An irresistible connection, a desire that won’t let go…When aspiring antiques dealer Eleanor Cole is handed the chance of a lifetime to work for the Hunt Corporation, the renowned antiques dealers, she doesn’t think twice. Only to discover she’ll be working up close and personal with the notorious and insanely irresistible Becker Hunt. He is a man famous for getting what he wants, and Becker … and Becker wants Eleanor.
But as Becker pulls her deeper into his world, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye.
And falling for Becker goes from being foolish to dangerous…
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It was fantastic.I loved it. It had it all and it was seriously intense. And I can not wait until book 2!
Thank you for a great story Jodi. I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
Absolutely brilliant… This story is typically Jodi, the humour woven throughout is very tongue in cheek and very English with choice words of knickers, arse. It didn’t take me long to fall into this story…. I chose to listen to this on audio and I’m absolutely thrilled that I did. It totally brought the story to life. This story is more of a romantic suspense instead of it being a ‘whodunnit’ its a ‘whereisit’ ; I’m desperate for the second part. This has quite a detailed plot and really good one to sink your teeth into and different from just the ‘baggage as a kid’ stories.
I can honestly say I have not laughed so hard in such a long time. The majority of the praise has to go to the narrator for her range of voices for each of the characters . I know I certainly wouldn’t have been able to give this story the justice it deserves by just reading it alone. Told in single person POV she has so many voices for each of the different characters; I can’t even begin to say which character I enjoyed the most… Maybe Lucy for her northern accent and the mention of shaving ‘pits and bits’ ; I have belly laughed constantly, crying and not being able to catch my breath.
Gah! What a cliffhanger… I was gutted when I heard “You have been listening to….”
This book is SO good, it will keep you up at night greedily turning pages. The only thing wrong with it is that I have to wait until November to read the rest of the story. Torture!
I only finished this book because I felt indebted to write a review. I’d heard about this author and was looking forward to my first experience. And I was not impressed. This book was excruciatingly slow, disappointing and at times, also boring. I can usually finish a book very fast if I love the story, even in one day, but in this case I struggled and took three days!
The story itself was very good: young woman from a little town, is betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend. This is what pushes her to leave town and pursue her dream: move to London and work in the antiques and art world. All her life she’s lived immersed in antiques since her late father owned a shop, although what he owned was mostly junk. In many parts of her story, she feels like she turned her back on her family by abandoning her father’s store.
Once in London, she gets a job with the Hunt Corporation. When she enters the heaven for the first time, she feels like fate brought her there and it’s her destiny to live breathing the aroma of old books and artifacts. She falls in love with elderly Mr. H, the owner, and Mrs. Potts, who works in the company and also takes care of Mr. H. It’s when she meets Mr. H’s grandson that the going gets weird.
Becker Hunt is said to be the best negotiator on antiques and artifacts. He has an uncanny sense of what a piece is worth. His talent comes from generations of antiques dealers. But Becker has a problem; his parents died when he was young and he has affection problems. He feels everyone leaves him so he doesn’t accept intimacy from anyone. He’s immediately attracted to Eleanor but at the same time rejects getting close.
Eleanor is having a great time in London, she has a new friend in her neighbor Lucy. She’s moving on from her loss but is suddenly stricken with lust for this man that seems unavailable. At times he’s a jerk, other times unusually tender. Sometimes friendly, other times jealous and vengeful. Eleanor describes him as brilliant, arousing, mischievous, etc. I saw him as a malicious elf with severe hang ups. His grandfather and Mrs. Potts warn Eleanor against him, warning her of his relationship deficiency, and yet, every time she’s in his presence, she’s struck dumb with a lust she can’t control.
At times he rejects her, other times he’s persuasive and sensual. When he gets close, she tries to act or talk and can’t. It’s like she suffers paralysis of the mind and body when he’s near. She knows she’s been warned away, she knows her job is in danger if she acts inappropriately and yet, she just stays there dumb and quiet. This happens so many times it felt like going in circles.
