Review by Emily0310 -- The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci

[Emily0310]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci" by Belle Ami.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Girl Who Knew da Vinci by Belle Ami is a romantic, action-packed novel involving a young woman named Angela, who is haunted by visions of past lives as a friend of Leonardo da Vinci as well as the lover of a German officer during War World II. Angela meets Alex Caine, who is an art detective attempting to recover a secret painting by Leonardo da Vinci. As Alex and Angela begin to fall for each other, they must unravel the mysteries of their past lives in order to find the elusive painting.

I rated The Girl Who Knew da Vinci 3 out of 4 stars. I absolutely loved this book, but, in many instances, commas were missing, which distracted me from the content of the book. For example, Alex said to Angela, "I got your back baby," instead of, "I got your back, baby." Although these mistakes weren't frequent, they were distracting when they did occur. If not for these errors, I would have rated this book a perfect 4 out of 4 stars.

The Girl Who Knew da Vinci was romantic, suspenseful, and mysterious. Although the book was only 288 pages long, I never felt like plot points were rushed, and I was very satisfied by the conclusion. I also thought that enough information was given at the beginning to reduce confusion. Several chapters include flashbacks to Angela's past lives. In these chapters, the point of view usually switches from Angela to Fioretta or Sophia. However, this was not at all confusing, and it added more depth to the mystery as well as to Angela's character. The concept itself was also fascinating; any art lover, particularly one interested in the Renaissance period, will be interested in the idea that da Vinci created other works of art that have not yet been discovered. Similarly, anyone who has visited Italy or wants to in the future will enjoy the lush, detailed descriptions of Florence.

The romance between Alex and Angela, although somewhat rushed, is understandable, considering their unique situation involving their past lives. They feel an instant attraction to each other, but Alex is careful not to take advantage of Angela's vulnerability following her stunning realizations. As their romance blooms, they constantly support each other and are generally very forgiving of each other's flaws. Despite their stressful situation, they remain kind and loving towards each other. I really enjoyed reading all interactions between Alex and Angela. They are very protective of each other, and, supernatural elements aside, their romance was realistic and their characters were relatable. The romances between Fioretta and Guiliano, as well as Sophia and Gerhard, were also realistic and heartwrenching.

I read The Girl Who Knew da Vinci in one sitting, because I simply couldn't put it down. I loved getting to know the characters, and the action-packed plot kept me on the edge of my seat. Aside from the infrequent errors, I really enjoyed my time with this book, and I would definitely be interested in reading anything else by Belle Ami.

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The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci
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