Book Description
Art historian Mia is running out of time to prove her theory that the sculptor of an unearthed erotic statue was a courtesan erased from history—a scandal no one will believe. Chasing through Venice, she tracks down hidden details of Sofia, a powerful courtesan who seems to have left a trail of sex-fueled art buried across the city, but Mia’s now being followed, and even her boss might be in on the lie.
Meanwhile, in 1609, Sofia defies Venice’s unfair laws to create illicit art that could ruin her future. Her aspirations to become a great artist go up in flames when her patron’s wife steals her work and threatens her lover.
Four hundred years later, it’s up to Mia to discover the truth, but now she’s uncovered a world of art theft that could leave her ousted—or, worse, right in the crosshairs of the most powerful crime family in Italy, who will stop at nothing to force her to authenticate the famous statue. Mia’s only hope is to prove Sofia’s existence before everyone involved silences them both forever.
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My Book Review
RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
THE SECRET COURTESAN by Kerry Chaput is a dual timeline historical fiction novel with an interesting and somewhat unique historical timeline set in Renaissance Italy. I found the historical timeline emotional and fascinating as it pulled me into Sofia’s life, and while the present-day timeline with Mia is interesting regarding her art research, I found the suspense plotline not as compelling or believable.
Dr. Mia Harding is an art historian hired to authenticate a sculpture which she believes is not sculpted by the famous male Renaissance artist it is accredited to, but by a female artist erased by history. The historical timeline has a courtesan named Sofia Rossi, traded to an artist while she has longed her entire life to be an artist, which is not allowed in Renaissance Italy. While both women faced discrimination of a kind in their own timelines, I sincerely felt Sofia’s anguish of not being able to be recognized for what she was born to do and her fight to break the rules; while Mia did face professional discrimination, I never felt she moved forward on her own, but kept feeling sorry for the situation she put herself in. Also, Mia’s romance and run in with people trying to stop her from proving her belief in a female sculptor never hit me as emotionally as Sophia’s story.
I found the research and beautiful emotional writing of Sofia’s story kept me reading this novel to the end and I wish Mia’s present-day story made me feel more. Overall, this is worth the read for the atmosphere, emotion, and history of Sophia’s story, while Mia’s story is not bad, I was hoping for more than an average romantic suspense plot.
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About the Author
Kerry Chaput is a multi-award-winning author inspired by badass women in history. Born in California, she now calls the Pacific Northwest home, where she spends her days hitting the trails, chasing historical rabbit holes, and feeding her addiction to espresso and doggy cuddles.
Social Media Links
Website: https://www.kerrywrites.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrywrites/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-secret-courtesan-by-kerry-chaput
