I jumped into this thinking that I had already read MAESTRA; alas, I had confused it with another book, and alas, once I finally got to it, I wasn't a fan.

I did prefer DOMINA to its predecessor--I felt like it was slightly less pretentious and that Judith was a bit more of a relocatable character. Despite this, I still slogged through it and I felt like there just wasn't really any emotion for me to connect to.

I might have to read the third to find out what happens, but I'm not super invested.

Marginally better than its predecessor, Domina is full of superfluous sex in an overimagined world of moneyed hedonism and narcissism. While it's certainly not fine literature, I'm going to cringe and buy the last in the trilogy because I do need to know how it pans out.

Unfortunately as with Maestra, Domina was a book I did not enjoy, The promise is a good one but I felt it was not well-developed., something is missing on the story, and that missing something is what personally prevents me from liking the story, feel connected with the characters and they story they are trying to tell. i will probable read the next book but Domina did not work for me.

I wasn't a big fan of this book, so I won't be reviewing it on my blog. I don't think it's fair to give a bad review to an author who really writes well. This book just wasn't for me and I didn't finish. The description sounded amazing, however, the book itself was just not really my taste. I wish the author all the best in her future endeavors. I don't think I will be reading anymore of this series though. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Have a great day!
Truly,
Jennifer

Domina is one of those novels I really wish I had not read. Whereas Maestra was compelling, Domina is just downright boring. There is a surprising amount of inaction in this book. One might even say Domina is more of an ode to art than it is a murder thriller.

There are more issues with the novel than the lack of action. The very first issue occurs immediately. The book starts under the assumption that you read the first novel so we get none of the character development that allows us to sink into Judith's character. Instead, we must dive right in even though her personality is too strong and too focused on material wealth to allow for any sort of comfortable transition. Even for readers who already know Judith/Elisabeth, the lack of introduction or time for character development is uncomfortable, made even more so because Judith changes so much throughout the course of the story. In one scene, she is an expensive call girl. In another, the art historian bookworm. In yet another, she is a needy, material- and sexed-obsessed glam girl looking for her ticket into the main event. While all of these are Judith, and one instinctively knows that, they do not blend well together. The end result is one jarring jump between personalities to another, each one of which pushes you out of the story.

Main character aside, the main story suffers from its focus on art, in particular art forgeries. There is more time devoted to Caravaggio, his lifestyle, and what he did and did not paint or draw than there is action, adventure, or murder. When not regaling readers with Caravaggio's life story, the author takes readers through the ins and outs of art houses, how easy it can be to pass a forgery on the market, and the lucrative business that is high-end art dealings. The author then gets drawn into art as a means of money laundering, its ties to crime bosses throughout the world, and so forth. There is, simply put, too much explanation and not enough action.

Without the action, the story bogs down severely and becomes entirely uninteresting. The sex scenes are still gratuitous, coming seemingly out of nowhere and for no discernible reason than to titillate or repulse, depending on your viewpoint. We learn nothing new about any of the characters, and these scenes do nothing to drive forward the plot. Plus, Judith is no longer an interesting character. She spends so much time reacting and lamenting the loss of her posh lifestyle that you begin to wonder if it is the same character as in the first book. While she needed no one in the first book, now she comes to rely heavily on men to help her achieve her goals. By the time the cliffhanger ending comes, you are more than ready to put Judith aside for something a little lighter and a lot more engaging.

Domina suffers most from trying to be the same as the first book in the series. Unfortunately, the shock value has worn off and what was once outrageous is now normal for the character. The author tries to keep the same tension, but there too she fails as she gets bogged down under lengthy explanations that do nothing for the plot. Instead of a new story, we find the sequel revolving around the same issues with the same dangers and involving some of the same people. One time was intriguing; two times is one time too many.

It worries me that I keep rooting for Judith. She may be a psychopath who uses and discards people and I still want her to get away with murder. Literally. She's just so smart, even when she's being played. She is funny and twisted and, even if I wouldn't invite her to tea, her obsession with beauty is so compelling. I love how this book talks about art, and takes place (mostly) in amazing places. The rhythm of the story feels like a locomotive that may be about to derail. The more things go wrong, the better Judith is. I loved the tidbits about art history and even the made-up artists and movements that Judith is trying to promote (at least I assume they're made up, even if I may have seen installations by the Xoac Collective in Brooklyn). Yes, the sex mostly slows down the plot and is unnecessarily explicit (in my opinion), but Judith is such a fascinating character that I want to spend more time with her.

This is a horrible book. I could not even finish it.

The sequel to Maestra follows the story of Judith as she continues to run from the law and others who may be after her. This book follows Judith through Europe again. This time running into some wealthy Russians. Does Judith have a picture they're looking for? Can Judith find it to get them off her back?

I enjoyed this book more than the first one. Judith is a love/hate character, but she is definitely fascinating. I can't wait to see how this trilogy wraps up. I enjoy traipsing through Europe with her and also getting an Art History lesson along the way!

Thanks PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and netgalley for this ARC.

Donina continues with a sequel that is just as explosive, sexy, and thrilly as Maestra.

The book picks up a few months after Maestra. Judith/Elisabeth is now living among the ultra wealthy as a gallerist and she is bored. Things perk up when an old acquaintance finds a picture of her and she feels threatened - something that makes her thrilled and anxious at the same time. She is also asked to appraise a vast collection of old world masterpieces that might bring her more trouble than fame. Intricate and masterful, the author infuses the story with plenty of titillation just like in the previous book. Readers will clamor for more.

Elisabeth (Judith Rashleigh) has started over with her own art gallery in Venice. With her new ID, she’s living the good life, until she comes across a body and even though this time she’s not the culprit, she finds herself on the run again.. It turns out there are plenty of people who will do almost anything to own a rare piece of art, even kill for it. This is the second book in a trilogy, and readers really need to read the first book to understand Judith’s character and motivation. This series has been called the Russian Fifty Shades, but make no mistake, Judith is no shrinking violet virgin