A Brand New Tangled & Tempting Romance from New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters. “Must be slim, able to stand for long periods of time, and be impervious to the cold.”The headline caught my attention.“Hours are negotiable, pay is minimal, clothing absolutely forbidden.”The second line piqued my curiosity.“Able to hold your bladder and tongue, refrain from opinions or suggestions, and be … curiosity.
“Able to hold your bladder and tongue, refrain from opinions or suggestions, and be the perfect living canvas.”
The third made me scowl.
“Other attributes required: non-ticklish, contortionist, and obedient. Must also enjoy being studied while naked in a crowd.”
The fourth made me shudder.
“Call or email ‘YOUR SKIN, HIS CANVAS’ if interested in applying.”
The final made my heart race.
I should’ve kept scrolling past the advertisement.
I should’ve applied for the boring receptionist job at minimum wage.
I should’ve clicked on any other job where I got to keep my clothes on.
But I didn’t.
I applied.
My interview is tomorrow…
more
“I knew I was setting myself up for more pain than I could handle by going back. But…”
Pepper Winters…enough said. She’s blown my mind over and over, so it was a no-brainer for me to want to get my grabby hands on The Body Painter. It doesn’t matter what direction she decides to take me it’s never a journey that I regret. Though, I confess that after reading this first installment in the duet…the destination is still unclear. She’s kept me hanging on the edge of WTF and my head is still spinning with the possibilities.
What I do know is that the author and the artist are both ‘masters of trickery’. I thought I had things figured out a time or two only to end up scratching my head later. It’s a mind-bender of the best kind and I’m so excited for The Living Canvas. I’m not sure how much more pain and heartbreak I can handle, but I’m already addicted to these broken characters and I’m yearning for them to find a way around the many obstacles in their path.
“Desire didn’t just whisper between us. It positively set fire to us. Fireworks of need. Explosions of lust.”
But, something sinister is keeping them apart. I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out what is going on. I want to rattle his cage and let the demons out so I can ask them to tell me his secrets because he’s not talking. He’s just being a beautiful artistic asshole who keeps his pain locked down tight and his anger close to the surface. He’s talented and moody and bossy and brilliant. He’s perfect…sigh.
4 what in the ? stars!! This is definitely a Pepper Winters book. The mystery, the asshole, and the heat!!
This is book one of the “Master of Trickery Duet”. This bad boy ends in one hell of a cliffhanger, so be prepared. I’m like physically dying over here.
So Gilbert and Olin met in high school and created this one of a kind bond. She was from a prestigious absent family and he, the very wrong side of tracks. Gil “Gilbert” has to make a decision that will hurt Olin no matter what. Fast forward years later, decision was made and Olin was dumped like trash. Except now they meet again….
I am in love with the premise of this book. The mystery and secrets keep you coming back for more. BUT I felt like the constant replaying of “tell me your secrets” and “it’s ok I forgive you”, over and over kind of took me away from the fabulous story. I felt like we didn’t moved forward or really anywhere with it. With all that said the rest of the story was magnificent. We still don’t even know who the bad guy is. I’m so in the dark I am ready for a damn flashlight.
These two tried to stay apart but damn when they come together it is quite hot!! Gil is hot even though I want to choke him up a bit. Olin is a kind and loving girl but shit she needs to grow a backbone.
There is a trigger or two in here and one messed with me a bit but made for this even bigger story. Just a little FYI.
This is a great read, not quick but the mind fuckery is off the chain!!
** I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.**
OMG if ever a book was worth the wait, this is it !!!
Was i prepared for Olin and Gils story? I thought i was….
We get both past and present and we quickly fall in love with these two teenagers so beautifully completing each others broken shells and falling so deeply in love. Until there was nothing and Gil disappeared.
Ten years later, they meet again, and their love is as strong as ever, but Gil is still adamant that he wants no more to do with Olin.
Gil is a beautifully Flawed and Tortured Hero, with demons he can’t even begin to face. omg i wanted to crawl into the pages and fix him right along with Olin. Olin was so determined to be there for him, no matter how much he pushed her away even if he proclaimed he was protecting her.
