A review by conniejones
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

adventurous dark informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

3.75 ⭐️
An atmospheric dual-timeline and multi-pov story filled with Italian summer vibes, sea witches, archaeological and historical intrigue, and mystery. This was a delight! 

As my first book by this author, I had no idea what to expect in terms of writing style but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The past and present timelines intertwined so well, I found myself reading a chapter set in the past and then in the present and could see how the threads of the past wove into the modern day timeline which was so satisfying! I will say that although the first 10 ish percent immediately caught my attention, after that up until maybe 65% it did feel like a bit of a slog. But I read the last bit in one sitting because everything was weaving together and I was on the edge of my seat to find out how the story would resolve, and Sarah Penner absolutely delivered on a satisfying ending which definitely boosted the rating of this book for me. 

Something important to note is that our character in the present timeline, Haven, is a nautical archaeologist and much of the plot is filled with technical jargon and is very career focused. This was a huge plus for me as an aspiring anthropologist who is very interested in all the related fields to that subject, but I could see how this would be a turn off for some people. I really enjoyed the scenes of Haven in the archives. Even so, I still found myself connecting more with the past timeline as I really enjoyed Mari and Holmes as characters as well as their storyline just a bit more than Haven and the modern storyline. I was at times frustrated with the characters and their choices but the ending really wrapped everything up and I was very pleased. I definitely recommend picking this one up this summer! 

A huge thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 
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