2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cute romantic book, November 5, 2008
This review is from: Dating da Vinci (Paperback)
Rating: 3.5 stars
"Dating da Vinci" is the story of Ramona Elise, who is desperately trying to cope with the loss of her husband nearly two years earlier. She worries about how the absence of a father will affect her two sons and fears that her husband may have taken certain secrets to his grave. Enter Leonardo da Vinci, aptly named after the fifteenth century visionary, because he manages to inspire exuberance and vitality from Ramona. Though Leo is considerably younger than Ramona and speaks little English, not to mention a student in her English as a second language class, Ramona finds herself falling for him. They develop a passionate relationship and Leo even manages to win the affection of Ramona's sons. Leo helps Ramona find herself again and the pain from her husband's death begins to subside.
Overall I had mixed feelings about the characters. It's hard not to fall for the adorable Leo, whose broken English and naïve innocence only add to his charm. Ramona, on the other hand, was not as likeable as I would have hoped and I didn't really find myself connecting to her. Also, the other characters seemed a little too shallow to be portrayed realistically. While I would have liked to see more depth in the characters, it did not sufficiently detract from the storyline and I still savored the characters' successes and lamented over their disappointments.
This book has all the makings of what I envision to be a great romantic comedy and for the most part the plot does deliver. There is the romance, the ensuing drama, the eventual complications that arise and final culmination towards a satisfying ending. The book also deals with important issues of grief, infidelity and heartbreak. In that sense, it succeeds in giving readers more than the average 'woman-meets-man-and-they-fall-in -love' story.
"Dating da Vinci" is a sweet and quick read. Though the ending is predictable, I enjoyed reading the way Lott crafted the storyline and led readers to the end.
[...]
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5.0 out of 5 stars
'Dating DaVinci' is a MUST read!!!!!, March 21, 2010
This review is from: Dating da Vinci (Paperback)
Although this isn't normally the genre I read, I picked up Dating Da Vinci, and was absolutely hooked. I couldn't put it down, especially once the story really got going. Even the first few introductory chapters held my interest because of Malena Lott's clever and captivating writing style. The way Malena blended humor and sadness into this engaging, heart-warming novel was completely enjoyable. Her characters and the way they learned from one another gave the story an added element that I loved. I also love the way she threaded the language factor throughout and the comparisons to the actual DaVinci and Mona Lisa. One thing that made this novel even more appealing was how 'real' it felt, with Ramona's day to day life and her middle-aged woman issues. Although DaVinci himself was very sexy, I absolutely adored Cortland, and was worried about how it would all turn out, but the author managed to handle it expertly and logically, not to mention in a way where the reader can give a wistful sigh of relief, wishing the same happy ending for themselves. This novel is truly, completely captivating and delightful. I was sorry to see this one end.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Feel Good at Its Finest, January 15, 2010
This review is from: Dating da Vinci (Paperback)
THREE QUICK POINTS:
* Point 1: Leonardo da Vinci is hot. Really hot. I have to admit that his character was well-crafted to make the ladies (and possibly some men) drool. Drool like a rabid mangy mongrel and make no apologies for it. Up until he peed the bed.
* Point 2: Unfortunately, the remaining characters (except a few) had trouble finding their voices. For the most part, they'd be traveling along quite nicely when a piece of stray dialog that rang absolutely false for the character would present itself.
* Point 3: Feel good at its finest. Despite the ending being highly predictable, it still elicits that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
SHORT SYNOPSIS:
Ramona Elise Griffen was a grieving young widow (aged 36) when Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian immigrant 11 years her junior, walked into her ESL classroom. Knowing only a few words of English, having even less money, and no friends created a soft spot in Ramona's heart (plus, it didn't hurt that he was excruciatingly hot) and she decided to bring him home and allow him to stay in the studio behind her house. As the 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'-esque romance continued, Ramona began realizing there were a number of emotions and unanswered questions that she needed to confront if she truly could move on. The biggest one of all was that of her husband's fidelity. As if adjusting to the first romance since her husband passed away and trying to confront her husband's ex-fiancee weren't enough, another man tumbles into Ramona's life and she happens to be developing feelings--real feelings--for him. There was just one major problem to overcome: he was dating Ramona's sister.
MY THOUGHTS:
Where to begin? Starting the book I was hooked. Then halfway through the second chapter, I wanted to set the book down and not really pick it up again. Seriously. Reading through that second (and halfway through the third) chapter was excruciating. But, all in all, I'm glad I pressed through it-more on why in a minute. Let me back up and explain the hitch.
In the first chapter, we're introduced to Ramona and her plight, and then we have the glorious da Vinci thrust upon us with as much surprise and zeal as he was thrust upon Ramona. Then, we're no longer anywhere near the same scene; da Vinci is nowhere to be found, and we're listening to Ramona's incredibly depressing internal dialog as she cleans out the pantry with her friend Anh. The transition was a bit jarring to put it mildly. Luckily, it recovered at the end of the third chapter going into the fourth.
The novel did have a few other shortcomings with the character development. With the exceptions of Ramona and da Vinci, the remaining characters seemed conveniently two-dimensional. Even her two young boys seemed incredibly well-adjusted to the death of their father and their mother's dating. A little too well-adjusted. The remaining characters, including Ramona's arrogant and borderline evil sister Rachel, were too tame for the personalities being painted.
That aside, those shortcomings weren't enough to make this novel a bad one. It's redeeming qualities were found in the well-painted descriptions and the vague passage of time throughout the story. You knew that months were floating by and, the clunky transition in the second chapter notwithstanding, it complimented the murkiness of the emotional experience.
Also, the great message cannot be overlooked either. I'm sure that anyone who's ever lost someone close to them can relate to Ramona's grief, if not her character. The feelings and emotions were poignantly illustrated and I often found myself nodding in agreement. And just when you think it's too heavy to bear any longer, a bit of humor is injected to disperse the tension. By the end of the book, you'll believe in miracles again (or, at least, you'll want to).
Finally, I found it rather clever that language and the langue d'amour (language of love) was a common thread throughout the story. Some chapters began with quotes, others with a word and its definition, and some with sections from Ramona's dissertation (The Language of Love).
This book would be especially good for those who enjoy academic discussions on language or language in general and although I did wonder about the slick product placements in a couple places (who works priceline[dot]com nonchalantly into conversation?), it was a nice quick feel good read. It's perfect for a rainy day afternoon curled up under the covers with a mug of hot chocolate. And if for no other reason, read it to fall in love (or lust, take your pick) with da Vinci.
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