So i was quickly drawn into this couple, my heart needed so badly to know what had happened to break this gorgeous man so drastically. Olin just as stubborn as him refuses to give up. But this author is a freaking Ninja on your emotions, the dark suspense keeps you on edge, the steamy sexiness keeps you salivating for more and angst that consumes you. Drawing you in deeper and deeper till you are emotionally in tatters. When you feel your heart can’t take anymore this emotional Ninja this is Pepper Winters, she sneaks up and cuts your heart right out before you even notice it’s happened !! HOW COULD YOU !! I was left practically hyperventilating. I cannot wait, I MEAN I REALLY CANNOT WAIT FOR MORE!!
First of all…. let’s admire the beautiful and such a stunning cover. It truly is gorgeous and unforgettable just like the story inside. I’m not even surprised I loved it because this author never disappoints. This had a blurb which sounded so interesting and left me curious to pick it up and I’m so glad I did because I really enjoyed this duet. Just like the name says, it will in fact trick your mind with unsuspecting twists and turns. So unique and sensual. Definitely worth reading.
I found this book difficult to describe and even harder to review without giving up spoilers.
Overall I enjoyed this book more because I was intrigued with the characters and what they were going through.
This is the kind of book that you think it was going one way, and then there was a sharp detour and goes another. It doesn’t fall under any one specific genre except it’s a romance!
Intense, suspenseful and full of WTF moments, I liked and disliked this story.
I had trouble connecting with the characters. There was so much push and pull, I found myself feeling frustrated with these characters. In addition there were elements of the story that felt repetitive.
However, there was just something that triggered something in me making their story appealing, the connection of the characters powerful and explosive.
Ultimately I was left wanting to discover what happens next even if the story ended in a cliffhanger.
As always Pepper delivers a totally unique story and in Olin and Gil two characters you will obsess over. This is Pepper at her dark best the story totally messed with my head. Certain parts are not for the faint of heart.
Pepper is one of my favourite authors one because her storytelling ability is second to none. She can weave a spell and take you to another place with her words with ease. I found myself racing to the end of the book to be hit with the mother of all cliffhangers. Obsessing over book two theories beginning now.
Love this author she writes such a heart filled book. Can’t put her books down. Please pepper hurry up and Write more!!!!!!
Five gut-wrenching stars! Poetic prose that unfolds in colourful emotions.
Oh my lord! Pepper Winters is the Mistress of Trickery, she cut to pieces my heart with this book! The Body Painter is an exquisite dark romance that kept me at the edge of a heart attack. The suspense made me feel too anxious and delirious. I’m so speechless, so mesmerized that I couldn’t find the right words while writing this review. I’m still trying to catch my breath. Pepper has crafted a suspenseful and twisted tale of star-crossed lovers filled with tension, angst, mystery, suspense and erotic moments that rendered me breathless and begging for more. The writing wove a spell where I was pulled into this deep and deliciously decadent dark romance that stole my soul and heart.
This book is the beginning of a heart-pounding love story laced with yearning. This is the most unique story I’ve read in a long time and despite the cliffy ending, I enjoyed every second of it. The Body Painter is so much more. It is a dangerous and colourful storm. Angst bleeds from the pages of this book. Despair and agony, devote and broken love. A colourful canvas of emotions and fractured passion. A sinful and will ride of sensations and eroticism.
The hero and the heroine are complex, complicated and full of fire with a connection so fierce that can’t be denied. Gil and Olin are perplexed, intense, passionate and quite stubborn. At first sight, they don’t make sense but as the story develops I could find similarities.
Gilbert Clark is the most intriguing and broken hero. Tortured. Complex. He totally smashed my heart into pieces for all the pain, abuse he was inflicted. He has too many secrets and those secrets are consuming him slowly fracturing his soul. And the worst is that they put Olin in danger. That’s why he pushes her, to protect her.
Olin is not easily discourage because she remembers the boy no one saw. The young man who stole her heart. She is determined to fight his demons, to support and care for him. She is not a weak heroine, she is stronger than you will think. She is strong enough to give him everything he needs because she is selfless. She strong enough to forgive him, even though he is the reason she is in danger.
A broken ballerina. A broken painter. Broken sees broken. Friends since high school, they get reacquainted as the body painter and the canvas. When Ollin answers his weird advertisement, it triggers a series of events that will take them into a wild and passionate trip. The past and present collide in a wonderful and dangerous way!