Pretty soon their interactions got old and tiring. I didn’t feel like he was being kind and generous, on the contrary, he was self-serving and sometimes malicious. And immature too!
There is a rivalry with another family in the person of Brett Wilson. Both use Eleanor as a pawn in their attempts to one up the other. There’s a mystery regarding a lost and priceless work of art and there’s some dodgy actions on the part of both men. And again, Eleanor’s actions are wimpy at best.
The book ends in a cliffhanger, nothing is solved and I’m not interested in finding out what happens next, not if I have to keep on reading about Becker’s less than exemplary behavior and Eleanor’s wimpy behavior.
I’m really not sure where to start or what I can say that hasn’t already been said but I’m going to give it my best shot. This book drew me in from the first page and had me sitting on the edge of my seat as I sat into the night trying to finish before I feel asleep, I was riveted by Becker and Eleanor’s story and I’m sure you will be too but please remember this book ends of one hell of a cliff hanger that will leave you wanting more !!!!
Two new characters from Jodi Ellen Malpas to fall in love with, Eleanor Cole is sassy, strong and gives as good as she gets, she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and that means standing her ground with her new boss Becker Hunt even if he sets her knickers on fire whenever he is close by.
There is more to Becker than meets the eye and very few people get to know the real man, he is used to getting what he wants and that’s the new assistant Eleanor …..
This book has a lot going for it, it has characters with depth and a story that’s intriguing, I laughed and I cried and I found myself sighing and swooning throughout this great read. And I guess all that’s left to say is I highly recommend Artful Lies and I hope like me you are drawn to the story and the secrets that are woven throughout .
I need the next book now…..right now!!!! Holy cliffhanger!!! I haven’t read a JEM book in forever! I don’t know why but I will be changing that! This book was sooooo good! You get a mystery,suspense,hot alpha male! What more could you ask for! I found myself loving, hating then back to loving Becker! I was hooked from the very beginning! I didn’t want to put this book down! I will just be sitting her impatiently waiting for the next book to release! I do highly recommend this book!
Received an arc for an honest review!
“I don’t want to force my way in… I want you to surrender…”
This is a new step for Jodi, a magnificent story. I loved every single part of this book, the main characters are amazing but a very few writers can make me fall in love with the secondary ones, I needed to devour every chapter just to get to know the characters and I couldn’t believe what I would find at the end, but let me tell you this, Artful Lies is a masterpiece, after reading her first trilogy, This Man; I couldn’t imagine for Jodi to make someone so perfect and so different from her first love -and mine- Jesse Ward, but oh my, Becker Hunt just got to the main leagues.
Eleanor Cole arrives to London having in mind a new life, freedom, and art as her only passion at the moment, when she lands the best job at the Hunt Corporation, she knows nothing can get better than that; but her boss is not making it any easier, she knows he’s a womanizer and danger, he could break her, and at the same time free her soul.
Becker Hunt has the world at his palm, there’s a reason he is who he is in the art world, he has the most exquisite pieces in his Heaven, and he thought nothing could compare to his treasures until Eleanor Cole began working for him, and he could see her true passion and the love she felt for every piece, he has to stay away, he could destroy her and she is too precious; but there’s always something in the shadows and Becker has a secret and he can’t let Eleanor know.
An easy love is not in the card for them, there are too many lies, too many secrets and Eleanor might not be able to survive them. Jodi…you’re killing me with the waiting, but I know it will be worth it. Incredible, that is how I describe Artful Lies.
She did it again guys! Jodi wrote a novel the ended and drove me to yelling. I love it. I love a good WOW ending and she definitely delivers here.
This novel is one that you come to love al of the characters as you read. Jodi delivers a brand new cast that you quickly become obsessed with. I loved our angry toolbag alpha and Eleanor was just the greatest. She was strong and sassy as well as passionate about her work. Throw Becker into the mix and things got very interesting very quickly.
