✰ Bianca ✰ Janeane ✰ 
• 28 February 2019
• standalone
• standalone
★★★★★
4.75 Stars
4.75 Stars
Ansel Bray, an artist known around the world for his tragic hiatus from the canvas.
Ansel Bray, a broody, handsome man not known by me, at all.
Long dark hair, blue eyes, and dimpled cheeks. I’ve never met her, but her image is imprinted in my mind. An angel muse who inspires me to paint again.
There is something about him. Something that spurs a need to be as close to him as possible. A need to find out why.
There is something about her. Something that draws me in. Something that urges me to find out what her presence means.
Why does the girl in his painting look so much like me?
Who is this girl, and why can I see her so vividly?
I shouldn’t fall in love with him.
I shouldn’t fall in love at all.
But fate plays her hand.
But fate has other plans.
The lines of my life will blur.
The needs of my heart will change.
What a beautiful mess we’ve made.
Ansel is a very famous painter. But he hasn't painted a thing in over a year - because he's blind.
Ever since the accident he's been trying to survive in his now dark & art-less life. Art was everything to him and now he can't be an artist anymore.
(Spoileralert for those worried. Yes, he'll see again - there's a surgery and we fast forward four years)
Enter Indy.
She gets dragged to an art gallery one night by her boyfriend and her sister. That's where she discovers herself on one of the paintings.
What? How? Huh?
The same things go through Ansel's mind. He has no idea why he keeps painting this beautiful girl. But she's been the muse in his mind ever since he started painting again.
What? How? Huh? WHY????
☺
READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT!
Ever since the accident he's been trying to survive in his now dark & art-less life. Art was everything to him and now he can't be an artist anymore.
(Spoileralert for those worried. Yes, he'll see again - there's a surgery and we fast forward four years)
Enter Indy.
She gets dragged to an art gallery one night by her boyfriend and her sister. That's where she discovers herself on one of the paintings.
What? How? Huh?
The same things go through Ansel's mind. He has no idea why he keeps painting this beautiful girl. But she's been the muse in his mind ever since he started painting again.
What? How? Huh? WHY????
☺
READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT!
AWWWW - SUCH AN ADORABLE LOVE STORY!
We immediately fall in love with Ansel. He's the typical sexy broody artist type. But he's also so much more. Just our kind of guy!
And Indy. Adorable! She's not really all that happy in her life and job. Something happened a while back and she lost her joy for life for a bit. We don't know what it is yet, but we suspect things.
Ansel and Indy are soooo perfect for each other. Like SO perfect.
But of course it's not that easy. Indy has Matt and we have this mystery about the paintings and we have past pain ....
I absolutely loved this book - I finished it in one day! Even though you kinda know what's what and what must've happened, you still just want to keep on reading. You need to see Ansel and Indy get that Happy End.
And it was so worth it. We have so many adorable and funny moments and sexy moments. And family moments. And hilarious brother moments. Even some rock-star moments. Art moments. New York moments. Heartbreaking moments.
This was the perfect romance! I really adored the story and the people in it!
One little thing though.
It's kind of obvious from very early on what must've happened. The same thing happened in a lot of romances I've read where the hero/heroine got a new heart and then they fall for the heart donor's ex or sibling. Only with the eyes it's so much better - they're not sick! It was an accident and it's not something that will come back again later in life and kill them. I really loved that. I was almost tempted to stop reading when I saw that Ansel was blind in the first chapter - because I had just finished a book with a 'sick' person. And I just hate bad things in romances. Not that being blind is comparable to addiction, heart disease, cancer. But I just need my book people to be perfect healthwise. I don't need to read about people with un-overcome-able problems! Those things are all around us in our normal lives, why would you want to read about them??? It's a romance for eff's sake. Not a un-happy-end-ish women's fiction drama that wants to win an Oscar. ☺ End of rant - sorry. Had to be said.
GIVE US MORE HAPPY/SEXY/FUNNY/ADORABLE ROMANCES DEAR AUTHORS! Or call it something other than a romance or rom-com should there be sick people in it.
Another tiny little thing. There is some cheating in this book. Some (mostly religious american) readers really hate that and might give the book a low-star-rating. I think it could've/should've been done a bit different. They could've broken up a bit sooner.
BUT - don't worry - the story is still mega adorable and so very read-worthy! ☺
Also ... I wouldn't mind getting a rock star series next from MM by the way *coughbramcough*
And after that the gallery guy!
THE GIRL IN THE PAINTING was such a beautiful love story! Full of art and music and family and romance and hope and pain and loss and love and heartbreak and New York!
Hurry to your nearest amazon for your own Ansel - this one is MINE!!!
I can't wait to see what MM will have for us next!
