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…
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There is no question or doubt that Winters is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller. This author is testimony to how I justify my addiction to books and the time and money I dedicate to them. Whatever you think you’re getting into with this book, it’s that and so much more! Spine-tingling, high octane suspense with a plot as twisted as they come and a reveal that will leave you gobsmacked!
Winters draws the reader into a fascinating world of two soulmates fated at a young age torn apart by a negative environment and a commitment to defend and protect. Memoirs of a happier time filled with a myriad of emotions shadowed by so many secrets are woven into the present infused with desperation, extreme ruthlessness, and preservation.
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Gil’s stubbornness and resistance to kiss and make up with Olin had me screaming at the hardheaded miserable schmuck throughout half the book. He is elusive, ruthless, and his ambiguous responses would frustrate the most stoic, unflappable person. Olin’s tenacity is unwaivering and her determination to help Gil and get answers lands her in a perilous situation. One that Gil has been trying to safeguard her from.
~ ’ .~
Their attraction undeniable, the sex scenes so erotic, there is no doubt that they share a kindred, tumultous, unconditional link that binds them together. A powerful connection worth fighting for; but both fighting for different reasons.
If you’re looking for answers, you won’t find them in this book. Gil holds his secrets close and the epic cliffhanger shook my world all by itself and damn near scarred me emotionally. This story will tempt, tease, and test you; but honestly it is worth every frustrating moment.
* !!
“And now she knew too much.
Kiss me?
Love me?
Now die for me.
I’m sorry…”
What do you do when an author sends you something that knocks you on your ass?
How do you pick yourself up after feeling every heart-stopping moment?
How?
This tore me up, and spit me out.
This had moments that were everything, and moments I felt in my soul.
“So many years.
Such a long eternity.
How had we gone from teenagers to this?
How had time stolen our happily ever after.”
This is one of thee best books I’ve read all year. The only one it would come second to is Pepper’s “The Son & His Hope” that released earlier this year. This is completely different from anything I have read in a long time. It’s equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking.
“He’d belonged to me like I’d belonged to him.
But then he’d become a monster..and no one knew why.
I closed the door on us.
Us.
There is no more us.
I know.
Pepper Winters is a master storyteller. She can take a story and turn into something that pulls you in, and doesn’t let go. Gil and Oiln’s story is so much more than I ever thought we would get. This will be one book you will never forget long after you put it down.
It has been a few hours since I finished The Body Painter and I have a feeling this story will be in my thoughts for quite some time. When I saw that this book had downloaded onto my kindle I did an unprecedented act of immediately stopping my current read mid book and diving straight into this. Having read books by Pepper Winters in the past I knew that she has the talent to write the most incredible stories, and she certainly didn’t let me down with this book.
What I adored the most about this book was that I had so many questions and theories all the way throughout. The mystery and suspense is incredible – I’m still trying to control my pounding heart! I didn’t just simply sit and read and enjoy the story, my mind was thinking about all the possibilities from very early on. I thought the way the author wrote the book in dual POV and going from the present time to the past was perfect for this novel. Hearing from both of the main characters as well having their history revealed at appropriate times in the book couldn’t have been more fitting.
The characters are incredible. Gil and Olin meet in school and they develop a special relationship. There is so much I want to say about them both but I really want you to discover who they are for yourself. To say that they haven’t had an easy life would be an understatement, and as you read their story your heart will break multiple times for them.
I love the connection between Olin and Gil. I could see how much they meant to each other and they are torn between doing the right thing and giving in to the attraction that remains after spending several years apart. Once again I want to say so much about this but I won’t. What I will say is that this is a story that will bring out all the emotions in you, and once you reach the end of the book you will be desperate for more! I need the answers to the questions that are going round in my head and the next book, The Living Canvas, will have those answers and I for one cannot wait to see what happens next.
The only negative that I do have, is that I wish that I had felt a connection between myself and the characters in the first half of the book. So why the full five star rating you may ask? Well even without that connection, this book still is worthy of all those stars.
This is a book that I would recommend for you to read without a shadow of a doubt. It already is one of my top reads of 2019.
Wow. The suspense alone had me turning the pages.
Gilbert (Gil) Clarke comes from a terrible upbringing. He is awaiting his chance to get out of school and make some changes. Feeling undeserving of everything, Olin changes his perception. Slowly he starts to let her in; see his vulnerabilities. But then he abruptly leaves and leaves Olin heartbroken.
Olin helps everyone, sees the good in everyone. 7 years since she last saw Gil, as though fate has brought them back together. The attraction is still just as strong but Olin wants answers on why he just left.
Here we enter a vicious circle of Olin selflessly giving herself to Gil, Gil frustratingly won’t answer anything, remaining shrouded in mystery but unable to keep Olin at bay.
The ending will throw you for a loop…. its a cliff hanger. Can’t wait for the second book. Definitely one click this now.
My mind is Swirling. So many things .. I hate hate Ms Tallup . I think even more than Gils dad. Olin I wanna know more about her. She had a lonely life and her absent parents drove me nuts. Gil this guy has been living with so many secrets hes about to crack. He doesnt know if he coming or going since she came back into his life.
