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Mazarine Dreamer

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Reviewed in 🇺🇸 December 11, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer was such a pleasant surprise. I went in expecting a creative time-bending romance, but it turned out to be so much richer than that. Flavia’s journey—literally slipping back into her Renaissance past life—pulled me in right away. Her memories seeped into the pages and were beautifully and poetically told. I enjoyed the rhyming nature of the book and it kept me in intrigued and kept the book flowing beautifully. I did not know what to expect with the book like this as previously sonnets from Shakespeare were the only thing of this nature I really knew and I did find some of those sonnets, at times, a little hard to understand. I was nervous going in, but my nerves quickly got put at ease when seeing how easy it was to read and understand.

The love triangle is emotional, complicated, and full of that tension where one is constantly wondering who she’ll choose and why. Between the painter and the nobleman, each one has his own specific traits that make it hard for her to choose.
I loved how the author wove reincarnation, romance, and spiritual stakes together without it ever feeling heavy. The Renaissance setting felt vivid and atmospheric. At times, the whole story gave this sense of urgency that kept me turning pages.
What really stayed with me, though, was Flavia’s personal transformation. Her choice between the two men isn’t just about love—it’s about growth, redemption, and finding the path that leads her to something bigger than herself. That gave the ending a real emotional punch.
If you enjoy time-slip stories, historical romance, or anything with a mystical twist, definitely give Mazarine Dreamer a try. It’s romantic, magical, and beautifully written. 5 stars

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 December 9, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer by Francessca Bella is an unusually enchanting and genre-bending novel that combines poetic storytelling, illustrated artistry, and a sweeping tale of love that transcends time. What becomes immediately clear, even from its opening pages, is that this book does not aim to follow conventional narrative rules. Instead, it seeks to immerse the reader in a dreamlike, musical experience through its flowing rhymed structure—a bold stylistic choice that becomes one of its greatest strengths. Although this format may surprise readers at first, the rhythm quickly pulls you into a world where language feels alive, echoing the emotional and mystical themes at the heart of the story. At its core, the novel follows Flavia, a woman whose present life begins to unravel the threads of a past existence rooted in Renaissance Italy. Through dreams, visions, and uncanny feelings of recognition, she discovers she is connected to a previous life in ways that alter her understanding of identity and love. The story revolves around her deep emotional bond with two men from this past life, shaping a love triangle that could have easily fallen into cliché but instead becomes layered with surprising subtlety. Rather than functioning as a typical romantic conflict, the triangle becomes a vehicle for exploring how longing, regret, and unfulfilled desire echo through lifetimes. Flavia’s emotional journey is not simply romantic—it is spiritual and psychological, forcing her to confront who she once was and who she is becoming. One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is its portrayal of Renaissance Italy. The author paints this historical setting with such vivid detail that the past feels both tactile and enchanted. Readers are able to sense the streets, the colors, the scents, and the underlying tensions of the era: a world rich in beauty yet shadowed by political, religious, and personal conflicts. This environment provides a dramatic backdrop for the unfolding love story, grounding the more mystical or dreamlike elements in a place that feels authentically lived-in. The contrast between the grounded historical realism and the airy, poetic language creates a tone that is both immersive and ethereal. The novel’s dream sequences deepen this atmosphere even further. Reviewers consistently note how dreams and reality blur together in ways that make the reader question what is literal and what is symbolic, which mirrors Flavia’s own confusion as she moves between timelines. These dreams do not simply act as plot devices but become emotional and spiritual explorations that reveal hidden truths and long-buried connections. Through this narrative technique, Bella creates a feeling of drifting between worlds—one foot in history, one foot in fantasy—while still maintaining emotional cohesion. The dreams whisper clues, warnings, and echoes of past desires, and their slow weaving into reality gives the novel its haunting tone. Complementing the poetic text are the book’s illustrations, which reviewers repeatedly highlight as an integral part of the experience. Rather than being ornamental, the artwork reinforces the story’s mood, adding layers of intimacy and visual beauty. The images help anchor moments of emotional intensity, giving readers a sense of stepping into a Renaissance-inspired dreamscape. Their inclusion elevates the novel from simple narrative fiction into something closer to a multimedia experience. In this way, Mazarine Dreamer feels like a work of art as much as a piece of literature. The characters themselves are drawn with emotional honesty and complexity. Flavia in particular is portrayed as a woman torn between longing and fear, strength and vulnerability. As she grapples with the discovery of her past life, she must also confront her present-day insecurities and desires. Her development feels organic and heartfelt, driven by internal struggles rather than external melodrama. The men connected to her past are likewise portrayed as flawed, passionate, and deeply human. Their motivations, regrets, and hopes make them compelling even when their choices complicate the story. The emotional realism of the characters helps ground the narrative’s mystical qualities, resulting in a story that feels intimate even when its scale spans centuries. Reviewers also note the mythic tone that permeates the novel, describing it as “god-touched” or shaped by ancient forces. This does not mean the book becomes dark or heavy; rather, it gives the love story a sense of significance beyond the personal, as though destiny or fate has woven these characters together across time. The narrative’s structure, which moves between dream, memory, and present experience, reinforces the feeling of being pulled along by forces neither the characters nor the reader fully understand. Yet this sense of cosmic pull is balanced by moments of quiet tenderness and introspection, which keep the emotional core firmly grounded in human experience. Although the novel’s ambition may not resonate equally with every reader, even those who did not fully connect with the story praise its craftsmanship, worldbuilding, and lyrical beauty. The book’s willingness to take risks—through its poetic structure, visual elements, and philosophical depth—sets it apart from typical romance or fantasy novels. Instead of relying on standard tropes or predictable arcs, Bella chooses to explore love as a transformative force, one that challenges identity and transcends the boundaries of life and death. The overarching impression formed by reader responses is that Mazarine Dreamer is a work that lingers in the mind long after reading. It whispers rather than shouts, offering its emotional truths subtly and allowing the reader to sit with them. For many, the experience is immersive and mesmerizing, leaving them with the sense that they have read something truly different—something that feels like a blend of poetry, dream, memory, and myth. The lush prose, vivid imagery, and emotional depth all contribute to a story that feels timeless and deeply personal. For readers who enjoy lyrical writing, artistic storytelling, time-spanning romance, and fantasy with a spiritual undercurrent, Mazarine Dreamer is more than a novel; it is an unforgettable sensory and emotional journey.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 December 3, 2025

