4 out of 4 stars
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What if you could find love throughout different lifetimes? In Belle Ami’s novel, The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, the author explores the relationship of one couple’s love throughout the centuries. In this intense romantic thriller, the reader is transported back in time to the lavish Renaissance period. Belle Ami’s novel is chock full of intrigue, deception, and time travel.
Angela Renatus, an intern at the Getty Museum, experiences vivid recollections of the past. She is transported back in time to the Renaissance period in Florence where she encounters Giuliano Medici, Fioretta Gorini, and the maestro himself- Leonardo Da Vinci. One day, Angela is approached by art detective Alex Caine. He is on the hunt for a mysterious painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. The painting supposedly depicts Leonardo Da Vinci’s friends, Giuliano and Fioretta, who had a love affair that ended in tragedy. Alex Caine is hired by Max Jaeger, a businessman trying to clear the name of his uncle, Gerhard Jaeger. Supposedly, Max Jaeger’s uncle discovered a lost painting of Da Vinci, but neither he nor the painting, ever surfaced after World War II. Angela and Alex travel to Florence to seek answers and find the lost painting. They end up on a perilous journey as they must contend with the unscrupulous Alberto Scordato, Angela’s former boss.
What excited me about this novel was the setting. The author flawlessly puts the reader back in time and characterizes such known historical figures very well. I loved reading about the different historical sites that the characters visited. It is almost as if you are right there sipping wine near the Coliseum. The plot is easy to follow and the author transitions from one era to another without confusing the reader. The characters were believable and fully fleshed-out in detail. The author depicted Angela’s visions in a way that was not odd or unbelievable. The initial romance between Alex and Angela was a tad unrealistic, especially considering the way they met. That was probably the only part that I wasn’t a fan of. Their relationship, however, transitions into something sweet and honest. There are some intense, passionate scenes between the two characters.
The dialogue was well-paced and the more intense action scenes were minimal. We get to see Alex take on a couple of villains. The author does a great job of characterizing her villain, Alberto Scordato. He is the epitome of a greedy art dealer. One would think that Leonardo Da Vinci would be a hard character to write about, but Belle Ami does portray him very realistically. The author’s writing style is informal and easy to read. My favorite parts were the scenes with Giuliano and Fioretta. It would have been interesting to see the full history between Guiliano and Fioretta. As integral as they are to the story, I wish we could have seen the development of their courtship in more detail. The author seems to have done her research to be able to depict these historical figures in such detail.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I have not had the pleasure of reading this author before, but I look forward to picking up another novel by her. Initially, I had my reservations because some books about time travel are not portrayed well. Belle Ami did an excellent job of presenting the historical facts well without being too over-the-top with the time travel parts. The author blends history, romance, and aspects of a thriller novel, seamlessly. I recommend this book to history buffs and lovers of time travel. There are explicit scenes, so this is for more mature readers. However, these scenes do not detract from the overall experience of the novel. I did not see any major grammar errors. The story ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m excited to read what’s next.
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The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci
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