Olin Shes been on her own so long when she runs into her past shes no longer willing to let go of the one person she loved but pushed her away. Shes ready to fight to have him in her life.
Gil been fighting his whole life now that his past is coming back he losing all control of his life , his secrets and theirs..
This book was incredible. I need book 2 right now because that was a crazy cliffhanger. I loved couldn’t put it down. What a mind trip.
3.5 STARS
This author was on my radar a long time ago, so I took the opportunity once I’ve red the intriguing blub.
All in all, I loved the writing and the story, but I had issues with the pace and sometimes it felt too repetitive.
It took me longer than usual to get into the story, and finish the book, sometimes I got really frustrated with Gil and Oli’s back and forth.
But the plot is so good, and intriguing, I just “needed” the second book.
I think I would have rated it better, as a part of a duet, if it would have been shorter, or if the story was a standalone
Gil and Oli’s story is heartbreaking, both characters being broken in very opposite ways, it’s dark, hot, and despite my 3.5 stars, I just know I’ll enjoy the whole story one I’ve read the Living Canvas.
The wait is almost over!!
***ARC kindly provided by author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review***
3.5 stars
I hate to say this but the first 40% of this story was very repetitive and boring, to the point where I was skimming to get through it. The two main characters had the same conversation over and over again…he would push her away, tell her she should leave him alone and never come back. She would offer him help, want to know why he pushed her away so many years ago and repeat. And repeat. The heroine even commented once about how repetitive their convos were!!!! I like a little push and pull between main characters but there has to be some variety, it can’t be the same exact thing!
At exactly 62% we got our first interesting plot point and the book was really good from that point on…so much so that I want to find out what happens, I want to read the second book.
BUT.
SERIOUSLY.
We could probably shave off 50 pages from the front half of this book and not miss a thing.
I have mixed feelings about this. From the start I knew it would have a cliffhanger since it’s a duet so that didn’t bother me. The book felt long because the characters kept circling and avoiding a conversation (not for lack of one of them trying btw). The things that happened to give clues for the reader were kept close to the ending. So I loved the idea of the story but it frustrated me. It give you all the feels in a dark way, which I liked a lot. I felt for the characters. Gil is a tortured man. In the soul kind of sense but also in the literal sense. I don’t remember reading before a more tortured character. And I feel for him. Felt disturbed and disgusted for what happened to him. Felt his distrust and despair. I wish he would finally have it better. I wish he would be truthful and open. That he would grab the little chances he is granted. But fear is a powerful feeling. And Gil and Olin have it in spades. I also felt like being Olin’s voice of reason most of the time. I wanted her to take answers some other way besides asking. But it’s not easy when feelings of love and hurt are mixed. It’s not fair for her to deal with rejection again when she is willing to selflessly put herself last. But nothing is fair in this tragic love story.
Their tale is gritty and brutal. It grabs and squeezes. Even I don’t see a way out for these characters but I would love to know how they will manage to be safe and happy. It’s time they get a semblance of what living is.
A SWIRLING MIX OF ARTISTRY, PASSION, AND TRAGEDY **4.5 stars**
THE BODY PAINTER was one of my most anticipated books of 2019, but whatever I was expecting from this raw and mysterious love story was far off the mark. Once again, the prolific and creative mastery of Ms. Winters has snatched the rug right out from underneath me with mounting tragedy, nail-biting suspense, shattered love, and one of the most volatile and enigmatic heroes in her repertoire.
Told in past and present chapters, the duet love story of broken ballerina Olin and tormented body painter Gil bewitched me with the sweetness of first teen love that can overcome the stiffest odds only to break my heart piece by piece with the cruelty of fate and life choices years later. Two ill-fated soulmates who find, lose, and find each other again … only to face a bombshell of a cliffhanger that may tear them apart for good. I was thoroughly immersed in the danger and volatility of their soul-deep passion while becoming immersed in a twisted foundation of unimaginable revelations that chilled my heart in the shocking ending.
I’m putting my trust in Ms. Winters’ trademark style to deliver the final, paradoxical blows in what will certainly be an explosive ending to this tragically passionate, romantic suspensor in the duet’s conclusion, THE LIVING CANVAS.
3.5 Stars Entertaining, intense, and emotional
This is the first book in the Master of Trickery Duet, and the story of Gil, and Olin. We are introduced to these characters through chapters that move from the present to the past, and back.
Gil, and Olin are both intriguing, but troubled characters, Gil is an intense, mysterious, and very complicated man, and Olin, is a fighter, determined, and stubborn, hell bent on reminding Gil of their past. This book is intense, mysterious, suspenseful, and emotional 3.5 Stars
Intense, dark romance – Part 1, Cliffhanger
This unusual premise blooms into quite an emotional read. The chemistry is intense, the suspense is palpable, and the characters are well-written and play off each other beautifully. It was a bit slow in some parts, but overall Gil and Olin’s push/pull relationship is fraught with uncertainty and besieged by secrets.
