'Forbidden Lover' is a romance-drama novel written by Rafael Sabatini, an Italian writer best known today for his worldwide bestsellers: The Sea Hawk, Scaramouche, Captain Blood (a.k.a. Captain Blood: His Odyssey), and Bellarion the Fortunate. The story unfolds with a warning from the main character's older brother: "For no more than a whim, a caprice, you will confront this dreadful danger."