Flavia is the kind of character who gets under your skin quietly, and I ended up caring about her way more than I expected! The scene that stayed with me most was when she wakes up shaken… because the dream version of her life felt more real than the morning she opened her eyes to. I really felt her confusion and that tug toward something she cannot explain. Watching her try to make sense of Fiamma’s presence felt like watching someone slowly remember a part of themselves they did not know they lost…

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 December 3, 2025

This illustrated novel is unlike anything I’ve read—part poetry, part fantasy, part historical mystery. The rhyming style gives it a dreamy rhythm, and the reincarnation storyline adds real intrigue. At times it feels surreal, but the artistry and imagination behind the love-and-redemption journey make it a memorable read.

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Reviewed in 🇬🇧 27 November 2025

Mazarine Dreamer by Francessca Bella is a lyrical, emotionally rich novel that blends fantasy, introspection, and the surreal into a coming-of-age journey. At its heart is a protagonist navigating the blurred line between dreams and reality, where inner wounds and vivid imagination intertwine. Bella’s prose is elegant and fluid, often leaning into poetic rhythms that evoke more feeling than action.
The world-building has a dreamlike quality—less about strict logic and more about emotional truth. This can make the plot feel elusive at times, especially for readers seeking a tightly structured narrative. But for those who enjoy immersive language, layered symbolism, and stories that live more in the heart than in the timeline, this book will resonate deeply.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 21, 2025

From the moment I stepped into Flavia’s shifting timelines, I felt wrapped in a dreamy, poetic atmosphere unlike anything I’ve read lately. The rhythmic writing style gave the story a musical quality that kept pulling me forward. I loved how the romance carried equal parts tension and tenderness without losing the mystical edge. By the end, I felt like I’d travelled through time with her.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 20, 2025

I have read many of Francessca Bella’s books and she always manages to surprise me with each new book. Mazarine Dreamer is unique in that it’s both an illustrated novel but also written in rich poetic language, that is so captivating. The writing is stunning and really immerses you in the fantastical and whimsical world Francessca expertly weaves. The illustrations really add to the magical vibes of the story. I really loved Flavia’s journey through time. The Renaissance setting was so vivid and lush, it was a really fascinating read.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 17, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is a beautifully imaginative and lyrical illustrated novel that blends romance, reincarnation, and time travel into a uniquely poetic experience. Francessca Bella crafts her story with rhythmic, rhyming prose that feels almost musical, making the book not just a narrative but an enchanting reading journey. The return of protagonist Flavia to her Renaissance past adds intrigue, historic atmosphere, and emotional complexity as forgotten love, spiritual destiny, and hidden secrets unfold.

