Sheri Hoyte – Reader Views: “Waking Isabella” by Melissa Muldoon is a must-read for all fans of Italy, history, romance and intrigue. Eccellente! Muldoon magically weaves together the lives of Nora, Isabella and Margherita, spanning the course of many centuries, into a story that will mesmerize and haunt readers long after the last page is read. For full review click here.
Renaissance princess Isabella de’ Medici steals the limelight as her influence transforms lives even across centuries.
Recommended reading for anyone who wants to
take an armchair journey to Tuscany or looking
for new places to explore on their next trip
For anyone who loves history, art and
anything Italian, this is the perfect novel for you.
Read what people are saying about
Waking Isabella
“Waking Isabella is the kind of historical fiction I love – the main story takes place in the present but within the plot are flashbacks of stories taking place in the Renaissance and during World War II. If you’ve never been to Arezzo, you’ll probably want to go after you read this book. Recommended reading for anyone who wants to take an armchair journey to Tuscany or looking for new places to explore on their next trip.” – Marth Bakerjian, Italy travel expert “Martha’sItaly.com” and “About.com”
I first discovered the author, Melissa Muldoon, when an ad appeared onscreen for her first book, “Dreaming Sophia”, as I was perusing the Book Department. Discovering that it involved a young American woman yearning to go to Italy, where her mother had studied art, I was immediately interested. As an Italian American very proud of her ethnicity’s culture, I quickly became engrossed in the novel, enjoying it thoroughly. Naturally, I chose her second book, “Waking Isabella”, and was equally impressed. Muldoon writes with clarity, excellent description, and poetic, romantic touches. I found the mixture of English with some French and Italian to be very effective at putting me at the scenes in Europe, whether in the sixteenth century with Isabella de’ Medici, or in present day Arezzo, Italy. I highly recommend this book! – Amazon Reader
One of the things that I loved most about Waking Isabella and the author’s writing style is her ability to transport readers to the beautiful country of Italy. From art and culture to the people and language, one could easily be lost in the pages of the book. Even though I’m not very knowledgeable about art, the way Melissa Muldoon talked about it in her novel, with so much passion and detail, I can’t help but appreciate the beauty of it, especially its rich history.- The Book Snake
The writing is unrushed, the story unfolds languidly, with lovely descriptions of the countryside, generously peppered with lively discussions between the characters. The love of art in its many guises shines throughout the pages of the historical re-enactments. With a deft touch the author seamlessly weaves mystery and light romance into a suspenseful tale that spans centuries and links the lives of three indomitable women in a way that was both richly informative and entertaining. – Laurie’s Book Interviews
I really enjoyed Waking Isabella. I liked the idea it explored that events in the past have echoes in the modern day. As Nora muses, ‘People’s lives, energy, and actions had resounding effects flowing down through the years, touching, inspiring and sparking change.’ Waking Isabella is an engaging story of secrets, passion, loss, courage, betrayal and finding beauty in everything around you whether that’s art, friendship, food, wine, architecture, culture…or handsome jousters. It will appeal to those with an interest in Italy, art and who like the idea of awakening a little romance in their own lives. – What Kathy Read Next
The light writing makes the novel fluid and easy to read, yet it still manages to convey beauty and heart. Through the eyes of a modern woman, we get to experience the long-delayed return to the land of her youth, her first and most honest dreams, before pragmatism and external influences stopped them from being realized.- Amazon Reader
Waking Isabella is a beautiful story of friendship, betrayal and most of all love. If you love mystery books like me, definitely you will enjoy reading this historical book. If you love to travel, and Italy is in your bucket list, this book is I can recommend. – Jessica Cassidy Books
In short, this is a beautiful and well-written tale of lost love, friendship, betrayal and the vagaries of a relationship. – Amazon Reader
This is a wonderful story. I loved following along as Nora works her way through her self-esteem issues to recreate herself. To become the person she has always wanted to be. But I also enjoyed the research and history that went into both Isabella’s story and Margherita’s. It was so easy to fall into the history of both eras and hope and pray for the best for all three women. I loved this story that is rich in history and art. You can tell that Melissa Muldoon loves Italy as she describes this world. This is a great story and one that I strongly recommend. – J. Bronder Book Reviews
The author’s historical research really makes this novel “come alive” as we are transported to different time periods and places in search of elusive clues to missing pieces of artwork. The introduction of realistic characters and multiple storylines that ultimately lead back to the beginning of the story made for an interesting and enjoyable read. Brush up on your Italian, there is plenty in this book! Take care, you may end up enjoying a cappuccino yourself on sun drenched day somewhere in historic Italy. – Amazon Reader
I love Waking Isabella! Melissa weaves a wonderful tale, so incredibly rich in details, that clever fully spanning many generations to tell the stories of her three heroines.Well done Melissa!- Amazon Reader