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The dreaded day has finally come. Mauritius Baric’s father is dead, his only brother is gone, and Mauro is now master of the House of Baric. With his future sealed, he could no longer neglect his duty as the new baron, including marrying his assigned bride, Resi Kokkinos.

 

The daughter of an Ottoman sea trader, Resi didn’t want to marry a Venetian nobleman in a faraway land any more than Mauro Baric wanted a Greek girl for a wife. Though bright and determined, Resi was given no choice in her future. She, too, must fulfill her duty, and this marriage would settle her father’s debt to the Barics.

 

The saga takes flight in the summer of 1649 on the Croatian shores of the Adriatic. The Venetian Empire was a decadent, dynamic, and romantic world. Resi must find her footing as Baroness Baric in a life she was sorely unprepared for. Mauro is not ready for such a captivating woman as his wife, and love is slow to bloom between the newlyweds while Mauro’s demons continue to weigh on him.

 

Despite the war ending, trouble persists at Baric Castle. The Venetian Navy has confiscated Mauro’s ship, an assassin threatens his life at every turn, and visitors arriving from Venice add an unexpected dilemma.

 

The Barics’ story is told in three parts, spanning the Venetian and Ottoman Empires. With an entertaining ensemble of charming characters — servants, soldiers, and royals — this engaging trilogy is brimming with drama, humor, romance, and adventure. Enter the House of Baric. It all begins with Shields Down.

 

This fictional saga has all the elements of real life, including sexual situations, soldiers experiencing PTSD, and misogynistic dialogue with some strong language.

A Reader’s Favorite award winner for Historical Fiction 2022.