Anyone who has been in an art museum has seen Venus's face from Botticelli's famous The Birth of Venus painting. What a lot of people don't know is who the identity of Venus is. Most say it's Simonetta Vespucci, and so Alyssa Palombo has turned her into our guide to Renaissance Florence. Through her, we meet Botticelli, Lucrezia Donati, and most of the Medicis, who only allow the brightest and best minds into their midsts. Those minds must read. Anything. And they must have an opinion on art. Or philosophy. Actually, anything goes, but the way the characters heap praise on Simonetta for having a mind, you'd think everyone else just stared straight ahead. So, while Palombo promises an enchanting story about the intrigues of Renaissance Florence, what the reader gets is a shallow, YA-style telling of a rather complicated time period.

The first 180 pages are quite slow because Palombo has created "good" characters and "bad" characters based on their relation to the protagonist. Lucrezia Donati is "bad". Sandro Botticelli is "good". There isn't any nuance to the supporting cast, particularly the women. Clarice, Lorenzo's wife, only appears whenever Simonetta wants to have lunch with someone and talk about fashion while all of the interesting thoughts are reserved for Simonetta alone. In fact, the protagonist is portrayed as pretty much the only woman in Florence who reads or likes art. Every other woman is depicted as shallow, in comparison, because they gossip or just care about their families. Meanwhile, Simonetta is considered a paragon among women. I'm not saying that, in order to be beautiful, Simonetta had to be dumb. It's just unrealistic to me to think that she is the only one thinking these thoughts. Everyone else felt so flat because they weren't allowed to overshadow Simonetta's brilliance, and it made for dull reading.

The reason I said this was like a YA novel is because it really shows Simonetta growing up from a bride at 16 to her premature death at 22. The novel starts with Simonetta idealistically thinking she'll be the exception to life's rules. She thinks she'll finally be accepted as a three-dimensional person, once she moves to Florence. (Sorry but reading isn't a personality trait, and I say this as an avid reader.) Eventually, she learns that not all that glistens is gold. Even then, the lessons she learns show that she's a maligned woman and completely powerless instead of someone wealthy with the most powerful friends in the city. Her visits to Botticelli's studio to pose for him are basically a teenager's rebellious act against authority.

Still, it's finally interesting. Not sure what that says about me that I only like novels when they get tragic! Anyway. As her marriage falls apart and her fame increases, Simonetta falls head over heels in love with Botticelli, as the only man who really "sees" her. We're told he has this great insight, but most of the time, they rarely talk, and when they do, it's not particularly insightful. Botticelli never shares any of his own thoughts or his past with Simonetta. They never argue, and he thinks she should have rights. He's less a person and more like a golden trophy she gets for winning the genetic lottery. Congrats! You're pretty and smart! Here's a man who actually respects you!

Even with these drawbacks, the story isn't poorly written, just a bit simple. There's not a lot of description except around famous landmarks and artwork, so I often had to do the legwork to set the scene. It's a good book to introduce readers to this time period, but it isn't for the Renaissance aficionado. I also applaud Palombo for tackling a historical figure who is both so famous but also incredibly unknown, who's story is both romantic and tragic. This could be an enjoyable read if you don't look too hard. Otherwise, you'll notice the cardboard backdrop. ( )

The gorgeous cover of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN FLORANCE caught my eyes a couple of months ago and the book's description about the muse of Botticelli who inspired him to paint The Birth of Venus sounded very intriguing. I love reading historical fiction about real people and I was very happy when I got the chance to read this book. The Birth of Venus is a very famous painting, but I have to admit that Sandro Botticelli's life is not something that I had any knowledge about. However, that made the book even more intriguing to read since through this book did I get a fictional glimpse into the painter's life which made me yearn to learn more about him.

READ TEH REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION! ( )

Alyssa Palombo's latest historical novel whisks you away to Florence so beautifully, you won't wish to return. The story that Palombo weaves around Botticelli's muse is lovely and delicate. I finished the book and realized that a visit to the Uffizi Gallery would not be far off, to quench my need to see The Birth of Venus again, this time with the swirling nuances of the tender prose in my mind. ( )

The Renaissance is my favorite period in art. It was a glorious period full of so many masterful creators of beauty. The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence puts the reader right in the middle of the city that was a center of art thanks to the patronage of the de Medici family. Lorenzo the Magnificent himself plays a prominent role in this novel of the relationship between Sandro Botticelli and the woman who was purported to be his muse, Simonetta Cattaneo.

Simonetta is a very young woman when she is betrothed to Marco Vespuci of Florence. She is excited at the prospect of marrying this handsome man who is associated with the rich and powerful de Medici family. Simonetta is remarkably beautiful so that she is readily accepted into Florentine society and is soon known as the most beautiful woman in Florence.

She meets Botticelli and they soon find that they have much in common and he longs to paint her. She also draws the attention of Guiliano de Medici but Simonetta remains simple and faithful to her husband. She is excited at the thought of being painted but she wants only this until….

I was drawn into this book from the first pages. Ms. Palombo brought Renaissance Florence alive with her descriptions of the clothing, parties, food, scenery and of the art. The larger than life figures from history came alive through her words on paper. I could imagine myself dancing with any of them at a party. I learned more about Botticelli an artist that was not one of my focus artists when I was studying. I was very happy to live in Ms. Palombo’s world for several hours and will look forward to her next novel. ( )