The Stargazer

Arboretti Family #1

by Michele Jaffe

The brilliant daughter of a renowned physician, Bianca Salva is thrust into an uneasy alliance with handsome aristocrat Ian Foscari when they masquerade as a betrothed couple to find the murderer of a beautiful courtesan.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical, Mystery, Fiction, Italy

592 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

Michele Jaffe (b. March 20 in Los Angeles, California), is an American writer. She has authored novels in several genres, including historical romance, suspense thrillers, and novels for Young Adults.

Reviews

[Kaitlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was, in whole, laughable! If you picked it apart and focused on the individual scenes it wasn't so bad. They were well written and intence. But when you mesh them all togeather and call it a novel, it's awful! In whole, there was no logic behind anything that actully happened! For instance, Ian's idea that if he bedded Bianca he'd become immune to her "charms". *eye roll* It was a pathetic excuse for the author to put in a sex scene. If that excuse wasn't horrible the first time it certainly was second.

Also the beginning of the book, good God it was awful! Hmm, yes, I think that this girl is a murderess so I shall become betroved to her. That seems like a good idea, if you have a death wish! And another thing, if I hadn't read the description of the book, I would have been completly lost in the first part of the book! It just started out with them over Isabella's body, it was ridiculous!

Finally, the plot. The plot was nonexistant! The reasoning behind the murderer/murderess framing the Arboretti family was insane! Not even the good kind of insane where the muderer/murderess is completly deranged, it was the kind of murder that was unnessasary, pointless and stupid.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, not even to my enemies. That is how bad I thought of this book. However, not all of Michele Jaffe's books are bad. Rosebush, for example, was fairly enjoyable. But, The Stargazer? It's one of the worst books I have ever read and I think they only stargazed like once in the entire book so the title doesn't even make sense!

[Tess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this years ago as a teen. Something stuck out to me to make me remember it all these years later, but I was unable to figure out what had caught in my memory, unless it was just me remembering the absurdity of the story. This book was so confused. The main characters doubted themselves, each other, and the world WAY too much. I can understand a little uncertainty, but a 180 twice in two paragraphs is a little excessive. Why are they both so sure the other one is the murderer? How does that even make sense?
Why does an Italian man have a very English name? That's poorly explained.
I liked that Bianca is interested in medicine -but this did not seem to be astonishing or even unique, the way I thought it should be for this time period and setting. Ian is a head of a huge trading empire, but he seems to have quite a lot of time to meddle in Bianca's life rather than focus on his financial dealings.

The entire premise was spindly and, like a flimsy footstool, did not hold up when I truly wanted to relax with a good book.

[Jenifer Kleine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave it a go, and I just couldn't bring myself to go any further. When reading a book reminds you of reading stereo instructions, it's just not that interesting it's time to just give up. Nothing in this story grabbed my attention. The story didn't seem to flow properly, I guess it felt like being thrown into the middle of a story without reading the beginning. Not for me.

[Arlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

86 Pages into this book and it is not holding my interest. Therefore, I am not going to finish reading it. The premise is a murder mystery but mostly it’s about a man and a woman who are attracted to each other, but are trying to fight it. I feel like the end will be predictable and they will end up together.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have reread this book for so many years, and I will never get tired of it

[Isabel Luna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tenía mucha esperanza puesta en esta historia pero resultó un fiasco. Bianca e Ian se suponía q serían una pareja seductora, llevados por las circunstancias a desconfiar el uno del otro pero irremediablemente atraídos por pasiones intensas e incontrolables mientras se echan de cabeza a la investigación de un asesinato.
Resulta q me quedé como novia de pueblo, vestida y alborotada. Hay muchas escenas hot pero la trama como q se pierde, el suspense no prende y la pareja realmente no llega a conectar; no hay romance y ni siquiera el abundante sexo llega a convencer.
Una decepción.

[Summer Seeds · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was bad. Really bad. The characters are ridiculous. The scenarios they find themselves in are worse.

Bianca, a seemingly intelligent woman, finds herself pining for, and throwing herself at, a man who treats her like garbage. Ian thinks Bianca is a murderess, but that doesn’t stop him from sleeping with her. And she goes along with it despite him being emotionally manipulative and verbally abusive.

Thanks but no thanks.

