Another beautiful addition to the Proper Romance series. I love that it takes place in the Victorian era (as opposed to earlier Regency) because it allows so much more freedom for the characters, the women in particular. Rosanna was born to high society but because of forward thinking parents and a strong sense of confidence and individuality, she’s able to earn a living, live alone and unchaperoned, and even steal sweet kisses from a dashing head of security. It’s the perfect balance between the strict rules of the Regency and the modern day.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the story of Rosanna Hawkins whose upper-crust parents with progressive feminist views have allowed her to live on her own and earn her wages. Her chosen profession is as an art copyist. Rosanna visits the art exhibition regularly and creates exact copies of great artists' paintings to be sold to wealthy social climbers. She sees nothing wrong with this until she meets Inspector Martin Harrison, head of security at the exhibition, whose past involves a father arrested and deported for counterfeiting and fraud.

This newest novel from author Rebecca Anderson definitely has a more lighthearted, fun feel than her first published historical romance. The reader gets an instant sense of the heroine's naiveté and innocence as we meet the man she has entrusted with selling her paintings. As this character is compared and contrasted repeatedly with the hero, these relationships become immediately obvious to the reader. That the heroine dithers between her opinions of these two men really makes the plot drag.

The conflict for the first half of the book is largely this internal struggle of the heroine. This is coupled with a large dose of art appreciation and the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine. While there is an instant attraction between them, I was pleased to note that the author conveyed a sense of time spent getting to know each other. The only annoying thing about their relationship is how often they are both willing to jump to conclusions rather than communicate.

The second half of the book introduces the external conflict involving the theft of the Manchester Madonna. While the pacing of the plot picks up, this part felt really unrealistic to me. This conflict was far too easily resolved in my opinion and involved some behavior on the part of the heroine that felt very uncharacteristic based on what came before and after.

While I didn’t enjoy The Art of Love and Lies as thoroughly as I did this author's first foray into historical romance, I still think this is a decent story that many will enjoy. The characters are complex, and the history is interesting. The plot does move a little slowly, particularly in the beginning. But one does get a feel for what it may have been like to attend this art exhibit during this time.

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked this one up but I was pleasantly surprised! It was a light-hearted, entertaining read with a unique plot.

Rosanna is an artist and creates replicas of masterpieces to be sold to wealthy clients who want to display them in their homes.

Inspector Martin Harrison is head of security at the large art exhibition in town and when he and Rosanna cross paths at the exhibition, sparks fly!

But when some of the exhibition paintings go missing and Rosanna is accused, she has to convince Martin and everyone else of her innocence.

The only way to do that? Catch the real thief.

What to love:
Victorian era
Artistic character
Cute romance
Mystery and suspense
Art forgery
Flirting and witty banter
Sweet but swoony kissing!
Villain you love to hate
Their courtship

This was a fun, quick read that I read it almost in one sitting because I was caught up in the story. I have seen reviews criticizing it for accuracy, but I am not an expert on art or the Victorian era and nothing was so glaringly incorrect as to ruin the story. This is a work of fiction, after all, and it was entertaining and I guess that is good enough for me.

Though their relationship progressed quickly, this was not an instant-love story. There was an initial attraction that blossomed into something more as they spent hours upon hours together almost every day and oh my word, their romance was so incredibly sweet!

If you enjoy historical romance with a bit of mystery and adventure, then you definitely need to give this one a try! I enjoyed it and I would absolutely pick up more books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

I enjoyed how this book talked about the feelings art invokes. Rosanna was fun to get to know. Her passion for art was contagious. Martin was a bit more complex as he struggled to overcome his past. The mystery of who was stealing the art adds an element of intrigue to the story.

Rosanna Hawkins prides herself on her independence. She’s a talented artist, but her teachers always tell her that as a woman she can’t create her own art, but must stick to the masters. She creates recreations of masterpieces to be sold as parlor art for the upper middle class. All is going well until she recognizes one of her copies in the art exposition. Someone has stolen the masterpiece and replaced it with her work.

Now she and her budding love, Detective Martin Harrison must catch the true mastermind.

I enjoyed the mystery, and the details about the art exposition. It felt like reading accounts of the World Fair at the turn of the century. I liked Rosanna’s independence, relationship with her sisters, and the stories she told about artwork with Martin. This book had a great balance between history, romance, and mystery.