ARC received for an honest review
You know what I really like about Max Monroe books? I like that we don't get cookie cutter books, or series after series that is all the same. We have had hilarious billionaires, murder/mystery type books.
And now we have The Girl In The Painting.
You can't help but instantly adore Ansel and Indy.
Ansel is not your typical sexy, broody artist, and his story is not the regular, run of the mill story.
I will say that I did pick up pretty quickly something that was a major part of the story-to-be, however that did not take away any of the enjoyment.
I am not an artist, and couldn't play an instrument if my life depended on it, however I love art and music. I liked both aspects of this in this story.
A beautiful yet heartbreaking story, The Girl In The Painting will leave you breathless and full of hope and love.
I can't wait to see what this pair brings use next.
♥ EXCERPT ♥
Ansel
Three knocks rap against the closed door of my studio, and I
sigh.
Apparently, my assistant doesn’t understand what no
distractions means. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Lucy’s priorities
have nothing to do with her role as my assistant. Half the time, people who
come to my studio don’t even realize she works here. They probably just assume
she’s some sort of social media influencer wasting time in my lobby by taking
cleavage shots.
Another two knocks ring out, and I ignore whoever is on the
other side and focus my gaze back on the half-painted canvas in front of me.
As if my hand is on autopilot, I watch as it gently creates
the soft lines of her hair. Stroke after stroke, dark brown and honey-beige and
gold combine to make the flowing locks that cascade down her back.
Eventually, though, the knocks grow so persistent that I can
hardly follow the rhythm of the soft background music serving as a medium for
my artistic exploration.
Fucking Lucy.
“Go away!” I call over my shoulder, but the answering
chuckle is not an annoyed feminine laugh. No. It’s husky and deep and
rough around the edges.
“Ans, it’s Nigel,” the disturbance answers back.
Nigel Marx. We grew up together on the outskirts of the
Bronx and found our way into the art world during our college years. Where I’ve
always had an innate ability to create, Nigel has a natural talent for seeking
out beauty.
If anyone can find art worth seeing, it’s Nigel. Or Nye, as
I’ve grown to call him over the years.
Even though he’s one of my oldest friends, I groan and
contemplate at least ten different ways to tell him to fuck off. I may not be
as grumpy as I was before the surgery, but being interrupted during the creative
process brings me as close to that level of aggravation as I come these days.
But even the bad-tempered side of my personality knows a
verbal middle finger is unwarranted.
Technically speaking, it’s probably not even his fault. My
assistant is undoubtedly too busy posting pictures of her new nose job on
Instagram to follow my instructions and man the reception desk in the front.
So, eventually, I set my brush down beside my paints, move
the canvas into the small, hidden nook near the windows, and tell him to come
inside.
Dressed in a sharp black suit and tie, Nigel strides in as I
head over to the sink to wash the dried paint off my hands.
“Did I interrupt?” he asks, and I glance at him over my
shoulder.
“Yep.”
A big, hearty laugh escapes his throat. “You don’t even want
to pretend I’m not being a huge inconvenience to you right now?”
“Pretty sure you know me better than that,” I say with a
grin and swipe the extra moisture off my hands onto my jeans. “I’m not a
beat-around-the-bush kind of guy, Nigel.”
He grins at that.
“What brought about this gloriously annoying visit of yours
today?”
“Just want to make sure you’re ready for the big opening,”
he says and slides his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. I don’t miss
the way he takes it upon himself to peruse my studio, his eyes taking in all of
the empty canvases stacked in the corner and the finished works scattered along
the floor and the walls.
“By all means, please feel free to browse. You know how much
I love that.”
He ignores my jab completely. “So, can I count on you to be
there?”
“Be where?”
“You know where, you bastard.” He glares. “Does January 31st
ring a bell? The big exhibition some of us have been working so hard on.”
“If I weren’t such a big person, I wouldn’t be able to
ignore the fact that you’re insinuating I, the artist, haven’t done any
work for the show.”
He rolls his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant. Stop
trying to distract me.”
Now it’s my turn to make a show of my new eyes’ ability to
move. “We’ve already been through this, man. There’s no reason for me to be
there.”
Unconvinced, Nye presses on. “It’s your opening, Ans. You
need to be there.”
“I don’t need to be anywhere.”
“Tell me this…why wouldn’t you want to be there? This
is your first exhibition in five years. Since before the accident. This
is huge. If anything, you should be there to celebrate that you’re painting
again. That you’re alive.”
And just like that, he’s answered his own question. He just
doesn’t know it.
Circuslike fanfare and a giant spotlight on my tragic past
are the last things I want. I just want to paint without all of the fucking
hoopla.
“How about this? I’ll drink a glass of whiskey tonight to
celebrate. I’ll even give myself a special toast.”
“If you drink that glass of whiskey inside my gallery, on
the night of your opening, then we have a deal.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Not happening.”