[Cintia Guchin Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo muchas contradicciones con este libro, me gustó sí, se manejaba bien el humor y es muuuy dramático por lo que me entretuvo ya que nunca se estancó. Pero por otro lado hubo unas escenas con las que casi dejo el libro porque eran muy fuertes o me hacían enojar mucho, entiendo que el libro sea basado a finales de 1500 pero aún así no podía evitar el machismo y la falta de dignidad de la protagonista.
Y como el título declara sí hay escenas +18 hay buenas y no tan buenas.

[Linda]

This one only took 4 pages before I quit. I remember owning this one in high school, but never reading it through. I think I know why now. I'm trying to be more positive in my reviews since writing and publishing a book is a huge accomplishment. My constructive criticism is that this book has potential, but the writing is just not on a professional level.

[Brandy Silvers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time in high school. I remember loving that it was set in Venice and wanting to read more romances in similar settings. Unfortunately, this story has some plot holes and MMC stubbornly clinging to FMC characters guilt despite all evidence to the contrary was grating. Still it was nice nostalgia.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw that this one was set in Renaissance Venice and that it included a romance and a murder mystery, I was eager to read this book. The colorful, rich descriptions of the place, the people and the activities of that time period were so artfully and skillfully drawn. For that reason alone, I enjoyed this book and respected the writing. Unfortunately, the mystery only somewhat pleased and the main characters not so much- okay, mostly they didn't.

The story opens with Ian Foscari, the Conte de' Aosto, entering the room of a famed courtesan only to find a stranger, Bianca Salva sitting over the body covered in blood and holding an ornate knife. They swap accusations over who killed the woman and then Ian devises a plan to solve two problems in one fell swoop. He'll get his family off his back to marry by announcing an engagement to Bianca and he'll keep the likely murderess nearby while she attempts to prove her innocence.

Bianca's brother has mysteriously disappeared again, not that they are close, and her only other relations only want her around to keep her money in the family by forcing her to marry her cousin Angelo. Being accused of murder and treated to cold insults by Ian Foscari are not enough to get out of an engagement to such a powerful man. She lets him coerce her into the engagement and determines that she will prove her innocence.

They swap arguments and vitriol back and forth as they reluctantly partner to solve the murder even as the true guilty party seeks to bring Ian down in a drawn out plot of revenge that will take Bianca down with him. Even as the noose tightens and the two swear hate, they also give in to a fiery attraction. In the end, things have gone way to far to turn back and more may be lost than reputations and their individual lives if they don't figure things out.

Alright, this is going to seem odd and I admit that I'm as confused as anyone when I say this. I both loathed and enjoyed this book at the same time. The mystery was confusing as was the path to solving it, the hero was vile, and the romance? Yeah, that was an interesting development too that both attracted and repulsed me.

Ian was just awful to Bianca and he was a tyrant, but yet I read on hoping he'd come around. I waited a long time for that. He is this brilliant businessman and strong head of his family, but he is absolutely unreasonable about females after one messed him up. He also was an idiot who had a sensual attractiveness to him. He brought home a suspected murderess as his fiance' and made passionate love to her many times. He seduced her and went to a prostitute once all in hopes of getting her out of his system. Each time they made love, he was especially nasty to her afterwards because he was mad at himself for being attracted. He constantly wavered back and forth about her innocence and that caused some cruel behavior toward her too. I never could like him after all that happened.

Bianca was the redeeming jewel in it all though her lack of self-respect and restraint when she let Ian play her got on my nerves. Bianca is an unusual woman because she longs to study medicine and publish a book on the female anatomy. She has good detective instincts and connections in the demimonde that help her with this. At the same time, she is not confident in her allure as a woman. She has taken the criticisms of her aunt to heart and now there is Ian to make her feel even less appealing. She feels used and then rejected, but she can't help the attraction to Ian (not her finest moments). She sees his pain and learns his secrets and supports him, but he does not reciprocate this when it comes to Isabella's murder.

The villainess was a psycho. There was no such thing as wrong and right with her. Everything with her was about whether it pleased or displeased her. She used people and manipulated them. Her motivations were convoluted plots of revenge and spite making much of the stuff going on make no sense whatsoever. Even in the end, I was shocked with where things were left with this person who wrecked so much havoc.

