Rating: 
Summary: Very poor reading.
Review: All I can say is I'm glad I borrowed the book and didn't buy it to keep. I felt Jaffe's characters lacked believability and couldn't make myself like them or want them to get together. They were very one dimensional throughout the book and they never seemed to learn anything about themselves or each other as the book progressed right up to the last chapter practically when everything resolved itself. This was totally unbelievable. I could barely make myself finish the book. As for the setting, I have no desire to read any other books placed in that time/location based on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: terrific read!
Review: I don't know who those people are wingeing on about million dollar press campaigns -- a good read is a good read and Michele Jaffe's STARGAZER is a terrific read! From the opening chapter's star-crossed meeting between Bianca & Ian (if she gets you wondering about Bianca's most un-romantic sneezing I know you will love the rest already), through the steamy sex scenes and wonderful details of sixteenth century life to the nail-biting end, the author gives you a book which is mystery, romance and history all in one. I just can't decide if I want Miles or Tristan to turn up in her next book, WATERNYMPH, but I know I can't wait to read it. If you like strong dialogue, stronger characters and far-away locations, you will love STARGAZER.
Rating:
Summary: Groan.
Review: I wasn't impressed. The plot was very contrived and the characters just didn't seem real to me. Their emotions seemed all out of whack with their experiences. And the heroine's sneezing becomes this big plot point-- it's all kind of silly.I hope the young author took the money and ran with it, because it's nice to see an author who makes a mint. But I hope next time she gets an editor who is willing to challenge her.
Rating:
Summary: Sneezed me to sleep...
Review: Whenever I read a five-star review of this book where the reader gushes by saying: "Beautifully written," and/or "historically accurate, lush, vivid, etc.," all I can think is that Ms. Jaffe has a lot of terrific friends out there, or that these reviewers have never read past Jackie Collins. The Stargazer is FAR from beautifully written or well-crafted, (Hello point-of-view???, hello style? Hello good writing???) and the editor knows it. But a Ph.d and long, flowing hair that holds a curl do make for a nice package. Alas, Kathryn Lynn Davis (a Pocket romance author who truly is a word-artist) has a new book coming out soon and I'm thrilled about that. I really wanted to like the Stargazer, but it's so poorly written, it's offensive. Sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to follow and far to sexually graphic
Review: Unfortunately I found this book hard to follow. To many characters and I kept going back pages to figure out who was who. To me the love scenes were almost pornographic! I do not want that much detail! I also did not really figure out why the women got murdered, a bit confusing. However, I did enjoy the Italian location and the development of the characters and their relationships. I believe I would enjoy another book by Jaffe (perhaps about some of the brothers), but again without so much explicit sexual scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Why the hype for this amateurish book?
Review: The cover is so lovely, the title so evocative, the hype so extreme... the book so boring. I really don't know what the editor saw in this. From the first scene, where the heroine's reaction to her friend's murdered corpse is "Gee, maybe that guy over there killed her, but he sure is hunky, yum, yum," to the ridiculously anachronistic Perry-Mason trial at the end, this book is one long round of implausible scenes and unbelievable characters. When amazing romance writers like Laura Kinsale and Susan Elizabeth Phillips have yet to be brought out in hardback, I have to wonder why this book got such huge play. It's really not a very good advertisement for the varied and vibrant romance genre, as it's mostly a mishmash of cliched plotting, historical inaccuracies, and characterization from the 1970s, without any real new twists. A great disappointment. I'd also think that a writer with a PhD in comparative lit might have some nodding acquaintance with the fictional element of "point of view", but Ms. Jaffe seems not to understand that changing viewpoint in the middle of a sentence is logically impossible and distracting to the reader. Where was the editor??? If you really want a good romance, try Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, or Windflower by Sharon and Tom Curtis. Of course, you'll have a hard time finding them, because those accomplished, veteran writers have never been brought out in hardback, and no publisher ever spent a million bucks promoting them.
Rating:
Summary: Wounderful
Review: I thought this book was amazing! It it beautifully written. It's exciting, romantic and lots of adventures. I can't wait for the second book!!! I couldn't put it down. I read nonstop until the end. A MUST READ!!!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible!
Review: This book was a struggle to finish, and to think I paid for the hardback! Save yourself some money!
Rating:
Summary: A True Love Story
Review: Captivating, endearing, and tender, the Stargazer soars above industry standards with its gripping plot, gorgeous character development, historical accuracy, and elegant writing. This is no fraud. Jaffe's book delivers on all accounts. It entices you and draws you in...leaving you absorbed and eventually satisfied. A sure thing. Very impressive!
Rating:
Summary: An amazing tale that never leaves the reader unsatisfied!
Review: From murder and romance, to adventure and comedy, this book is the epitome of everything that readers of this day and age are desperately searching for. It is a fast, exciting read that never leaves you desiring something more, except to discover what will happen next. It is so enrapturing that it is highly probable that a reader will desire to have this narration revived in their mind at least three times within the span of a mere 24 hours, for it captivates the mind like a bee that is drawn insatiably to a honey pot. Michele Jaffe manages to appeal to every sense that a reader could possibly experience, making her words similar to a narcotic. You just can't get enough of how she twists and turns her phrases like a old granny telling a story to a group small children. She captures the mind, soul, and heart of her readers, taking them unknowingly into the depths of the plot. The only difference lays in the effect that this "narcotic" has on the reader, which could definitely be described as "a good thing". It is impossible to imagine that this book could just be passed by when lying within a persons sight. Beyond a doubt, it was most likely the best and most enjoyable read that I, myself, have experienced all this year. I praise Michele Jaffe and eagerly await the release of her next novel, The Water Nymph.
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