Like all of Goodman's stories, The Sonnet Lover is a novel of suspense, of literary and mythological intrigue, of subtle romance. Set in the ethereal sprawling Tuscan estate of La Civetta, sonnet expert and literary professor Rose Asher is drawn into the mysterious circumstances surrounding William Shakespeare and his enigmatic Dark Lady and the supposed link between their story and the historic residents of the villa. An intriguing plot line threaded with murder, poetry, and sumptuous imagery, The Sonnet Lover unfortunately falls a bit flat in other areas and pales in comparison to Goodman's other novels. ( )

The only other book I have read by Carol Goodman is "The Night Villa" and I vastly preferred "The Sonnet Lover." Both novels rely on a variety of implasible coincidences, but for some reason "The Sonnet Lover" kept my attention more firmly and kept me reading more enthusiastically. I've visited Florence and love Tuscany; I'm also a major fan of Shakespeare's sonnets. The mystery plot had a number of odd flaws and I figured out early on what was really happening with the death of Robin Weiss. But I didn't manage to unravel the entire mystery, which is all I ask. One major complaint: I know that Carol Goodman collaborates with her husband (he's her poet), so she's probably not writing from her current situation, but in both of the books I have read, the female protagonist falls for obvious bad guys; even though they are college professors and seem to be emotinally stable, the women make incredibly stupid choices involving men. It's just such a cliche and leads the reader to doubt the narrtor's judgement in all things. Maybe Goodman does it to make these women seem more like the rest of us, but I find it annoying. ( )

Really enjoyed this book the sort you have to continue reading non-stop...great author...another success! ( )

I highly recommend the readable Carol Goodman novels, all headed by a heroine of strength and passion and sadness. Very clever plotting, real 3d characters. ( )

Good discussion-- people either hated her lush writing and the atmosphere or they loved it. I've read it three times -- once on my own, and then for 2 different book discussions. I am firmly in the love the atmosphere group.