Their future is written in the stars…
I really enjoyed this book (and have now resigned myself to buying the other 6 books in the series).
It begins when Maia and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a clue to her true heritage— which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Izabela—passionate and longing to see the world—convinces her father to allow her to travel to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski’s studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets the young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.
My thoughts:
I found Maia’s family life with Pa Salt so interesting but I got soo invested in Bel’s part of the story. It was really sad to hear how the rest of her life played out. In saying that, I didn’t feel that the reader missed out on anything as the transitions from Maia to Bel and back were seamlessly done. I would have also loved to see the scene when Maia returns to Floriano aswell but the last part has me intrigued for the next book.
The only thing I will say is I have so many unanswered questions so I am feeling a little frustrated! Was Pa Salt the little boy at the atelier? Is that why he chose Maia? How did he get a hold of that tile? Who was the woman who was with Pa Salt and is he really dead? Also is Maia’s mum alive?
Despite all this, I still loved it and will prompt be buying the next one. I am really glad I stumbled on this series, I believe it came up as recommended on either Goodreads or Booktopia.
Looking forward to reading the next one!
Megan H Lewis 