I can’t wait to read the conclusion of this duet. I absolutely recommend this experience to lovers of dark romance!
WTF did I just read?! Wow! Talk about a complete gut wrenching mind f*ck!! My head is spinning! I sucked this book down with a racing heart like I do with all of Pepper Winters books. The mystery and intense feelings she puts her readers through is why she is a 1-click author for me. I’m always astonished at what her mind comes up with.
Gil is the definition of tragic. His whole life has been one catastrophe after another. He needed a hero so bad when he was younger and he still does. Olin had no one growing up. Her parents preferred their own company to having a child until she met Gil. Gil was there for her, until he wasn’t. Until another tragedy made him break her heart and disappear and her heart was never the same. Until years later she interviews for a job as a body painters model. Low and behold it’s Gil but he’s keeping secrets. Secrets of the past and the present. He won’t tell her anything. Doesn’t want her around until it’s too late and now he can’t let her go but that’s not a good thing anymore…
3.5 stars
I absolutely love Pepper ‘s writing. But I struggled with this one some. H was so nasty and mean at times and she just took it. I wanted her to stand up to him a bit. I’m not sure if I’ll read book 2.
WHAT’S EATING GILBERT CLARK?
*self-purchased. No need of sugar daddies called promo teams*
“It hurts to love you, but I still love you
It’s just the way I feel
And I’d be lying if I kept hiding
The fact that I can’t deal
And that I’ve been dying (Yeah)
For something real
That I’ve been dying for something real.”
13 Beaches – Lana Del Rey
What’s this book about? (I’m trying to give as little spoilers as possible)
The blurb says little to nothing as to what’s truly going to happen in this book. Olin answers a sketchy advertisement. And the rest is complicated history.
This is not my first ride with Pepper Winters. I saw the cover to this story back when it came out and I was intrigued. I never got to read it until yesterday when I decided to tackle this sweet little thing. I’d love to say that this is a quick read, but it’s not. It’s a page-turner, but it was a very long book. You felt it as you read. I didn’t know what was going on throughout this book. There was lots of confusion although it seemed simple on the surface. I didn’t feel like we received enough answers at the end of book one to justify the lengths and LENGTHS that this book went through. I didn’t care; I loved the mystery. Pepper Winters simply knows how to structure this sort of intriguing plot. Gil and Olin were not only intense; THEY WERE EVERYTHING AND SO MUCH MORE FOR EACH OTHER, at one point and then the next, it was off again or not? There were so many secrets that I simply couldn’t take Gil’s words as serious at times. Their chemistry is unforgettable and it affects you hardcore. I felt for them. I rooted for them. I rooted for baby girl Olin to figure herself out and just stand up to her tormentor. But she barely did. I didn’t mind because I latched on to the glimmers of hope and I’m hypersensitive about this sort of thing. I don’t like my heroines weak. I sensed something in Olin, so I let her do as she pleased and get away with it.
Now, off to Gil. I read some other comments about toxicity etc. I won’t touch upon that at all. I went into this book blank; I had no idea what to expect. What I received was this poor soul Gil, tortured, tormented and troubled. I empathized with him. Pepper Winters built him up properly. It was pure agony to read what this boy endured. His love for Olin seemed so all-consuming. I fell for the idea of these two. I truly did. I desperately needed to know what was going on and what held them back from reaching their true potential.
And then we got to the end. It was short in comparison to the length of this novel and it left me breathless. At that point, I was still on board with what was happening although I couldn’t comprehend the character’s actions. The review on THE LIVING CANVAS (MASTER OF TRICKERY #2) will be up next and there, I’ll rant off and out.
I recommend this read to the hardcore Pepper Winters fans, lovers of mystery and people who love themselves an intense couple with deep history and enough secrets to fill the bible.
“A touch from your real love
Is like heaven takin’ the place of something evil
And letting it burn off from the rush […]
Darling, darling, darling
I fall to pieces when I’m with you, I fall to pieces.”
