Marilyn Baron

In part one of this two-part cozy mystery, American Hadley Evans is living the dream in Florence, Italy while working for an art detective agency. Then she answers a phone call from a mysterious woman and finally gets the chance to prove herself to her boss. After she and her police officer boyfriend, Luca, set out to find a long-lost Boticelli, their relationship and even their lives are put at risk.
In part two, Hadley and Luca track down a missing Vermeer while she second-guesses her future with Luca.
I don’t read cozies often, so this book was pretty interesting. Ms. Baron gave detailed descriptions of various paintings as well as locations like Florence and Venice, so I was able to easily picture them in my mind. She also dropped lots of Renaissance and WWII history into the narrative. Sometimes I felt as though I were reading a text book on history and art, but since I’m a history buff, I enjoyed it.
The story is told only from Hadley’s POV, so I connected better with her than I did Luca. Despite their culture differences and sometimes lack of communication, they fit well together in both their personal and professional lives. I’m sure whatever mystery or adventure they go on next will be loads of fun.
5 Stars
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art-detective, art-history, art-theft, lies, mystery, verbal-humor, law-enforcement, war-booty, historian, historical-research, Italy, cozy-mystery, series, Neona$is, politics, danger, intrigue, historical-places-events, war-crimes, short, romantic

This is nice, short, factual on art history and WW2 art thefts. There is also a backstory to the current assignment.
The publisher's blurb is a good hook and no spoilers here, so just ENJOY. LOVED IT!
I requested and received an EARC from The Wild Rose Press, Inc. via NetGalley. Thank you!… (more)

Art- Detective, law-enforcement, romantic, verbal-humor, situational-humor, Italy, art-theft, art-history, museum, intrigue, war-booty, false-information, historical-research, historian, lies*****

Part what-if history, part romance, and a whole lot of fun! It's the Art History major, the member of the Carabinieri, the bumbling Art Detective, descendants of some WW2 bad guys, beautiful stolen paintings, and an interesting lot of WHAT IF. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and no spoilers here, so just ENJOY. LOVED IT!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from The Wild Rose Press, Inc. via NetGalley. Thank you!… (more)

“Stracciatella Gelato: Melting Time” is a short read about the “what ifs” one might encounter in a lifetime. What would your life be like if you could turn back the clock to a different time of your life? This is exactly what happens in Florence when Kate spends a day of sight-seeing there. In a strange quirk of fate, Kate reverts visually to her younger self of her college days in Florence, while retaining the knowledge and wisdom of her middle-aged self. She must then make hard decisions about whether to remain in Italy with Lucca, her new lover, to pursue her art career, or return to her staid family life in America. This novel includes appealing descriptions of Florence, Italy, and idyllic adventurous moments of Kate and her life with Lucca. Readers who enjoy a light and quick read may find this enjoyable, although the ending is somewhat unsatisfying.
I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (more)