This brings back This Man vibes ALL OVER THE PLACE guys. I loved that our hero was troubled and I loved all the little hidden tidbits you get while reading. This book as sexy and fun no top of also being full of a mystery that I was dying to solve.
Throw that HUGE EPIC ENDING at us and I was HOOKED.
Jodi Ellen Malpas has created some of my most favorite heroes and heroines in the romance world and with her newest release, Artful Lies, she introduces readers to the intelligent and sassy Eleanor Cole and the aloof and enigmatic Becker Hunt and when these two characters begin a professional relationship, it’s clear that there is already something more developing between them, which poses both a conflict of interest as well as a dangerous liaison of sorts, given what is revealed as the story line moves forward.
Eleanor Cole is a great JEM heroine. There’s a strength in her that is clearly shown with how she views the world and her need to do what’s right, not only for herself, but for the common good. She’s definitely beautiful and intriguing, but it’s her imperfections that draw people to her because she’s authentic and her personality is inviting.
Like many of the author’s alpha heroes, Becker Hunt is quite the dominant and imposing guy and despite his mercurial demeanor and rather standoffish expressions, Eleanor’s reactions to him and desire to know everything there is about him allows them the opportunity to learn more about each other. But here’s the issue with that idea…Becker is not an easy man to know, and because of his need for secrecy and his obsession with the skeletons in his family lineage, it’s unclear if Eleanor will ever truly know everything there is to know about him.
The underlying sexual tension between Eleanor and Becker and the push and pull that surrounds their connection from the start is captivating and has readers eager for these two to act on their feelings instead of using logic to keep each other at a distance.
The title itself engages readers and with the title of book two, Wicked Truths, it’s clear revelations will abound but what that means for Eleanor and Becker’s relationship is up in the air and with how Artful Lies ended, complications and obstacles will for sure cost them something but hopefully, not each other.
4.5 Poison Apples
Words I have never thought I would say : JESSE WARD HAS A COMPETITOR. As an avid Jodi Ellen Malpas reader and JEM Alpha addict, that sounds impossible. But Becker Hunt in Artful Lies has done it. A miracle. He has successfully claimed the top spot. Without breaking a sweat.
Eleanor Cole has come to London from a small village to pursue her dreams in Art and Antiques world. She left her lonely mother, her dead father’s memory in his shop and a cheating ex boyfriend behind. She is elated when she got the job at an elusive and highly sought after company. But she didn’t expect to find the most infuriating, controlling, bossy, gorgeous, irresistible and dangerous man to be her boss. Becker Hunt wants her. And that’s not a good thing.
This story made me a mess. I will accept that I was screaming, crying and sighing. Because this story is everything JEM and then some more. My heart is bursting out. Becker is the most attractive and gorgeous man. But he is something else too. Intense. Damaged. Afraid of feeling and incapable of loving. With dark secrets. Arrogant. Incorrigible. And I love him with every single fibre of my heart and soul. He needs power over everything. Be it his art collection. Be it Eleanor. She is the perfect amalgamation of sass, intelligence, grace and softness. Her heart is precious that loves Becker irrespective of his issues. And oh man does he have issues..Their chemistry feels so epic. So legendary. I wanted to slap Becker for his alphahole actions and then want him to go some more growly possessive beast. This is dirty. This is sinful. This is passion on steroids. And the emotions ripped my heart out, broke it into pieces and left me spellbound. That ending was brutal and I don’t know what to do with my heart anymore.
Artful Lies was a magnificent story by Jodi Ellen Malpas. I have no words for Becker and Eleanor’s riveting saga. This story exceeds my expectations from every single aspect. Character. Storyline. Writing. Every single thing owned me.
