The second and final book in the Master of Trickery Duet!“Must be brave, stubborn, and impervious to the tempers of loved ones.”The first line hissed with history.“Hours are endless, pay is non-existence, quitting absolutely forbidden.”The second line ached with truth.“Able to function on no sleep, refrain from running when times get hard, and be more than just a living canvas but a lover.”The … when times get hard, and be more than just a living canvas but a lover.”
The third thrummed with honesty.
“Other attributes required: forgiving, opinionated, and not afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. Must also enjoy being touched and kissed at any time of my choosing.”
The fourth glowed with promise.
“Call or email ‘YOUR HEART, HIS SOUL’ if interested in applying.”
The final made my future unfold.
The advert was so similar to one I should never have applied for.
A twist of fate that brought two destined people back together.
A job I would take in a heartbeat if the employer could offer such terms.
But I wasn’t free.
Neither was Gil.
Therefore, my interview could never happen.
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3.5 stars
So I’m torn between a 3 and 4 star rating so I’m giving 3.5 stars. I have to say I loved the first parter: The Body Painter more than The Living Canvas. We start off where The Body Painter left off. What’s great is that you won’t have to wait long to get a resolve, things happen very quickly with Olin and that situation. Its everything that happens afterwards that started to drag, on top of it not everything was really resolved with Tallupe. I wanted some more info on her getting her comeuppance. It then went on for Olin and Gil making it work after what Gil has to go through. I was just waiting for one more plot twist. Maybe the book might have been longer than it needed? I don’t know. Its still a good duet. I can’t wait for Pepper’s next series.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Gilbert Clark and Olin Moss are back in the highly anticipated second book in The Master of Tricky series and believe me when I say you will not be disappointed! I have never read such stories that drag you fully into them and make you feel them deep within your soul. We begin right where the shocking cliffhanger left off in The Body Painter. Will Gilbert “Gil” be able to escape his past or will he finally show his true colors? Can Olin “O” save not only herself but Gil too and find out what he is hiding? This is one intense, emotional, thrilling & beautiful journey. We finally get the full back story of everything that led up to what is happening and all our questions will be answered. You will not be able to put this masterpiece down!!! Gilbert Clark is truly the perfect tortured soul! Oh, and you made me get teary eyed, AGAIN!! Absolute Perfection! Told in dual POV
BEYOND AMAZING!!! This book blew me away. The emotions flowing off the pages from beginning to end decimated my heart a page at a time and then slowly, very slowly, began to rebuild it, piece by piece. When all was said and done, I felt immense relief, utter jubilation and abundant satisfaction. What more can you ask for when reading? The Body Painter, Book 1, riveted me to the page with its uniqueness and darkness. The Living Canvas, Book 2, delved even deeper into that darkness and threatened to obliterate my heart. Gil and Olin, the wounded souls whose path to redemption and happiness is one of the most twisted, sad and ultimately rewarding trips I’ve read lately will forever be etched in my mind. I LOVED this book and highly recommend this amazing story.
From the very first page this conclusion starts off where it was left at the end of book one. I was absolutely on edge from the very first chapter and was blown away with Peppers words and the way she weaves her magic, glueing me to every single chapter.
Gil and Olin’s story just is a tragic tale. There are no fairy godmother that come in and spreads the fairy dust. There is heartache and more heartache that ripples into your soul. My heart bled for Olin and the love she felt for Gil, but Gil’s story is so gut wrenching that you understand why he reacts to certain things the way he does as you read through the chapters.
If your are a fan of Pepper you would know she loves to torture her readers with so much angst and crushing heartache that there is no silver lining. But I know I’m hooked on that delicious feeling that i keep coming back for more .
The Living Canvas is another Pepper Winters Masterpiece. Her words were colours those painted a beautifully heartbreaking and angsty story on the canvas of love, loss, death and redemption.