The revived love triangle, the moral pressure from a corrupt clergy, and the soul-level stakes create tension that feels both romantic and otherworldly. Readers who enjoy fantasy with poetic narrative, symbolic themes, and artistic storytelling will find this book refreshingly original. It’s haunting, romantic, visually stunning, and full of meaning—an unforgettable mix of love, fate, and transformation.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 12, 2025

This one is definitely different from anything I’ve read before. The whole thing is written in rhyming verse, which was pretty cool but also took me a while to get used to. I kept expecting it to switch back to regular prose but it never did.

The story about Flavia going back to her past life in the Renaissance was interesting enough to keep me reading. I liked the time travel aspect and the whole reincarnation thing, even though some parts felt a bit confusing. The love triangle was okay – I mean, its been done before but the historical setting made it feel fresh. Plus the illustrations scattered throughout were really nice touches.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 9, 2025

I’ve never read anything quite like this—part poem, part novel, and completely enchanting. The lyrical flow takes a little adjustment at first, but once you find the rhythm, it’s hypnotic. The Renaissance setting is rich and vivid, and the story of past-life love and choice feels both mystical and deeply human. It’s the kind of book that invites you to slow down and savor the language.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 4, 2025

From the first pages, the poetic rhythm pulls you into a world that feels both ancient and vividly alive. The reincarnation theme gives the romance a sense of fate and consequence, while the Renaissance backdrop adds richness and intrigue. I loved how each verse feels purposeful, every rhyme echoing the emotional beats of the story. The illustrations are stunning and heighten the dreamlike quality throughout. It’s a book that stays with you long after finishing.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 November 4, 2025

I’m the kind of reader who keeps *Romeo and Juliet* dog-eared next to *The Raven* on the nightstand. Give me iambs. Give me internal rhymes. Give me lovers doomed across centuries. And I’m sold. When I cracked open *Mazarine Dreamer*, Francessca Bella’s 500-page debut, and saw a Cast of Characters page staring back at me like a playbill, I knew I was in for something Shakespearean in spirit if not in meter. This book doesn’t just flirt with poetry. It marries it, consummates it, and builds a palace of couplets you’ll never want to leave.

The premise is catnip for anyone who sobbed over *The Time Traveler’s Wife* or *Outlander*. Flavia Mavaret, a twenty-something in sleepy Spelthorne, England, drowns in mazarine-blue visions. These are ultramarine flashbacks that feel less like dreams and more like memories she never lived. She’s the reincarnation of a Renaissance woman caught in a scalding love triangle. One man is a painter with hands stained in lapis. The other is a nobleman whose smile could bankrupt kingdoms. Bella doesn’t ease you in with prose. She slams the gate open in rhyming couplets and never looks back. Think:

> *“My heart, a locked complexity, / Demands I solve its mystery…”*

It’s the kind of line that makes you whisper it aloud just to feel the click of the rhyme.

That cast list? A lifesaver. We’re juggling two timelines, a dozen aliases, and enough court intrigue to make *Hamlet* look underpopulated. Flavia (modern) equals Fiamma (1500s). The painter is Matteo, he of the mazarine gaze. The noble is Lord Something-or-Other who probably inspired half of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Having everyone mapped out front lets me flip back without losing the thread. It’s like glancing at the program during *Twelfth Night* to remember who’s disguised as whom.

And the rhythm. God, the rhythm. Bella writes in AABB couplets that gallop when Flavia runs through Spelthorne fog. They tighten like a noose during courtroom betrayals. It’s not Dr. Seuss. It’s closer to the propulsive pulse of *Porphyria’s Lover* stretched to novel length. Storm scenes crack the sky in twain. Visions taste of 16th-century Venice salt air. The rhyme isn’t decoration. It’s architecture. Every plot beat lands on the downbeat. Betrayal gets a perfectly timed caesura. A kiss seals with the couplet.

I’m swamped. My TBR is a tower of guilt. And 200,000 words of anything is daunting. But Bella’s verse is engineered for skimming and savoring. Read it fast and it’s a cinematic trailer. Read it slow and it’s a sonnet sequence you annotate in the margins. The illustrations are full-color and almost illuminated-manuscript lush. They pop up exactly when your eyes need a breather. One spread of mazarine waves curling around a sinking gondola made me gasp on the subway.

