Separated by centuries… Reunited to change the worldHave you ever wondered if you met someone… before? When she meets the Artist, his first words to her are, “We Meet Again.” Yet they hadn’t met before. Or had they?
Brownell Landrum’s celebrated We Meet Again trilogy is an epic reincarnation mystery + love story about a famous couple from history reunited today to fulfill a prophecy that will change the world. But is the world ready to change? Follow the clues tracing back centuries, even millennia through this remarkable story of love, fate, and destiny against a backdrop of lifetimes from present day to 1930s Brazil, 1500s Renaissance Europe, the Middle Ages, and even ancient Greece.
In Book One, meet Marielle and Dante, a modern-day couple navigating a new relationship while re-living a previous lifetime as a nun and a priest in 1930s Brazil protecting a valuable artifact from a nefarious organization still on the hunt today.
Brownell Landrum is an author, inventor, songwriter, and explorer of metaphysical mysteries. In addition to being the author of the We Meet Again trilogy, and A Love Story to the Universe novella series, and over a dozen books and screenplays ranging from nonfiction (Five Reasons Why Bad Things Happen) to fiction including The DUET stories novel series, children’s books, and more, Brownell is the executive producer of the Life is a Trip Reincarnation Stories Podcast. She is also the creator of "The Hero's Playbook: For the Hero in All of Us" a fun, interactive journal inspired by Joseph’s Campbell Hero with 1000 Faces that that takes participants through the steps to becoming a hero, whether to become a better leader, write a story, a screenplay, or a memoir or just for personal exploration and growth.
Her stories can be summarized as follows: Lose Yourself in the Fiction… Find Yourself in the Truth.
Brownell’s stories dig deep into the heart and soul of the human experience incorporating humor, mysticism, love, and life. Her areas of expertise and metaphysical topics she enjoys include:
– Reincarnation and past lives – Fate, destiny and free will – Purpose and passion – And – always – delving into the WHY.
Brownell’s projects include: – We Meet Again trilogy – The End novella/short story series – Five Reasons Why Bad Things Happen: How to Turn Tragedies Into Triumph – Life is a Trip Podcast – DUET stories novel series
And coming soon: – Wonderactive Children’s books, including Sometimes I Wonder and This Isn’t My First Time– – INSPIRITORS middle grade novel and feature film film (coming soon) – Denouement novel and film (coming soon) – Fifty Shades Deeper
Some books are smart, and some try to be smart. In my experience, books that are trying to be smart have the characters use big words, speak in quotes, and tell the reader that they are smart. “We Meet Again” by Brownell Landrum is a book that is trying to be smart.
This book follows Marielle and Dante, a very special girl whom everyone loves and who is talented in every way imaginable, and the artist who is entranced by her. Along with these two, the book also follows Roque and Dulce, a priest and a nun who were sent on an important mission in 1932 Brazil. These two couples are connected through art and reincarnation.
Sixteen percent in and I knew this was not the book for me. Even with this thought, I was determined to keep going in hope that it would get better.
It didn’t. Okay, that is not entirely true, it got a tiny bit better.
Let’s begin with a list of things in this book that made me uncomfortable:
1. Marielle not being allowed to speak when Dante hires her as a model.
2. A love story between a priest and a nun (more is revealed about these two but they still make me uncomfortable).
3. Dante putting up secret cameras in his studio and Marielle’s friend telling her she is overreacting after she discovers them because it is his place and he can do what he wants.
4. Everyone around Marielle and Dante constantly telling them to kiss or saying how they are the perfect couple. They never talk about anything else.
This book did not have one likeable character. Marielle constantly talks in complete quotes, and everyone just seems to know who she is quoting (because they are all so smart). Dante is a creep, but it is okay because he loves Marielle. Roque and Dulce are just not very interesting. The two couples are so similar that it is hard to get into the story. Just because they are reincarnations of each other does not mean they have to share all the same characteristics.
Outside the story, I did not like how this book is set up. It is split up into eight parts that randomly go into short snippets from “Today” to “1932”. This set-up makes it hard to get into the story. It jumps from one setting to the next so quickly that it is not enjoyable. It also does not leave convenient stopping points.
I am super bummed about how much I dislike this book. It contains my all-time favorite trope: reincarnation. Two people connected over time through multiple lives has so much potential, and this one just fell flat for me.