Received ARC for honest review
What is it about a JEM hero that makes you want to kiss him, smack him, and hug him ( and then maybe smack him again)? All at the same time?! Meet Becker Hunt…sex god, charmer, mercurial alpha, and arrogant ass all rolled into one delicious package. He always gets what he wants whether business or pleasure no matter what it takes. I loved the complexity of his character. His internal demons are numerous and while some are revealed to the reader, others are merely hinted at making him so very intriguing. Our heroine Eleanor really doesn’t stand a chance. Their connection is immediate and intense. The chemistry between these two practically leaps from the pages. And in true JEM fashion, the intimate scenes are smoking, smoking hot. But what happens when you fall for your boss? Your emotionally unavailable, womanizing boss? Eleanor is in for some heartbreak. She knows it and so does the reader. This won’t end well. Not going to discuss any plot points, but there is a mystery and it is set in the world of historically significant and extremely expensive works of art. The peek into this world was fascinating. Fans of the This Man trilogy will eat this one up. It had a very This Man-ish feel to it….the push-pull, the emotional drama, bossy alpha, and the angst ( oh the angst!!). I was right there for all of this and will anxiously be awaiting the second installment. Be aware that there is a cliffhanger and quite the cliffhanger it is. This was an emotional ride of a read so strap yourself in and enjoy!
~Jamie
Five stars!
Good Lord in heaven! I can’t order my thoughts as they are running wild inside my mind. My brain is melted ladies! I’m out of words. This is easily my favourite read from Jodi Ellen Malpas. Artful Lies is a brutal masterpiece that ruined me in the most wonderful and delicious way possible. I DARE to say that Becker has dethroned Jesse Ward on my book boyfriend list. I’ve never thought that could happen but I’m also happy because this proves that Jodi Ellen Malpas has outdone herself and she brought us a new alpha male character who is dark, tenacious, clever, dirty and dangerously handsome. This book also proves that there is no doubt that Jodi is the queen of romance. It was beautiful and brutal and lush.
Hands down ladies! I am completely stunned and delighted. Finally, the Lord of the Manor has a worthy competitor. Bloody hell it is happening! Becker will literally left you trembling!
I love when a JEM book hits my kindle, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into Artful Lies.
Eleanor & Becker is like fire meeting fire with their one liners & banter back and forth, but when guards are down and feelings are mixed in it’s always going to be trouble.
Like all of Jodi’s characters there’s always one you have to dig deep to find out about & AL is no different!!
Roll on book 2 until we find out the answers to the cliff everyone’s left hanging off
4
I really don’t even know where to start with Artful Lies. While I am no stranger to Jodi Ellen Malpas, this book was something else. Dark. Mysterious. Dangerous. Marvelous.
I liked Eleanor. Her love of art. Her curious nature and mind. How she always wanted to know more. How even when given the opportunity of her lifetime, she knew she needed to proceed with caution. Because Becker. Oh my goodness that man was a piece of work and then some.
There was something about Becker that I couldn’t put my finger on. He had this personality that made want to smack him for his arrogance but also try to get closer and learn more. He was smart and conniving, talented and drawn to Eleanor in a way he couldn’t understand.
The push and pull between these two was enough to drive me mad! Hot one minute. Infuriatingly distant and cold the next. But there was something lurking just beneath the surface. And then the twist!! My heart was racing and my stomach dropped as Eleanor started to put the pieces together. Gah! I can not wait to see what the mind of Jodi Ellen Malpas has in store for them next.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, it wasn’t at all what I expected if I am honest. But that’s not a bad thing. I loved it. I loved Eleanor and Becker from the start, more to the point I freaking love Becker… Hot damn, that man is swoony, hot as hell, and everything a woman could ask for in a man, with a slice of cockiness and arrogance. I think that’s the side I loved most. I am a sucker for a cocky alpha and Becker was certainly that!
JEM didn’t shy away from the angsty feel in this book. It was intense, to say the least, and had me going crazy, yet I loved every bit of it. There was so much more to these characters that first met the eye and I had fun exploring it all. The push and pull between these two were perfect. I wanted to slap them both in part of the book but that’s how I like it. The heat was on another level. All in all, not giving any spoilers this book was amazing. JEM’s best work to date if I’m honest. I love her alpha males. I love the passion, the heat, the angst, and the drama that this author brings to life within the pages of a book, and this book was all that and more. It was a mix of everything I love about romance and it had me hooked from page one.
