The pacing of Rebecca Anderson's 'The Art of Love and Lies' was difficult for me to enjoy. I had issues with a woman who was so' enlightened' as to work in Victorian England as an artist, living on her own being so easy to manipulate by a truly abusive man. I felt like the plot was all over the place. The character of Martin was delightful, and his motivations due to childhood trauma were apparent and endearing. The language describing art was lyrical and beautiful and far exceeded the nuts and bolts of the plot as far as I was concerned. I'm sorry I couldn't like it more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: brief mentions of incarcerated parent

Rosanna Hawkins has been making a living recreating famous artwork to sell to wealthy art lovers. Her boss, Anton Greystone, does the selling while she hones her skills. When Anton asks her to recreate The Manchester Madonna- a famous painting currently on display locally- she begins to see a different side to the man. As she works on her recreation, she also has a chance encounter with the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison who just happens to be helping with security at the art exhibition. As her relationship with both men changes, she begins to see that her current profession may not be as innocent as she once thought. And a crime at the art gallery will put her career and life in danger.

This book was definitely intriguing at points, but unfortunately the execution left me a bit bored. There's kind of a confusing love triangle going on, and I found it hard to understand what Rosanna saw in Anton at all. I had warning sirens going off in my head from the moment I first read his name. The romance with Martin on the other hand had a lot of potential. The moments they shared were sweet, but we didn't get enough of them. Instead we're told about all the time they spend together without seeing much of it. I liked the main conflict, but it felt a bit rushed at the end, and by then I was already a bit checked out. There's also several newspaper articles by Rosanna's sister sprinkled throughout that I honestly just skimmed since they didn't really add anything to the story. I really wanted to like this and saw the potential, but it just didn't quite come together for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed learning about the art but really didn’t like the insta-love. Their just wasn’t any chemistry for me. I did enjoy the mystery when it finally appeared in the second half of the book however by that time I was already disengaged and basically skimmed to finish the book.

The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson is a refreshingly clean and light read with snippets of mystery and dabs of romance. The author's writing is lovely and descriptive.

The Art Treasures Exhibition takes place in 1857 Manchester, England. Reproduction artist Rosanna Hawkins is meticulous about her work and has her own signature which only she knows. Her name is not known. When she sees her own work on display she is shocked. Nefarious thievery is clearly afoot. She meets Detective Martin Harrison who is the head of Security and the two team up to investigate the strange goings on.

Though not an artist, I appreciate art very much and enjoyed the subject in this book, especially in reference to the greats. I'm a fan of the sneaky stolen art trope and am always curious to find out how the theft is carried out.

My sincere thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this sweet book.

Okay. This book. The intrigue. The art. The history. The banter. The romance. It's so good.

If you like art, not exactly forbidden but definitely the vibe of forbidden romance, drama, White Collar, maybe even the Sting, England, Victorian period, then this book. Let me tell you! Read it!

Such a lovely book! A tremendously talented artist is finagled into a life of crime. But inadvertently. She paints replicas of famous paintings. Her on again/off again man takes those paintings and sells them to unsuspecting customers. When a museum is opened, she finds Martin Harrison, a former police officer. They soon fall head over heels and she discovers more nefarious shenanigans going on. She has to help save things before they get too out of hand.

It had a perfect mixture of romance, suspense and wit. I loved every bit of this book!

I really liked Roseanna's character. In some ways she was very naive and trusting, but she also had some backbone to her. I loved the fun banter between her and Martin. They seemed to connect so seamlessly. This was a fun sweet romance with some intrigue and suspense.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

What a delightful book. Rosanna Hawkins is an incredibly talented artist. She reproduces the original versions of paintings and has an uncanny ability to make it look perfect, even studying how the brush strokes look on the canvas. She becomes close to the charming Martin Harrison, the head of security at the art exhibit she frequents. There are lots of twists and turns in the story, as well as in the relationship of Rosanna and Martin. Fabulous time period, story, characters, etc.

I enjoyed the artistic aspects of this story! And it’s always fun to find a historical story with a bit of mystery to it. Unfortunately I had a hard time connecting with the characters, which did affect my enjoyment of the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always love a sweet romance with a unique setting.

In this book, Rosanna is an artist, painting replicas of popular art pieces.

A large art exhibit opens nearby and it’s there that she meets the charming head of security, Martin.

