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 … 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 . . .
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I couldn’t put this intriguing book down. The exciting and unpredictable story winds its way through the historic sights of Italy through the use of former lives and romantic, but tragic young lovers. I highly recommend it.
I could not put this down, The fear that Clair had & the love, patience & determination of Dante. I loved it so much that I bought the other 3 books.
I loved the setting, we were in Firenze last summer and I could see all the sights she was describing. I think it was also very informative and realistic and I loved the characters, they are very lovable and they seem to be a bit broken in their own way which gives the book a deeper feeling.
If you are looking for a book you can’t put down, with romance, action and a bit of magic, this is your book!
I enjoyed that the story had a developed history and had multiple characters that will be further developed as the series progresses.
Very enjoyable and definitely unique. I can’t wait to read the next one!
One those books u just can’t put down till you finish it!
I can usually figure out the end of a book before getting past the middle but this one had me guessing and intrigued to the end.
4.5 Stars
Alone and broken, Claire finds herself in Florence, Italy determined to rebuild her life and career. She wouldn’t be in this situation if it hadn’t been for her cheating boyfriend. Thanks to him posting the video of her reaction when she discovered him cheating, she is now known as “Batty Ray Psycho”. Everyone sees her as the bad guy instead of the victim. Never again will she let a man into her life. She can and will do this on her own.
On the day of her interview with the Colonel, a wealthy man with a vast art collection, she discovers that she is being followed. A man dressed as a Mr. Darcy look alike is showing up in all of her selfies. She doesn’t need this. Not today. It’s bad enough that she already has a cyber stalker and that her interview turned out to be an audition between her, her cheating ex-boyfriend and Dante D’Angelo. Can’t one thing go right for her?! Too much is riding on her getting this job. She just needs to put her head down and focus on the job. There can be no distractions and definitely no men. No matter how attractive and intriguing Dante D’Angelo is. She needs to stay strong and stay far away.
An ancient curse has plagued Dante’s family for many years. But this time around, it’s different. This time there are triplets. One to see the past, one to hear the past and one to see the future. Dante has so much on his plate where is family is concerned, he doesn’t have time for anything else. But then he meets Claire. She is completely blank to him. He sees nothing of her past. How can that be? Is his ability on the fritz? Who knows. But there is something about Claire that draws him in. He can’t explain it but he has to get to know her better. He wants to be by her side always. To protect her, help her, laugh with her, enjoy life with her. He’ll definitely have his work cut out for him.
While Claire and Dante work to find the origin of a painting, they discover that their lives are more entwined than they ever imagined. The more they get to know each other, the more their feelings grow. However, with Claire’s past, she has a hard time trusting Dante and letting him in. But with everything going on with her cyber stalker, the Colonel acting creepy and weird, her ex-boyfriend popping up out of no where, a man following her and Dante, she has to put her trust somewhere. She is tired of living in fear. It is time to take back her life and actually live it. Will they be able to figure everything out before it’s too late? One thing is for sure, curse or no curse, neither Claire nor Dante will go down without a fight.
*dreamy sigh*
WOW! I forgot how much I enjoyed this book. Just like the first time, once I started it, I could not put it down. I was sucked into the world of Claire and Dante and loved every minute of it. This book kept me on my toes and had me guessing till the very end. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I’m looking forward to rereading the other books in this series.
If you haven’t read anything by Ms. Van, then I would highly recommend you give her books a try. I have absolutely loved every book of hers I have read. I’m looking forward to see what she has in store for us next!
Interesting concept, knowing each other in past lives and trying to make sense of what was happening now.
Part mystery, part romance, all page turning awesome. I had a difficult time putting this one down. The dialogue and characters were realistic, the plot (past lives regression, soul mates, Italian history and art history) incredibly thorough and well it also has one of the best red herrings ever. And the book comes with 2 recipes at the end. Does it get more perfect than that? Nope.
Nichole Van is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. She writes intelligent, well-crafted stories that keep you turning the pages until you’ve consumed every word of her work. This book takes place in Florence, Italy and the author’s vivid descriptions make you feel as though you are physically there. She writes about star-crossed lovers, an ancient curse and past lives and reincarnation in a way that imbues her story with suspense, intrigue, romance, witty repartee and plot twists that you won’t see coming. Her characters are multi-layered. Claire is smart, accomplished and vulnerable, yet brave and strong at the same time. Dante, one of the D’Angelo triplets who are gifted/cursed with the Sight, has a playboy reputation but is actually sensitive, caring and protective of those he loves. You will lose yourself in their journey and be so glad to be along for the ride. I highly recommend this book and am off to read the next one in the series. Ciao!
light fun read with a little magic
Soulmates Through Time
Claire Raythorn is about as far removed from love as earth’s moon is from the farthest star. Her walls are solid and her resolve is sure. Never again will she allow a man to destroy her. That is until Dante D’Angelo walks into her life
Dante D’Angelo has allowed his reputation as a playboy to stand unchallenged. It just never seemed to matter. His heart is just not interested in the L-word. That is until Claire Raythorn walks into his life.
Claire is damaged but basically good and Dante is a good man who is misunderstood. Their initial introduction does not go well, but ultimately, they come to an understanding that eventually leads to a love that has been in the works for centuries.
Nichole Van is a very talented writer, and Gladly Beyond is a fine example of her
prose-like style, dry humor and charming characters. Though somewhat long, Gladly Beyond is an absorbing and entertaining stand alone read with a number of unexpected twists and turns. It also has some very good descriptions of Florence Italy.
Content 411: This is a clean read (no vulgarities and no sex) that relies heavily on the belief in reincarnation.
Fun, interesting twists all the way to the end.
A marvelous weave of art history, Florence, famiglia, and food with the narrative of our oh so sad 21st Century heroine, maligned and defensive, and our gorgeous, paranormally talented hero, and threads of 21st Century technology and behavioral norms. I smiled a lot; laughed at moments (the description of tourist shoe choices) and the quirky backstories of her mom, his mom, and her “nannies;” the parallel love story from the past; the connection of soul mates; the screen saver line from e e cummings. It’s a sweet story, filled with twists, and meals of primo, secondo and insalata that made my mouth water.
Buon appetito!
Thoroughly enjoyed this time travelling book. I like the theme of the family intertwined into the history of the travels. The story of Claire and Dante is a love waiting to be fulfilled. As this is the 1st book in the series, I am looking forward to enjoying the next 3 books.
Good read, kept me involved and wanting to read more.
Wonderful characters and wonderful story line. Totally enjoyed the whole book I couldn’t put it down. Good job. Love the interesting tail.
Love all her books!
Such an interesting beginning! The Cursed D’Angelo brothers are just wonderful. Well edited.
The D’Angelo brothers are triplets – a set of identical twins and a fraternal triplet. The beginning centers on Dante and Claire – their past and their present. Claire is off to a job interview when she realizes there is a ‘Mr. Darcy’ like man in her selfies. Such a strange thing! At the interview, she learns she is actually in competition with Pierce – her cheating ex – and Dante – the man who embarrassed her professionally. Dante is disturbed more by the fact that he cannot ‘see’ Claire with his Grossly Unusual Talent (GUT), than he is by the competition. Dante is able to see who people have been in their past lives, as well as occasionally regress to see a part of his own past lives. As it turns out, Dante and Claire have a history. The rest of the story is solving the mystery of the art they have been asked to authenticate, as well as the mystery of their past connection.
Looking forward to seeing where the brother’s stories will take them! Enjoy.