ARA Review by Christine Keleny of The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci

[Christine Keleny]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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This book had some pluses and minuses, though mostly it was a decent read. The author has a good imagination and uses the premise of the story to push the two main characters (Angela and Alex) together. It is a romance, after all. Some of their attempts at keeping themselves apart, physically, seem a bit contrived. I think it could have been handled with more subtlety.

But it is a mystery too. Both the main characters are looking for a painting by Da Vinci which is connected to the past (Florence, Italy) and present. But no one really knows if the painting exists or not. Angela and Alex also end up being from the past (he is Gerhard, a German Nazi in WWII; she is Sophia, a friend of Da Vinci's). The painting is a wedding picture of the two of them. They weren't supposed to be married but they marry in secret because his family (rich folk) wouldn't want him to marry her (a poor woman). But they are in love, so they marry, and that is part of the reason why the painting is hid away. People in the present aren't sure it even exits, but when Angela starts to have visions and pulls Alex into visions of his own, they both start to believe the painting does exist. Both know (in the past) where the painting is, though the present characters do not. It sounds confusing, but it's not.

I like the scene switching between the past and present. In fact Ami's better writing is done in the past scenes. The voice of the past characters: Da Vinci, Gerhard and Sophia, all seem more real. The places they visit and the things they do are well known in history and Ami uses this information to weave very visual scenes of the past events. But when two of the main bad guys in the present (the ex-boss of Angela and his Florence mobster connection), who are also looking for the painting because if it's extreme value, end up being both from the past as well, and of course, know Gerhard and Sophia, the main characters in the past, it's a little hard to accept.

The romance is plenty steamy for Angela and Alex as well as Gerhard and Sophia, so if you like that stuff, you'll enjoy the book. It's also a fun romp through Florence. Florence is such an iconic city with a rick history for art especially but also that like many European cities has ties to WWII.

It's fun that Alex is rich and can take Angela to wherever she wants to go - which, of course, happens to be his villa outside of Florence that was owned by a woman who Angela knows in her past life as Sophia and helps lead them to what they seek.

The end seems a bit hasty - Alex is able to drive away, escape a perilous fate (I won't give away what and how) yet makes it back on foot to a secret cave to Angela at the end. But it's a happy ending and leaves Angela and Alex ready for more adventures (Alex's housekeeper somehow knows Angela has a gift without really knowing Angela or what has been happening to her related to her visions. That could have been played out a bit more too).

I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5

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