We Meet Again is a reincarnation romance with an intriguing premise: what if the person you just met was someone your soul had known for centuries? That question drives the story of Marielle and Dante, two strangers who feel a deep, almost immediate familiarity. Their connection sparks a journey through lifetimes—modern day to 1930s Brazil, Renaissance Europe, the Middle Ages, and even Ancient Greece—as they uncover pieces of a prophecy that could change the world.
There’s a lot to admire here. The concept itself is ambitious, and Brownell Landrum clearly put a great deal of thought into the historical and metaphysical elements. The past-life flashbacks are some of the most engaging parts of the book, full of rich details and settings that transport the reader across time. Landrum seems especially at home writing about spiritual themes and metaphysical ideas, and readers interested in fate, soulmates, and destiny will find plenty to chew on.
Marielle and Dante’s bond is compelling, and I appreciated the way the narrative wove together threads from different time periods to create a bigger picture about love and purpose. There’s definitely a sense that this is just the beginning, and for readers who enjoy long-arc, multi-book love stories with a spiritual twist, the rest of the trilogy could be worth exploring.
Overall, We Meet Again is an imaginative and layered start to a metaphysical romance series. It’s not perfect, but it offers something different, blending history, passion, and a touch of mysticism in a way that might really resonate with the right reader.
This is a romance and reincarnation book based around marielle, it’s written so well and does definitely give all them romance feels I just felt it lacked a little bit more for me personally.
This is book 1 of 3 and definitely worth reading for all those romance readers.
This was a very ambitious, sprawling story involving reincarnation and multiple time periods. I found the premise fascinating, the execution less so. The writing's decent and the story was plotted out well. It just didn't fully grab my attention. I ended up skimming a lot, but there was definitely a lot of promise here.
I read a copy of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.
I went into We Meet Again hoping for an intriguing reincarnation romance, but the overall feeling the book left me with was just icky and unsettling—and not in a way that felt intentional or thought-provoking. The story tries to be deep and smart, but instead comes off as pretentious, with characters who speak in endless quotations and seem to exist only to show off how clever they are. The main characters, Marielle and Dante, are impossible to relate to. Marielle is portrayed as some kind of perfect, universally adored prodigy, while Dante’s behavior repeatedly crosses the line into creepy—like when he installs secret cameras in his studio and Marielle’s concerns are dismissed because “it’s his place and he can do what he wants”. There’s a constant current of exploitation and control over the female characters, who rarely seem to have any real agency. Marielle, for example, isn’t even allowed to speak when she’s hired as a model, and her feelings are routinely invalidated by those around her. This kind of dynamic—where passive, troubled female characters are “fixed” by the attention or affection of a male lead—reminds me of some of the worst tropes in romance novels. Here, though, there’s none of the sexual tension or emotional payoff you might find in a darker J.A. Huss novel. Instead, every character feels insufferably self-important, and the relationships lack any genuine chemistry or growth. While the reincarnation premise had potential, the execution is muddled by a jarring structure, constant time jumps, and a lack of any truly likable or believable characters. I finished the book feeling uncomfortable and disappointed, wishing the story had given its female characters more respect and depth. Not recommended unless you enjoy stories where women are sidelined and everyone talks like they’re auditioning for a philosophy seminar. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before picking up this book.
I picked up this novel because the premise intrigued me. Reincarnation is a fascinating concept, and the memory of reincarnation even more so. Unfortunately, it fell flat, largely because the characters were plastic and two dimensional. It didn't help that a single reincarnation suddenly became multiple reincarnations, mentioned only briefly, and triggered by the use of some unknown and unnamed medication.
Dante is a renowned artist, who hires Marielle to pose for him; Marielle is poor and trying desperately to generate enough money to pay for medical care needed to save her sister's life. With the back stories provided for each, this should have been a good novel - but the characters were so stereotyped, and their relationship so unpalatable, that the plot couldn't save them. Dante is rich, revered, and mysterious; Marielle is poor, unknown, and a polyglot who was stalked so intensely that she has withdrawn from any attention at all. Despite that, she falls for Dante almost immediately, and agrees to a physical relationship immediately thereafter. This level of victimization is disturbing. The novel includes some rather unimaginatively written sexual encounters, making it inappropriate for teen readers.
