A dramatic tale told in three parts. The first book in the series focuses on Mauritius "Mauro" Baric, the heir to a Venetian barony in Croatia in 1647 with connections to powerful political allies. Mauro's assigned bride was not a noble lady but the daughter of an Ottoman trader. She had no desire to marry an arrogant Venetian baron far away from the Thessalonian home she loved. But her father owed the Barics a debt, and Resi Kokkinos was the payment. The Barics' story ignites like kindling on smoldering coals with drama and humor. Not a "bodice-ripper" but a satisfying romance.