Bestselling author Sarah Fine presents a sexy and psychological standalone novel sure to thrill new adult romance readers everywhere.What starts as a battle of wills can quickly turn into passion…Daniel’s got everything figured out. He makes a good living as an artist … mostly through offering “private shows” to the wives of local wealthy businessmen. He never stops playing the game and … playing the game and never lets anyone touch his heart. But when his current fling offers him a few hundred an hour for art lessons for her reclusive, college-dropout daughter, Daniel finds himself forgetting his own rules. The girl is rude. Insulting. Incredible.
And she sees straight through him.
Stella is hiding from the world, not because she wants to, but because crippling panic attacks await her every time she tries to live a normal life. She’s determined to push everyone-including her handsome new art teacher–away. But Daniel makes it utterly impossible. The guy is irritating. Mocking. Magnetic.
And makes her want things she knows she can never have.
What starts as a battle of wills turns into passion, where giving in means facing the things that scare them most.
WARNING: This is a new adult novel and contains material which is sexual in nature. Content may not be suitable for readers under the age of 18.
more
After meeting Daniel Vliet in the first installment in the Starving Artists series I knew there was more to the seemingly carefree player and this book definitely gave readers greater insight into this conflicted young man. From the outside he seems sexy and fun-loving but behind the facade is a young man just trying to survive as he’s full of self-doubts and fears over his family’s future. Add in a young woman showing signs of agoraphobia and the stage has been set for an epic romance that will pull at reader’s heartstrings.
Daniel’s an artist whose style borders on the eccentric, it’s art that’s full of life and brash too…just like the man. Notoriety doesn’t equal fame though so to get by he gives “private” lessons to the older women looking for Boy Toys. Unlike Caleb in the previous installment, Daniel’s never had a problem being with these woman for money and commissions since a good time is always had by all. Seeing Caleb’s happiness in finding the one woman meant for him though has Daniel questioning things and upon meeting Stella he’s even more torn as she looks beyond his pretty package to the man clearly struggling under the weight of family and fame. They may start out as enemies but it’s not long before they both open their hearts in an emotionally intense journey of healing and unwavering support that had me rooting for them every step of the way. Daniel’s a complex hero who some might not like early on as he comes off as arrogant. Remembering his strong support of Caleb in the previous book though, his heartfelt words, endeared him to me then and had me longing to see more of that now…and this story didn’t disappoint. He and Stella were at war from the start but they soon came to rely on each other as there wasn’t any subterfuge in their relationship as each gave as good as they got. The family issues he was dealing with were easy to relate to, they humanized him and had me wanting to comfort him, though I do wish more time had been spent on his mother’s and brother’s journeys as they were appealing secondary characters. Despite his carefree, playboy image, Daniel’s a loving son and brother, a supportive friend, and a loving and considerate boyfriend once he claims Stella as his. He wants her to get well but never pushes her to the breaking point, he’s accepting and comforting and just what she needs him to be as she works through the pressures of her family.
Stella’s spent the last few months at home after a disastrous semester at college ended with her feeling alone and having unrelenting panic attacks. There’s no one she can count on as her attempts to deal with her issues on her own has others assuming she’s being melodramatic. Her mother’s latest plan to help her is to hire Daniel for daily art classes with unexpected results occurring as their immediately drawn to each other in a connection that’s combustible. They push each other every step of the way, never letting the other hide behind the masks they show the rest of the world. There’s an air of naïveté to Stella when readers first meet her as she’s closed herself off from the world, allowed her damaged self-esteem to hold her hostage to her mother’s particularly harsh words. Getting to know Daniel, finding unwavering support from him and his close-knit group of friends gives her the push she needs to deal with her mental illness. It’s an illness that isn’t sugarcoated with a therapeutic journey that’s vividly depicted and with an outcome that isn’t quickly reached. It makes for a hard-fought journey to HEA, one that’s empowering to Stella while strengthening the foundation between her and Daniel. On a whole I found much to admire about Stella despite seeing her at her lowest and most frustrating point early on. She let her mother belittle her for far too long, was angry and hurtful towards Daniel, before finally standing up for herself and finding her own self-worth in a rocky road to HEA.
From the first page to the last this was another satisfying installment in the New Adult Starving Artists series courtesy of a delicious hero with a heart of gold and a heroine trying to find her place in the world. Add in the author’s handling of mental illness, the manipulations of unhappy parents, and the slightly icky choices made by the hero and readers will find themselves battered and bruised by this emotionally intense tale. Daniel sees himself as just a pretty face with a bit of talent, talent that doesn’t yet pay the bills, but with each turn of the page readers will find themselves teary-eyed by the hero discovering his self-worth. The heroine too becomes empowered by the hero’s support and love and to be a part of his world is what drives her to seek help in a tale that shows the true power of love. Surrounding this appealing main couple was an equally entertaining cast of secondary characters, almost all of whom we’ve seen before. I loved seeing Caleb and Romy again and was delighted by how comfortable they’ve become as a couple. They were a strong support to both Daniel and Stella and their words of wisdom fueled this book’s HEA. I was also drawn to the few glimpses we got of sexy artist Markus, a rough around the edges artist who was a bit crass one moment while being protective the next. This dichotomy intrigues me and I hope he takes center stage soon. Daniel’s brother Nate caught my eye too as it’s clear that actions on the battlefield are tearing him up off the battlefield. He too is trying to hide the pain but it’s clear that his future book will put readers through the wringer. On a whole I found this a well-crafted romance with characters that were likable and am very much looking forward to future installments in this series.