Book Review: Love's Shadow

Goodreads Summary

Branwell D'Angelo . . .
Six years ago, I fell in love with Lucy--my brother's girlfriend. Stupid of me, I know, but sometimes the heart doesn't listen to reason.
Six years, I've lived on the sidelines. Seeing him love her, be with her, bask in her sunshine . . .
I watched her break his heart and then cleaned up the shattered pieces of him she left behind.
She's the one woman I can't have but still the only one my soul wants.
Now she's back in our lives and needs the unique help only us D'Angelos can give.
He's not emotionally strong enough to face her. So he's sending me instead . . .

For her part, when tragedy strikes Lucy Snow on a visit to Italy, she can't bring herself to call any of the D'Angelo brothers for help. There are consequences for falling in love with your ex-boyfriend's brother. But Lucy desperately needs Branwell's paranormal skills and his gift of Sight. And if seeing him will negate at least three years of therapy? Well, it's a price she is willing to pay.

Thrown together in a desperate bid to save an innocent life, Branwell and Lucy struggle against their shared past, only to realize that something even more dangerous is reaching through the weight of time to stalk their every move . . .

Though the second book in the Brothers Maledetti series, Love's Shadow is a full-length, standalone novel.

Review

Oh this book! I absolutely adored the first one in this series, as you can see in my review here. This author, Nichole Van, is so, so talented! I could read her work forever! I went into this novel thinking it couldn't compare to the first one, but boy was I wrong! I might actually love Love's Shadow better than Gladly Beyond. It doesn't hurt that the heroine, Lucy, is a redhead with freckles, either ;). Branwell was a fantastic hero, and I loved reading from his perspective as well as Lucy's. They have complicated history, and I loved how things worked out for them. For your viewing pleasure, I have added a picture of who I think makes a great Branwell, man bun and all! And I may just be looking for excuses to post pictures of Aidan Turner, but that is neither here nor there. 



I have yet to find a picture of someone who could be Lucy. Anyways, this second book in the series tells us some more about the Curse that the D'Angelo brothers share. I loved learning more about the brothers' relationship with each other. I don't want to spoil too much, but the ending was pretty perfect and I am excited to read more in the series! Also, I have a new love for green candy. As to the mystery of why, I'll let you read the book to find out! 

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Gladly Beyond

Goodreads Summary

An ancient curse, fractured at the birth of three brothers.
Two strangers helplessly drawn to each other.
A love story two hundred years in the making.

Claire Raythorn arrives in Florence, Italy, shattered, alone, and anxious to rebuild her life--preferably one without men. But she soon finds herself hunted and haunted-- literally--when a mysterious stalker dressed like Mr. Darcy from BBC central casting appears in her photos. And only her photos. Who is this man? And what does his ghostly presence mean?

Dante D'Angelo simply wants to safeguard his brothers, despite the family curse that hounds his vision. But then Claire Raythorn walks into his life, untouched somehow by his curse. Soon, everything Dante thought he knew about himself starts to unravel, dragging Claire down with him.

Set against the lush backdrop of Florence, Italy--both past and present--Claire and Dante fight for a future together. But, first, they must uncover their shared past . . .

Review

You guys! This book! I never, ever wanted this book to end! If you find yourself in a reading slump or just want a really darn good book, this is the book for you! It is currently $3.99 on amazon which is a steal considering how great a book this is. And also, how pretty is that cover?! I could seriously read 1,000 more pages of this book. I can't sing this book's praises enough, if you can't tell ;). I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that Nichole Van is writing another book in this world, focusing on another character in this book. I am so excited! 

The characters in this book are so developed and complex! I liked how the story was told in a dual pov, which helped me to really understand our two main characters, Claire and Dante. Oh Dante! I have found myself a new book boyfriend! Couple him with the setting of Italy and we have a perfect match! He is such a good leading man. A good son and brother, has a sense of humor, is romantic...sign me up! And Claire was just so realistic and smart and brave. She hasn't had the easiest life but she doesn't let that get her down. Claire and Dante together were just perfect! 

The setting was wonderful! I've always wanted to go to Italy, and reading this book made me want to go even more! I loved how the author included a map of all the locations featured in the story. Now how to get to Florence and find my own Dante...

The pacing of this novel was perfect! Not too slow and not too fast. The whole concept of this story was so fun to read. I don't want to give anything away, but the curse and the powers surrounding it were very intriguing. 

Seriously, go out and buy this book now! Or ask your local library to order it. I read this book in about a week, and I tried really hard to pace myself so I could enjoy it longer, but I just couldn't put the book down! This is definitely one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. 

A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.