The Rome Affair - 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.

Wow. Just wow. So Karen swan is one of my favourite authors and i haven’t picked up a book i don’t like - if you’re looking for a Xmas read, she’s the one you need! 

Take writer favouritism out of the picture and the other reasons i picked this up included - based in Rome, secrets, love affairs, millennial trying to make it abroad and so on and so forth.

This had me gripped from the beginning, so much so that i read it in 2 days. The characters were intriguing and chapter by chapter layers of their lives and personality were peeled away, leaving behind vulnerability, likability and feistiness. The old glamour of Italy kept conjuring images of Audrey Hepburn and the likes from old school Hollywood and it fared just as dramatic. 

Of course there’s a love interest with the main character which helps a bit. 

But seriously, pick this up for your hol or if you want to while the weekend on the sofa. But, i warn you…don’t begin it if you want something you can put down at a reasonable hour before bed. 

Check it out here