3.5 stars - I’m rounding down.

Content warnings: domestic/emotional abuse, language, sexual commentary
Similar reads: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Celine takes her first job as an art teacher in a small town. Living apart from her parents for the first time, will she come to regret the decisions she makes? The story and thriller aspects of this novel were great! The main character, Selene, is curious, and breaks out of her shell to be confrontational when needed. Personally, I struggle to read any type of plot with domestic abuse. I’ve read books with more than this one, but I still don’t love it, for that reason I docked from my stars.

I wish Selene had a tad more character development in her back story, but again that’s just a personal preference. I saw one of the twists coming but that final one was a fun surprise! It was a good read, but not necessarily one I was *invested* in like other plot lines.

Seline lands a job as an art teacher at a school an hour away from her hometown. She gets the job through Michael, an old friend of her parents who seem to have her best interest at heart.

Her first week on the job, she meets Robbie, who does odd jobs around the school. They start dating and things move really fast. Next thing she knows, they’re living together. All is great at first, but then things go sour.

He keeps one of the rooms in the apartment locked and has told Seline to steer clear but curiosity killed the cat and when she finds out what he’s hiding, everything begins to spiral down.

Robbie has mood swings and when he’s not charming, he’s controlling and abusive. He begins to hurt Seline and she has a hard time coping. She loses all her self confidence and starts doubting everything she does. The only thing keeping her sane is her drawings.

She decides to reach out to a Michael for help since he’s been soo giving. But she slowly learns that Michael has a secret agenda so now she has to come up with another plan.

I absolutely loved the author’s writing style. The book was fast paced, suspenseful and kept me engaged the entire time. Oh and the ending was very gratifying.

This debut novel follows Seline as she starts a new job and enters a tumultuous relationship while using her artwork as an escape. This thriller is a quick read full of twists and turns.

Overall, I enjoyed this thriller. It was engaging and entertaining. It kept me captivated and was a fast-paced read. A few parts were slightly predictable but that being said, I still enjoyed reading this novel.

I believe this to be Caleb Crowe's first novel and it was an interesting one. Lots of suspense, some twists and turns and then a satisfying ending.
When Seliene takes her first teaching job away from home she is very excited to be using her art experience and to be working with kids. (As a retired teacher I could relate to her teaching experiences and wish there were more though). She instantly meets a young man, Robbie who seems to do odd and end jobs all over town. They move into a relationship very quickly and Seliene is soon living with him. Robbie can in turns be charming and then dark, broody and cruel. The locked room he has in his house gives Seliene to wonder what he is hiding.

Michael, an old friend of her parents and who got her the job seems very helpful at promoting her career as an artist and just being a family friend but questions start to arouse about his involvement in her life. As Seliene's life quickly turns into a mess with Robbie being abusive and controlling, the kids at school running her ragged, and mysteries everywhere the suspense is ramped up.

You will not be able to stop reading to find out what will happen with Seliene, Robby, her parents, Michael etc and how she can get herself out of the mess she seems to have fallen in.

In "The Dark Canvas of Love, the author crafts a chilling tale of love, control, and the blurred lines between passion and obsession. This psychological thriller takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the tumultuous relationship between Seline and Robbie, revealing the sinister secrets that lurk beneath the surface.
Without giving too much away the author skillfully builds tension and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they witness the gradual unraveling of Seline's world. The author's portrayal of the toxic dynamics between Seline and Robbie is both chilling and thought-provoking, delving into the complexities of power, control, and the lengths one will go to escape an abusive relationship.
I really enjoyed this but please note there is domestic violence in case you are triggered!

I went into this read blind. There were no reviews or descriptions, but it looked interesting and I got an ARC from NetGalley, so I read it.
This is a thriller. It feels very Freida McFadden. It’s quick paced, a bit twisty, and a bit graphic at times. I totally got caught up in it, and burned pages to the ending. Which is where I was a little disappointed. I figured the ending out at the beginning and was kind of hoping all throughout maybe I wasn’t right. I was.
It was still good and eerie and I really enjoyed it. Would totally recommend it to my thriller reading friends.
3.5 stars very good debut!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was thoroughly captivated by the cover art and description of The Girl In The Painting, which led me to request it. The plot was engaging and full of unexpected twists and turns that kept me thoroughly entertained. The author's vivid descriptions and attention to detail made the Book come alive for me, allowing me to become fully immersed in the story Overall, I found The Girl In The Painting to be a compelling read with an ending that left me thinking about the book the next day.

I would suggest the girl in the painting to anyone who enjoys captivating Thrillers. However, please note that there are descriptive scenes of Abuse/Domestic Violence, so if that is something you are not comfortable with, then this may not be suitable for you.

When I requested The Girl in the Painting, there was no description about the book on NetGalley or Goodreads, so I literally went into this book blind, and I absolutely judged it by its awesome cover. I’m so glad that I did.

This book is wild. In the About the Author it says that the author’s inspiration for this book was for wild and outlandish things happening to ordinary people, and wow, did really insane things happen to our narrator, Seline. There are some heavy domestic abuse scenes, so if this is a trigger warning for you, skip this one. It’s not light reading by any means. The writing is strong, the story line and plot were enticing, and the twist was cleverly laid out. This is a quick, action packed thriller that you don’t want to miss out on.