What Remains of the Fair Simonetta: Remains Series, Book 2

Remains #2

by Laura T. Emery

Anastasia (Stacia) Uqualla has been dead for 11 years, residing as a spirit in the Italian Church of Ognissanti, when she suddenly awakens in the body of the renowned Renaissance beauty, Simonetta Vespucci. She reunites with Mariano, the father of Botticelli, whose ghostly presence has kept her company in the afterlife.

Her journey through the Renaissance will also find her rubbing elbows with the young Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de' Medici, and many other Renaissance painters, including the awkwardly dashing Botticelli himself.

With the body and raging hormones of a teenage girl, Stacia experiences all the passions in life a second time around.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical

Audible Audio

Published May 2, 2016

About the author

Laura T Emery has lived most of her life in Los Angeles, California, but spent most of her time and energy the past few years perusing the streets of Florence through literature, art, and Google Maps.
Laura is learning the Italian language, simply to enable her to read the few books that exist on Simonetta Vespucci, and the many other documents of the Italian Renaissance that have yet to be translated into English.
She made several research trips to Florence in order to become fully immersed in the history and culture, hoping to one day retire with her husband in the Tuscany region of Italy.

Visit Laura on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/lauratemerya...

Reviews

[Cassie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book of Laura T Emery and I don't regret it.
When I was younger I read a series that played in the Italy of the Rennaissance and parts in the present. I expected something similar from this book, but I was wrong.
This book was so well researched I really had the feeling I was standing next to Boticelli, da Vinci and Simonetta. I ached with them, felt the love they had for each other and the frustration Simonetta had to endure at the antics of the people in the past.
However this book captured me from the beginning and I had problems coming back to the present after finishing. I wished it was longer so that I could stay in the ancient Florence for some more time, but it wasn't. I'll have to reread though to experience everythign again. :)
Thanks for this awesome story!

[Lune Spark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't simply put down this book once I started it. The historic background mixed with a bridge between two times, and the souls that play so nicely, have made this book such a unique read. The book took me back to my childhood days when we used to hear the great stories of the great souls who could not only interact with real humans, but had all the emotions and the longing for what they could not achieve before acquiring the status of souls.

Overall, Laura has done a tremendous job, and thoroughly detailed one, in bringing an epic story to life.

[Boyko Ovcharov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty remains ever after!

Gripping, imaginative and captivating story of a young, pretty and quite knowledgeable lady that goes through romantic adventures, historical and cultural recaps. Adorable style, very educated and refined. Renaissance, fine art, famous classic painters, i.e. the Old Masters, are brought back to life in an amazing way, so that the reader could easily relive and refeel their key life events. A pleasure to read indeed!

[John Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was transported to 15th century Renaissance Italy where I came across many artists of this period - some famous like Leonardo da Vinci, and some not-so-famous like Sandro Botticelli. Love, passion, and intrigue are the main themes. While the main character seamlessly blends with the past, it is through the side characters like Antonella and Leonardo and Marco and Sandro we get to know the norms and values of those times. Photography hasn't arrived yet, so paintings were crucial, for dignitaries and artists alike.
Among historical fictions, this one is right at the top. If anything stands out of the book, it is the narration and details. I, for one, have turned into a Sandro Botticelli fan. If you haven’t marveled at the painting of “Birth of Venus”, google now. Meticulously researched, this is a masterpiece on Renaissance painters.

[A.J. Colher · Rating 5 out of 5]

"That thought was the last thing I remember before awaking in the palazzo in my new, Old World. My birthday had literally become my rebirth day. My own personal Renaissance."
This is such a wonderfully written book! I feel like it took me a century to get through it, but only because I was too wrapped up in the writing and characters to skim even one sentence. It’s a stand-alone novel, but not having read the novel that introduces its main character, I was dropped into the mind of a deceased modern woman in the body of an historical belle. But the initial disorientation was what pulled me in. The sumptuous, authentic backdrop of 15th century life and times was what kept me reading.
The pacing is great, with short chapters that never drag. Highly recommend, even if you’re not usually interested in historical romance.

[Annie Word]

It was delightful, the historical references were very realistic and it was a joy to read it made a lovely New Years present

[D.A. Henneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In What Remains of the Fair Simonetta, the author takes us to Florence, Italy to experience the love and life of Sandro Botticelli, at the beginning of his career as a painter. We travel there with Stacia’s essence, which remains in Botticelli’s tomb years after her death, because of a deep connection she had to his art when she was alive. When Wilber, the man she loved, visits with the new woman in his life, Stacia’s jealousy triggers a trip back to 1476 and merges her soul with, the beautiful woman Botticelli used in his most famous paintings, Simonetta Vespucci.

