Anderson, Rebecca. The Art of Love and Lies. Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2023.
ISBN-13: 978-1639931088 | $16.99 USD | 288 pages | Victorian Romance
Blurb
A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting
Manchester, England, 1857
Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families of Manchester.
When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in Manchester opens, Rosanna attends, excited by the chance to sketch such famous works. When she meets the handsome Detective Martin Harrison, who is head of security for the exhibition, she is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and canvas-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.
The couple’s blossoming summer romance takes a strange turn when Rosanna recognizes her own works on display in the exhibition hall. Someone is stealing paintings and replacing them with her parlor version reproductions. When the evidence casts suspicion on her, Rosanna must convince Detective Harrison of her innocence and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.
It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michelangelo’s Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Detective Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to rekindle their romance and paint their own happily ever after.
Review
4 stars
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.
Author Bio
Rebecca Anderson is the nom de plume of contemporary romance novelist Becca Wilhite. She is a high school English teacher and loves hiking, Broadway shows, food, books, and movies. She is happily married and a mom to four above-average kids.
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