4 out of 4 stars
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In The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami, we have three love stories that are literally timeless.
- Fioretta Gorini - Friend of da Vinci, Giuliano's lover (1478)
- Giuliano Medici - Lover of Fioretta (1478)
- Sophia Caro - Married to Gebhard (1944)
- Gebhard Jaeger - Aka Giorgio Bandini, married to Sophia (1944)
- Angela Renatus - Art historian, Alex's lover (2018)
- Alex Caine - Investigator that retrieves stolen paintings - Angela's lover (2018)
When we add the novel's resident "bad guy", sociopath Alberto Scordato, into the mix, a very rich novel emerges. Will the protagonists, Angela and Alex, find the mysterious missing da Vinci painting or will they die trying? You, my dedicated reader, will have to get a copy of this exciting book to discover the answer.
The Girl Who Knew da Vinci takes us on a mini tour throughout Europe, encompassing Tuscany, Florence, Paris and Rome. The author uses very descriptive language, both in showing us the countryside and the wonderful cuisines that are native to the areas. "On the grate, he cooked a thick Porterhouse steak that Alex explained was a traditional recipe of the region, Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The steak was served with spinach sautéed in olive oil with sliced garlic. For dessert, Maria served a lemon cake, espresso, and an aperitivo of Amaro Fernet Branca." I don't know about you, but just writing that quote has my mouth watering!
The love stories between all three couples are also very well-written. When talking about their love, Angela thinks that "she wanted it to be because kissing him made her knees weak, and looking into his eyes made her skin tingle, and when he touched her, her body lit up like a Christmas tree. But most important, she wanted to be his favorite hello and his toughest goodbye."
Not only are the food, locations and love scenes exceptionally written, the adventures they go through are all "seat of your pants" thrillers. I believe the visions and time travel that Angela goes through add depth and a dimension that would not have been reached without these experiences.
I must give The Girl Who Knew da Vinci a 4 out of 4-star rating. The novel was very well-edited and I saw no errors. I believe it would appeal to those that love a good thriller mixed in with romance. However, it would not be recommended for minors, due to some of the graphic sex scenes.
The story had me at "Sofia Caro was scared, but not half as scared as she should be" and continued to mesmerize until the ending.
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The Girl Who Knew da Vinci
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