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The Serpent and the Pearl
by Kate Quinn
Book 1 in the The Borgia Chronicles series.
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In Rome in 1492, Giulia Farnese discovers that her marriage to Orsino Orsini is intended to place her in the household and bed of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia. When Borgia is elected Pope Alexander VI, Giulia's beauty and access give her unusual influence but also make her vulnerable to every enemy of the new pope.
Carmelina, a cook concealing her past, and Leonello, a bodyguard pursuing a murderer, become Giulia's most reliable allies. Their separate secrets converge as the Vatican court fills with patronage, violence and competition among the Borgia family.
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