Private Desire by Laura Martini

Thirty-five-year-old Lucia feels trapped. Following her husband Antonio, she left Rome, her hometown, and moved to a small town in the heart of southern Italy. Since her husband is an executive director of a multinational company, he is never home.

Luckily, Lucia is able to find solace in books. She spends her days living out the lives of others so as to escape her own humdrum existence. But one day, the house next door is bought by Giorgio, a young artist in search of peace and inspiration. This enigmatic and creative figure starts consuming Lucia’s every waking thought, to the point of becoming an obsession. She starts spying on him, and even observing him from a distance is enough to make her feel alive again.

One day, Giorgio notices her, and asks her to pose as a model for his paintings. Between painting sessions and secret meetings, their passion takes over and changes both their lives.