Back in corporeal form, Stacia experiences a world, which until now, she had only read about and in a lot of ways misunderstood. When she meets Botticelli, the connections she feels for the man and artist are hard to deny. Although Simonetta is married, the love Sandro has for her is real, and Stacia gets caught up in their budding romance.

While this story is unlike the topic raised in the first book of the series, it is similar in that it examines the process that a soul might go through when trying to understand its purpose. Stacia learns her purpose slowly, realizing almost too late just what is at stake if she takes the wrong path. She makes the ultimate sacrifice to right the wrongs of the past and to put other restless souls at peace once and for all. This story in many ways is about selfless love, unwavering friendship and the choices that bring our souls peace even through tragedy. Beautifully done!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Renaissance Love story

Once more Laura creates a masterpiece of words. Book 2 in the Remains Series is a sweet love story between the Fair Simonette and Sandro Botticelli.
Our beautiful Stacia has been dead for eleven years wondering the room of the Ognissanti church with her ethereal body... She becomes friends with Mariano's ethereal body as well... The next thing Stacia knows she is waking up in the body of the beautiful Simonetta with a mission and she is back in the year of 1476 but with her memories of future self as Anastasia...
My favorite part of the book is when Simonetta and her attendant Antonella were at the joust and just before it is over Simonetta stands and yells "Win for me Giuliano" and of course he wins the joust. But as Simonetta and Antonella were in the horse drawn carriage they find a stow away Fioretta Gorini. Antonella helps the two girls switch dresses for a special reason.
What is the special reason? What sort of mission does Stadia perform?
For that answers you need to read What Remains of the Fair Simonetta... I did and I found to be exciting... I simply loved it... and I can't to see what happens next for Anastasia's next journey...

[Chloe Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book for an open and honest review, and I didn't think I would like it very much. I wasn't familiar with Renaissance history or its art beyond the great classics. That being said, I became engrossed in the fantastic descriptions of the culture, the art, the landscape as well as the plot. It's hard to classify this type of romance, because the main character blends the 21st century with the 15th century in a way that was refreshing and engaging. It's kind of like a time travel, but the traveler is a soul rather than a single person. In this story, the soul of a woman who died of cancer in our present time is transported into the body of a young, beautiful noblewoman in 1476. Extraordinary storytelling, well-developed characters, and an unpredictable plot made this book a terrific read, one that I had a hard time putting down.

[Cassandra. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a trilogy. The first is one of my favorite books. (Read my review.). Laura Emery kindly sent an Amazon voucher for a copy of WHAT REMAINS OF THE FAIR SIMONETTA. The first thing I realized was that in order to fully appreciate the book, I had to refresh my memory by rereading the first book in the trilogy. I suggest reading these books in order.
I will submit a more complete review soon.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the author tied this second novel in with the first, but made it in a completely different genre. Stacia comes back in the body of Simonetta Vespucci in the Renaissance but remains her sassy self. I learned so much while being thoroughly entertained during her ride through time. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone who loves and appreciates romance, comedy and an overall, lovely story.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I especially enjoyed the vivid details of the landmarks, as well as the people. I also enjoyed how it would go back and forth between the Renaissance, present day, and Native American folklore. All in all it was a very intriguing book, with historical accuracy of the monuments, that I could not put down.

[Renee Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to read about Stacia again and her new journey. I absolutely love this series! Everything is written in such an extraordinary way that you can almost SEE it. The research that must have went into this book, and the intelligence of the author that shines through her words, is just astounding. I highly suggest this book and can't wait to read more!

[Veronique Poirier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story! I loved it even more than the first one!
Thanks for writing! <3

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am afraid I can only give this book three stars. It was given to me by an old friend so I read it all the way through instead of abandoning it at the halfway point. In my opinion, there are two things that drag the story down. The author spends way too much time describing the art, architecture and history of the Renaissance period and less time on the character's story. Clearly the author thoroughly researched the time period but her great desire to show off her knowledge of that era slows the story too much. Secondly, the multitude of modern comebacks from the (sort of ) time traveling protagonist during her interactions in that Renaissance world make it awkward and silly. These comebacks would have made sense in a "thought bubble" but not as an actual response to the people in the environment in which the character is trying to pass herself off as an actual person living in that era. Writing any sort of "time travel" story is tricky business. She didn't convince me to jump in and stay. What I did like were the (rare) moments of humor. "I could barely speak as denizens of the district approached me en masse, bowing, kissing, and invading my three-foot consumption-prevention perimeter." If you have a strong passion for Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and the Medicis, this might be the book for you. If you are looking for a really good time travel book, grab a Gabaldon.

