Janice Kirk

Where to start with this one? I actually enjoyed it - although I did have a hard time getting into it at first. I found the beginning a bit slow and I was having a hard time memorizing the names and associating them with who they were and how they were associated with Graziella. Once I got past this though, I could not help but falling in love with this quirky Italian family. Graziella and Ugo's story is quite touching - they were in love and the war came between them. The love that grows show more between Frank and Graziella was done so well... in very short increments. It felt real, something that grew gradually, until it just was. It wasn't sporadic or something that caught you off guard. I really liked the "real-ness" feeling to it. I also loved reading about Italy and the effects the war had on its residents.

All in all, I was happy with this one. It leaves you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. With it's zany characters and wonderful writing - this is definitely one you won't want to miss out on. show less

this was a sweet little book. I loved the parallel story going from the artist Raphaella in the past to Raphael in the present. There was always some mystery concerning what was going on and what was real and what wasn't.

A love story within a love story intertwined by some of Raphael's art and his personal angels. Novelist Tulia Rose is sent abroad by her boyfriend so they can "work out their relationship". Wandering Paris she meets a sidewalk artist calling himself Raphael. He leads her on an adventure discovering the paintings of his namesake Raphaello Sanzio, which leads her to writing her next book. We read her novel as she writes it and live her life as she is living it. A good book for fans of show more historical romance with a little art history thrown in for good measure. Note: collaborating authors are both Canadian. show less

2 3/4 stars. Some of the plot insufficiently developed, some of it kind of tired. And a main character I didn't like much. But I enjoyed the rural Ontario setting, which bumped my ranking up a bit. Overall - meh.