The secondary characters like Ian's family and Bianca's friends were enjoyable. They weren't very effective against Ian, but I still loved how they all worked together particularly in the end. I am definitely curious enough to take a stab at their stories.

The plot thread in this one had interesting moments, but also covered a lot of territory. This was a long book and it felt it at times. I got impatient and just wanted things to get on with it. While I enjoyed the glimpses into life in this sixteenth century decadent Venetian world, it was almost too much compounded with the murder mystery and the stormy love affair between Ian and Bianca.

In summation, I enjoyed the author's writing and descriptive abilities. I would definitely try her work again assuming that a different hero character and maybe a different situation would be more to my liking.

Those who enjoy steamy romantic suspense set in exotic historical locations should give this one a try.

My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for my honest review thoughts.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

x-rated. Ian stubbornly insists his betrothed Bianca is murderer, leaving true killer free to take all Arborettis. Fun sometimes. Brings to life gondolas, clocks, gunpowder, sailors.
Typo: c20 p17 pedaled IS peddled

[Gloriamarie · Rating 1 out of 5]

No idea how this got on my Kindle because according to Amazon I didn't buy it. I love the title and the cover but I could only read about one third of it because it is so boring.

[Kristen Pino Chapman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a bad book...some great ideas, but it never manages to take off. It was a great laugh, though!

[Cortnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Idk what was worse: The love story or the mystery. Skip this book.

[Krita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think i would have liked it better if the heroine had brained Ian upside his stupid head, at least a couple times. He is seriously in need of it.

[Rory Donohue · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just NO.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is different in a lot of ways. First, the novel is set in Europe, which is different than my typical fare, but not unappealingly so. The focus of the novel is Bianca. She has essentially been shackled to her aunt and uncle since her father’s death. She practices medicine in a time when it was unseemly for a woman to do so. There are a few comments from her aunt throughout the book about how she has embarrassed the family because of her chosen occupation. This endeared her to me even more.

I think it is because someone hurt you once, and now you want to hurt someone. – Bianca

Bianca is a strong character: young, smart, kind, beautiful, talented, innocent, naive, strong, prideful. She ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time, and appears to be a murderer. Her discoverer, the Count, takes her prisoner for his own personal reasons. He does not want to believe Bianca a murderer, but he does not want to believe what she says either.

Women’s minds were so utterly devious that they could be trusted to think of anything that would contribute to the illusion of their innocence, to remove the burden of culpability from their narrow shoulders. He had learned that lesson well and would not – would not – be duped again.

The Count is another character altogether. He is a cynic of everything, drowning his present life with his failures and losses of the past. He suspects everyone of something – most especially Bianca.Yet at times he can be very kind and thoughtful. He is an odd man haunted by his own demons – demons that he will give in to over the love of his own family, the Arboretti.

Now get back to your job, which is to make enough money so we all continue living like princes, and let us do the work of ogres. Doesn’t suit you at all. – Franscesco

The Arboretti are an interesting bunch. There are the two uncles who act like old biddies, trying to marry the Count off. They both come from the medical profession so this was an interesting quirk. They hover and coddle like no female character I’ve yet read.

Then there is the brother and the cousins. They each have their own famous – or infamous – ways about them, and they all love the ladies of the land, which is also the major focus of the novel in the context of Bianca’s work. Often she administers to the prostitutes and poor, and through this she has developed extensive connections that come back to benefit her in several ways throughout the novel. The Arboretti men are all protective and supportive of Bianca, welcoming her into the folds of their warm, friendly and humorous family.

What I was waiting for was how the novel would fall into place, how the plot would get moving, and Michelle Jaffe delivered! All I can say is the Arboretti are arms and weaponry dealers, and are much hated by quite a few, and there is an explosion – and missing items! Narrowing down the whodunit list – and finding the murderers – becomes increasingly complex…but there is a traitor in the midst!

This is a wonderful read. The characters are well-developed with their own individual strong suits and flaws. I felt that I became a part of the Arboretti family while reading this novel. The murder and Bianca’s commitment to solving it kept me going – along with the Arboretti’s arising business problems. I could not manage to put two and two together until it was almost staring me in the face. The novel is tied up nicely, with no loose ends that seem hasty or overdone, which is always a plus in my book. I am looking forward to reading the other Arboretti novels.

