Review by valeriejane -- The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio

[Valerie Garske]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio" by Belle Ami.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio is the second installment in the series by Belle Ami. Expect a modern romance with paranormal, historical, and thriller subplots tossed in the mix. What makes this story remarkable is that actual historical events regarding Caravaggio and his paintings are cleverly woven into the narrative. If you are a fan of art history, find paranormal love stories intriguing, and like a mix of genres, then you may enjoy this novel. However, I suggest you begin at the beginning of the series because the second book does not stand on its own, and consequently, some of the nuances will be confusing. Furthermore, this book contains considerable sensual content and profanity; therefore, it is unsuited for general audiences.

The story begins three months after the first book. Angela is an art historian and Alex is an art detective and once again they are on a quest to recover a stolen masterpiece. The couple is inseparable, and their carnal appetites are insatiable. Nevertheless, the missing masterpiece is worth millions of dollars and with so much money at stake, their efforts capture the attention of some extremely powerful people. Moreover, Angela has been experiencing debilitating visions regarding Caravaggio. Through these visions, we learn that Caravaggio runs for his life after killing a man but promises to return for his lover. With Angela in the lead, we are kept at the edge of our seats, as the couple travels across Italy retracing Caravaggio’s last steps.

What I liked about this book was the historical aspect. I was enlightened by Angela’s art history lessons and her discussions regarding several of Caravaggio’s paintings. Eloquently, Angela describes the artwork in detail and clearly loves and respects the artist’s work. It was entertaining to be reminded of Caravaggio’s tremendous talent. Equally, I enjoyed learning that Caravaggio’s Nativity was actually stolen in real life and has yet to be discovered.

What I did not like about the book was the love affair between Alex and Angela, simply because the couple lacked sensual tension and chemistry. While I could relate to the character, Angela, I could not quite comprehend what she saw in Alex. Although handsome and rich, Alex’s character was needy and his attitude toward his divorced parents was childish. As a man living in Florence, what I fancy to be a city of love, I considered his use of the endearment, Babe, to be annoying and sleazy. Secretive is a quality I cannot respect and Alex tends to keep his own counsel. In my opinion, keeping secrets from a psychic is not particularly smart.

As a diehard fan of historical romances and fascinated by the idea of reincarnation, I wanted to love this book. While I enjoyed the art history and paranormal aspects, I considered the excessive sexual content distracting and vulgar. Put differently, the romance lacked finesse. Nevertheless, the thriller subplot provides enough twists and turns to be interesting. Yet I find myself conflicted because I didn’t care for Alex nor his relationship with Angela. Consequently, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.

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The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio
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[Olgamiell]

As I love Caravaggio, I think I'd enjoy this book. I'm glad to discover it refers to the actual events from the artist's life. I also think the action full of suspense and visions would make it an interesting read. Pity the book is apparently lacking finesse; I think a decent love story would make it even more attractive. Thank you for your detailed and honest review, I found it very helpful!

[Valerie Garske]

Thanks for reading my review. After you read the book, I am interested learning what you think of Alex.