Hiding the Flame (Women of Renaissance Florence)

Florence, 1497. A city ablaze with religious fear. A woman forced to hide her art. And a love so dangerous it could cost her everything.

Francesca Rosini, a gifted but silenced painter, lives under the strict rule of her husband - a man whose devotion to Savonarola’s puritanical revolution leaves no room for beauty, tenderness, or truth. While Bonfires of the Vanities burn paintings, books, and anything deemed sinful, Francesca keeps her talent locked away like a forbidden flame.

Then she meets Vittoria, a merchant’s wife with a bold gaze and a quiet courage that unsettles Francesca’s careful obedience. What begins as admiration becomes a connection too powerful to ignore - a forbidden love that awakens Francesca’s spirit, her artistry, and her longing for a life she has never dared imagine.

But Florence is a city where secrets are dangerous… and desire is deadly.

As the firestorm of religious extremism grows, Francesca must choose between the life she knows and the truth that’s calling her.

Will she continue hiding the flame - or let it burn bright, even if it destroys her?

A haunting, lyrical novel for readers who love Sarah Waters, Emma Donoghue, Jessie Burton, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Perfect for fans of literary LGBTQ+ historical fiction, forbidden love stories, and women’s art-driven narratives.

🔥 Readers will love
● A love story set during Savonarola’s real-life reign of terror
● A powerful heroine who risks everything to reclaim her voice
● A richly atmospheric portrait of Renaissance Florence
● Lyrical, emotionally charged prose
● Themes of artistic resistance, queer identity, and female courage

Angela M. Sims writes literary historical fiction centered on silenced women, hidden identities and the intersection of art, emotion and social power. Her work is grounded in meticulous historical research and a deep interest in the lives erased by history's dominant narratives. Hiding the Flame is her most ambitious novel to date: a lyrical, emotionally charged exploration of queer love and courageous self-expression in Renaissance Florence.