[Kelsey Lensegrav · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was well written and very interesting. It blended mystery with location very well and manged to captivate attention from the first pages to the last. Very good for a free book.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As of lately Michele Jaffe has been writing YA books, all great teen-aged mysteries.
And I was fully aware this wasn't YA, I wasn't like some that pick up a book assuming it's YA and end up yelling "Oh my gods kids shouldn't be allowed near this!"

My exclamations were more along the lines of "Damn! This is a side of you I've never seen before!"
This is definitely different from the bubbly personalities we'll find in her other books. And that's actually pretty great. As much as I love bubbly, it was nice seeing a different kind of personality.

It's no Agatha Christie mystery but, then again, what is? This is a signature Michele Jaffe mystery, she has her own style of writing and makes the genre her own. Bianca Salva is a great new detective, she proves that a women can be more than expected in Renaissance Venice (I'm sorry I can't remember the century) and she's what all women in romance novels should be: a fighter.

Speaking of the romance, it's like a whole other story. Sometimes when they were trying to solve the mystery I started wondering "what happened to the romance?" And then when we would get the romance I'd start thinking "Um you guys remember there's a killer you need to catch before the week is up right? Not that I'm rushing."
It was a perfect balance between the two. And I mean both with the story and the two characters.
Definitely one of my favorite romances I've read in a long time.



I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dexter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavier on the romance than I anticipated, and while I knew this would be very different from her young adult novels, I was surprised at the difference in the general writing style.

While I definitely enjoyed the two main characters, Bianca and Ian, the actual plot (what little there was) was very lacking. A complex mystery with many points that don't seem to quite add up. It requires a lot of thinking to sort out all the little details that are actually quite important, because the book never quite sums it all up for you.

Like I said, I did enjoy the characters, but they both had some stupidity issues. Ian is probably the most stubborn character ever, determined to believe in Bianca's guilt even when all reason points to her innocence. And Bianca, as the typical romance heroine, is constantly questioning her appeal to Ian, because his past lovers have been all beautiful and sensual and crap. These character traits might make the romance story interesting, they more just make the characters seem like humongous idiots.

I don't particularly like romance novels because they all seem to have the same basic plot and characters. Nevertheless, I still enjoy a good one, even if I know the plotline by heart. But sometimes it just doesn't work. The Stargazer is an enjoyable read, but it doesn't leave you with much to think about when you finish.

[Karielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay so umm...this book is idk, it's good so far but what i have to say is: it's pretty much like reading porn. okay, correction, *it is literally texted pornography. period.

who knows, i guess it's just kinda ona those books where the cover and title is all classy (i mean, 'the STARGAZER'?? how classy does that sound???)but once you actually look inside, it's all "steamy" and such. atleast that's what the book jacket says. lol
it's not steamy at all tho. it's kinda gross and it gives you that creepy jittery feeling you get when you actually watch porno (not that i've actually done so b4..heheh...no jk seriously). and the book recalls all the naiivete going on in 16th century venice, and yet the book ITSELF is sooo naiive. pretty much EVERY character is beautiful and blonde and charming or w.e. that's pretty dumb. and within like, 2 hours of meeting, bianca and ian (the "lovers" lol) do it. and i mean IT [lmfao vicious today aren't we?]


yea so overall it's a pretty good book
but i still think that it should be retitld "how to perform an oral" b.c in like, every.other.chapter there was...well, you don't needa know the deets of what was in every.other.chapter b.c i don't wanna get in2 it b.c well...okay i'll just stop now
lol

[Bekah Chu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on a whim, as most of my reads are nowadays.

I am still confused about the title and how it could ever relate to the plot.

The constant back and forth is quite tiring to read, though the saucy makeup session is not.

I have a problem with Ian's innate sexism and Bianca's wont to have her dignity trampled by a male's ego. I have to remind myself that I was reading from a privileged white man'a POV.

I won't say whether I had known who the culprit that was the cause of the entire mystery the surrounds the premise, because I find that trying to guess who the killer is on any TV or literature kind of ruin the surprise for me. You might say I was reading mindlessly, but that's just the way I am.

But I digress, despite all its fault I enjoyed myself whilst reading. It was quite the sexy book hidden behind an artistic cover, lord knows I would never so much as touch the novel had a man's torso been on the front cover.

