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
Oh yes, I love Pepper Winters! Her books always hook me from the beginning. You can expect some next level crazy as usual and this being a duet, a cliffhanger! Just go into it blind and you’ll love it even more!
This book was unlike any other Pepper Winters book.
She always has an unique story to tell, with twists and turns that catch you off guard. Your heart is racing. Tears line your eyes. You laugh out loud or you’ll hold your breath. You get them ALL with Pepper Winters books – And this one comes in spades! Seriously, I dont know where these ideas come from. You develop such a strong connection with the characters sometimes you just SCREAM at the book like they can hear you. Her characters are always so beautifully flawed. So well thought out and so captivating. The suspense, the angst, the drama. This book has it ALL. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Pepper Winters is an instant one-click author for me, and she never disappoints. LOVED this book.
4.25stars–THE BODY PAINTER is the first instalment in Pepper Winters’ contemporary, adult MASTER OF TRICKERY erotic, dark, romantic thriller focusing on body painter Gilbert ‘Gil’ Clark, and Olin Moss.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Gil and Olin), using present day and memories from the past, THE BODY PAINTER follows the rekindling relationship between high school friends Gilbert ‘Gil’ Clark, and Olin Moss. Gil Clark was a loner; a young man whose life was spiralling out of control and the only bright light in his otherwise dark work was classmate Olin Moss. Olin knew something wasn’t right at home where is concerned Gil Clark but her heart wanted more for the young man whose aura screamed heart break and pain. But one night would change everything pushing Olin Moss out of Gil Clark’s life, a night that would control Gil’s future, and all that he touched.
Gil Clark’s life has never been easy, and discovering his new ‘canvas’ was the girl he had always loved found Gil caught between head and heart in order to protect the people he loved. As Gil’s life continues to circle the proverbial drain, Olin will be pulled into a nightmare not of her making.
THE BODY PAINTER is an emotional, dark, raw and heart breaking story of one man’s battle to survive in a world that is continuously threatening to take him down. A history tormented by betrayal and abuse, Gil is unable to let go of the chains that bind him to the sins of the past. A bit of a Pollyanna, Olin is desperate to save the boy/man that she never stopped loving but saving herself should be her first priority. Pepper Winter’s writes a gritty, abrasive and tragic tale about an ill-fated friendship with disturbing consequences. THE BODY PAINTER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.
3.5 stars!
This was a story that I had many expectations for and the anticipation of what I would find between the pages was great, and as far as a Pepper Winters story goes, this book did fulfill some of those expectations I had but not all, so I need to tell you why this book just didn’t hit the 5 star mark for me.
Firstly, the story is quite angsty and full of drama which did keep me reading but then after a while it all started to become a little bit repetitive, with Gil telling Olin to go away and not come back every other paragraph to then turn around and change his mind each paragraph in between, it started to grate on my nerves. The same thing happens with Olin keep not taking notice of him and then she starts feeling like he needs to commit to her or she is going to stay away when he’s been telling her all along to stay away. It did kind of drive me a little nuts.
Secondly, I found that the story became easy to guess where it was heading and it lost a little of it’s quality, I am used to being kept on the edge by this author’s work and it just didn’t happen.
Thirdly, not much really happens in this book apart from a reunion, Gil and Olin going over and over the same thing and a cliffhanger secret reveal which as I said before I guessed halfway through the book.
I am invested enough in this story to want to read the next book in this duet, as I am hoping all the questions I need answering will be revealed. The story has a great idea behind it but it just needed to be written without going over the same ground as much as it did.
Advanced Readers Copy
Title: The Body Painter (Master of Trickery Duet #1)
Author: Pepper Winters
Publisher: Unknown
Edition: Kindle
Amount of Pages: 300
Genre: New Adult, Suspense, Romance,Thriller
Date Read: 21-08-2019 – 22-08-2019
Favorite Quote: “Hearts can change. Hearts can camouflage into strangers.”
Review:
I don’t even know where to begin or what to say. I am speechless and at the same time I want to scream. This book, my dear god. If you aren’t a fan of cliffhangers then I beg you, wait for book two because this cliffhanger will leave you gasping, mind blown, and wanting for more.
