The Rome Affair cover art

The Rome Affair

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Rome Affair

By: Karen Swan
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Italy City Marriage Rome
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Summer Without You cover art
The Perfect Present cover art
Christmas at Tiffany's cover art
The Spanish Promise cover art
The Christmas Lights cover art
The Greek Escape cover art
The Hidden Beach cover art
Christmas at Claridge's cover art
The Christmas Secret cover art
The Christmas Party cover art
The Secret Path cover art
The Last Summer cover art
Christmas by Candlelight cover art
Together by Christmas cover art
Midnight in the Snow cover art
The Christmas Postcards cover art

What listeners say about The Rome Affair

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    183
  • 4 Stars
    59
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    181
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    163
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Utter Brilliance

I have read every book released by Karen Swan, and I had presumed that by now I would be able to work out the endings. I was very much mistaken. This book has lots of twists and turns and had me make an audiable gasp at the end. Utter brilliance which I will go back and listen to again as I loved the characters and narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

loved it from the start.

I felt like I was Rome every time the streets and different plazas were mentioned. the story was so beautiful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

lovely story

I really enjoyed listening to this book. narrator did a good job. will read another of this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Never fails to amaze

I love Karen Swan, she manages to find the right mix of mystery, intrigue and romance every time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

An intriguing story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - it is beautifully read, unlike a lot of audible books I've listened to.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Rome Affair?

When you realise that it was Veto's brother that was in the heart of it all.

What about Katie Scarfe’s performance did you like?

everything - she created perfect atmosphere for the book

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could never do that with any book. It was nice coming back to it every day

Any additional comments?

Very interesting story, I just wish it went deeper when going back to the past so that we could "live" in those moments more - would make a great series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

You have done it again

A brilliant listen. Telling two linked stories at a time I thought was very clever , it worked for me. The build up was great and as usual your talent for describing people , places etc was extremely exciting
Keep writing….. please.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Fantastisch book

I couldn’t stop listening. A combination of deep romance and exciting thrills. Loved every moment of it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Brilliant story

Although I found it a little difficult to get into, once a few chapters in I was hooked. It just got better and better. I thought I had it sussed more than once but the twists and turns outfoxed me. It even had me in tears at one point. Well written and very well narrated. Thank you Karen Swan you’ve done it again 💖

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Captivating

Captivating from begin to end , love,lust,lies and it's all set in beautiful Roma it's brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

*The Cost of Love*

This is a story that runs over two timelines in 1974 we are introduced to Elena who is born of wealth and has everything money can buy but she is searching for love. Her parents are far too busy and in her quest for love she marries far too young at 16 and she makes one mistake after another.

Ten years on she is married to her third husband she decided to marry someone from a similar background. He has a brother she is yet to meet. But upon meeting him she instantly knows that he is the one. What to do?…. The brothers have one face and one heart….

In 2017 we are introduced to Francesca aka Cesca who is living in Rome as a tour guide. She is British and is running away from her life in the U.K. for a fresh start.

Elena is now an old lady living across the square from Cesca in a lavish mansion where she lived with her late husband. She is intrigued by Cesca and has a proposal for her. She wants Cesca to write her memoir.

Over time we find out what happens in Elena’s life but, as Cesca digs into her life she realises that some truths are being withheld from her. The more she uncovers more secrets materialise. Elena was a barrister and can sniff out lies and goes after the truth.

One day there is a mighty sound when a sinkhole opens up on the grounds of the mansion. This reveals a secret tunnel below the property. When something priceless is discovered in the tunnel, Cesca finds out more than she bargained for as time goes by. Why when Elena is confronted by some of the truths that Cesca has found out, why is she unwilling to engage? Why is Elena
carrying around a unopened letter from her late husband who died 15 years ago?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!