When paintings go missing, and it looks like Rosanna was the one to do it…well, you can imagine the trouble that would become if you were falling for the head of security…! (Especially if you’ve been forging art!)

This book has some fun elements!
🎨 Victorian era
🖼️ Artist meets head of security
🎨 Close proximity
🖼️ Who-dunnit mystery
🎨 Witty banter
🖼️ A bad guy 😎

Would you rather be an ARTIST or an INVESTIGATOR?

🚪- Kisses only
🧼- No language

4.5

The largest art exhibition in Manchester, England was a very clever setting for most of this book. I enjoyed hearing about the different art pieces, more about the art world and watching two characters navigate both sides of the forgery world. I felt like I was walking the halls of the exhibit. Rosanna's talent and love for art shine through the pages. Inspector Martin Harrison's commitment to his work and ensuring the protection of the artwork was commendable. And I loved how Rosanna's charm and goodness captivated him and had him torn between wanting to get to know her better but also making sure he was doing his job to its fullest.

These two had some great banter between them. I enjoyed watching them come to know each other more and Rosanna discovering things about herself that she hadn't previously due to feeling inadequate.

The bad guy is definitely one you're going to love to hate. And let me tell you, I loved when he got his comeuppance! The suspense at the end of the book was cleverly written and I loved how Rosanna and Martin work together to save some art and get this bad guy at the same time!!!

Content: Clean. Some very mild suspense and some sweet kisses but nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

REVIEW(2.5 stars)
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏼‍🎨👮🏼‍♂️
This book was a bit disappointing for me, I was expecting a different story arc. The main theme of the novel was supposed to be the stolen art, I expected it to happen in the first three chapters but it only happened when I was halfway through the book.
👮🏼‍♂️👩🏼‍🎨
I also felt like the storyline and the villain were not fully developed. I wanted the antagonist to be more wicked and dangerous, but it was not
👩🏼‍🎨👮🏼‍♂️
The best part of this book was the MCs, Rosanna and Martin. I was glad they had the character development I was looking for. They had faults, admitted their faults and corrected their habits and I liked that.
👮🏼‍♂️👩‍🎨
This book could have been better

This is a fun and lighthearted read. It’s sweet, romantic, and has some nice suspense. I especially loved the mentions of famous artist and artworks. I felt like I could see the beauty and detail of the paintings through the descriptive writing, and I appreciate classic works of art even more now. Very enjoyable read.

I received a digital review copy from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am so sad, I was so looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I had to DNF it. It was just not for me. The Art of Love and Lies is written by Rebecca Anderson and it looked really intriguing. I had a harder time getting into the story and connecting with the characters.
However I do think that if a reader enjoys romance, witty banter, and books with art then this is for them. This is still a good book, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Art of Love and Lies is a fun, lighthearted Victorian-set historical romance with a dash of suspense. I was particularly drawn to the exploration of the Victorian art world, especially the vocation of creating forgeries. The ethical lines of forgeries are intriguing, with it making it more accessible for the public to have their own version of works by the Masters and being a great tool for art education, but also presents an issue when large exhibitions rely on having the authentic originals to display.
Rosanna is a compelling protagonist mixed up in all of that, as she’s an art forger who’s been made to believe that’s as far as her talent can go, and she has no potential to create anything in her own right. The manipulation and gaslighting on the part of those who employ her really resonates, and it especially hits hard because of her situation as a woman in the Victorian era. Martin, meanwhile, is a policeman in charge of security for the big exhibition. I did have some qualms about his position in relation to Rosanna’s, as he does spend some of the book investigating her. However, I did like their romantic development for the most part, navigating the power dynamics fairly well.
The story starts a bit slow at first, but the pacing soon picks up, and it’s action-packed, perfectly balancing the romance with the mystery elements concerning the forgery ring. While some elements felt a little predictable, I enjoyed it overall and was on the edge of my seat throughout.
This was a fun read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for low-heat historical romances.

“Ought you to be seen kissing an accomplice to a major theft, Inspector?”

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I like books based on an actual historical event. In this case, it’s the Manchester, England Art Treasures Exhibition that took place in 1857. I loved the descriptions of the event and could easily picture it through the author’s writing. The story was original, romantic, and slowly built to an exciting conclusion. It’s a sweet, witty, romantic story involving art theft, mystery, and a bit of suspense.

Rosanna Hawkins has an extraordinary talent. She’s able to almost flawlessly copy world renowned paintings with exacting detail. She believes her copied paintings are meant to adorn the homes of the upper middle class who can’t afford an original. However, when her business partner becomes increasingly menacing, she begins to question her relationship with him.

