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mflynn4's review against another edition
4.0
A slow start but engaging end. I enjoyed it though it took perseverance.
lectorliber04's review against another edition
4.0
It takes great talent to write two parallel stories, one happening now and the other four hundred years ago and not confuse the readers. As the tale of The Rossetti Letter unfolds so does the story of Claire Donovan, a historian researching the life and very important role of Alessandra Rossetti in what historians refer to as The Spanish conspiracy against Venice. The two heroines won my heart and admiration and Christi Phillips' writing left me eager to read more. Painting pictures with words it's the only description that comes to mind.
vll295's review against another edition
5.0
Christi Phillips-where did you go? I loved this and her other book. I loved the transition between today and the past. I wish she would come back with more books.
roots_and_reads's review against another edition
3.0
LOVED this book!! It was completely captivating!
kaytemi's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. A lot. There were things that resonated with me: Claire's failed marriage (not that I have direct experience with this, mind you) and the feelings of betrayal that come with it, her relationship with Gwen and I just loved Andrew. I also just loved the way the stories are interwoven, the past and the present, and how they fit together.
With the way the story moved, the ending didn't quite satisfy me. I feel like there's still more to be said, though not enough to expect that a second book will ever be around. (EDIT: Apparently I spoke too soon - there is a second book. I must get my hands on it!)
All in all though, it's a highly enjoyable read and I simply couldn't put it down until it was finished. Even then, I still held it for a little while wondering about the possibilities that had opened up and where Claire's heart would eventually lie.
With the way the story moved, the ending didn't quite satisfy me. I feel like there's still more to be said, though not enough to expect that a second book will ever be around. (EDIT: Apparently I spoke too soon - there is a second book. I must get my hands on it!)
All in all though, it's a highly enjoyable read and I simply couldn't put it down until it was finished. Even then, I still held it for a little while wondering about the possibilities that had opened up and where Claire's heart would eventually lie.
islandkate's review against another edition
3.0
Good plane read as it was compelling and read quickly. The history was really interesting. Plot was a bit weak and the ending was rushed and therefore a bit unsatisfying. But all in all not a terrible book. Makes me want to read some of the history the author used as research.
disconightwing's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book about a historian who is writing a dissertation on a seventeenth-century courtesan who exposed a conspiracy against the Venitian Republic. The story is told from two points of view: Alessandra's (the courtesan's) and Claire's (the historian's). While working on her dissertation, Claire hears about a scholar who is planning to release a book on the same subject. She volunteers to babysit a fourteen-year-old in Venice so that she can have the opportunity to go. While it doesn't go as smoothly as she hopes, she at least gets to visit a library and view original source matieral for her paper (and gets to be romanced by a cute Italian man at teh same time).
gripyfish's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0