Full of all the history and drama that surrounds the Borgias during their epic reign in Rome, this book tells the tale through two different characters.
Cesare Borgia is the quintessential bad boy; reckless, handsome, full of self importance but underneath it all he is just a boy looking for acceptance. When his father Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Cesare thought he was destined for greatness but soon realizes that his father has other plans. Despite the fact that he is forced to enter the Catholic Church and become a Cardinal, Cesare never looses his resolve even when his younger brother Juan is given all that he has craved for. If only his father would have given him an ounce of the love he poured upon his other children than maybe Cesare would have succumbed to his fate but because he is left wanting, life had other ideas in store.

After her husband passed away Maddalena Moretti came to Rome in search of a very different life in which she is the decider of her own future. On a chance encounter she meets Cesare Borgia who manages to not only save her from a rather unpleasant experience but also secures for her a position in his sister’s household. What started out was just admiration soon turns into so much more and as destiny would have it Maddalena becomes Cesare’s lover. With him she finds the passion that has always been lacking within her life and provides the love that he so desperately needs. But regardless of how true their love may be it still comes with a sinful price and Maddalena fears the ultimate offense.
I throughly enjoyed this book and felt that it was very well written. And although I’ve read many books about the Borgias not one of them had ever managed to do what this particular one has done and that is make me actually like Cesare. I’ve never been able to think of him as anything other than the villain but his narrative brings to light the reason behind the choices he made and the man behind the sinner.

Who could help but be fascinated with the Borgias? Especially in the hands of an adept author.

The dialogue and detail for this book feel so true as to not be given even a second thought. So that leaves the story of the ever fascinating Borgias, and their triumphs and failings. What really happened between those three siblings? Who knows, but it’s fascinating.

I loved how it played out here, with a MALE protagonist for one! (Why can’t we have more of these!) I’m so glad it was Cesare. Also it was right that the other voice was a servant, gave a depth we couldn’t have seen without an outsider’s voice. Bravo!

The narration was sublime.

3.5 stars. A little slow at times, but the historical detail was great!

i spent a good portion of last week reading about the medici family for my dissertation, so i guess you could say i’m in the ✨ mood ✨. however, since i have already read this author’s medici book, i decided on this one. same thing.

at first glance this obviously looks like a historical figure fanfic, which it is, but calling it that wholly would do this book a disservice. the “fanfic” aspect is about 30% of it, whereas the rest is politics, or rather, events that actually happened in real life but recounted like fiction. if you know what i mean. other than the female protagonist, who serves as the fanfic portion of the story, the rest is mostly historically accurate and i enjoyed that because that means i learned a new thing or two. it lost me a bit in the middle but otherwise i was entertained. i did prefer the medici book though but maybe that’s just because i know more about them than the borgias. also, it was botticelli

Set in 1492, this novel chronicles the rise and fall of one of Italy’s infamous families, the Borgias.

You’ll read about Pope Alexander VI’s rise to power and his dedication to securing a legacy for his children. Yes, you read that correctly. I guess he didn’t follow the celibacy rules! His three children are instrumental in his papacy and he organizes for Cesare to join him in the Vatican, Juan to strengthen ties with Spain and Lucrezia to be offered in marriage to settle his debts.Two of the three children make their father proud, but one bucks against his father’s plan…especially when it’s discovered that one has been given the desires of the other.

I couldn’t believe how quickly I became part of the Vatican politics and rallied to support the weakest link in the family. I enjoyed how the narrative was bookended with both extremes in society; the most powerful and the least powerful. Playing these two against each other allowed for a deeper examination of power and politics. Presented with authenticity and stuffed full of political intrigue and complex characters, this book will demand all your free time. You’ll be swept up in a budding romance, political upheaval, shocking secrets, family dynamics and driving ambitions. Palombo makes history come alive and makes the Renaissance accessible. Her examination of the ‘undisputed bad guy in a notorious family’ is fascinating. I was entertained, I learned plenty and I’ve been left with a generous helping of thought provoking material.

Please write a sequel, Alyssa Palombo!

I admit that I must have fallen asleep during history class at one point, because when I picked up this historical fiction for review, I was not prepared. I was not prepared to learn of Papal history in Rome during 1492. I was not prepared to discover that priests, Cardinals and even the Pope had wives and mistresses. I was not prepared for the lot of it. But I could not put it down - and read it from cover to cover - a fact that has already been disputed despite its length. But I digress.

The most incredible discovery I had was the Author's Note and the Acknowledgement at the end of the book. I won't detail those, but needless to say, my eyes were opened even wider than while reading this incredible book.

So, it gets Five Stars. Not because I like the Borgia family. In fact, I did not. They were selfish and immoral - something I was unprepared to accept in reading of a holy royal family. I have to rate this book high because it is incredibly well-written and more than captivating.

We meet the Borgia family early on when the patriarch of the family, Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope. He insists that his eldest son Cesare follow his footsteps and instals him as Archbishop of Valencia. From a child, Cesare fought his father on this matter. He wanted an entirely different life. A life, in fact, that his father gave his brother.

Another big player in this book is Maddalena Moreti, who is working in the Vatican Palace. Both Borgia brothers notice her undeniable beauty, and Cesare becomes her protector - if at a distances. Through the years, Cesare and siblings grow into young adulthood and they all seek their own desires, especially the older siblings. This continues the long-held jealousy the family dealt with leading with devastating consequences.

During these years history and its battles affected the Borgia family on every level, threatening the safe bubble they once lived in. Will this family survive battles that hit them hard from within and outer sources?

While written as a fictional novel, it is largely based on historical fact and makes me rather curious to crack open some of the sources that are provided as references at the back of the book. There is literary license in this book in order to make it flow as a story. Perhaps this is what made this a book that caught me from the very beginning. I am not sure my brain can take much more of so much history when I adore fiction, but this was a great foray into something completely different.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Borgia Confessions is an engrossing novel set in the first few years of the infamous papacy of Alexander VI, aka Rodrigo Borgia. We get the point of view of two characters: the pope’s oldest son Cesare and a (fictional) serving girl named Maddalena. When Cesare and Maddalena’s paths cross, their lives become entwined in a way neither could have expected. But, being drawn into the webs of the Borgia family does not come without a price…

I loved this story for a lot of reasons, but I’d like to start with Author’s Note. When authors take the time to put in a well written author’s note about their research and sources I really appreciate it. Palombo clearly outlined what was fact, fiction, and in between in her note. There is so much speculation about the Borgia family, that if the author had added all the rumors this novel would have been over the top, so I appreciate that she kept mostly to known facts so the characters and actual plot would not be overlooked.

I thought both characters were well written and provided a good foil to the other. Maddalena was a woman who wanted her independence, yet she didn’t feel out of character for the time which I appreciated. Her arc was one of discovery and growth, which provided a foil to Cesare’s arc of losing himself to his ambition and jealousy. I also liked having the “upstairs/downstairs” POVs, having the perspective of a serving girl allows us to see these historical events through a new lens and makes them perhaps more relatable to modern readers.

Overall this was a well done, sumptuous novel featuring one of the most fascinating Renaissance families. I would definitely recommend if you like your historical fiction with a side of drama, romance, and intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy, all opinions are my own and not influenced by the publisher.

This one had a slow start for me but picked up a little over a quarter of the way through I’d say. Not my favorite topic but the characters were intriguing. Started out as a two star but ended with a strong four star. However I did not love the ending