A review by txa1265
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary and so based on the blurb for this assumed I would love it as well - dual timeline, multiple POV, love stories, mysteries, and so on. What’s not to love? 

 

Well … a lot as it turns out! 

 

We get the multiple POVs but they are clearly not equal, and end up diluting character development. Speaking of character development, that is also very thin aside from the two main characters - one from each timeline. Sadly that also means that the love stories are thin and suffer from having to TELL us because we’re not ever really shown. Speaking of thin, the worlds are not well drawn out and the older timeline seems particularly poorly researched. 

 

The setting, basics of the plot, the connective tissue between the timelines are the things that add charm as well as a few personal moments for each character where we get some insights to what matters to them. 

 

This was another disappointing 2025 book for me, meant to be a healing salve in between a couple of nonfiction reads, but instead it was an exercise in frustration and a reminder of why pre-ordering is a bad idea in general.