Review: A Veil of Glass and Rain by Petra F. Bagnardi

Title: A Veil of Glass and Rain
Author: Petra F. Bagnardi
Release Date 20th April 2013: 
Publisher: Self-published
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Brina and Eagan meet for the first time when she's nine and he's fourteen. They like each other from the very beginning, although their bond isn't immediate, but it grows over the years. What links them is the fact that their parents are photographers and are extremely devoted to their work and to each other; so much so that both Brina and Eagan have to learn how to take care of themselves from a very young age. Despite their differences, age, gender, nationality, Brina is Italian and Eagan is American, they find comfort in their growing friendship. 
Then Brina becomes a teenager, and her feelings for her friend start changing and deepening. New desires stir within her. As soon as Brina realizes how those feelings complicate her friendship with Eagan, she runs away from him.
A few years later, Brina is twenty and Eagan is twenty-five, they find one another once again. Brina is studying cinema in Rome and she's also trying to become a musician. Eagan begins to work as an architect in the same city. Eagan wants to be a part of Brina's life anew. Brina, however, is still in love with him; she finds it difficult to act merely as a friend and she keeps pulling away.

Set in the beautiful Rome, this is a sensual and romantic story of friendship and love.


Detailed Review: 

What I did like: The setting and the story. I think the author chose a really good setting and it isn't too cliched either, because people usually relate love to Paris but she has chosen Rome instead, which I think made the book stand out a little more. The story was simple but good. The author manages to put some twists into the story. The cover looks really nice as well. I don't judge a book by it's cover, but it definitely is a point-scorer. There were also some good characters in there, for example Eagan, whose cheerful and kind nature makes him likable immediately.

What I didn't like: Brina was too clingy and needy to me and I don't like main characters like that. If she could just grow up a little, then I would have liked her more. But she was simply too dependent on Eagan and her friends. Second point, too much sex. I found myself skipping some pages on that and to the more interesting parts. But I say this because I'm not a fan of erotica or New Adult. I mean it isn't THAT bad, I just didn't like it. I also think the author could add in more POVs besides Brina and Eagan's because I was really interested in their friends and family and what was happening to them.


The first time I saw Eagan, it was through a veil of glass and water. I was nine, and he was fourteen.


A Veil of Glass and Rain tells a story of a love so strong between two best friends, that they would do anything to solve the obstacles that are in their way. I liked how the author likes to mention the age difference because it reminds the reader that it is a problem, no matter how minor it seems. The love in this story is uncommon but possible. Petra paints a beautiful picture of love that will take the reader's breath away when they read it.      

Brief Review: I think this book was really good except that I would recommend it to adult readers. But the story was good and I liked the setting Petra picked because it set the story to a great start and ending. Her witting is sometimes powerful and can get whole sentences stuck in your head. The author did a good job though, of portraying a love that is passionate and unyielding that it really makes us yearn for it.

Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It!'

QUOTE: 

 This describes Eagan's and Brina's love,

I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.---A.S. Byatt

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