[Charles Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you cannot stop thinking about the characters in the book, it is… well, it is why we read. Laura T. Emory’s “What Remains of the Fair Simonetta” had me hooked in a few pages and even though I only had a couple hours over four days to read, I made sure I did. The book appealed to me on two levels. First for the inventiveness of the concept—if this is what the afterlife could be (rapture or adventure), sign me up. Second, we reap the benefits of Emery’s detailed historical research in reading her impressive descriptions of fifteenth-century Florence, Italy. As a historian, I was also appreciative of Emery’s notes at the end.

[September · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. I was a little put off by Anastasia speaking and acting like a teenager when she was really aged 60(ish). But I loved the time period and the characters, both real and invented.

[Erin Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Remains of the Fair Simonetta is a love letter to a beautiful time, a beautiful place and a beautiful story. I was not only intrigued by but overwhelmed with the lush, evocative and resplendent literary precision of this tale of art, love and fate. The author's deep knowledge of the setting and subject matter serve to allow us as readers to be fully immersed in the novel as naturally as if we were walking the streets of Florence ourselves. I was disappointed when I reached the last page and had to emerge from the beautiful painting that was What Remains. More than highly recommend!

[Robert Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is nearly impossible to categorize this book. Emery weaves an enchanting tale that is equal parts mystery, romance, ghost story, reincarnation, time travel, and historical fiction, framed as a voyage to another time by the protagonist, who awakens from the trip in a borrowed body. The story is full of surprising and mysterious twists and turns.

The premise of this story is highly imaginative. It’s simply fascinating to read the thoughts of the modern protagonist as she tries so hard to blend in to 15th Century Florence. And to make it even more interesting, the protagonist goes back and forth between the 15th and the 21st centuries. It makes the reader dizzy, in a good way. Her attempts to change history are a bit disconcerting, but certainly consistent with the larger plot. And did I mention that the book is quite funny in places? You get it all in one novel.

I personally have a bucket list that includes “see every Vermeer in the world”. Never could I have fantasized that I’d actually meet Vermeer in person. This is what Emery conjures with Botticelli. This could have been framed as a dream, but Emery is too fanciful and original to have used such a mundane trick.

As a novelist, one hopes to produce an opening paragraph that grabs the reader immediately and makes him want to read more. Moby Dick, The Stranger, A Confederacy of Dunces are great examples. I’m not going to say that Emery achieves that level of greatness, but I will say that her opening paragraph made me sit up and take notice. I was hooked by the time I started the second paragraph. That’s no small achievement.

Clearly, Emery is very knowledgeable about 15th Century Florentine life. Her descriptions of real historical figures, architecture and urban design of the period, and customs of the Florentine nobility, are a delightful way to flesh out the plot. I frequently found myself googling various aspects of that period so I could better understand what was transpiring from chapter to chapter. It so happens that visiting Tuscany is also on my bucket list. It just went to the top of that list.

BTW, when I read Girl With a Pearl Earring, I had “Vermeer The Complete Works” beside me at all times. During the course of the unfolding of the plot, I would peruse any Vermeer painting to which Chevalier alluded. It Immensely enhanced the pleasure of reading the book. Make sure to have Google handy whenever Emery mentions a Botticelli painting, or one by another great Italian artist or architect, so you can view it.

My passion for Vermeer was created partly by reading Girl With a Pearl Earring. Clearly Emery has a passion for Botticelli. I believe she has just infected me with that same passion.

[David Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Journey You Won’t Regret.

This fascinating books takes the reader into a dreamy past. But with a twist which is so cleverly done it takes your break away.
Those who are familiar with early Renaissance Italy will recognise many of the background characters as they crop up to further the story and much of Florence of the time. But this colourful venture into the 15th century is much more than excellent entertainment with some instruction, it has a tingling thrill about it that is both compelling and witty, especially with its modern-retro effect – even if six centuries apart. The author’s case for an affair between Sandro Botticelli and Simonetta Vespucci - he supposedly a misogynist, she a beauty of the times - is convincingly done although, historically, this was nothing more than hearsay. Just as his homosexuality was. The love story could have happened the way she describes it, though, but that’s another story.
The heroine, a Californian, whose worldly name is Anastasia, is already dead when the story starts. A fanatic of Botticelli, she reappears in Florence some 600 years earlier, taking on the body but not necessarily, we see, the personality of Simonetta. True to the author’s US culture, she has her female lead set about straightening matters out in a no-nonsense manner between Botticelli and Simonetta, seemingly attempting to change recorded history. But from then on its an eerie but amusing love story. Until ...
The author has done her homework well and makes a case for the way things could have happened way back then. So far, nothing new. However, the intense love story aspect is. As well as Simonetta acting like an American (not in Paris!) but in medieval Italy. US idiom and all. The interweaving of medieval and Arizona culture sounds corny, but it is anything but – once you put recorded history aside. Crazy - but why not? Romeo and Juliet became West Side Story. Only in reverse. In this light-hearted tale, the setting could have been L.A. or New York - if either had existed then. And in this story the mixing of cultures works.
On a more serious note, this amusing time journey into the 15th century, the cradle of classical art, begs the question: have our values changed so much since then? The author doesn’t seem to think so. Just our environment has moved on.
Even if you believe a background of medieval art and the Renaissance are not your thing, take up this book, relax in your favourite chair and let yourself be taken on an enchanting journey. You won’t regret it.
I didn’t.

