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  <title><![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.</p></p></p>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Oct 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Claire Donovan is working on her dissertation and needs to go to Venice but can't afford the trip. Gwen Fy is a rich teenager in need of an adult to deliver her safely to her father in Europe. Claire is a caricature of the writer who never gets out of her pajamas, while Gwen is the unhappy little ri...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74297820">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Sun Mar 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[I pick this book because I enjoy history and romance.  The basic story I enjoyed.  But I would hesitate to recommend it to any of my friends for the following reasons:<br/>1.  I like reading an intelligent author, but I don't want to have <br/>    to have a dictionary next to me to clarify her des...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47681312">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is an intriguing piece of historical fiction. The two main characters are both strong women, although in different ways.  Christi Phillips switches between seventeenth century Venice and present day with ease, and her writing style makes everything very easy to read.  If you have an interest in...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23173733">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.</p></p></p>]]>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri May 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Pretty good. There are two different stories. In 1618, a courtesan writes a letter to the high powers in Venice exposing a Spanish Conspiracy, then completely disappears. In present day, Claire plays chaperone to a teenager in order to finance a trip to Venice to complete her dissertation on the Spa...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56424939">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_updated>Fri Aug 08 11:01:48 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Wonderful fun, snappily written -- this is part historical novel and modern day, with a complicated plot playing out in the past while in the contemporary chapters, a history student tries to figure out what happened (for her dissertation). It's all set in a sparkly, enticing Venice with charm and i...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26678405">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is about a present-day scholar, Claire, who is almost finished with her thesis when she discovers that a prominent Cambridge history professor is giving a talk in Venice about the exact same topic: the Spanish Conspiracy in Venice, and specifically Alessandra Rossetti's role in it.  Alessandra,...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63301975">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.</p></p></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Christi Phillip’s “Rossetti Letter” has the right mix of history and present day.<br/>The sequences between the past Venice and the present day Venice were very good. It was like reading two stories at once. And the similar situations between Claire and Alessandra, being two women from two di...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56773149">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This novel did not hold me or entertain me in the least. It was completely unremarkable. The modern day heroine, Claire, leads a dull life in which she pretty much tries to immerse herself in 17th century history papers. The 17th century heroine, Allessandra, except for turning in a letter incrimina...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74228111">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[PhD candidate Claire Donovan is writing her thesis on the role of the courtesan Alessandra Rossetti in the 1618 Spanish Conspiracy when she learns that a well-known Cambridge professor is about to present a paper concerning the same topic in Venice, which could potentially sink her academic career. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55517091">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This was a good, quick read. It tells the story of Claire Donovan who is working on her PhD in History. Her chosen time period is 17th century Italy. She's trying to prove a link between the Spanish Conspiracy and a Venetian courtesan. <br/><br/>What I enjoyed about this book was that it covered a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44332994">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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  <date_updated>Tue Jul 14 11:02:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Two women, one in the center of intrigue in Venice in the 1600s and the other in present day, have stories that intersect.  Christine, recently divorced, and still working on her seemingly endless thesis, has always dreamed of being in Venice.  An opportunity presents itself unexpectedly.  As chaper...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63430232">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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  <date_updated>Tue Jun 03 04:21:51 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I wasn't sure at first if Christi Phillips would be able to pull these two very different stories together but I think she did so nicely. <br/><br/>Claire Donovan's PhD thesis is about the seventeenth century Spanish Conspiracy against Venice, she's specifically interested in Alessandra Rossetti, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15190458">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>572</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 19 08:28:19 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Sep 19 08:33:52 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Claire Donavan thought she had problems when she passed out at her first speaking engagement, but it was nothing compared to learning that someone was publishing a book on the same topic as her relatively obscure dissertation on the Spanish Conspiracy in 17th Century Venice.  She has been researchin...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6436251">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 21 07:13:38 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue May 29 09:49:40 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[OK, now that I'm finished, I can amend my earlier (below) comments. The annoying teen-aged character did indeed get better, but...it still could have been written/read without her. I wanted to see a parallel between the past and present settings, but it wasn't there as much as I had predicted it wou...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1338028">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Fri Feb 06 06:22:07 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 09 07:48:53 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Loved C.Phillips vision of Venice that was a vivid as being there. I loved the characters of 1618 and grew attached to the heroine of that time more than I did with the modern day's main character. Although, it didn't take away from the story because they were so interesting intwined together. Neith...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45544651">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.</p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Apr 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 02 19:07:44 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 02 19:16:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Phillips does a nice job of blending two plots set past and present.  I was on sort of a Venice kick (this was my third novel in a row set in this  grand old city).  I sort of grabbed it on a whim heading out of the bookstore.  I found it to be intelligent and compelling.  It dealt with elements of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61966262">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61966262]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Maurine]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>572</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 08 21:53:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 08 22:02:13 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[i really enjoyed this, partly because i have actually been to venice, and that's where it is set. it's a fun back-in-time but modern investigators story. there are a couple of gratuitous sex scenes, so just be warned if you don't want to read that kind of thing. it doesn't move the plot along. both ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52027391">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52027391]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>572</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.</p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Fri Jul 18 08:42:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 20 21:54:16 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The story moves back and forth through time alternating between courtesan Alessandra Rossetti in the early 1600s and present day Ph.D. candidate Claire Donovan. This is the story of Alessandra who, struggling to survive, chooses the life of a courtesan and becomes embroiled in events beyond her cont...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27614531">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27614531]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>572</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Dec 02 06:01:03 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 02 06:03:44 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book was a fun read.  I knew many of the places the author about because the book was set in Venice.  It was a fictional story about a letter written by a woman to the heads of Venice about a Spanish conspiracy to overthrow the Venitian government.  It flip-flopped between present day and early...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39096028">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39096028]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39096028]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55162188</id>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">201874</id>
  <isbn>1416527370</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781416527374</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">113</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>572</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this captivating debut, Christi Phillips blends fact and fiction, suspense and sensuality into a vibrant, richly imagined novel in which a modern historian uncovers a courtesan's secret role in a shocking conspiracy of seventeenth-century Venice. <p><p> Claire Donovan always dreamed of visiting Venice, though not as a chaperone for a surly teenager. But she can't pass up this chance to complete her Ph.D. thesis on Alessandra Rossetti, a mysterious courtesan who wrote a secret letter to the Venetian Council warning of a Spanish plot to overthrow the Venetian Republic in 1618. Claire views Alessandra as a heroine and harbors a secret hope that her findings will elevate Alessandra to a more prominent place in history. But an arrogant Cambridge professor is set to present a paper at a prestigious Venetian university denouncing Alessandra as a co-conspirator -- a move that could destroy Claire's paper and career. <p><p> As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....<p><p> Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldest and most magical cities, <em>The Rossetti Letter</em> marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.<p><p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat May 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed May 06 12:25:40 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue May 19 20:51:09 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I really enjoyed this one, it combined several elements of other books I liked a lot.  You had the history student digging for her thesis like in the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84351.The_Secret_History_of_the_Pink_Carnation_Pink_Carnation_1_" title="The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation #1) by Lauren Willig">Pink Carnation</a> series, along with the wonderful atmosphere of historic Venice like in the nonfiction books of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/222283.Andrea_Di_Robilant" title="Andrea Di Robilant">Andrea di Robilant</a>.  Phillips has anothe...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55162188">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55162188]]></url>
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