The Rome Affair
The Rome Affair

Author: Karen Swan

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2017-04-26

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 1760553468

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The glamorous capital city of Italy is brought to startling life in The Rome Affair, a compelling summer novel by Karen Swan. 1974 and Elena Damiani lives a gilded life. Born to wealth and a noted beauty, no door is closed to her, no man can resist her. At twenty-six, she is already onto her third husband when she meets her love match. But he is the one man she can never have, and all the beauty and money in the world can't change it. 2017 and Francesca Hackett is living la dolce vita in Rome, leading tourist groups around the Eternal City and forgetting the ghosts she left behind in London. When she finds a stolen designer handbag in her dustbin and returns it, she is brought into the orbit of her grand neighbour who lives across the piazza - famed socialite Viscontessa Elena dei Damiani Pignatelli della Mirandola. Though the purse is stolen, Elena greets the return of the bag with exultation for it contains an unopened letter written by her husband on his deathbed, twelve years earlier. Mutually intrigued by each other, the two women agree to collaborate on a project, with Cesca interviewing Elena for her memoirs. As summer unfurls, Elena tells her sensational stories, leaving Cesca in her thrall. But when a priceless diamond ring found in an ancient tunnel below the city streets is ascribed to Elena, Cesca begins to suspect a shocking secret at the heart of Elena's life.

She Seduced Me
She Seduced Me

Author: Mark Tedesco

Publisher: Dixi Books

Published: 2021-07-09

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 1913680045

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“I resisted, but she drew me back. I stayed away, but she beckoned me. I distanced myself, but she haunted me. I even rejected her but she did not abandon me...” This work of nonfiction is divided into chapters in which the reader experiences aspects of art, culture, history and the present through the eyes of the writer and of the inhabitants of Rome, past and present. Show Less She Seduced Me is that rare book in which the reader becomes part of a magical world in which places, monuments and artists come alive through their stories. In this case, however, that world is Rome and the reader becomes a participant in the ebb and flow of the city and gains insight into why so many have fallen in love with Rome despite its faults. The journey commences with the reader accompanying the author who, standing in front of Michelangelo’s Moses statue, mouth agape, almost hears the artist scream at his creation: “Speak!” From this an odyssey of wonder begins: what is the story behind the Trevi fountain, behind that rock in the middle of the Roman Forum, behind all those priests and nuns everywhere, behind everything one stumbles upon, wonders about and takes selfies in front of? The quest is to uncover those stories. Author and reader continue to explore the life in the piazzas, experience camaraderie with street performers, see history through all the senses, get lost in Rome, observe Americans and foreigners, discover unique places to eat, speak with Romans, explore the houses of Nero, Augustus and Livia, encounter Caravaggio and chats with expats. This work is a virtual tour through a magical city that educates and enthralls.

The Rome Affair
The Rome Affair

Author: Karen Swan

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Published: 2017-07-13

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 1509838031

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From the bestselling author of The Last Summer, Karen Swan, the glamorous capital city of Italy is brought to startling life in The Rome Affair, a compelling story of love, life and long-held secrets. 1974. Elena Damiani lives a gilded life. Born to wealth and a noted beauty, no door is closed to her, no man can resist her. At twenty-six, she is already onto her third husband when she meets her love match. But he is the one man she can never have – and all the beauty and money in the world can't change it. 2017. Francesca Hackett is living la dolce vita in Rome, leading tourist groups around the Eternal City and forgetting the ghosts she left behind in London. When chance brings her into the orbit of her neighbour across the piazza – famed socialite Viscontessa Elena dei Damiani Pignatelli della Mirandola – the two women are intrigued by one another – and agree to collaborate on Elena's memoirs. As summer unfurls, Elena tells her sensational stories, leaving Cesca in her thrall. But when a priceless diamond ring, found in an ancient tunnel below the city streets, is ascribed to Elena, Cesca begins to suspect a shocking secret at the heart of Elena's life . . . 'Glittering jewels, designer labels galore and the most mouth-watering pizza in Rome make this a satisfying summer beach read' – Veronica Henry, Daily Express Enjoy more of Karen Swan's captivating seasonal novels with The Greek Escape and The Paris Secret.

The Domenichino Affair
The Domenichino Affair

Author: Elizabeth Cropper

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9780300109146

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Ten years after completing his work The Last Communion of Saint Jerome, Bolognese painter Domenichino was accused by his rival Giovanni Lanfranco of stealing the idea for the painting from an altarpiece crafted by Lanfranco’s teacher, Agostino Carracci. The resulting scandal reverberated through the centuries, drawing responses by artists and critics from Poussin and Malvasia to Fuseli and Delacroix.Why was Domenichino attacked in this way when other related paintings--including Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin and Perugino’s painting of the same subject--aroused no such negative response? In this fast-paced book, Elizabeth Cropper investigates the Domenichino affair and addresses the perennial debate regarding the precise nature of originality and of imitation. She offers close readings of the paintings involved in the story, detailed analysis of attitudes toward imitation, emulation, and plagiarism, and a fascinating discussion of what Domenichino’s plight signifies in art history.

