so many years, Luca’s answer had been plain enough. There was a silent language men like us used in public that only those of the same persuasion might guess what lie below the surface. Society might speculate all it wished, but unless the intent was blatant, no one knew of it for certain. In a world of unfounded prejudice, discretion might save one’s life. Our eyes met. We knew.
He told me sincerely, “She’s a treasure. Your Ellie is unlike any woman of my acquaintance.”
I smiled. “Indeed. My good fortune is beyond measure because she’s my match in all ways that matter.”
He set his glass aside to rest his hand beside mine on the settee. “She seems an open-minded woman. I confess other than with my sisters, I’ve never found myself so comfortable in the presence of the fairer sex. She makes this easy.”
My little finger stretched slightly, I swear by its own accord. “She does, at that. She declares herself a progressive in her world view. Ellie is extremely open-minded, and this is a truer fact than many know.”
He raised his hand to the side of my face, and there his thumb traced along my bottom lip. My heart started to pound and my cock swelled. The hand slid around to the back of my skull and pulled me close for a kiss. A kiss I very much wanted.
Professional Reviews
5-Stars Exquisitely sensual, delicately graphic
I read the first draft of this book, but the final blew my mind. The only thing that could have made this story better was if the art work, descriptions of which were liberally sprinkled within the text, was shown. Although, Ms. Anderson's word pictures were more than amazingly colorful.
Nick and Ellie's marriage of convenience budded into a true love relationship. I delighted in Nick's discovery of his dual nature, his interest in his wife's feminine body. I saw what he saw, felt what he felt, the descriptions were so vivid. When Luca was added to the mix, emotions just exploded. The love scenes were exquisitely sensual and delicately graphic. Loving Leonardo is a true sensual and erotic romance.
The last scene was an example of Ms. Anderson's typical surprise endings. That's all I'll say.
5-Stars
I don't normally like first person, but this book pulled me in from the start and wouldn't let go. It was beautifully written. Also, when it comes to erotic, I'm a graphic kind of girl with a sextreme rating. Loving Leonardo was neither really, and yet, hands down, it was the most erotic book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved the ending and the way it signalled to a sequel. I can't wait. Ms Anderson, please hurry up and write it. I'm first in the queue for a copy.
5-Stars from Toni Sweeney
MY OPINION: A love story and a treasure hunt with a blacker-than-blackhearted villain. The characters of Nicolas (who narrates the story) and his wife are well-delineated and their sexual discovery of each other is presented with an oddly endearing air that is almost innocent in its presentation.
The backstory of Luca’s first encounter with Bruno foreshadows the choice that young man must make to save the woman he and Nicolas love, as well as da Vinci’s masterpiece. This is a well-researched story with many art references with a deft handling of a subject many writers might skirt or avoid completely. Written in a style that evokes literature of the period in which this story is set, Loving Leonardo is an erotic thriller, and an enjoyable adventure of three lusty young people striving to save both themselves and a work of art that is in itself a declaration of love.
