Nectar - by Lily Prior (Paperback)

From the Back Cover

Ramona Drottoveo, an albino, is a chambermaid at a lush Italian estate. Distinguished by the intoxicating scent she exudes, Ramona is despised by all women and adored by all men, whose inexhaustible lust she eagerly satisfies. Life changes when her husband dies after discovering his bride with another man on their wedding night. Blamed for his death, Ramona and her lover are exiled to the neighboring city of Naples. There, Ramona's life is transformed once again by the birth of a daughter, Blandina, who "steals" her mother's scent. No longer able to seduce men into blind submission, Ramona humbly returns to the estate to an unexpected welcome -- and revenge.

A hilarious and naughty celebration of the senses and the strange places they can lead us, Nectar explores the mystery of sexual attraction and the frivolous nature of divine justice.

Review Quotes

"[A] hilarious novel...[a] witty, well-spun yarn. Smells like a winner" - People

"A bawdy Chaucer tale....Think of [Ramona] as Moll Flanders or Tom Jones, or perhaps the anti-Candide." - Washington Post Book World

"Prior is a great joke teller. She understands pacing, characters, and the power of a perfectly delivered punchline, which makes Nectar one of the more delightful reads of the summer...It might have been tempting to make Nectar a fable about greed and desire, but Prior is having far too much fun to let such moral heft ruin her riotous tale. - Entertainment Weekly