The love triangle earns its centuries-spanning angst. Flavia/Fiamma isn’t a passive vessel for fate. She’s a woman clawing back agency across lifetimes. She decodes her own heart like a Renaissance cipher. The men aren’t archetypes. Matteo’s brooding artistry and the noble’s gilded danger are fully fleshed. Their rivalries spark couplets that singe the page. Bella weaves reincarnation not as gimmick but as emotional archaeology. Every memory unearthed is a shard of self reclaimed.

Is it perfect? The rhyme occasionally sacrifices subtlety for sound. That’s a fair trade if you ask this Poe stan. And the sheer density demands commitment. But that’s the point. *Mazarine Dreamer* isn’t background noise. It’s a bardic recital in a candlelit hall. It demands you lean in, mouth the words, feel the meter in your pulse.

Verdict? 5/5. If you’ve ever underlined sonnets in red pen or quoted *Macbeth* during a breakup, clear your weekend. This is the bardic romantasy you didn’t know you needed. And yes, the cast list means you’ll never forget who’s stabbing whom in the back.

Reviewed in 🇬🇧 1 November 2025

This book takes readers on a lyrical journey through time, blending romance, mystery, and spirituality. Written entirely in rhyming couplets, it has a musical rhythm that sets it apart. The story follows Flavia as she navigates a love triangle from a past life, all against a richly illustrated Renaissance backdrop. It’s more like experiencing a piece of art than reading a traditional novel.

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Reviewed in 🇺🇸 on October 31, 2025

If you like books that keep you turning the pages until the very end, this is your novel. The plot was not going engaging but the author found a way to connect me to the characters early on. I truly enjoyed it.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 26, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is unlike anything I’ve read—a blend of poetry, romance, and fantasy woven into a reincarnation tale that feels both mystical and intimate. Francessca Bella’s rhyming prose flows like music, and the Renaissance setting is so vividly drawn you can almost smell the paint and parchment. It’s romantic, imaginative, and completely mesmerizing.

Reviewed in 🇦🇺 October 22, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is a richly imaginative and lyrical read that blends romance, time travel, and spirituality into something truly unique. Written in rhyme, it reads like an epic poem infused with emotion and wonder. The rhythm and illustrations give the story a musical, dreamlike quality that lingers. It’s not for everyone or something I’d recommend attempting in a single sitting, but readers who enjoy something poetic, artful, and a little bit mystical should enjoy it.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 17, 2025

This poetic illustrated novel transports readers to the Renaissance, where past lives intertwine with present passions. Through rhymes and visions, the heroine relives a love once lost, seeking to discover which of two souls is her true destiny. A story of second chances, redemption, and the heavens that open only to those who learn to love with a pure heart.

Reviewed in 🇬🇧 13 October 2025

This story weaves romance and spiritual exploration into a rich historical setting, as Flavia navigates a love triangle tied to her past life. The illustrations add texture, making Renaissance Italy feel tangible and alive. The mix of reincarnation, emotional conflict, and historical detail is handled with care. It leans into the mystical without losing its grounding in character-driven storytelling. A unique and memorable blend of genres.

Reviewed in 🇩🇪 12 October 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is a story that lingers – its magic whispers, not shouts. The worldbuilding feels dreamy but grounded; I loved how the dreams weave into reality, blurring the line until you can’t tell which is more real. The characters breathe: their desires, regrets, and secrets make you root for them even when they make mistakes. If you’re looking for fantasy that sticks in your mind long after you finish, this is five stars.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 7, 2025

A unique and lyrical story with a poetic rhythm that stands out. The blend of romance, time travel, and spiritual themes makes it an imaginative and memorable read.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 6, 2025

I went into Canticle expecting something experimental, maybe even visionary — a blend of poetry and story that would bring together reincarnation, mysticism, and romance. What I found instead was a puzzling jumble of rhyme and rhetoric that never adds up to anything coherent.

The author clearly wants to write in an elevated, “epic” voice. Every line rhymes, often in couplets, and the imagery aims for Renaissance splendor and spiritual depth. But the language is so tangled and self-conscious that it feels more like word salad than literature. Sentences twist themselves inside out to chase rhymes; ideas repeat endlessly in different costumes; and the supposed poetry has no rhythm, pulse, or natural flow.

The setting and plot are equally bewildering. It begins with a woman on trial before supernatural judges, leaps into her career as a modern-day psychiatrist, and then wanders through scenes with monks, ghosts, and oracles. None of it fits together in a way that a reader can follow, and the tone wobbles from high-church sermon to gothic melodrama to textbook psychology.

The strangest part is how it sounds — not like English written by a native speaker, but like a translation that someone tried to polish with a rhyming dictionary. Word choices are often wrong or oddly formal (“begat plainly,” “love impassioned in the frolics my romancers and I fashioned”), giving the whole book a dreamlike but accidental surrealism.

