In the scorching summer of 1493, a beautiful Venetian washerwoman named Bianca Lanzetti makes a devil’s bargain. With nothing but her body, her cunning, and a vial of silent poison, she murders her brutish husband and steps into the glittering, treacherous world of Florence under the fragile rule of the Medici.

Taken as the secret mistress of the ambitious merchant Simon de’ Medici, Bianca quickly learns that power in Renaissance Florence is won not only with gold, but with silk, whispers, and carefully administered death. Navigating a household ruled by Simon’s cold, pious wife and later threatened by a gentle new bride, Bianca forges a deadly alliance with the sharp-tongued maid Margherita — and seduces the vengeful condottiero sent to kill her.

As French armies march on Italy and the fiery preacher Savonarola thunders against sin from the pulpit of San Marco, Bianca rises from the slums to become the true mistress of the palazzo. But her growing power comes at a price: a dangerous threesome of lust, jealousy, and survival that binds her husband, her lover, and herself in a web of forbidden pleasure and shared sin.

In a city burning with holy fire and political chaos, one woman will use poison, passion, and ambition to claim her throne.

A dark, sensual reimagining of Renaissance Florence inspired by Jin Ping Mei, The Poisoned Rose Blooms is a tale of ruthless ambition, erotic power struggles, and the intoxicating danger of desire.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction with strong erotic elements, court intrigue, and morally complex heroines.