The Rome Affair
The Rome Affair

Author: Laura Caldwell

Publisher: Harlequin

Published: 2012-10-15

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1460305868

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It was an affair...to regret. Rachel Blakely's charmed life is significantly tarnished after her husband Nick's infidelity, but she wants to give her marriage a second chance. Then a business trip to sun-drenched Rome with her best girlfriend Kit leads to a night of passion with a stranger — a one-night stand meant to signify the end of a painful chapter in her life. Rachel returns home determined to put the past behind her, and at first life seems golden again. Nick is more loving than ever, and following his promotion to senior partner in a prestigious plastic surgery practice, the couple is welcomed into Chicago's high society, where beautiful people live beautiful lives. But there is a dark side...one that sends Rachel's life spiraling into a nightmare. It's clear everyone is guilty of something. But whose secrets will lead to murder?

The Gabinian Affair
The Gabinian Affair

Author: Ray Gleason

Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Published: 2015-10-06

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1630475564

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A retired Roman soldier looks back on his early life and battlefield adventures fighting under Julius Caesar in this gripping fictional memoir. The Gabinian Affair is a memoir written by a retired Roman soldier, Gaius Marius Insubrecus, who served Caesar during his wars in Gaul. As a youth, Insubrecus is caught between two worlds: the heroic myths of his people, the Gahâél, and the harsh realities of their conqueror, Rome. Insubrecus tries to escape assassins sent after him from Rome by hiding in the Roman army, right at the time that the new governor, Gaius Julius Caesar, launches his legions into Gaul to stop an invasion by a fierce and ruthless tribe called the Helvetii. Insubrecus is plunged into a world of violence, intrigue and betrayal, as he tries to serve his new patron, Caesar, and to stay alive, while pursued by Roman cutthroats and Gallic warriors.

Mistress of Rome
Mistress of Rome

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2010-04-06

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 1101186631

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The first in an unforgettable historical saga from the New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Diamond Eye. “So gripping, your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind’s eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page.”—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author First-century Rome: One young woman will hold the fate of an empire in her hands. Thea, a captive from Judaea, is a clever and determined survivor hiding behind a slave’s docile mask. Purchased as a toy for the spoiled heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea evades her mistress’s spite and hones a secret passion for music. But when Thea wins the love of Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator and dares to dream of a better life, the jealous Lepida tears the lovers apart and casts Thea out. Rome offers many ways for the resourceful to survive, and Thea remakes herself as a singer for the Eternal ’City’s glittering aristocrats. As she struggles for success and independence, her nightingale voice attracts a dangerous new admirer: the Emperor himself. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her destiny. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Rome’s most powerful man lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.

The Rome Affair
The Rome Affair

Author: Laura Caldwell

Publisher: MIRA

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 1552547833

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It was an affair...to regret. Rachel Blakely's charmed life is significantly tarnished after her husband Nick's infidelity, but she wants to give her marriage a second chance. Then a business trip to sun-drenched Rome with her best girlfriend Kit leads to a night of passion with a stranger — a one-night stand meant to signify the end of a painful chapter in her life. Rachel returns home determined to put the past behind her, and at first life seems golden again. Nick is more loving than ever, and following his promotion to senior partner in a prestigious plastic surgery practice, the couple is welcomed into Chicago's high society, where beautiful people live beautiful lives. But there is a dark side...one that sends Rachel's life spiraling into a nightmare. It's clear everyone is guilty of something. But whose secrets will lead to murder?

A Wild Affair
A Wild Affair

Author: Gemma Townley

Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0345499824

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A hilarious story of secrets, betrayals, love, and wedding planning—from the author of The Importance of Being Married Jessica and Max are finally going to tie the knot, and Jessica is determined to have the biggest, best wedding ever. The only problem is, recently Max has been evasive—and when Jessica follows him and sees him in an apparent tryst with an attractive woman, it’s the last straw. The next thing she knows, she’s drunk at a bar, cozying up to the top rival of Max’s firm, and letting some top-secret work details slip . . . details that could cost Max everything. The next morning Jessica is deeply ashamed of her actions, and when a series of events leads her to discover an important truth about her past, she realizes she shouldn’t have doubted the only man she’s ever loved. But as evidence of her own indiscretion surfaces, she knows that the same can’t be said about her. Is her Big Day, as well as her job and reputation in jeopardy?