What is this book about:
This book is about Olin, a popular rich girl, and Gil(bert) a tortured anti social poor kid. Atleast thats how they met. Two teenagers from opposite worlds. Appearences dont mean everything. They do have several things incomon though, both come from worlds of neglect, both are in love with eachother and both would do anything for each other no matter the cost.
When Gil suddenly breaks up with her, Olin is heart broken. Years later she still isn’t over him. So when fate brings both of them together she is determent not to let him go. But he isn’t the man she knew. He is determant to keep her away from him but she just doesnt want to listen. He keeps telling her that he isn’t good for her, that it isn’t save for her, she still doen’st want to hear it….until its to late
What did I like about it
I must admit this book isn’t my favorite of peppers. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I wasn’t quite expecting this. There was a lot of repetitiveness between Olin and Gil. He’d be a dick, she forgives him, he is an bigger dick, she things enough is enough but forgives him seconds later. He keeps trying to make her leave, keeps telling her he doesn’t want her, but she just wont leave. She is determent to help him, even when he doesn’t want her help. It was hard to see sometimes. I get wanting to do whatever to help the person you love but you can’t fix someone, can’t help them especially when they don’t want to be helped. And it’s hard when everything, except their words, tells you that they are drowning and need help. And that’s what Olin keeps telling herself.
I wish she had a bit more of a backbone, a bit more respect for herself but years of loneliness makes her crave the one person that filled those holes inside her, the one person that got her. I am struggling to connect with her continues willingness to forgive gil and take his shit, for her forgiving nature because i’m not like that. I had a hard time understanding why she was so desperate about Gil. Reading on made me see it a bit more. Her desire to fix other people to deal with the crippling loneliness within her.
Eventhough Gil was such an ass you know something big happened and is happening to make him act that way. You can see him struggling, you can see him being eaten alive by something, you know he is suffering, you see that he is so desperate to fix something while only sinking. He could have gone a different way about it, it’s not cool how he acted but man that ending made me see why. Because holy shit that ending blew everything wide open. Poor poor gil. He gave everything for Olin. And eventhough she wanted to help him so much she made it even worse, for gil and for herself. I really need the next book, I need to know how it will go on. I just need it so much.
The suspense in this book is so danm good. I had such a hard time putting it down. I wanted to smack those two so much but I couldn’t not read it. Pepper is so good at evoking emotions and this book is just a start. Shit just got real people.
Rating:
4 this serie will kill me stars
Anything by Pepper Winters is a 1 click for me, I don’t even need to read the blurb.
Gil and Olin, such an unlikely couple. But amazingly, they each find hope in each other, and love.
This story was amazing! Pepper writes characters who are flawed but extremely lovable. These characters are filled with angst, anger, and lust but are extremely broken.
The Body Painter has the reader motivated from the first chapter to keep reading, keep searching for the truth, and when it ends the reader wants more and more.
6 beautiful stars!!
The Body Painter is another page-turner from the brilliant mind of Pepper Winters. A story that is beyond intricate, my own psyche torn between wanting to both embrace and shake some sense into Olin and Gil. These two are truly put through the proverbial wringer as they find each other again after years of questions that may still have no answers and the ensuing battle between what they feel deep in their hearts and the danger lurking what seems to be around every single corner.
This is not your typical romance but again that is one of the reasons I am so wildly attracted to Winters and her unique storytelling. Combined with the unexpected reunion between Olin and Gil, their former high school romance told in chapters from the past, is an intense mystery as to altercations witnessed by Olin, reminding her of Gil’s childhood and the horror he experienced almost daily. She tries her hardest to unravel what exactly Gil is going through and despite her best efforts to help him when he adamantly tells her not to, they are forever entangled in what could ultimately be the fight of their lives.
Their chemistry is white-hot and undeniable and to watch as Gil succumbs to the feelings he locked away oh so long ago is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I just knew he was stepping closer and closer to the edge of both his sanity and his survival as he couldn’t help but grab a few moments of true love with the woman who would forever own his heart.
The use of the art of being a body painter was incredibly intriguing. Winters gives such a vivid description of how Gil paints and I had very clear visions in my mind about what his creations must look like. The fact that he can camouflage a person into a work of art certainly describes his very lonely life, wanting to remain a conundrum with his secret YouTube videos. Despite his untamed existence, his talent is truly remarkable and my hope is that he finds a way to fully embrace and enjoy it.
