(You can also find this review on my blog!)

Alternate universe? Time travel? Oohhh sign me up!

Upon reading the synopsis of this book, I was immediately intrigued! The idea of a parallel/alternate universe or time travel is something that I really like. And so I went ahead and read this book!

This book has a blend of romance, historical fiction, and science fiction that I quite liked! Although there were parts that I was not exactly fond of, there were aspects that really delighted me!

Let’s start with the parts I was not fond of.

Insta-love. Don’t get me wrong, the story of Elisa and Claudio was romantic indeed, a love that surpassed space and time, but I’m afraid insta-love is a trope I’m not really fond of. I just felt like it happened all too quickly. The next one is the sort-of-cheating aspect in the story. I am all for unconditional love and all, but cheating is one thing I won’t be able to embrace. (Also, I’m trying so hard not to spoil anything AAAHHH)

But let’s go to the parts I really liked!

The writing style of the author and how she talked about Italy is amazing! There were certain passages in the book that really left me in awe because they were so beautifully-written it’s as if I am within the story, witnessing the beauty of Italy myself.

“She forced herself to live in the moment—in her favourite time of day, twilight. She listened, noting the turtle doves in the nearby trees, chirping and cooing to their young, settling them in for the night. Alice could see the last little bit of the sun peeking out from behind the horizon in the west, slowly sinking down to a tiny brilliant sliver. The rolling hills were the most incredible shade of green against the lavender sky. Off in the distance, she could make out multiple tiers of grape vineyards, sculpted into the faces of the gentle mountains with olive trees tucked in between. Everything was so calm, so serene, so peaceful.”

and...

“The ancient Etruscan ruins stood just ahead in all their splendour. Standing steady as sentinels of an age past, they bore witness to an untold number of stories of the people who had taken refuge in their inviting space.”

And of course, I also liked the parts of the book where it talked about the history, specifically Renaissance Italy. Plus I also liked how this story challenges the fate and destiny of a person.

“You make your own destiny. But sometimes you may be placed in a situation where there was only one possible outcome, no matter how much you thought you were in control of your own life.”

The characters were also interesting! I love the character of Leonardo da Vinci and how the author portrayed him. Bruno and Enzo back in Renaissance Italy, oh how I hated them. But it is understandable since we’re talking about the time where men were ultimately superior (it sucks, I know). Claudio was a gentleman who was filled with so much love for Elisa, and it was nice to see Elisa grow into a brave woman.

All in all it was a good read for me! A whiff of something new as my previous reads were epic and dark fantasies haha! This will be really perfect who love romance and adventure in one! I give this one 3.5 stars!