Review by vagrimes -- The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio
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vagrimes
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Review by vagrimes -- The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio" by Belle Ami.]
The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, by Belle Ami, is the second book in the Out of Time Thriller Series, following The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci. Angela Renatus and her fiancé Alex Caine are recruited to recover the Nativity, one of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s most famous paintings that was stolen from a church in Italy during an art heist in 1969.
Angela, who is able to see into the past via ghosts of her previous lives, begins having dreams and visions of Caravaggio, as well as Fillide, the Roman prostitute with whom he fell in love. When Caravaggio and Fillide are revealed to be yet another of Alex and Angela’s previous lives, it puts Alex and Angela on a path to retrace Caravaggio’s life through Italy in their search for the painting.
The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio mixes classic romance with historical fiction and suspense, making it suitable for those looking for just a bit more than your typical romance. As this is not a stand-alone novel, it is highly recommended that The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci is read first. One of the aspects I found most appealing were the flashbacks into 17th century Italy. The book begins with a dynamic and captivating prologue, introducing Caravaggio and Fillide and setting the tone for the rest of the novel. Angela’s clear knowledge of art history is fun to follow as she provides details and anecdotes of famous paintings throughout the story. She reminds me of that enthusiastic art teacher in high school who couldn’t help but share their love of art with the class.
As a romance reader, I was surprised to find myself most disappointed with Angela and Alex’s relationship. Both characters are seemingly one-dimensional, each defined by two or three key traits that are explicitly provided to the reader at the beginning of the book. Neither Angela nor Alex experience growth or character development of any kind. I also found many of the scenes between them to be overly sappy, lacking sexual tension which normally draws me into a scene.
While the fast writing pace improved from the first book, I still felt there was a general lack of description, especially during scenes with dialogue, that would have helped show the emotions of the characters without needing to explicitly describe them to the reader.
Overall, I am giving this book a 2 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the historical scenes and art history references, but felt Alex and Angela’s romance was severely lacking. I don’t feel 3 stars is appropriate because at its heart, this book is a romance novel although it is described as a thriller. I fear many readers will pick up this book looking for a thriller and be similarly disappointed by a lack-luster romance which takes center stage.
Readers should also be aware that there is profanity in the book.
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The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, by Belle Ami, is the second book in the Out of Time Thriller Series, following The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci. Angela Renatus and her fiancé Alex Caine are recruited to recover the Nativity, one of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s most famous paintings that was stolen from a church in Italy during an art heist in 1969.
Angela, who is able to see into the past via ghosts of her previous lives, begins having dreams and visions of Caravaggio, as well as Fillide, the Roman prostitute with whom he fell in love. When Caravaggio and Fillide are revealed to be yet another of Alex and Angela’s previous lives, it puts Alex and Angela on a path to retrace Caravaggio’s life through Italy in their search for the painting.
The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio mixes classic romance with historical fiction and suspense, making it suitable for those looking for just a bit more than your typical romance. As this is not a stand-alone novel, it is highly recommended that The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci is read first. One of the aspects I found most appealing were the flashbacks into 17th century Italy. The book begins with a dynamic and captivating prologue, introducing Caravaggio and Fillide and setting the tone for the rest of the novel. Angela’s clear knowledge of art history is fun to follow as she provides details and anecdotes of famous paintings throughout the story. She reminds me of that enthusiastic art teacher in high school who couldn’t help but share their love of art with the class.
As a romance reader, I was surprised to find myself most disappointed with Angela and Alex’s relationship. Both characters are seemingly one-dimensional, each defined by two or three key traits that are explicitly provided to the reader at the beginning of the book. Neither Angela nor Alex experience growth or character development of any kind. I also found many of the scenes between them to be overly sappy, lacking sexual tension which normally draws me into a scene.
While the fast writing pace improved from the first book, I still felt there was a general lack of description, especially during scenes with dialogue, that would have helped show the emotions of the characters without needing to explicitly describe them to the reader.
Overall, I am giving this book a 2 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the historical scenes and art history references, but felt Alex and Angela’s romance was severely lacking. I don’t feel 3 stars is appropriate because at its heart, this book is a romance novel although it is described as a thriller. I fear many readers will pick up this book looking for a thriller and be similarly disappointed by a lack-luster romance which takes center stage.
Readers should also be aware that there is profanity in the book.
******
The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Warramunga's Aftermath of War by Greg Kater