As she frequently strolls the halls of the Art Treasures Exhibition, she meets a handsome “Peeler” (policeman). They share a fun friendship involving Rosanna’s playful imagination, witty banter, and an intense attraction. However, the staunchly good Inspector Martin Harrison can’t abide any form of deception after his father’s shameful past. Will he be able to overlook Rosanna’s occupation? When a famous painting is suspected of being a forgery, is Rosanna to blame?

I loved the whirlwind romance between Rosanna & Martin. They were so cute together. One of my favorite scenes involves a painting Rosanna wants to recreate with Martin to prove a point. Rosanna’s partner Anton Greystone was particularly devious and a great villain. I loved Rosanna’s sisters and am hoping there are other books in the works including their stories.

This is an art and Victorian romance lover’s dream with a swoony romance, mystery, and even Queen Victoria herself. Highly recommend and look forward to more from this author! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

I love stories that weave a bit of art and history into a fictional story. The book cover is beautiful! Rosanna Hawkins is an excellent artist; however, she reproduces classic art rather than her own originals. It is not her desire to mislead anyone that they are not original pieces of art, but her associate Anton Greystone has other ideas. The story is set in Manchester, England 1857, and mostly takes place at the Art Treasures Exhibition. At the exhibition Rosanna makes the acquaintance of Martin Harrison, who is head of security. After many days of meeting at the exhibit, she begins to see the real differences between Anton Greystone and Martin Harrison. The real excitement begins about halfway through the book when there is an art heist of Michelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. Can Rosanna and Inspector Harrison work together to clear Rosanna’s name and catch the real thief and return the painting to the exhibit?

My thanks to the author and publisher for an early copy of this book. The opinions here are entirely my own.

This was the first book by Rebecca Anderson that I've read. I really enjoyed her writing style and the premise of the story.

Due to my own situation, I wasn't able to read this book as quickly as I would have liked to. It took me a week and some days I was only able to read 1 chapter a day. I always wanted more when I had to put the book down though.

Here is my quandary about the book:
Personally I don't read blurbs for most books before I read them. As long as I know I will be getting a clean romance, I don't want to take a chance of being spoiled by reading a blurb. I didn't read this blurb. Because of that, I wasn't exactly sure where the story was going. It felt a little lacking in a real plot. BUT... Yes, that's a huge "but", I am so glad I didn't read the blurb. The blurb summarizes everything in the first half of the book. The interesting part of the story begins half way through. I would have been SO upset if I had known what was coming like that, especially since the blurb tells about events that take place even later in the book. I strongly feel that a blurb should NEVER reveal those things. If I'd read the synopsis, my feelings about the book would have been much lower.

As it is, I enjoyed my experience with the story, even though I did question some of the accuracy of the events as related to thr time period. That said, I'm hot a big stickler for those types of details. I read to escape from reality, so I give the characters some leeway to do the same.

I want to sincerely than Shadow Moutain Publishing, Netgalley and the author for allowing me access to an advanced digital copy of this book. I am happily leaving an honest review.

Once upon a time, young ladies were accomplished if they in their art could replicate the masters. What happens when that replication is perfect, What happens when others want to buy this art? What happens when you make friends with a detective who believes in the letter of the law due to his father's tainted past?

I will tell you what happens. A beautifully written Victorian era romance that leaves you asking these questions and many more which will not be shared due to spoilers.

Rosanna Hawkins is supporting herself through her art, though no one wants her art per say but they do want the perfect copies she can make of the master works. She is under the understanding that people know these are copies of the works.

Martin Harrison is responsible for security in the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester, It is a temporary art gallery that brings great works of art out of London. Some of these treasures belong to private owners. He and Rosanna meet in this exhibition and find themselves on friendly terms.

What follows is a crisis of conscience for Rosanna and some self-reflection for Martin. Both are forced to see beyond their world and come together to save art in Manchester.

Their tension grows as the situation becomes more than what it seems.

This is a well written story that brings out the best and sometimes the worst in both characters. I highly recommend it,,

This was an intriguing concept being set at the Art exhibition in 1857 which was a real event so I was looking forward to this. However it didn't live up to it's promise. The character's were very one dimensional and the mystery was non existent as we new who the villain was straight away Also not true to the period these sister's would be living at home and chaperoned at all times. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.