[Rahul Deokar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began to read "What Remains of the Fair Simonetta", I didn't know much about the Reniassance period. But now I feel like an expert! Thanks to the meticulous details of Renaissance art and personality sketches of famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli who are brought to life again as real people with emotions, not just artists.

The author, Laura Emery, takes us back in time to Florence, Italy to experience the early painting phase and life of Sandro Botticelli. We travel there with Stacia’s essence that remained in Botticelli’s tomb several years after her death, triggered by her deep connection to his art. We go on an insightful journey of a soul trying to understand its purpose. Stacia realizes her purpose as the story unfolds, and makes the ultimate sacrifice to right the wrongs of her past.

Laura writes with clarity and a sense of purpose. All the characters in the book are captivating with realistic dialogue befitting 15th century Florence. Overall, this book leaves a lasting impression with it's masterful storytelling about selfless love and seemingly tragic choices that can bring lasting peace to our souls.

[Martin Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not quite sure how you would categorise this book. it’s got a bit of everything in, including history, time travel, reincarnation and that’s just for starters.
The book is strong in its story and detail. It combines all the subjects mentioned above into a very interesting story of Italy in the 15th century. Stacia, is reincarnated as the beautiful, Fair Simonetta, and as she adjusts to 15th century Florence she retains a 21st century sense of humour. As she tries to solve the mystery why she is in Fair Simonetta’s body, she comes across many real life characters, all painters, some of whom I knew, others I didn’t.
It must have taken a lot of research for this book, to get the atmosphere and descriptions of Florence just right. I hold up my hands and say that I can only read and admire the writing here.

[D.C. Triana · Rating 5 out of 5]

An arduous love story between the beautiful Simonetta and her masterful painter, Sandro Boticelli. Through the spirit of Anastasia Uqualla, you follow her as she awakens within the body of Simontta and through her love of art she enthralls Sandro and becomes his muse in some of the most wonderful paintings known to man, including the Birth of Venus. Their love affair whisks you into the streets of 15th century Florence, where you will walk through hidden alcoves, wondrous palaces and churches, and where you will dine with the likes of Leonardo Davinci and Amerigo Vespucci. A beautifully told story that captivates the essence of true love.

[251 Things To Do · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts, re-incarnation, time travel, historical celebrities and events, art, dreams coming true with a weird twist…. from the very first opening paragraphs, Laura successfully captures and sucks you into her beautifully written creative adventure masterpiece.

Better than expected. She captures the essence of the Renaissance, by uniquely comparing and literally clashing modern Western culture with the Italian Florence 15th century. Humor, romance, sex...This is a story like no other, and it was extremely refreshing to read a raw and unique plot. No other novel can compare. Excellent!

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the author tied this second novel in with the first, but made it in a completely different genre. Stacia comes back in the body of Simonetta Vespucci in the Renaissance but remains her sassy self. I learned so much while being thoroughly entertained during her ride through time. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone who loves and appreciates romance, comedy and an overall, lovely story.

[Eldred Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many books have you read where the heroine tells the story . . . eleven years after her death? This story is a great next step in the author’s ‘Remains’ series. Enjoy the ride as you follow Anastasia Uqualla through Renaissance Florence, where she meets up with a who’s who of colorful historic characters, both real and fictional. Laura T Emory has really done her research, and woven it into a captivating tale that will keep you turning the pages.

[Emerald Lavere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huh, I totally thought I'd reviewed this book on Goodreads already.
For me, this book has everything: art, history, romance, and a smattering of delightfully silly moments. Add those components to a spunky heroine, and an intriguing cast of characters, and this makes for a deliciously satisfying read. Highly recommended.

[Emerald Lavere · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this book has everything: art, history, romance, and a smattering of delightfully silly moments. Add those components to a spunky heroine, and an intriguing cast of characters, and this makes for a deliciously satisfying read. Highly recommend.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting story, beautifully written! Can't wait to read more books from this author :)

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story set in Renaissance Italy. Has art and history. I look forward to reading more from this series.