I was as gobsmacked as Olin was as this book takes quite the turn as the pages dwindled down to just a few. I literally gasped as events continued to unfold and I encountered one heck of a cliffhanger, desperate for more. Winters doesn’t hold back and the gut-wrenching decisions made by Gil proves just how tormented he really is. I’m not sure how either will come back from what is to come but I can tell you that this reader will dive in head first and savor all that is to come.
Full of bittersweet emotions, harsh realizations and a love that can’t be denied, The Body Painter gripped my soul in the most brutal of ways. And yet I am desperate for the conclusion and the anticipation that perhaps love truly can conquer all.
It is not to be missed and is deserving of the 5 stars I happily give this well-written and completely captivating book.
The Body Painter was a heartbreaking story full of angst, pain, and agony. My heart absolutely broke for Gil. He grew up in a nasty and shameful home full of abuse and surrounded by criminals. He puts up a front at school, but underneath he is sweet, kind and pure with a beautiful soul that longs to be loved. When he witnesses Olin helping her friends and fellow students, he is drawn to her pure and innocent heart. Olin had such a strong but soft and sweet presence. She hides behind a mask of joy, but underneath she is torn to shreds by a cold and lonely home. When Gil and Olin have the chance to get to know each other they form a deep connection gives them hope for the future. I loved how their friendship grew into something that filled both of their broken pieces, how they learned to trust and protect one another. When Gil is taken advantage of in the worst way, instead of turning to Olin he feels forced into a world full of hate, anger and resentment. Gil tried to his best to protect the one person he loved, but it felt like he gave into the rage and anger too soon and that was disappointing.
Years later when Olin answers Gil’s ad searching for a Living Canvas, she feels Gil’s hurt and anger, but recognizes the sweet and innocent boy she fell in love with. Gil is shrouded in misery and mystery and Olin is not willing to give up on the boy she loved and man she hopes to love. Her dreams were shattered, but not her hopes for a new future, The Body Painter was intriguing and kept me guessing, but there was a lot of the same push and pull between Olin and Gil and it made both seem weak and desperate. I still enjoyed the book and I look forward to continuing Olin and Gil’s story in Living Canvas.
4 Stars!
Olin Moss moved back to Birmingham, England a couple years ago when her dancing dreams went up in flames. Now she’s just trying to make ends meet, so when she see’s an interesting ad looking for the perfect living canvas she decides to apply. She then comes face to face with body painter Gil Clark, who is known as the Master of Trickery. He’s an incredibly talented artist who has become an online sensation with his you tube videos. He’s masculine with harsh features, and a cold, clinical, disciplined personality. He seems forever angry, and shuts down his emotions. He’s sinfully beautiful, and soon Olin feels like she’s drowning in need and desire. He portrays himself as a heartless monster, but Olin looks beyond the dark surface. As she tries to get close to him he attempts to remain unreadable. He has his own demons and past, and won’t let anyone too close. The problem is his head and his body are at war. He wants Olin, but is determined to try and resist her. Will he give in to what’s been inevitable from the start, or will they continue to be nothing but artist and canvas?
The Body Painter (Master of Trickery Duet #1) by Pepper Winters is a sexy, dark, emotional, intense story about a tortured artist surrounded by mystery and secrets. It’s a unique romance full of love, passion, angst, tension, and suspense. I look forward to The Living Canvas, the conclusion to this couple’s story.
Another great installment from Pepper Winters. The writing is flawless, evocative, emotive, and full of that angsty…why am I loving this when I know I shouldn’t…kind of feel Gil had a rough past and his present is no better. As far as tortured heroes go, he’s right up there with the best of them. I really enjoyed Gil’s character.
What did I love? The suspense. The heat. The crazy and insane connection which bound these two together. This is where Pepper excels and many diehard Pepper fans, and new readers, are going to go nuts over this. In this area, there is no disappointment.
It is a cliffy, an insane cliffy with far too many unanswered questions left. I’m looking forward to reading more and I’m hoping Olin shines a little brighter in the next book!