This is historical fiction, and I had never read a book from that specific genre. I enjoy a good Showtime historical original but on text I hadn't thought I would enjoy it as much. I was pleasantly surprised. I was almost certain I would DNF before I hit page 50, how wrong was I.

4.5 stars

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this book! I have reread it multiple times. A funny, sexy, historical mystery, what's not to love!

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, let me say how much I LOVED that this book was set in Renaissance Venice, Italy! It's such a magical city and served as a wonderful backdrop to the story! The descriptions of the place and people were wonderfully written, allowing the reader to easily paint a canvas in their minds. The way the setting was written was probably my favorite part of the book.

The plot, however, was fairly confusing. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I think the plot took on more than the book could handle, as it tried covering a vast territory. In return, the plot seemed a bit watered down and lacking.

The romance, on the other hand, was heavier than I anticipated. It was fairly erotic (I mean, within hours of meeting each other, the main characters have sex). I would've traded in some of the romance for more plot.

Overall, this story was okay. Like I said, the setting was beautifully written. If you like books set in Renaissance Venice, you may enjoy this story.

[Pa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never read a Harlequin romance (and never intend to), so I don't know exactly what they are like; however, I suspect that this book comes close. Perhaps a bit "racier", with many graphic sexual encounters.
The book is set in 16th century Venice, which is an interesting scenario. Having a Ph.D. from Harvard in Comparative literature of the Renaissance, the author should have some relevant expertise.
Almost all of the characters in the novel are exceptionally good looking and clever. The "romance" (in common with the murder mystery and most of the rest of the plot) is highly contrived. Although the setting (from architectural, costume, and a few other perspectives) seems fairly accurate, the actions and attitudes of the characters do not strike me as representative of this (or perhaps of any other) period of history.
In short, in spite of a few interesting plot twists and except as an exercise in soft-core porn, this book has little to recommend it.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking place in the backdrop of Renaissance Venice, The Stargazer, takes the reader on an adventure, complete with sensual romance, courtesans, medical advancements, jealous lovers, betrayal, and murder. The mystery of who done it and why is artfully crafted and keeps the reader invested from beginning to end. In fact the mystery gains depth and momentum as the story progresses. There is a gratuitous amount of sex in this book, more so than a normal adult romance novel, but if all of the sex was to be edited out of this book you would be left with a thrillingly enthralling murder mystery. I really enjoyed this book it was pure entertainment, great with bonbons, chocolates and a steaming cup of tea or coffee. If you want to relax and lose yourself in a naughty book, you should buy The Stargazer.



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[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Jaffe's intriging first novel, Stargazer takes y ou on a journey through Renaissance Venice that will have you reaching for travel brochures. She paints a beautiful picture of life during that era. And like all good romance novels there is smoldering sexuality and good looking characters. But this book is more than just a romance novel in a beautiful setting. It's all set around a murder and there are constant twists and turns and sub plots that keep the story evolving.

The story begins with Ian Forcassi walking into the house of a renouned courtesean where he finds Biance Salva pulling a dagger out of her heart. He naturally assumes she is the murderer but interestingly he chooses to become engaged to her rather than turn her in to the police. Bianca has a week in which to prove her innocence. Along the way Bianca and Ian fall in love. A great first novel.

**** I was given a copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

[Heathery · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I had to DNF the crap out of this.

Number of times Bianca sneezes in the first 5 pages: 29. I'm not making that up; I counted. I HAD TO READ ABOUT SOMEONE SNEEZING 29 TIMES IN THE SPAN OF 5 PAGES. KILL ME. We don't even find out why. At least, we didn't before I DNFed this insane "novel."

How long it takes Bianca to notice how utterly sexy Ian is: 4 pages. Again, not making that up.

How long it takes Ian to notice how utterly sexy Bianca is: 7 pages. Ah, we've got a modest one on our hands. He waited until the middle of the first chapter at least.

Ian's grand idea to be able to question Bianca, someone he assumes to be a murderess: Become betrothed to her and move her into his house immediately. (This is historical Italy, so the idea is absolute lunacy. They shouldn't even be alone in the same room together.)

What page the atrocious idea above occurred on: 10

I'm ashamed to admit I spent 25 cents on this book.