Gil and Olin made an impossible couple. They were torn apart and their story was burdened with the worst kind of tragedies. But Gil is going to hurt her and betray her trust in the most cruel and unimaginable way. Even if it is to save another piece of his heart. Can he save his heart and soul? Can he survive the consequences? So much is at stake and I read every page with bated breath. The drama, the suspense and the mystery form integral part of the story. And the journey of destruction and salvation of Gil and Olin’s love is the core of the story. My heart stopped beating way too many times.
I love Pepper’s words because they grip my heart, squeeze it and make me feel every kind of sharp pain the characters are feeling. She took me right into heads of these broken, twisted and vulnerable people. Nothing is mundane or lifeless in this story. Not the dark and electrifying passion. Not the desperate struggles of survival. And definitely not the happily ever after. Gil and Olin share a unique indestructible bond. And no matter how many times they tried to say goodbyes due to the god forsaken circumstances, the artist and his muse can never stay apart. There is a deep longing and bone deep craving that only Pepper Winters can bring out effortlessly and flawlessly.
The Living Canvas by Pepper Winters delves deep into human heart and explored the deepest, darkest and most complicated emotions. The desire, the art and the pain interconnected to create this feast of feelings.
Received ARC for Honest review
The story picks up where it left off, so you are thrown right back into Gils betrayal and her terror and disappointment in him and in his actions. Feeling broken and betrayed Oline wants nothing more to be brave and convince Gil to let her go. I won’t ruin it for you, but it’s devastating and heartbreaking, action pact and disgusting, you won’t want to put it down. Actions always have consequences and some you can’t ever forgive or forget, even if you desperately want to. It takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotion and goes in a direction you might not expect very quickly. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful and intense journey of love, forgiveness and healing and I could not put it down. Gil and Oline were definitely put through the wringer and they took us along for the ride! Well done to the author, it was worth every tear and I do not regret my headache!
3.5 Stars
This duet was definitely an intriguing read by Pepper Winters.
The story of Olin and Gil continues in the Living Canvas. It starts up where the first book left off.
Gil has a huge decision to make. Does he sacrifice Olin in order to save his daughter? He also has a lot of growing up to do. He will need help a long the way. Will there be redemption for Gil once everything is said and done?
I loved the angst and the plot line, they kept me on the edge of my seat.
I found The Living Canvas differs from most Pepper books I have read, in that the relationship between Olin and Gil seems to take second fiddle to all the trials and tribulations surrounding Gil. With so much going on, I felt as though the story lagged.
This second installment did not reel me in as much as the first. For whatever reason, I felt as though there was a huge disconnect between Gil and Olin. This disconnect was never quite breached, for me. Their love never quite felt all-encompassing, more like it was on the side-burner. There was also so much time apart and so much distrust throughout the book that, for me, I never really felt a true connection between them.
A wonderful story and plot line but lacked the connection and the passion between the characters I was hoping for.
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It truly is a pleasure to read this author’s work. We were left on the edge of our seats at the end of The Body Painter and the wait to discover what happened next has been agonising.
I’ve had questions that I needed answers to and theories that have been circulating my thoughts. I am always delighted when a story goes in a different direction to what I expected it to, so this book gets a tick from me for this.
I adore Gil. Learning the facts relating to events that have happened throughout his life had me feeling broken hearted. I was torn between the morals instilled in me and what my heart was demanding as the story played out. I loved feeling so emotionally torn.
I felt Olin continued to show me the strength that she displayed in The Body Painter. She hasn’t had the easiest of times growing up and what she goes through in this book, I am not sure if I would survive.
I felt that the characters deserved to move forward from all that had happened and live happy lives. You will need to read the book to see if they are able to achieve this.
My emotions were all over the place reading this book. I’m not quite sure what Pepper likes about the 70% mark in her books but I tend to find myself at this point in floods of tears, this book being no different! I thought The Body Painter was incredible and I felt The Living Canvas brought the story to a close perfectly. My only grumble is that I wished the story had progressed at a slightly quicker pace. There were times that I felt the story was being repeated and I missed the connection between myself and the characters, hence my 4 star rating.
Expect to not want to put this book down once you have opened it. I think this duet will be named by many readers as one of their top reads of 2019….. myself included.