I cannot wait to see what is to come!
5 Stars!
3.5 stars
I haven’t noticed how much I miss JEM’s writing, she has this special way to immerse us in this new beautiful world of Art and love.
Eleanor wants a new life and pursue her own dreams, she’s looking for a job in London which involves antiques and art, she didn’t expect to find all she wants and WAY more!!! She found Becker Hunt, the most possessive, controlling, infuriating boss who captive his gorgeous and irresistible look.
Since the first day they met, the attraction was undeniable and even the slightly between them set our kindles on fire! Now they work together and despite they tried hard (not that hard) to keep it professionally it was impossible for them to be apart.
But Eleanor should listen to Becker’s advice and not to fall for him, he can’t fall in love, he has lost many people he loved and he is damaged so she better keep her heart from being shatter into pieces. She can’t say he didn’t warn her.
Love the intrigue and the mystery the author put almost at the end, we’re trying to figure out what is that Beck is hiding from Eleanor and what does he want from her. The book ends on a cliffhanger son I can’t wait for WICKED TRUTHS coming this November.
As soon as I started Artful Lies by Jodi Ellen Malpas I was captivated by the story and the characters. After years of caring for her family, their business and a heartbreaking breakup, Eleanor Cole is ready for a change. When an opportunity arises that is too good to be true, she takes it. But that means working daily with Becker Hunt of the Hunt Corporation. Becker is a man used to getting what he wants. He is a very determined and possessive man. Eleanor was smart and just as determined. This is what she has always wanted. But something about Becker draws her in. I absolutely loved the push and pull between them and their chemistry was intense. Artful Lies was such a great read full of angst, intrigue and great characters! I am so excited to get my hands on the next book!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
4.25 ‘My Haven’ Stars
Ohhh, wowwww!!! Artful Lies is absolutely RIVETING!!! Jodi Ellen Malpas’ first part of the Hunt Legacy Duology seduces and enthralls us into a mystique filled universe where Becker Hunt is king, and oh boy, what a ruler… Richly weaved, opulently set, emotionally raw and insanely sexy, with a jaw dropping twist and the perfect hint of mystery, Artful Lies enraptures us so intense and completely in its addictive Haven, that we’ll never, EVER want to get out!
Ms. Malpas promised us a Alpha to rival Jesse Ward, and I have to say, Becker Hunt is without a doubt one Alpha – with a capital A – that very much like the first, we won’t forget. This man is so potently written that he’s in a league of his own. The OTT Alpha at its finest, and in the most drool inducing of packages… He’s as aggravating – yes, many time I wanted to strangle him even more than Eleanor did, lol – as he is enticing, and his mysteriousness and maverick ways coupled with his unapologetic sex appeal, well, very much like he’s described, and pointed out by Eleanor herself, he’s just a combo impossible to resist. And oh boy, resist she try!
Eleanor has just moved to London to escape her past, as well as put her delayed professional dreams to fruition. From the very first moment though, Fate has seemed to have even bigger, and more ‘troublesome’, lol, plans for her, that start almost immediately in her new adventure when a God like stranger, with the most wicked of smirks and angel eyes, runs into her – and keeps on crashing into her, in more ways than one.
So imagine her reaction when after a rocky start in her search of employment, thanks to the mystery man, no less, she not only has a once in a lifetime chance to have the most coveted job in the field, and without a clue when applying. What she never expect was that along with the dream job, came a aggravating and wicked boss, none other than her mystery ‘cab thief’, aka Becker Hunt.
The chemistry… OMG, THE CHEMISTRY!!!! From that very first encounter, we could practically feel the sparks in the air, industrial sized sparks, but sparks, nonetheless. Eleanor and Becker’s magnetism is so powerfully described, I dare you not to feel their insane connection which only increases with every encounter, never once faltering, much to both their dismay. So powerful and unwanted in fact that is no wonder that it turn it gave us the most captivating and delicious of banters, these two could not be in the same room without wanting to strangle each other or rip one another’s couples, and I was so here for it!!! Of course this push and pull, the wicked games and taunting moments, translated into the most scorching of foreplays, and cold shower required sexy scenes. Yep they were just THAT explosive together!
