Didn't like this book..not sure why really, but it rather annoyed me..lol! Couldn't even finish it! ( )

Synopsis (adapted from publisher): Claire Donovan has always dreamed of visiting Venice, and she's finishing 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. 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.

Review: I already knew and loved Claire, but it was refreshing to get some more background on her life. Perhaps because I'm in graduate school, I easily identified with her as she sought to finish her dissertation and find a job. The story alternates between Alessandra's life in 1618 and Claire's modern day life. The stories worked well together, and I found myself equally interested in both. Venice is always a divine book setting, and the city was almost a character in this novel. I will say I initially had a hard time remembering some of the characters from the 1600's, but the list of characters at the front of the book was quite helpful and jogged my memory. My one complaint about the book is trivial: I wanted a map. Venice is such a huge part of the story, and I'm reasonably familiar with the city (I've visited twice), but I still pulled out maps to see where the action was. There was a sense that the relative geography had more importance than it actually did. I always appreciate maps at the beginning of books, and this one would have been an especially good candidate. ( )

Traces of Kate Mosse came to mind when I read this one..... in a good way... As much as I enjoyed this I felt there was something missing. At times it was just a book, but at others you could really feel the atmosphere and feeling of danger. I picked this one up on a whim and am glad I did. Am curious now and intrested in reading her other works. ( )

Christi Phillip’s “Rossetti Letter” has the right mix of history and present day.
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 different eras, who are alone in the world and trying to make the best of it gives the story a very timeless theme.
I also seem to get the message that you do not need to give up femininity to make it in the world either.
Claire seems to have lost any interest in the opposite sex and her femininity and only gets it back with the help of Gwen and Giancarlo and the atmosphere in Venice. As Gwen puts it Claire needed to get her groove back.
Without giving too much away it was a great read. I enjoyed the historical parts of the story as much as the present day escapes of Claire and Gwen and would recommend it to anyone who likes a light hearted story laced with history. ( )

In 1618, Spain was preparing to launch a surprise invasion of Venice. The plan was thwarted only because Alessandra Rossetti, a famed courtesan of the city, wrote a letter to the governing council exposing the plot. Afterward, the young woman disappears from history.

Claire Donovan has spent two years researching this event for her doctoral dissertation. Why would Alessandra risk her life and those of her clients to save her city? What happened to her after she wrote the famous "Rossetti letter"? Claire is hoping to answer these questions and thus start her academic career as the expert in the so-called Spanish Conspiracy. One big problem is that she can't afford to travel from her home on Cape Cod to Venice to study the historical records firsthand.

To make matters worse, Claire learns that a history professor from Cambridge, Andrea Kent, is planning to present a paper at a Venice conference on the very topic of the Spanish Conspiracy. If Claire's dissertation is scooped, her degree and career will be jeopardy. There is only one way she can get to Venice: by taking fourteen-year-old Gwen Fry along with her. Thirty-something Claire thinks, "How hard could it be to watch Gwen while attending the lectures and doing research?" It's obvious that Claire has not spent much time around teenagers.

Once in Venice, Claire attends "Andrea's" lecture and learns two important facts: Andrea is really Andrew, and Andrew thinks the Spanish Conspiracy is a hoax.

The Rossetti Letter is almost two novels in one. The historical aspects center around the fictional Alessandra Rossetti and her transformation from well-off merchant's daughter to orphan to high-class courtesan. Her story introduces us to 1617–1618 Venice, its foods, its sights and sounds, and its politics. The contemporary aspects focus on Claire Donovan as she races to save her academic future while finally learning to open herself up to others after her painful divorce.

The two faces of the novel work well. Although Alessandra's story could have stood on its own as historical fiction, it is interesting to see the difference between the "realities" of her life and what is available four hundred years later for Claire to study. Further, it is fun to follow Claire's discoveries; we groan when she skips over important information and are relieved when she gets things right.

The historical chapters are well conceived with a good balance of fact and fiction. The plot is nicely paced, and it is easy to get caught up in Alessandra's world. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to remember all the political players, but Phillips gives us a list of the characters, and a quick glance is all that's needed to clear any confusion.

Claire's story is a little less gripping, with maybe a few too many coincidences. The evolving relationship between Claire and Gwen is entertaining, and Claire's foibles while adapting to Venice provide a nice break. In the end, however, Claire is someone to root for: The trip to Venice not only helps Claire understand the Spanish Conspiracy and Alessandra's fate but also helps her find the way to self-discovery.

The novel ends with a author's note that tells us which characters and events were based on fact and which were conceived for the novel. Phillips also lists her major sources.

The Rossetti Letter is the first in the Claire Donovan novels. I already have the second book, The Devlin Diary, and can't wait to follow Claire as she conducts research into 1672 London.

The novel has it's own website, The Rossetti Letter, where you can learn more about the author and the book. ( )