Cherry – Lana Del Rey
Well the time finally came and The Body Painter appeared on my kindle. I immediately dropped everything to pour myself into the Master of Trickery-Gil and Olin. Told in dual POV, past and present. This story is so different from what I have read before and Pepper Winters brings an amazing duo to life. Gil is an enigma. He is the master of trickery, his body painting speaks for itself but it’s his demons and secrets that keeps him bound to silence. He’s moody, unpredictable but loves hard and hates in the same breath. He holds so many secrets and turmoil behind his eyes. I just couldn’t not fall for Gilbert Clark.
Olin, now she is one determined woman. A girl who helped anyone in need and this floes through to her adulthood. Sure she had a hard upbringing and learnt to take care of herself at a young age and this flows on through to her adult life. She is persistent, resilient and willing to do whatever it takes to get the truth from Gil.
I loved meeting this fantastic couple and I just can’t wait for the next instalment in this duet.
The Body Painter is the first book in the Master of Trickery Duet. It’s a dark, angsty, sexy, and intense story filled with raw emotions, suspense, and deeply flawed characters. It’s told from a dual point of view, the past from Gil’s and present from Olin’s.
Olin Moss and Gilbert Clark were in high school when they became friends and fell in love with each other. They’re together for some months until Gil made a deal with a devil to keep Olin safe and destroyed everything.
“Gil had been the boy I’d wanted to marry. He’d belonged to me like I’d belonged to him. But then he’d become a monster… and no one knew why.” – Olin
Now seven years later, fate brought them back together when Olin responds to an advert that requires a model for a famous body painter. But Gil is not the same sweet and caring boy, Olin once knew. He’s changed a lot and wants nothing to do with her.
“No matter how much time passed. No matter what shit I put her through, I would always love this girl because she owned me heart and soul.” – Gil
Gil was the most tortured and complex character I’ve ever read. He was this cold, callous and haunted man, who’s some secrets that might get Olin in danger. He does everything he possibly could to push her away, said cruel things to make her hate him. Olin has lost so much, yet she was still a loving, forgiving, selfless, and brave person who’s determined to help him and to get the answers.
“The Master of Trickery had tricked me enough. It was time for the truth.
Even if it killed… everything.”
Overall, it was such a fascinating read! It was mesmerizing the way Pepper Winters has skillfully written about their love, desire, hurt, and yearning. It was not only romantic but mysterious and thrilling too. It’s a Must Read!!
Readers prepare to be blown away. It is a heartbreaking story with a present which intertwine with a glimpse of the past. In the present, we see only POV from Olin her pain, struggle, strength, and determination who is looking for answers who want to know what happens to her first and only love Gil. Gil is a story for himself, we don’t see an explanation of his action, just a few glimpses of the past can show us why is he so harsh. I don’t think that I saw a Hero with so much tragedy in his life. When Olin and Gil collide again something erupts from hatred to reborn passion that is explosive. I was not found that the story dragged a bit. Like we found in the last sentence what Gil is hiding but is just a glimpse of the mystery that surrounds him. Olin still doesn’t have her answers why or where did he go. Like it is all left in the open for the second book. And now I wonder will be the second book jet again drag and will be waiting this long for something to happen? Intense mysterious, sad book where there is no winner, and with a cliffhanger that keeps you wanting for more.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley
3.5 stars. The Body Painter is a complicated love story with an air of mystery and a hint of the forbidden. It’s dark and unexpected. I wasn’t sure about the flow of story since it alternates past and present, but I’m not sure if there is another way tell the story. I think I became impatient because of the mystery. There is a major cliffhanger and I will be reading the next part.
Wow. The emotional turmoil jumped off the pages straight into my heart. A moving and beautifully crafted story.
So I was initially attracted to the originality of this story and this does have that in absolute spades.
The idea of a body painter was just so out there in terms of unique plotline add in the mystery of the narrative and I was always going to read this.
Now I do love this author a lot she is a phenomenal writer and I can not fault her in that regard and although I did enjoy this to an extent it wasn’t my favourite.
I can’t really go into this too much plot-wise here as this would be so easy to spoil so I am going to try and elaborate what did and didn’t work here for me while trying to be as obscure as possible.
When Olin desperate for work answers a job add to be a living canvas she didn’t expect to have her past collide with her future in such a dramatic fashion.
Gil Her first love that smashed her heart to pieces as a teenager is the artist in question and this is just the beginning of there angsty suspenseful journey.