The fact that they could be so raw when it came to their cravings, just made me enjoy even more when their showed their conflicting emotions, specially their struggle with the feelings the other invoked in them, and though there were a couple of times I wanted to nut punch Becker right there at the beginning, and wished that Eleanor had done just that, lol – still hoping FERVENTLY that as I suspect, nothing is as it seems when it comes to a certain Tiger Bird, and the shows that Becker set for Eleanor’s benefit, because it was honestly the only moment I was a bit put off, so fingers crossed! – when they FINALLY gave in, and they started slowly unveiling their vulnerability, and just how tortured Becker’s heart was, it brought a whole new dimension to their emotional connection. The feelings through the whole book are so beautifully exposed, it was impossible not to live them right there with the couple.
Eleanor, whose POV we get all throughout this book, is such an amazing leading lady, strong, and sassy but still completely relatable in her fragility and doubts. Her internal struggles and doubts are so vivid, I think that is why at the start I wanted to strangle Becker so much, yes, her thought’s are so realistically exposed I was right there with her in her fury and hurt, lol. Another incredible aspect we get from seeing the story thought her eyes, is Jodi Ellen Malpas’ masterful world building, and stage setting, because by giving Eleanor her art and history background, when we see the world and specially The Haven and Becker’s treasure, I felt I was right there with her in her awe and curiosity. JEM’s exquisite attention to detail and richly built descriptions really transport us to a new universe, in this case, all things Hunt.
What a ride this was, I’ve laughed, I’ve raged, I swooned, and I cried! The way that Becker made Eleanor feel throughout the book, I’ve felt all her emotions, and the way she burned for him but still felt for his tormented heart, I was right there with her. Ms. Malpas really transposed his anguish to a T. And by the end of this part, I was feeling her devastation like it was my own, and that is the number irrefutable proof of the amazingness of Artful Lies.
Oh my… Jodi Ellen Malpas gave the PERFECT description herself for Artful Lies, indeed This Man meets Thomas Crown Affair is a SPOT ON reference when it comes to this book/duology. The intrigue and the mystery that the author masterfully intertwined with Eleanor and Becker’s EPIC love story, only made the already complex and captivating characters that much passionate, and the incredible storyline richer and alluring. From the very first paragraph, it’s impossible not to get ourselves emerged into this world, and never want to leave, so when we get to the ending of this first part of the duology, we’re about ready to offer Ms. Malpas our first born for the pleasure of unveiling what happens next to these two. I know I am, because JEM sure knows how to leave us in the very edge of our seats, where we don’t know if we should scream and beg for November to come sooner, or just worship her for the unforgettable characters that we have no doubt will branded forever in our minds. And their legendary tale is not even over yet! That about says it. Oh yes, Wicked Truths can’t come fast enough!!! <3 <3 <3 <3
Be Ready to not be able to put this book down by Author Jodi Ellen Malpas.
This book is fast pace with tons of twists and a cliffhanger that will have you wanting the next book ASAP!
Eleanor is intelligent, head strong heroine that was refreshing to read.
I liked how she is determined and when she meets Becker, she stands her ground.
Oh Becker!
What games he plays but I liked that when him and Eleanor come together, they are fire!
Love their chemistry and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
4 popped!
Artful Lies, book one in the Hunt Legacy Dualogy, brings me back to the This Man/One Night series style of writing and I AM HERE FOR IT!
Becker and Eleanor had my attention from page one and I honestly I could not put this book down!!! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the story. This page-turner has everything you could possibly need…passion, mystery, chemistry, and a cliffhanger that will leave you begging for more. Becker and Eleanore have quickly become one of my favorite couples in the JEM world!