The Paladin of Rimini

D.J. Paolini's The Paladin of Rimini is a compelling multi-generational saga spanning from 1982 to 2017. Angelina Fabrizzi is a woman burdened by severe family abuse and financial ruin. After her mother, Isabella, was forced into marriage and died from cancer, Angelina suffered through an abusive union with Giovanni until her godmother, Valentina, a fierce former carabinieri, finally intervened. In 2017, widowed and in heavy debt, Angelina meets Benjamin LaRocca, an American travel writer, on a train to Rimini. Benjamin becomes her tenant, and their shared kindness quickly blossoms into romance. As Valentina protects them from the past, she must reckon with her secrets as well. While Angelina grows in love, what can possibly happen given her past infertility claims? The climax is as surprising as it is delightful.

The Paladin of Rimini is a spellbinding tale with robust, sophisticated characters, and I rooted particularly for Valentina, the titular “Paladin,” who exemplifies strength and sacrificial love. Angelina represents grit against patriarchal oppression, while Benjamin offers a modern, gentle masculinity that is the opposite of the abusive men in Angelina’s past. There was a kind of serendipity woven into this romance that gave the story a magical feel, and Paolini frames each section with epigraphs that give it a classic chivalric tone. While the plot relies heavily on coincidence, the emotional authenticity firmly grounds the story. The interwoven timelines provide rich context, the pacing is measured, and the backstory is skillfully employed to drive suspense and create a thicker texture to the plot. The short chapters and timely paragraph breaks made this story even more enjoyable to read. This captivating romance arrested my interest with the beauty of its prose, the complex character development, and the focused, delightful romance.