So I really liked the way this used a past and present storyline it worked fabulously.
I also loved the sheer magnetism of the characters involved and when they came together as one it was majestic in its physical intensity.
Initially, the ongoing mystery here tantalised me, unfortunately, the obscurity dragged on for too long.
I needed more of a reason than what Gil was giving us, anything to just whet and sustain my curious appetite for more, I would have been satisfied with a tiny sliver of information, but we get absolutely nada from him, the man is locked up super tight.
The Young Gil we are introduced to well I came to the conclusion he makes really illogical and stupid decisions, but I also understood to a point why he did and I felt for him and the tragic consequences of his actions.
And Olin the girl seemed to have no form of self-preservation I also wanted to scream at her to have some self-respect in regard to Gil and just go, whatever his reason’s it’s obvious he doesn’t want you around.
How many times does he have to say it before you get the message, the meaner he was the more she pushed.
That push and pull just went on forever though it was so dragged out it was bloody frustrating.
I also started to draw my own conclusions into just what Gil might be hiding and I was mostly correct and I did somewhat guess the twist.
That finale here though was super shocking though I’ll give you that, Jaw-dropping.
So as I said I did have some issues with this but despite those reasons, I still need the conclusion like now.
If you like your romance rather toxic and angsty then this delivers on that front this has massive angst with a huge dash of suspenseful mystery and tortured lovers.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Body Painter (Master of Trickery Duet, #1).
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Oh Pepper Winters, what you have done to heart! This book has so much of everything in it, I could not stop listening. There is something to be said about second chance romances. The history of a couple builds that foundation and Winters masterfully lets us in on Olin Moss and Gilbert Clark’s second chance. With alternating points of view, Gilbert gives us the history of their sweet, budding romance. Both from different sides of the track, yet have a common thread of dysfunctional homes. T Fast forward 7 years, and we get to hear Olin, as she encounters Gil again, answering an ad to be a living canvas for a body painter. The chemistry it palpable and Winters captures every essence of it. Olin is a strong woman, and fiercely loyal. While I love her, I at times wanted to shake her and tell her to move on already, but with that incredible connection to Gil, I just knew she couldn’t walk. Gil is so broody and broken, I can fully understand Olin’s draw to him. To help him, and make everything better. But there are so many secrets yet to be told. The story is heartbreaking, full of sensuality and mystery. Ending on a cliffhanger, I cannot wait to hear those secrets!!!! Winters is an amazing story teller and I am sure it is going to be mind blowing.
Choosing the narrators for this story had to be quite a mission. Gilbert is strong, passionate, broken. Will Watt finds that place with his voice that brings it all out. You can hear the pain, the frustration and the undying love he has. It’s truly amazing. Olin is so optimistic, strong willed, compassionate and loving. With Charlotte Cole bringing her to life, we hear the inflections of love, the constant want in her voice to be there for Gil and just fix it all and make it better. These two narrators have a chemistry that lets us feel the story, then and now and leaves us wanting more.
As she always does, Pepper has created an incredible story of two people meant to be together, yet torn apart by their past and a secret. Olin and Gil have known each other since high school and formed a bond that no one could break. That is until Gil disappears from her life, never to be heard from again and with no explanation as to why. Fast forward to years later when Olin is desperate for work, applies for a job as a model for a body painter and finds herself face to face with the man who broke her heart all those years ago. Now that she’s found him, will she get the answers her heart has been longing for? What she didn’t know was that Gil’s past is closing in on them and now that she’s found him, there is no escape. Left on a major cliffhanger, I can’t wait to devour the rest of this dark, yet beautiful story!
I’m a huge fan of Pepper Winter’s. I love her books because she writes books that are twisted and dark and oh so sexy. So when I saw this one and read the blurb I got really excited.
I give this read a 3.75…….
This book was different than what Winer’s normally writes. Which is fine I like what authors change things up. But for me thins one felt a little drawn out with the same thing on repeat. I enjoyed the plot and the base of the characters. I just felt we had to much of one thing and not enough of others. I don’t want to say to much because I don’t want to give anything away.
There is a big cliffhanger. But thankfully book 2 is already released. The Living Canvas.