The ending of this part leaves more questions unanswered, but it does open up a whole new and wholly unexpected avenue to be explored in the conclusion of this duet. This story isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s as far from a light and frothy romance as any book can be. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
An achingly beautiful Heartbreak. The pull – and-tug between Gil and Olin is electrifying as they dance among the shattered memories of their shared pasts and passionately try to create a new future amidst the tortured present. To love Gil is a deadly game with rules that Olin doesn’t know and it has just put not only her life in danger, but someone far more precious to him. I can’t wait to see how this series turns out.
** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. *
„He’d belonged to me like I’d belonged to him.
But then he’d become a monster… and no one knew why.”
At a time when I’ve read literally everything and there is no plot that would surprise me, Pepper Winters once again proves that I will finish reading her book with an open mouth and mind blown. The Body Painter knocked me off my feet and I was at the edge of my seat from the very beginning, just dying to know how it’ll end. My heart and my mind were full of mixed emotions, constantly at war.
Olin and Gil met in high school. She was little miss popular and he was poor boy from the wrong side of tracks. But aside of that, they were a lot alike… lonely and misunderstood. They became friends and fell in love with each other. Everything was good, until it wasn’t. Gil abruptly changed and no one knew why. Now, after 7 years fate brought them back together.
This book is an endless back anf forth, push and pull, secrets and pain, unanswered questions and seeking answers. It’s a heartache, longing and ugliness. Gil is such a tortured hero- cold, callous and haunted. Despite his obvious feelings for Olin, he’s mean to her. And I’m not talking about a little insult here and there… I mean complete disrespect, cruelty and threats. But Olin wants to know why he disappeared in the past. She wants to get answers and understand. There were times when I thought about her as an emotional masochist and doormat, but then I saw her strenght and determination. She’s lost and alone, she has been through a lot, but she’s still sellfless, brave and kind-hearted.
The whole story is shrouded in mystery, the secrets are hanging in the air and it gives a thrill. You can feel deep connection between main characters, but withholding makes it hard to move forward. Pepper created captivating and intense story, filled with emotions, desire, need and pain. I feel the psychical need to know the continuation. I can’t wait to see how Olin and Gil’s story will play out!
Dark, haunting, twisted. The Body Painter will have you furiously flipping pages to unravel the mystery only to be left with a horrifying and gut-wrenching cliffhanger! I really have to stop picking up series before they’re complete because cliffhanger like these have you irritably anxious and emotionally wrecked.
I’m no stranger to Pepper Winters and The Body Painter has left me in bits and pieces. If you are not familiar with her work, she writes dark romance. Don’t let that discourage you though because she will leave your heart in shatters, torn into ribbons and leave you wanting more.
Olin Moss is desperate. She needs a job and this advertisement to be a live body canvas seemed simple enough, right?
Gilbert Clark is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His life has been nothing but misery, but he has his art to fall on. His life was imperfectly simple enough until he sees who his new canvas is. The girl that he never forgot. The girl he brokenly left behind. His childhood best friend , Olin.
This book ends on a cliff hanger – sorry to break it to you, but oh what an ending. It leaves you crawling, desperate to get to the next piece of this gripping, mesmerizing story of secrets and lies.
A special thank you to NETGALLEY and Pepper Winters for this free copy of The Body Painter in exchange for an unbiased review.
Favorite Quote: His art replaced everything. His concentration was his master, making him a slave to colour.
One of the most anticipated release, The Body Painter is intense and heart bounding bone chilling scary.
Gil secret is lurking darkness.
Oling persevere and love for him is a disaster
It hurt watching her keeping pushing for him to accept them.
It scarry to wait Gil secret unravel.
Their dance of push and pull just… I can’t stop reading from the first page.
The Body Painter is all consuming.
Brilliant Ms. Winters. Another epic and gripping story telling!
This story is a bit intense. There’s a lot of mystery involved between the characters. It is a darker read with no happy ending in sight. Some of the mystery is revealed at the end, but it only brought more questions. He is not just damaged, he’s totally broken. It does end in a cliffhanger, so you’ll need to read book two to see how it ends. She is damaged as well, but is fighting for the both of them. Fighting a endless battle. It’s got a beautiful quality about it. Though the story was intriguing and curiosity driven, there was a lot of repetition. I felt like so much of the conversations were just repeated over and over, causing this to be a more time consuming read.
*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.
The Body Painter was so good to read! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I couldn’t put it down. Their story was both tragic and wonderful and I can’t wait to read what happens next!
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!! This one is a nail biter for sure. You get the feeling something just isn’t right with Gil all long, but just can not put your finger on it UNTIL THE END!!! I fell in love with Gil early on but started questioning myself the further into the book I got. But my gut instinct was correct, I just knew it!!!
By the end of this book by nails were gone lol. So much mystery and angst, I thought I was going to burst before I finished. Absolutely loved it and can not wait for next. YOU ARE KILLING ME PEPPER!!!