When Stars Align

Book excerpt: On the surface, Cosimo Garibaldi is young, handsome, charming, and somewhat naïve, considering he's a member of a royal family. Given his looks and his pedigree, he is rarely at a loss for admirers. Then he meets Megan Walker, an American humanities professor vacationing in Paris who seems both unaware of his status and immune to his charms. Cosimo finds her aloofness refreshing as well as challenging, so he does his best to win her over. A week later Megan returns home to Boston believing their romance was nothing more than a brief suspension from reality. Meanwhile, Cosimo can't seem to forget her and begins to formulate a plan for their reunion. Unfortunately, his mother, Princess Maria-Carmella, has other plans for him. When Cosimo resurfaces in Boston several months later, Megan fears that her simple, carefully choreographed life will be upended. As for Cosimo, he's afraid that the secrets he's been keeping from her will scare her away. And they just might, as one by one Megan discovers the truth about him. Megan's life gets even more complicated when she finds herself keeping a secret of her own. A secret that will have her come face to face with Princess Maria-Carmella, a powerful and devious woman who will go to any lengths to protect the family name. When Stars Align is about the serendipitous nature of life and love. It is a tale that is both tragic and comic. And all the more so because it is inspired by the true story of the last prince of Italy.