The Lion and the Rose (Borgia) Paperback – January 7, 2014

The two books in this series are two of the best books I have ever read. Kate Quinn is a new author for me, and it was with great apprehension I started this series. She has managed to weave the historical aspect of the 1400's into an amazing story of love, friendship, mystery that you don't want to put down. Guilia's life is lonely, but she manages to make the best of every situation. The Borgia family is a fascinating story in and of itself, but with this version it's unputdownable. Love it all!

Better than the first in the series (The Serpent and the Pearl), The Lion and the Rose picks up where the other left off. With real life characters of the infamous Borgia pope Alexander and his family, the books focus on Giulia Farnese and the papal court. With great side characters like the dwarf Leonello, an exceptional maestra di cucino, her apprentice Bartolomeo Scappi, la famiglia Borgia is shown at its best, and mostly, worst. Worth reading both books for the ending of The Lion and The Rose.

So good, so damn good. That was the first thing I thought when I finished it.The Serpent and the Pearl introduced the characters, took us within the walls of the Vatican to witness the Pope's illegitimate children's political weddings, and then left us to ponder about the deaths of those women. It ended with Giulia Farnese, Leonello, and Carmelina being captured by the French. Giulia was about to whore herself out to the French in order to get Leonello, who's suffering from multiple bone fractures, the medical care that he needed. Carmelina huddled up against her apprentice, exhausted by fear and guilt."Is your conscience bothering you?" Rodrigo made the sign of the cross over my forehead with his thumb. "There, you are washed clean of all your sins. Come kiss me."The Lion and the Rose picked up where we left off. And then it took us deeper into the lies, deceit, and murders that adorned the Holy City. It was revolting, how the Pope abuses his power; instilling values in his children that the Borgias is above the law. No, he made them believe that the Borgias is the law. It was dark, twisted, and absolutely riveting.There was one particular scene, the Pope made his concubine stripped naked in front of his papal secretaries and pages, to get her portrait sketched by a reluctant painter, within the walls of the Vatican. The entire situation is blasphemous!There were so much darkness and despair. At one point, I was already missing S&P. I wanted Carmelina to be in the kitchen, cooking up some sweet treats. I wanted Giulia to be out in the garden, sunning her floor-length hair; her pet goat 'baaahing' beside her. I wanted Leonello, at the corner of a room where he can get a good view, a book in his hand, muttering rudely at his mistress. It didn't come. But something better came, and it took my breath away.Conclusion: A page-turner that left me breathless. Words are powerless to express my deepest love for Kate Quinn's masterpiece. I was glad I took Amazon's Recommendations seriously, cos it led me to her Rome series, and now to The Borgias series.

This is an excellent series. Fun ( not funny) but still fun. Romance sex great food and lovable characters and excitement. But most importantly really interesting history Well researched and really brought to life

I loved this sequel to "The Serpent and the Pearl". I gave the first in the series four stars, mostly because Giulia's character was portrayed a little too soft and dull for my liking. However I felt as though she came into her own at the end of the first book and so I had high hopes for her character in this novel. I was not disappointed! Giulia emerged into a passionate and fiery woman who knew what she wanted and pursued it. Ms. Quinn did a wonderful job of showing her progressive character development and the reasons behind her split with the Borgia family. She entwines historical fact into the fictional storyline of her novel and it makes for a very enjoyable read. This is a novel full of mystery, intrigue and suspense.Just as in the first novel my favorite characters were the fictional ones; Giulia's bodyguard Leonello and her cook Carmelina. These two characters were the main reason the novels were as enjoyable as they were. I formed a strong emotional attachment to both characters and therefore took great interest in their stories. They were both caught up in the tide of the Borgia family's hidden agendas and therefore found themselves in great danger for most of the novel. The Borgia family is well known to have been scrupulous in pursuing their personal interests to the detriment of those around them and Ms. Quinn has utilized this to place her fictional characters in their dangerous hands. Through Giulia's eyes we see how the Borgia clan drops in esteem and we are supportive of Giulia in pulling away from them, although we fear for her too.Overall, I found this novel to be a gripping page turner that held me in suspense throughout. A really great read!

Ms. Quinn strikes again...I have read all of her books and the 2 Giulia Farnese/Borgia books are my favorites, for a number of reasons.Giulia Farnese is a delightful woman, who grows and matures over the course of the 2 books. Her sense of humour is impish and fresh.As an avid cook and history buff, however, her cook, Carmelina, provides fascinating insight into the world of food, cooking and ingredients in that period of history. Her comments about the romantic aspects of her relationship with her apprentice, Bartolomeo were especially humorous, as I am luckly enough to be married to a chef