“The press will be there. Your fans will be there. People want
to see you. They want to talk to you. Interview you. Why don’t you want to be
there?”
“For those exact fucking reasons, Nye,” I answer honestly.
“While I’m thankful people still want to see my art, I don’t need the ego trip
that comes with gallery openings and interviews. I don’t need fans kissing my
ass, and I sure as fuck don’t need rich investors schmoozing me up because it
makes them think they’ll have a better shot at getting their greedy hands on
one of my paintings.”
Silence stretches between us, and I hope that means Nigel
has finally come to terms with the reality of my absence at the opening.
Before the accident, I would’ve been there in a heartbeat. I
would’ve been the guy with the big fucking ego and some random, superficially
beautiful model attached to my arm. The douchebag looking at everyone inside
that gallery and mentally giving myself a pat on the back.
But I’m not that guy anymore. I haven’t been that guy since
the day I went blind.
Do I claim to be the world’s happiest, most-together guy?
Fuck no. Like I said, on my best day, I’m still an asshole. But after living in
the dark for what felt like an eternity, I’ve at least realized a few things.
For one, money, success—material shit—doesn’t mean a
fucking thing.
You can’t buy happiness.
And, two? Friends are better to have than fans. Friends
stick with you no matter what.
“Okay.” Nigel’s voice breaks our silence. “Fine. I won’t ask
you again.”
I grin. “That sounds like a truly brilliant idea.”
“Why haven’t I seen this one?”
I follow his gaze to the far corner of my studio, and
instantly, I know which painting he’s talking about. My chest tightens with
unease. I can’t believe I left that one out in the open like this…
I run a hand through my hair and try to make myself sound at
least somewhat disinterested. “Because it wasn’t a painting I wanted to put in
the exhibition.”
My voice sounds slightly higher pitched, even to my own
ears. Dammit.
About a year after my transplant, Dr. Smith cleared me to go
back to my normal life—back to painting. I found myself inside this
studio with a brush in my hand and a beautiful girl in my mind.
Crystal-blue eyes, dark, dimensional hair, and dimpled
cheeks, every detail of her face and features vivid to the point of precision.
I couldn’t stop picturing her. The way her full lips appear
when they’re curled into a smile. The way she looks mid-laugh. The way her eyes
light up beneath the sun.
She was all I could see, this girl I’ve never met before,
this girl I’ve never actually seen.
She was the first thing I painted after the transplant, and
she’s been locked inside my mind ever since—for nearly three years, to be
exact.
But who’s counting, right?
I nearly snort out loud. The truth is, my obsession is
nearly pathetic and almost certainly unhealthy. But I can’t seem to stop
myself.
“This is…stunning,” he says quietly as his eyes rake over
the canvas. “She’s stunning.”
His words, while holding no harm or ill will, make me feel
incredibly uncomfortable.
Like I need to shield her from his eyes. I feel too
vulnerable. Too raw.
Nigel turns to meet my eyes. “Why didn’t you want to put
this one in the exhibition?”
“I don’t know.” Because it’s too special to me.
He looks at the painting for a long moment before moving his
eyes back to mine. “Should I know who she is?”
“No.”
A figment of my imagination?
Some kind of angel muse?
I don’t know, but I can’t stop painting her.
“Is this the only one of her?”
“Yes,” I flat out lie. Besides the one he’s looking at,
there are another four finished canvases hidden away and at least seven in
progress. But I’m already pissed enough at myself for leaving this one out for
him to see.
Strange and most likely fucking insane, I know, but it’s the
reality.
“You need to add this one to the exhibition.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Your other works are amazing, but this,it’s
something else, Ans,” he says and glances back at the painting. “It belongs in
the exhibition.”
Silence stretches between us, and I’m torn about what to
say.
Fuck no seems
inappropriately callous, but I’m having a hell of a time coming up with any
other words.
The artist inside of me agrees with his assessment. That
painting—and the other paintings of her—is special.
She draws the viewer in just as she’s done with me, like a
mermaid luring sailors to their deaths.
But everything else inside me wants to keep her to myself.
“Ans, people need to see this painting,” Nye urges.
I let out a deep exhale. “I don’t know…”
“Ans, this one has to be in the show.” His gaze is steady,
unwavering. “You and I both know it would be a fucking travesty if it weren’t
in there.”
My back tenses, but for some reason, the word “Okay” slips
from my lips.
My stomach churns and my mind races and I don’t know why I’m
agreeing, but I am. I don’t know why I feel sick over the prospect of other
people seeing this painting, but I do.
The way I’m feeling, the way my emotions intertwine with her
paintings, is a complete mystery to me.
Just like
her.↓ Links to the Book & Author ↓
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Over two years ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...
Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than ten contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.