3 out of 4 stars
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In Belle Ami's book, The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, a wedding portrait of Giuliano Medici and Fioretta Gorini is lost in the sands of time. Aside from select members of the late Medici family, no one aware of its existence is cognizant of the fact that the painting was completed by none other than the acclaimed artist Leonardo Da Vinci.
Art historian Angela Renata is haunted by seemingly realistic dreams and visions of the past. Her trips through time began when she started her internship at the Getty Museum in California and has since been increasingly amplified. Determined to find out her connection to the painting of Giuliano and Fioretta and the reasons behind her visions, she must first escape the clutches of her despicable boss, Alberto Scordato. Unfortunately, Scordato learns of the painting’s existence and plans on using Angela to find the artwork for himself.
Meanwhile, art detective Alex Caine is commissioned by a wealthy German financier to uncover the whereabouts of that very painting. Alex’s client has letters from his late uncle detailing the discovery of a remarkable piece of art depicting Giuliano Medici and Fioretta Gorini. That uncle, Gerhard Jaeger, was an art historian turned German soldier tasked with the protection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during WWII. In his letters, he also writes about the love of his life, a young woman named Sophia Caro. Not too long after the letters were written, he and the young Italian woman disappear. Coincidentally, so do all records regarding the painting.
When Angela is contacted by Alex for her art expertise, the two team up to unravel the mystery surrounding the painting. Alex is aware of Angela’s remarkable dreams, and through her, they discover the significance that Giuliano Medici, Fioretta Gorini, Gerhard Jaeger and Sophia Caro have to their own lives. Three couples, three separate lifetimes, one connection.
The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci escorts you on a journey through time, flowing from scenes in the 1400s to WWII to the present day. A little worried that the flashbacks and Italian names would be confusing, I was pleased to find this book relatively easy to follow. An intriguing blend of romance, mystery, art, history, and a healthy dose of the paranormal, this book kept me engaged until the end.
I only had several small complaints. Firstly, the romance was a little too over-the-top. There were moments of light banter between Alex and Angela that had me smiling, but all too often I found myself rolling my eyes at the lovey-dovey dialogue. If you’re a fan of those all-consuming, destined-to-be-together, love-conquers-all, my-beloved-can-do-no-wrong kind of love stories, this one’s definitely for you.
I also had some minor issues with the mystery/suspense portion of the book. Hoping there'd be more of an investigative trail leading to the missing artwork, I was a little disappointed to find that Angela's paranormal gifts were primarily used to solve the enigma. The whole thing read a little bit like a TV drama show - not quite realistic but good enough to keep you interested. Likewise, Alberto Scordato was like a common movie villain; when his name came up every so often, I'd picture him sitting behind a large desk in a dingy room, hands clasped, laughing maniacally at his own evil genius. If a little more depth and development were put into the character, suspense levels could’ve been elevated.
I noticed quite a few punctuation errors, such as missing quotations and periods. There were also a few cases where commas were used when a period might’ve been a more appropriate choice. The rest of the book was well written, and so it didn’t detract too much from the narrative.
Other than that, I found this to be a pleasing read. The history and art portions were eloquently crafted, and consequently, my favorite part of the story. I’d recommend to anyone looking for a book with plenty of romance and an engaging plot. I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars.
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The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci
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