Review by greenstripedgiraffe -- The Girl Who Knew da Vinci

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greenstripedgiraffe
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Review by greenstripedgiraffe -- The Girl Who Knew da Vinci

Post by greenstripedgiraffe »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Girl Who Knew da Vinci" by Belle Ami.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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First off, when I decided to read The Girl Who Knew DaVinci by Belle Ami, I did not realize it was a romance! This led to no small disappointment, as I was expecting more of a historical drama from the description. Thankfully the author included enough plot to satisfy my adventure-seeking nature.

Belle Ami's writing style is light and easy to read. In this book, she carefully weaves a tale connecting a modern couple with lovers from past ages who join together to bring forward truth and break a repeating cycle of lies and destruction. Through dreams, Angela unwittingly connects with past lives in a mystery that goes back several generations. A painting rumored to be a DaVinci has been missing ever since it was painted. What was the subject of the painting? Was it hidden or stolen? Was it really painted by DaVinci?

Angela's dreams tell of secret lovers, a secret marriage, and violent deaths. Suddenly, Angela is thrown into a modern-day life or death chase to find this painting of which only rumors can confirm the existence. Fortunately for Angela, she is joined by Alex, an incredibly talented and rich detective who instantly and inexplicably falls in love with her. As with any good mystery thriller, the drama intensifies when "the bad guys" show up seeking the same painting. Of course, this includes a conflict between those who seek only fame and fortune and those who seek to bring dark secrets to light and set past wrongs to right.

Heavy romance is threaded throughout the entire book with intimate scenes between all the couples, past and present, who are all involved in unraveling the clues throughout history. The stakes are high; will the truth be discovered, allowing the restless souls finally be free to be at peace, or are they doomed to continually repeat the same drama time and again in every following generation?

Despite the light writing style, the author manages to paint characters that are fairly realistic. One common downfall with this writing style is under-developed characters. For a romance, I feel that this book is a fairly happy compromise between deep characters and nothing but fluff. My biggest complaint is that it is actually a full-blown romance novel with plenty of adult-only scenes. However, I feel that readers who like romance novels will be happy to pick up this book. Historical fiction fans who are more interested in historical accuracy will not enjoy this book as much. Although the juxtaposition of modern day and historical setting sets the scene for a creative plot, I remain unconvinced that the book is based on historical facts other than including historical characters.

The author's pace was adequately quick for this style of book; I finished it in just a few hours. The editing appears to be fairly clean throughout. Although this isn't exactly my style of book, I need to give it 4 out of 4 stars, as I feel that romance readers will find this to be a lovely summer read.

******
The Girl Who Knew da Vinci
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Post by kfwilson6 »

I like how you summarized this book. I really enjoy the way you described the plot. You make this book sound incredibly compelling while being honest about what readers may or may not enjoy about it.
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Post by Emjopin »

Review by greenstripedgiraffe -- The Girl Who Knew da Vinci by Belle Ami
This splendid review stamped Belle Ami's "The Girl Who Knew daVinci" as THE BOOK OF THE YEAR !
Highlights, "Of course, this includes a conflict between those who seek only fame and fortune and those who seek to bring dark secrets to light and set past wrongs to right...The stakes are high; will the truth be discovered, allowing the restless souls finally be free to be at peace, or are they doomed to continually repeat the same drama time and again in every following generation?" ... rekindles hope for every forlorn spirit in today's embattled generation.
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Post by Ashiyya Tariq »

This book is a beautiful mix of romance and history. I enjoyed this too. Thanks for your detailed analysis of this book.
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Post by chupke07 »

I am so excited to read this book! You gave a great example of what style of book it is, and I honestly did not realize that it was that much of a romance so thank you for the warning. The story seems like something I am going to enjoy very much.
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Post by gali »

A romantic thriller revolving around a missing Leonardo da Vinci painting sounds exciting. Creative plot, romance, adventure, good pace, and realistic characters should make it a fun read. A pity about the adult-only scenes and lack of historical accuracy. At least it was well edited, which is a plus. Thank you for the review!
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Post by JoeyG01 »

Very thorough review. Although I am not much of a romance reader, the way you explained the plot and described the authors writing style, made me want to give it a try.
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Post by holsam_87 »

I read and reviewed this book when it was June's book of the month. While I enjoyed the book itself, I really wish that things had been developed more between Alex and Angela. A lot of their relationship seemed way too rushed.
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Post by stacie k »

I also did not realize this was primarily a romance! I like the idea of bringing truth to light and breaking cycles of lies and destruction. Iโ€™m interested to see how this creative story unfolds!
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Post by Katherine Smith »

I like your review and the book reminds me a little of National Treasure movies. I like that there is flashbacks to another couple from long ago and how that feeds into the search for the missing painting. The cover art is beautiful and it reminds me of a da Vinci painting. I am not the biggest fan of romance, but the setting and mystery make me want to pick up this book.
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Post by Elizabeth Pass »

I enjoy a good romantic thriller, though I'm a bit hesitant to read about a missing painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It just doesn't seem like something I would be terribly interested in. I like that the characters are realistic and that the book moves at a good pace.
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Post by MsTri »

Thanks so much for the review, but this just isn't my kind of book; I'm not interested in a lost painting (too close to The DaVinci Code, which I didn't care for!), nor do I care for the romantic aspects. I'm glad YOU enjoyed it, though!
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Post by Mabel6 »

Interesting premise indeed - not a big fan of art or history but the mystery element of the missing painting drew my attention. I added to my want to read shelf.
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Post by Stahle10 »

The storyline - a missing WWII painting worth millions of dollars to be found by a crook, a budding artist student, or a family name and the various relationships, romances and mysteries that accompany such - is all together gripping and the characters seem to be very well established. However, I find much of the writing to be cliche. The jumping time periods and the dream-like association between both is fun, but confusing and frustrating at times. I would much rather read a more controlled story.
Overall, this book is one I would read in leisure, between other books and whenever time permits, but does not beg to be read.
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Post by TheTrueNyree »

Wow, I have to admit this sounds like it may be a good one. For romance not to be your favorite, you definitely painted a picture that romance lovers such as myself, definitely want to explore. I love the way you asked the questions in the review, getting us to really think of what the answer may be. This captures my interest more because I have an active imagination. Thank you for being objective while writing this review, it truly shows that it can being enjoyed even by readers not normally wanting to read a romance.
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