There’s ambition here, certainly. The writer is reaching for transcendence and wants to fuse intellect and emotion. But without control of rhythm, syntax, or tone, the result is exhausting rather than profound. After several attempts to read it straight through, I was still unsure what Canticle wanted to be — poem, novel, or fever dream.

For readers who enjoy deciphering eccentric language experiments, this might be an odd curiosity. For everyone else, it’s an object lesson in how rhyme alone doesn’t make poetry, and ornate diction doesn’t make art.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 4, 2025

This book is a great reminder that love and art can transcend both time and form. The language moves like music, the rhymes pulse with feeling. I admired how Bella wove time travel, reincarnation, and love into something both poetic. It’s bold, lyrical, and unlike any romance I’ve read.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 October 2, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is a beautifully written story that blends imagination with deep emotion. The prose feels poetic, drawing you into a dreamlike world that is both enchanting and thought-provoking. The characters are vivid and layered, and the narrative flows with a sense of wonder that keeps you engaged throughout. A mesmerizing read for those who enjoy literary fiction with a touch of magic and introspection.

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Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 29, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is unlike anything I’ve read—rhythmic, rhyming, and beautifully illustrated. Flavia’s reincarnated journey into her Renaissance past blends romance, mystery, and spiritual stakes in a way that feels both unique and timeless. A rare, poetic tale that lingers long after the final page.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 on September 28, 2025

A little different read for me but I enjoyed it.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 26, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer by Francessca Bella is a breath of fresh air in the romance and fantasy genres. This illustrated novel is a rhyming and rhythmic tale that transports the reader on a fantastical journey through time.

The story follows Flavia, a reincarnated soul who must unravel the secrets of her past life’s love triangle in the Renaissance. The lyrical style makes the narrative feel like a spell, and the illustrations add a whimsical layer to the already unique concept. It’s a book that is as much a work of art as it is a captivating story.

This is a perfect read for anyone seeking a romance that is as intelligent as it is heartfelt, with a truly one-of-a-kind narrative voice.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 20, 2025

This book felt like stepping into a piece of art. The rhymes, illustrations, and Renaissance romance pulled me in right away. Flavia’s journey through love, destiny, and faith was both magical and moving. A rare and beautiful story that lingers after the last page.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 19, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer by Francessca Belle is an intriguing romance book. This fascinating book rhymes its way through the words, weaving a story that is catchy and interesting. There are illustrations throughout the book that complement the text. It is highly creative, imaginative, mysterious, and descriptive, with a love triangle mixed in. As Flavia time-travels to her past life, she unravels tantalizing romantic secrets that are savory. This book is one I truly enjoyed. It is a good read.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 18, 2025

This book was an interesting one, a poetic-style romance story which I found really unique. The storytelling and plot was intriguing and romance was well written. The characters put life to the story and it makes it a good read.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 16, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer is unlike any illustrated novel I’ve read, and that’s I liked most about it—the rhythmic, rhyming style made the story feel almost like a lyrical performance, while the artwork added another layer of depth and beauty. I enjoyed how the reincarnation and Renaissance setting created a sense of mystery and timelessness, and the love triangle kept me curious about who Flavia would ultimately choose. At times, I found the rhyming structure a little challenging to follow because it occasionally slowed down the pacing, but it also gave the book a distinctive charm that matched its dreamlike atmosphere. It’s not for someone looking for a quick, casual read, but for those willing to immerse themselves, it’s truly rewarding.

Reviewed in 🇺🇸 September 13, 2025

Mazarine Dreamer by Francessca Bella is a beautifully unique illustrated novel told in lyrical, rhyming verse. Blending reincarnation, time travel, and romance, it follows Flavia as she returns to her Renaissance past to face a love triangle that spans lifetimes. With themes of choice, transformation, and spiritual destiny, the story weaves romance and intrigue against the backdrop of a corrupted clergy and eternal stakes. Poetic, imaginative, and visually enriched, this novel offers readers a rare blend of rhythm, art, and timeless storytelling.

Reviewed in 🇬🇧 11 September 2025

This book is really different from anything I’ve picked up before—an entire novel written in rhyming couplets. The story itself mixes time travel, romance, and a touch of mystery, all set against a Renaissance backdrop. At first, the rhythm took me a little while to adjust to, but once I did, it gave the whole thing a unique, almost musical flow. It’s definitely not your everyday read, but that’s part of what makes it stand out.

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