I love the cover of this book and I love the book itself. It is not a classic masterpiece but in comparison to many books out there right now, it is a very nicely and well written book.

It is not an usual historic romance novel as it is about a girl who works or paints while she is from the upper class. I am not completely up to date whether in 1800s a man could visit a woman alone and show her some intimacy, so that was a bit unusual but I guess she was very open minded for that time. It is not like any untowardly happened between them, just a few kisses or hugs at least that's how I interpreted, and it raised my eyebrows but not deterred from liking the book.

The two main characters are very nicely developed and that is how I appreciate the book. I love getting to know another person, see how they think and how their perspective changes over time. The whole story from the beginning to the end did not disappoint.

I cannot highly recommend this book if you are into this genre. Many thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this author in exchange of an honest review.

Interesting story! Kept you guessing and loved that Rosanna was so creative and smart when she helped recover the stolen art and apprehend Anton on the train. Different style of writing….glimpse of a more forward thinking time. Loved learning about art and painting…the descriptions of Rosanna’s art work created beautiful pictures in my mind and made me want to see her masterpieces! Also a believable and fun story. Delightful, entertaining read.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The pace was very slow and the characters were mostly unlikeable. I didn't like Anton and was surprised how Rosanna was willing to compromise what she knew was wrong so she could continue her work.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book was a welcome surprise. Rebecca Anderson is a new to me author and she blew it out of the park so much that I'm going to read all of her historical romance novels. Definitely read this one if you love:
*Art theft
*Historical Romance
*Witty relatable characters
*phenomenal chemistry between characters

Rosanna Hawkins is an independent woman who has been working for a slimy man (Anton) doing reproduction painting. She is the best at what she does. Under the request of her employer she starts making reproductions of specific artwork at the temporary art exhibition in Manchester. During one of her visits she meets the charming security guard Inspector Martin Harrison. The two form a friendship enjoying the exhibition together. There is an unexpected break into the exhibit and Rosanna realizes that it is her art work has replaced the originals. Will the inspector believe her side of the story? Will he ever forgive her for her part in the art heist that so closely resembles the crimes of his father whom he cannot forgive?

The beginning started out slow and the story really picks up about half way. There was some really awesome action scenes. I just gobbled up all the scenes with the two MCs together. Their chemistry was perfect and the conversation was so fun and witty. I absolutely believed that they were falling in love. (was more of a slow burn and I loved it)..

This novel definitely has a chaste romance. Some kisses but nothing steamy or inappropriate.
You won't regret reading this one. I don't usually feel the need to buy a book after I've read it but this one is a keeper. I need it on my bookshelf.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"She knew that one saw what one looked for—whether that was beauty or roughness—and she could not imagine living a life where guilt was one’s focus."

"She simply took joy—deep, significant joy—in creating something that came from within her creative mind. The mind she was learning to trust for the first time."

I really enjoyed reading The Art of Love and Lies! As I read more and more historical romance, I find that books that feature middle or lower class leads, like this one, are far more interesting. And I especially liked that this was set during a real historical event that the author clearly researched. The love story was sweet and the leads were both likeable, with believable flaws.

My biggest criticism is that I think this book is better categorized as historical fiction than historical romance. The romance was there, but I felt like it was more incidental. I’d still highly recommend reading it, I just think readers should know what to expect!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy!

The Art of Love and Lies encourages creativity. While entertaining with a mystery romance story, it teaches an appreciation for art. Pictures are more than something pretty to look at. See the story behind the scenes in front of you. Then look again and maybe notice something different. This book has a wonderful balance of mystery and romance. An enjoyable read.

This book is adorable! I loved how rich it was with historical events and moments, and how they pushed the story along. The romance was fun and the story was exciting! This book is perfect for lovers of art as well as for lovers of romance alike!

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for an advanced copy of the book :)

I put this one down several times early on because I really didn't like Anton, and I couldn't figure out if I liked Martin or Roseanna either. However, once the story got going Martin and Roseanna really grew on me and I loved the character development that happened. I learned a lot about art and was fascinated by the work Roseanna did- that in itself was worth the read. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, clean, historical romance. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Art of Love and Lies" is a clean Victorian romance between an upper-middle class female artist and a working man, with some extra dashes of a heist thrown in for flavor.

