Customer Reviews

The Stargazer

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

When I first started reading THE STARGAZER, I was not used to that kind of romance novel and I was put off by it. I thought it was boring and lacked enough romance to keep me interested.

But as I read further and finished the whole book, I realized that this was just not an ordinary romance novel, but it is a complex mystery story that, as it progresses, strengthens the love, passion, and trust between our two heroes: Bianca Salva and Ian Foscari.

CHARACTERS

BIANCA SALVA: By passionately and devotedly taking up the study of the human anatomy in Renaissance Venice where womens' education is frowned upon, Bianca risks her reputation as a gracious noblewoman. She is one of the most intelligently written female characters I've ever encountered in a romance novel because she has a remarkable method of reasoning and logicality that makes her come across and striking and intriguing. She is so persistent that she even strives to be the first woman to have her anatomical drawings and discoveries printed in a book. She is an amazing, beautiful woman whose intelligence and sexual passions make her unforgettable.

IAN FOSCARI: Also known as an Arboretti due to his family business shared amongst him and his other good-looking male relatives, he is also every bit as intriguing and unforgettable as his eventual love, Bianca. Although he has an extremely difficult time trusting her innocence during their murder investigation together, his caring, love, and intuition win out. Passionate and handsome, his intelligence and massive sex appeal is also apparent. The only thing that is wrong with him is that he appears to have some striking weaknesses that do not seem to be consistent with his character. However, the action that he performs for Bianca at the very end of the story is very touching and reveals how much love this man is actually capable of.

Honestly, due to the murder mystery and passion and countless clues and side stories going on simultaneously, this book is complex. It's not one to read in a day because each sentence and occurence should be pondered in order to understand the entire scope of the story. But if you have patience, you will be rewarded with a brilliant story full of breathtaking adventure, intense passionate heat, and powerful love.

Truly one of the best books I've read in my life.

Set in Renaissance Venice, Michelle Jaffe's first book, Stargazer left me with mixed feelings. At one point I truly enjoyed the book, at another point I found it to be pointless, boring and long.

When Ian Forcassi walks into the house of a renouned courtesean and finds Biance Salva pulling a dagger out of her heart naturally he assumes that she is the murdered. Instead of turning her into the authorities, Ian decides to announce that Bianca is his betrothed, therefore making his family happy that he will be finally getting married. Knowing that Bianca will be found guilty of murder and eventually hung, Ian knows that the betrothal will be short lived. Determined to prove her innocence, Bianca convinces Ian to allow her one week to prove who the real murderer is. During the week of their "betrothal" Ian and Bianca fall in love, all the while trying to find who the murderer is.

I did like the interesting storyline and the dialog. It was obvious that the author is well versed in Renaissance history. What I didn't like the way that Ian treated Bianca. Bianca was constantly berated, treated like a criminal, anythingthing she did to prover her innocence Ian tried to turn it around on her and wouldn't listen. This could have been a very good book if it wasn't for that aspect. Read it for yourself and judge.

I was glad to read that other reviewers were disappointed by this book. I was impressed that the author has a degree in literature from Harvard University, and was looking forward to some really good writing. What I found instead were extremely weak characters, an unrealistic plot premise, and sex scenes that were graphic enough to distract from the story, yet seemed to contain no emotion. I would not call this book a romance. I bought the paperback in a bookstore, and I am really wishing I could have the 6.99 back to spend on a different book!

The cover is so lovely, the title so evocative, the hype so extreme... the book so boring. I really don't know what the editor saw in this. From the first scene, where the heroine's reaction to her friend's murdered corpse is "Gee, maybe that guy over there killed her, but he sure is hunky, yum, yum," to the ridiculously anachronistic Perry-Mason trial at the end, this book is one long round of implausible scenes and unbelievable characters.

When amazing romance writers like Laura Kinsale and Susan Elizabeth Phillips have yet to be brought out in hardback, I have to wonder why this book got such huge play. It's really not a very good advertisement for the varied and vibrant romance genre, as it's mostly a mishmash of cliched plotting, historical inaccuracies, and characterization from the 1970s, without any real new twists. A great disappointment.

I'd also think that a writer with a PhD in comparative lit might have some nodding acquaintance with the fictional element of "point of view", but Ms. Jaffe seems not to understand that changing viewpoint in the middle of a sentence is logically impossible and distracting to the reader. Where was the editor???

If you really want a good romance, try Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, or Windflower by Sharon and Tom Curtis. Of course, you'll have a hard time finding them, because those accomplished, veteran writers have never been brought out in hardback, and no publisher ever spent a million bucks promoting them.

Now I know why you should always read real reader's reviews before buying. The concept of this book is great. The lush setting and potentially interesting characters all made me eager to read STARGAZER, but, much to my chagrin, it turned out to be a bodice ripper in disguise. Nevertheless, I couldn't put it down. Jaffe has a way of pulling you in, making you need to know the outcome of the story, despite the annoying "love" scenes that appear at every turn. If Jaffe had kept to the mystery (or even left a bit more to the imagination withthe lvoe scenes), it would have been a much better novel. We "get" that Ian and Bianca are sexually compatable--let's move on!

Clearly well researched, historically accurate, and brilliantly written, Jaffe's first book affords the reader not only enough gratuitous sex scenes to make the most seasoned romance novel readers sweat, but a clever and absorbing plot, brilliant verbal jousting, and strong character development. Far from the norm for the genre of romance novels, this is by far the best I have ever read. Jaffe manages to combine mystery, sensuality, intensity, and history, with a feminist heroine who no woman could fail to admire. Steele, Greeley, and the rest, beware - Jaffe is clearly an author to watch for. My only question: how soon can I get my hands on her next novel (and my own Ian!)?

A friend of mine, who's a BIG fan of romance novels, told me to read THE STARGAZER, so I had some doubts about the book. But right from the opening--how much more suspenseful can you get?--I was drawn, hook, line and sinker, into this lucious world. STARGAZER takes you to a place where the crystal glitters, music wafts and passion abounds. I so enjoyed both the plot and the setting--the author brought a centuries-old time and place back to life. The historical detail was wonderful, like a window into another world, especially the lives of women in that time. As the story grew to an ever more fevered pitch, and as all the little details Jaffe had dropped along the way came to impact the heroine's fate, I found I couldn't put the book down. I hope we get to see where these two lovers go from here, and that you all enjoy it as much as I did.

The characters are unlikeable and unbelievable; the love scenes are contrived and the plot is poor. I had to force myself to finish this book hoping all the while that something would improve. Nothing did.

I had such a good time reading STARGAZER! I am a big fan of historical novels and this one, like the best of them, really transports the reader to another time and place. It doesn't hurt that this one's setting is so fabulous! As the murder mystery unfolded, I couldn't help but turn pages faster and faster. I enjoyed the characters, especially Bianca, Ian and little Nilo. There is sophistication, wit, and historical integrity behind the twists and turns, making STARGAZER all the more fun. Clearly, some other reviewers can't read very deeply. This book went great with my summer holiday by the pool. Next vacation? Venice, for sure! When does Jaffe's next novel come out? Can I pre-order?

This is an emporer's new clothes book -- if readers are impressed by all the fuss and money the publisher is throwing at this book, then they're bound to love it. Well, guess again!This is a barely acceptable historical of the bodice-ripping kind, with vile characters, historical gaffes galore, and plot holes as big as the Grand Canal -- which is about as close as you'll get to Renaissance Venice reading this tripe. Don't waste your time...