Lily, a queen of style in retro clothes, and Robbie, her boyfriend, run a second-hand bookshop in Sydney. In a shipment of old books from Nairobi, Robbie discovers a rare French book of ancient Roman erotica. With only four copies in existence, and valued at twenty million dollars, he is determined to sell it despite Lily's suggestion that they return it to the Italian government.
Days lateLily, a queen of style in retro clothes, and Robbie, her boyfriend, run a second-hand bookshop in Sydney. In a shipment of old books from Nairobi, Robbie discovers a rare French book of ancient Roman erotica. With only four copies in existence, and valued at twenty million dollars, he is determined to sell it despite Lily's suggestion that they return it to the Italian government.
Days later, William, a dashing Russian employed by a fine arts firm in London to retrieve stolen art works, arrives at the shop. Robbie refuses to hand over the book, and disappears, taking his and Lily's life savings with him.
What follows is a funny, witty romantic comedy that takes readers from Sydney to Rome, in a whirlwind of pretty dresses (on Lily), daring actions (by William) and clever dialogue.
Lovely...clever, gentle, moving...a really fun read. - Australian Bookseller & Publisher
If this book is chicklit, then it aims for the black-collar, art-working set.Lily is smart and quirky, but she is also an unabashed romantic. Best of all, she even gets to be a Girl's Own action heroine. The Book of Love would make a great romantic comedy film. - The Sunday Age
From the streets of Sydney to Rome, this is an adventurous debut from an Australian author with a knack for turning the minutia of life into something delicious. - Cosmopolitan magazine
This is an impressive debut novel with well-drawn characters, a well-paced plotline and just a touch of glamour. Yes, it's a quirky love story, but the title refers to an ancient and rare volume of erotica. It is this Book of Love that throws Lily and Robbie into the arms of the mafia and other not-so-nice types, and takes them on a wild ride from Sydney to Italy. - The Independent Weekly, Adelaide
Phillipa Fioretti was born in Sydney and studied Humanities, Visual Arts and Museum Studies and went on to work and exhibit as a printmaker, as well as teaching part time at tertiary level. She currently writes full time and was selected for participation in the 2008 Hachette Australia/Queensland Writers Centre Manuscript Development Program. Phillipa is married with two children and lives in Adelaide.
http://www.phillipafioretti.com.au