I enjoyed the setting and the general plot. Our FMC, Rosanna, is an artist who produces "parlor pieces," or reproductions of famous artworks to earn her living (a reader familiar with social mores of the time must suspend some disbelief that she does this, that she lives in a boarding house when her family is described as quite wealthy, that her sister is a journalist, etc). Our MMC, Martin, is the son of a convicted conman who hopes to demonstrate though his diligence and hard work that he is trustworthy. The author did great work in developing Martin's backstory and character, as it was a common belief at the time that criminality was a heritable trait; and Martin faces distinct social consequences as a result of his father's actions. The two meet at the Art Treasures Exhibition, where Martin is running security and Rosanna is there to study and reproduce the pieces. They have a bit of a meet-cute, they flirt; it's quite wholesome and winsome.

The reader must once again suspend some disbelief when it comes to Rosanna's work, as she is able to VERY QUICKLY replicate paintings perfectly, from memory, back at her studio. We're talking two oil paintings in a week, four sketch-and-watercolors, each perfectly indistinguishable from the original. However, Rosanna's agent turns out to be a villain, who organizes a heist to steal the originals and replace them with Rosanna's reproductions.

I quite enjoyed the first half or-so of this book, but I think the story suffered in the latter half from some weak writing that could have been better shored up. Martin becomes a bit unsympathetic in his actions, and his moral uprightness quickly becomes frustrating and obstructive. I think the story would have benefited from some more time spent in his POV. The heist and its resolution suffered from a lack of tension and stakes. Rosanna is clever and she keeps her head, which I appreciated. However, at the end of the action, I felt like there needed to be perhaps at least one more scene where the two of them came together again, or checked on one another, or something.

Two small things I did not enjoy in the story: the "newspaper articles" inserted between chapters, which felt so obviously written to the plot of the story that they made me roll my eyes a little; I also didn't care for the insertion of Queen Victoria as a figure into the narrative. Her presence did absolutely nothing to advance the story or even add character; it felt superfluous and, given Victoria's well-documented behavior, a little bizarre.

TLDR: An enjoyable G-rated historical romance set in the Victorian era, with some mild adventure in the form of an art heist (but don't expect some Ocean's Eleven level of tension).

This book is a fun escape into the world of art thievery! The romance is clean and full of entertaining and witty banter. The cover is definitely gorgeous and would make a lovely addition to any book lover's shelf. The suspense and mystery are well done and enjoyable. I really enjoyed this exciting blend of historical, suspenseful, adventurous, romance!

Thank you for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I really liked the idea of this story! But to be honest it didn't really work out for me.
It wasn’t bad, but it felt a little flat sometimes. I would've loved to have seen the romance between Rosanna and Martin develop more. They needed a bit more chemistry. They do make a lovely couple but there weren't many romance scenes together. I did love their banter!
I liked Rosanna's character, she's brave, bold and creative.
There are some well written, funny dialogues in the story also.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to read an e-arc!!

Martin Harrison is an inspector whose father is a criminal. Roseanna is a brilliant painter who makes a living recreating other artists paintings. They meet at the Art Treasures Exhibition where she is trying to sketch and memorize certain paintings and he is on security detail. Roseanna believes she is making an honest living, but is she? When a theft is discovered they both become involved in a dangerous game.
I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed the story in the beginning and thought Anton and Martin were going to be potential suitors until it was clear Martin was better suited. The sudden plot twist was jarring and honestly the story went downhill from there. It felt lacking in substance.

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

**Review will be published August 1st, 2023 on my site and socials**

NEEDED MORE.

The premise of this sounded truly promising. The execution? A bit lacking.

I think I really got off on the wrong foot with the insta-love. It didn’t work for me and when I clocked the percentage of the first kiss I was rather surprised. Rosanna and Martin DID grow on me and I think the core of their relationship was sweet. I just needed more of a burn to get there with them.

All of the facets about painting and artwork were interesting. I thought it was kind of cool to learn about different painting techniques and how reproductions were created and used in this time period.

In the end I really to have more from the plot. There was nothing surprising or enchanting about it. While I did like the main characters and I do think they exhibited some growth from the beginning of the book the plot itself was lacking in definition.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: brief assault, physical altercations, theft

I loved this story by Rebecca Anderson, such a great storyline and characters!

I just reviewed The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson. #TheArtofLoveandLies #NetGalley
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