Three and a half
This is the first in what appears to be a duology and it’s every bit as twisted as Tears of Tess which was such a groundbreaking story. Here we meet Olin who is down on her luck and desperate enough to respond to an advert for a life model. The artist turns out to be Gil the boy who broke her heart at school but amidst the turmoil of meeting again Olin discovers that Gil has dark secrets and now they are putting Olin in danger !
This was beautiful, twisted, frustrating and everything I’ve come to expect from this talented author. The constant push pull routine between the couple could give anyone whiplash but the tension and suspense was flawless. Yes I had a slight idea but the ultimate revelation on the last page was absolutely jaw dropping ! Expect insane chemistry, emotional prose, flashbacks that truly do enhance everything and a dark underbelly to the story that’s insanely chilling. My only regret is that I just didn’t actually like Gil and yes I know he’s torn and at a crossroads but at times he felt so weak particularly when compared to Olin and everything she has survived. Not my favourite book by this author but one I’m sure many will be desperate to read.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
This is so much more than I thought it was going to be. The Body Painter, the advertisement, was fate and started a chain reaction. I don’t know how to say any more without spoiling things, as the only blurb is just the ad and her reaction to it.
I will say it focuses on Gil and Olin, second chances, and has a feeling of unease and suspense throughout. Gil is a wall of secrets and a tormented soul. Olin has always had to be strong, independent, but she only has eyes for one man. This ends on a tortured note leaving you with so many questions and worries. I loved it.
This is what Pepper Winters does best!!
Pepper Winter has brought readers to their knees once again with the intensity of paint. Who knew body painting was something so utterly mesmerizing? That is just one of the words I can say when I finished reading The Body Painter, Master of Trickery, Part One. Mesmerizing. Spell bound. Tragically beautiful. Pepper’s writing in The Body Painter is completely filled with fascination that makes readers want to keep on reading. The mystery behind it all, the striking scenes that she leaves us with in this book is absolutely soul crushing. Gil and Olin’s story has not went unnoticed, but rather gets stuck on the brain- the connection between the two MC’s was captivating; yet filled with such sadness. You feel that sadness as a reader. You feel the underlying pain that both of these characters have struggled with. The build up of the story is so intense it leaves you on the edge of your seat. I always one click Pepper’s books, but this one was just something else. The emotional gravitational pull in The Body Painter is something I haven’t quite experienced with on this level.
In Pepper Winter’s style, she wrote a dark, unique story with dark secrets, suspense and mystery. This book cut me open many times and left me bleeding love for Gil and for Olin. So much anguish and pain.
Gilbert/Gil is a flawed and tortured hero. Life has chewed him up and spit him out as an utterly broken man. Olin has dealt with hardships too, but it’s when she’s in Gil’s life that her life gets more complicated. Although Gil tries to push Olin away by being cruel and an ahole, she’s not willing to give up on him. Sometimes I wanted her to move on, but she’s like a dog with a bone. In some ways I liked this about her. Gil needed someone to fight for him. I also liked that she was the only one who wasn’t afraid to stand up to him. And when they argued, things got heated. Their sexual chemistry was explosive, intense with so much passion.
Winter truly put Gil and Olin through the wringer. My heart ached for both of them. I wanted to take all of their pain away. There were parts where I was screaming bloody murder. Winter is a sadist for putting Olin and Gil through all the suffering.
The Body Painter is told in duel POVs, past and present, and slowly builds up to the shocking cliffhanger. I’m excited to read the conclusion of this duet. I don’t have the faintest idea of where it’s going. I can’t wait to find out.
4.5 bleeding starts
Pepper Winters transported me to a dark and passionate world full of color, heartbreak, angst and mystery in The Body Painter. The story cocooned me inside it’s magical, hypnotic and twisted embrace. And I felt nothing but the swirls of vibrant emotions in my soul. Another grand and stunning story from the maestro of words.
Gil and Olin. Two souls who were broken apart and now reunited by fate. Gil was always the hurting, vulnerable and dark boy who only wanted Olin as his light. But he left her and broke her heart brutally. Now years later Olin has again crossed path with Gil when she appears at interview for modelling for a famous body painter. Olin has the loving, forgiving and gentle heart who weeps for Gil. But Gil has changed. There is something sinister, dangerous, edgy and toxic about this brutal and almost callous man. But isn’t every man a perfect illusion? You will have questions but definitely won’t get the answer as Pepper Winters leaves you with a jaw dropping cliffhanger.