Despite my interest in the concept, I struggled to read this novel. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book centers around Marielle and Dante, two people whose connection feels so deep and familiar that they begin to wonder if they have crossed paths in a past life. From there, the story weaves through romance, history, adventure, and suspense.
As someone who loves romance, I found this book definitely scratched that particular itch. The love story is compelling, and the author does a fantastic job of making the relationship feel timeless, spanning multiple lifetimes. I especially enjoyed how Landrum incorporated historical elements, creating a world that felt rich with depth.
However, be warned: this book is quite spicy so it may not be suitable for younger readers. If you're looking for a romance with some intense moments, this is definitely it.
The world-building is another strong point. Landrum has clearly done extensive research on the different cultures, religions, and settings featured in the story, which allows the reader to truly immerse themselves in both the present-day narrative and the historical flashbacks. The details in the settings and the character's experiences felt authentic.
That said, despite all these positive aspects, something still felt missing. While the story is intriguing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it lacked a bit more emotional depth or connection to fully elevate it. Overall, it was enjoyable, but not mind-blowing, so I’m giving it 3 ⭐.
In We Meet Again, college student Marielle accepts a position as an artist's model. It's no ordinary job, though. Dante is quite famous, and by accepting the position, Marielle agrees to its many strange rules. They immediately experience a strong connection to each other, and start having shared dreams of another couple, a priest and nun from the 1930s. It seems that this isn't really their first meeting, if you can believe in reincarnation.
I like the premise of this novel, but it never really hit right for me. The writing felt too stilted and full of complicated wording just for the sake of it. Marielle's way of speaking made it hard to connect with her; no one really talks like that. And the introduction of Dante did not place him in a great light as a romantic interest. Way too creepy. I enjoyed the 1930s timeline much more than the current day setting. I am curious where the mystery of the painting will take us next, but I'm not sure if that curiosity is enough to make me continue the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
At first I was drawn by the premise, reincarnation stories and star crossed lovers are some of my favorite tropes. The idea was intriguing and I was looking forward to it. Sadly, the book didn't deliver and had some very annoying quirks that kept happening through out the book.
For starters, I found the writing style dull, the book's structure was too fragmented which lessened the impact of the scenes. Now, I can see the author is very knowledgeable, that doesn't mean she needed to cram every piece of trivia she knows, makes the book seem pretentious and the characters fake. On that note:
"I spent the whole time in a desperate state of cafuné and basorexia" -Our FMC, "casually" talking to her friend
Seriously, what kind of human talks like that? And it's not the only time she uses uncommon words, after rushing to mention their meaning in the most artificial, unnatural way possible.
Combine all of that, especially the never ending references that appeared in an unnatural manner, make me feel like this book's intent wasn't the story so much as bragging.
Overall, this was an interesting reincarnation love story full of history, romance, and adventure. Part one of a trilogy, I am excited to see where Landrum takes the rest of this series. If you like romance, especially historical romances, adventure, mystery, suspense, and metaphysical fiction, then this book could be for you. Find my full review here: https://likelystory.blog/2024/10/24/r...
I found this book fascinating but chaotic. The depth and complexity of the characters often took me out of the story with too many references in foreign languages. I love stories about time travel and reincarnation but this one was too far out there for me to enjoy. I did finish Book 1 but will likely not continue the series although I am curious, so who knows.
I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating, thrilling, suspenseful, adventurous love story. The skillful weaving of the saga eloquently merged many subjects that fascinate me into an engaging, provocative page turner!
This is my first read by writer Brownell Landrum, I love discovering new authors. The storyline of reincarnation weaving characters from the past to current day is brilliant! Looking forward to reading Books 2 and 3.
This is my first read by Landrum and I love discovering upcoming authors. I enjoyed this thrilling, adventurous love story! Spicier than I expected but still very good! I would read from this author again!
The reincarnation premise of the book has promise....but I felt it just did not deliver. I had trouble engaging with this book . It was an ok read for me, but I am not sure if I will read the next one in the series
This story pulls you in quickly once Marielle and Dante meet. The race around the world and ties to the church remind me of The Davinci Code. If you enjoy that type of quick moving story with an epic love story, then this book is for yoj.