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  • The Rome Affair

  • By: Karen Swan
  • Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
  • Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (20 ratings)

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The Rome Affair

By: Karen Swan
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
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Publisher's Summary

The glamorous capital city of Italy is brought to startling life in The Rome Affair, a compelling summer story by Karen Swan.

It's 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 26 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.

It's 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 12 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.

©2017 Karen Swan (P)2017 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

What listeners say about The Rome Affair

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A “Social Butterfly” she was not!

Given the upbringing Elena had, of an ultra rich pampered -beyond -belief lifestyle, it’s little wonder that she thought she deserved everything she desired with impunity.
However she wasn’t unscathed by it all. She was used and abused as well.

Cesca was the ideal person to write Elena’s memoirs. She was astute and clever.
The setting was grand, the city ancient.

I really liked the book as it was different.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

I really loved this, Karen Swan has become a favourite, even though there is always way too much rich and unrealistic people, the stories are interesting, I feel like I always learn something historical reading her stories.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Loz
  • 12-09-2022

Not one I’d recommend

I chose this after the reviews of others - parts of the story were great and others I really struggled to get through.
Not one I would probably recommend to others.

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