Nicoletta has some unusual talents, and the villagers willingly help her hide them. When she and her guardian Maria Pia are sent to the palazzo to attend a very ill child, Nicoletta has a difficult time hiding her role as healer, moreso when she learns Don Scarletti is also ill. She and Maria are well aware of the Scarletti curse, but find themselves drawn into the mystery, when the don chooses Nicoletta as his bride.

Don Giovanni Scarletti had no intentions of marrying because of a curse on his family, but he is drawn to the attractive assistant to the healer. Overcoming any and all her objections, Gino marries the girl, and expects her to obey some rather stringent rules. His own special talent makes it easier for him to connect with Nicoletta, especially when she's in trouble, which seems to be often. His lovely bride may be his undoing, if the family curse doesn't get him first.

It takes a bit of time to figure out just what the Scarletti Curse is, and more to find a solution, but Nicoletta is up to the challenge. She fears the way Giovanni can get into her mind, and yet it also comforts her. While curses and superstition play an important part in this story, they also enhance the romantic plot. Learning to work together against an unknown foe, keeps this story moving. False leads raise the tension and teach the characters to trust one another and their special talents. The Scarletti Curse has all the ingredients of a typical gothic romance, and then some.

From vampire stories to gothic tales, Christine Feehan's writing talent continues to shine.