The central character of this story is the beautifully tragic and all encompassing connection between Gil and Olin. It is simply breathtaking in it’s almost violent and corrosive nature. Pepper Winters poured so much pain in them. It was too intense and almost unbearable. It was erotic. It was impossibly aching and heart-rending. Their love, lust, loss and longing were palpable beyond the confines of the pages and right inside me.The words pushed into my heart and claimed it wholly. Both Gil and Olin have experienced extreme trauma but Olin is coping with bravery and resilience while Gil is drowning in shame, misery, guilt and helplessness. My heart was lodged in my throat almost all the time. I could feel an inevitable chaotic storm coming but it still took me by surprise.
Pepper Winters has proved once again why is she one of my most favorite authors ever. She enticed me and enthralled me with the complicated and unique storyline. Gil and Olin’s story spoke to my heart directly in the most intoxicating, mesmerizing and extraordinary language ever. A vortex of deceit , seduction and lies. A trial of love and hate. A love story beyond this world.
Received ARC for Honest review
WOW!!!! Book 2 cannot come out soon enough after that cliffhanger. I was sucked into Olin and Gil’s story from page one as Pepper Winters painted the story as I read her beautiful words. I was eager to find out what was going to happen and couldn’t put this book down, I will now impatiently wait for book 2 to find out what becomes of these 2. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.
I’ve read one other Pepper Winter’s book. I loved it. This one, I liked, a lot. It was repetitive, but that seemed to set the mood. It was a depressing and dark atmosphere. But I love the description of the body painting. As it ended, it has to be just getting started. Ugh. I cannot wait for the next part!!
*”Monsters walk amongst us. They wear the same skin. They just hide who they are. Almost like the paint that’s hiding you.”*
In true Pepper Winters’ fashion, she has written a captivating tale filled with angst, pain, sorrow, suffering but also love.
Olin and Gil… it feels like they are two lovers, their lives intertwined but never destined to intersect. While reading, I have to say, I felt that Olin was naively optimistic about Gil and constantly seeing the good in him. It was irritating how much she fought for him when it was clear he did not want her around. But it was like a train wreck, I couldn’t turn away. I had to learn more about them and their connection. No matter how many times he tried to push her away, Olin came back for more. She should have left when he told her to and stayed when he asked her. I understand her need to protect. After all, the kindest people are often the loneliest and therefore want to ease the suffering of others because they understand that pain. Olin is determined to save Gil, no matter what the cost is to her. But does she really know the price?
There is so much more going with Gil. There are different sides to him. The cold, ruthless Gil that constantly hurts Olin and the Gil who desperately wants Olin. These sides are constantly at odds and it makes your head spin how quickly he goes back and forth between the two. I was intensely irritated with Gil’s selfishness in giving Olin mixed signals. He was pushing her away and then giving her hope for more. Of course, when I learned more of his past, it was left a sucker punch to the heart. The terrible price he paid to protect the one he loved. No one deserves that treatment. It helped me understand but is the price too high?
There were so many emotions going through me: annoyance, anguish, anger, love and fear. In one particular moment, I was so furious with one character, I thought about throwing my kindle! I just wanted to tear them limb from limb!
Then the ending… That ending… O… M… Gee!!!! I was ready to flip tables and go on a rampage! It tore at my heart and had me seeing red. Gil has been keeping things tight to the chest and I was not expecting the secrets that spilled out. I’m not sure how I will cope waiting for the next book. My mind is still whirling and fearful of what awaits Olin and Gil. So many questions are whirling in my mind. What are you willing to do for those you love? But the more important question: how will you live with the consequences? Truly, Pepper Winters weaves an intricate tale that grabs you by the throat and holds onto you. It is spellbinding and gripping in its story telling. Let’s hope I can survive the wait until The Living Canvas is released.
Rated 3.5 Stars
The Body Painter is angsty, a bit repetitious and has a mystery/suspense element to it that I liked. While I found it enjoyable I struggled with it a bit mainly with how much of an ass the hero was and the way the heroine put up with it. That said, I am looking forward to reading the conclusion.