Author: Gwendolyn WomackPublisher: Picador Date of publication: July 5, 2016)
What if there was a drug that could help you remember past lives? What if the lives you remembered could lead you to your one true love? What if you learned that, for thousands of years, a deadly enemy had conspired to keep the two of you apart?
Bryan Pierce is an internationally famous artist, whose paintings have dazzled the world. But there's a secret to Bryan's success: Every canvas is inspired by an unusually vivid dream. Bryan believes these dreams are really recollections?possibly even flashback from another life?and he has always hoped that his art will lead him to an answer. And when he meets Linz Jacobs, a neurogenticist who recognizes a recurring childhood nightmare in one Bryan's paintings, he is convinced she holds the key.
Their meeting triggers Bryan's most powerful dream yet?visions of a team of scientists who, on the verge of discovering a cure for Alzheimer's, died in a lab explosion decades ago. As his visions intensify, Bryan and Linz start to discern a pattern. But a deadly enemy watches their every move, and he will stop at nothing to ensure that the past stays buried.
The Memory Painter really intrigued me after reading the synopsis. And while it did suck me in right at the beginning. it ended up dragging a little at times. The story involves Bryan who has dreams of past lives and in turn is able to create incredible paintings that depict that moment in time that he relives. He meets Linz and is immediately drawn to her. They say in reincarnation that we are drawn to others in our past lives over and over. These two share a history in a lot of those lives.
So, as I said, I liked premise. The mystery of Michael and Diana and how they connect to Bryan and Linz was kind of cool. But, in the end it was the pacing that made the book drag for me. I think the story could have benefited from less past lives. I found those sections kind of dull and ended up skimming a lot of them. There was a little twist in the end that was unexpected, so if you can stick it out, it's almost worth the wait.
Praise “... hang on for a wild and entertaining ride around the world and through the centuries back to ancient Egypt.” Library Journal (starred review) “Gwendolyn Womack's tale dazzles.” US Weekly (Standout Spring Novels)
The Memory Painter really intrigued me after reading the synopsis. And while it did suck me in right at the beginning. it ended up dragging a little at times. The story involves Bryan who has dreams of past lives and in turn is able to create incredible paintings that depict that moment in time that he relives. He meets Linz and is immediately drawn to her. They say in reincarnation that we are drawn to others in our past lives over and over. These two share a history in a lot of those lives.
So, as I said, I liked premise. The mystery of Michael and Diana and how they connect to Bryan and Linz was kind of cool. But, in the end it was the pacing that made the book drag for me. I think the story could have benefited from less past lives. I found those sections kind of dull and ended up skimming a lot of them. There was a little twist in the end that was unexpected, so if you can stick it out, it's almost worth the wait.
Praise “... hang on for a wild and entertaining ride around the world and through the centuries back to ancient Egypt.” Library Journal (starred review) “Gwendolyn Womack's tale dazzles.” US Weekly (Standout Spring Novels)
“A sweeping, mesmerizing feat of absolute magic...” ?M. J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows
“The guy-meets-girl story as you've never heard it before...A mind-explosion of a journey ensues that involves time travel, mystery, love, and a whole lot of plot twists.” Refinery29 “A page turner that will keep readers up late into the night. Readers who love adventure, romance and fantasy will love this book.” The Vancouver Sun
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About Gwendolyn Womack
Gwendolyn Womack began writing plays in college and majored in Theatre at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She received an MFA in Directing Theatre and Film from California Institute of the Arts and currently lives in Los Angeles with her family. The Memory Painter is her first novel.
Find out more about Gwendolyn at her website, connect with her on Facebook and Twitter, and see what she's pinning on Pinterest.
Tour Stops
Monday, July 4th: Lilac Reviews
Tuesday, July 5th: Kahakai
Kitchen
Wednesday, July 6th: Dreaming
Big
Thursday, July 7th: 100
Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Friday, July 8th: Art
@ Home
Monday, July 11th: A
Bookish Affair
Wednesday, July 13th: Ms.
Nose in a Book
Thursday, July 14th: Broken
Teepee
Monday, July 18th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, July 19th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, July 20th: Ms.Bookish.com
Thursday, July 21st: Bibliotica
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
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