Wow! What a roller coaster ride of emotions! This conclusion will grab you from beginning to end! All The FEELS!!! Forgiveness and redemption are huge themes in Gil and Olin’s journey. A must read!
“Secrets are always drenched in pain.”
What would you do for the one you love? How far is too far?The first book was filled with questions and in the second book we are given the answers. Motives are revealed and you can either let them destroy you or set you free. I loved every part of Gil’s tormented heart and broken soul.
“Love is misery. Lust is loss. Family is my failure.”
I wanted this book to last forever. It completely consumed me. I couldn’t wait to read the next sentence to see what would happen next then I would scold myself for reading too fast. Even after slowing down I finished within hours. I was so engrossed in the story I simply could not put this book down. It is the perfect combination of fear, love and suspense. Highly recommend this duet!!
“Love…the most terrible weapon of all.“
~ Read on behalf of Two Darlin’ Dolls and a Book Review Blog
Books by Pepper Winters never disappoint and the conclusion to Gil and Olin’s story is no exception. Emotionally heartbreaking, wonderfully written and then the pieces get put back together in only a way this author can do. I would highly recommend this duet and any book by this author if you love a well written book, with exceptional characters and a story line that keeps you guessing on where things are going to end up.
After The Body Painter, the reader is dropped straight back into the fray and your adrenaline ramps up. Will Gil really go through with this?
Olin is at the point where hope is gone and you can’t blame her for pulling back. She refused to see the signs and now they are staring her in the face. But maybe things aren’t always what they seem… After everything she has experienced, Olin is at a crossroads, stay or go. Part of me was disappointed with Olin’s choice. She is a selfless woman and I wanted her to take something for herself. But as I continued reading, I grew to understand Olin’s choice and the ending was fitting for the story. I was left feeling content.
Now Justin. Justin was an incredible character and we should all be so lucky to have a steadfast friend like him in our life. Standing by his friends through thick and thin, refusing to leave even when he was pushed. He knew what his friends needed and made sure to support them in whatever way they needed. I won’t say much about Gil because I don’t want to spoil his ending but his journey was a page turner.
This duet was compelling and addictive. It showed the darker side of life but also the kindness that exists. I think the message I took from this story was that it is okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you weak. It means you recognise your limitations and need someone to lean on. And this is okay especially when you have friends who understand and support you. Because that’s what friends do. They are there for you when you need them most.
The Living Canvas by Pepper Winters was a brilliant conclusion to the duet. It was angst-driven, action-packed, tense and passionate on every scale. Also, O and Gil made the book for me as well.
Giving from where the book left off, the beginning is VERY dramatic. A lot happens in the beginning, so everything happens pretty much as soon as you open the book.
Throughout the book, it gets a little tenser and the chemistry between Olin and Gil begins to show again. You get to see them in their most vulnerable states, and you get to see the passion between the two, and I absolutely adore these guys, especially Gil, getting to know his story a little more, made me fall for the tortured artist even more. He wasn’t a perfect character, but he was somebody I could relate just very little to.
As for Olin. Absolutely adored her. I loved her strength, and her determination for the past to be in the past. She had a lot of qualities that I loved, and I loved her fight for everyone and everything.
This book was a twist of my most favourite genres in the book world; thriller with a (strong) hint of romance. It all blended well together and I would love to see the author do something similar to this in her future novels.
I would also like to wave hi to Justin and a certain other character… Hi!!
The Living Canvas was a brilliant way to end Olin’s and Gil’s story. It was the perfect mix between thriller and romance, and it is a book that is very hard not to resist. Highly recommended.
“It wasn’t a matter of possession. It was a matter of undeniability.”
When Pepper sent me The Body Painter, I had no idea what to expect. I was expecting something else, but what we did get blew me away. This duet tore me up so much. It was gripping, brutal, and yet I felt it in my soul. Gil and Olin will be characters I will not forget for a very long time to come, if ever.
Pepper could rewrite the phone book (what little is left of it anyways) and it would turn into something that consumed my every waking thought. She weaves a story with every word that she writes, and with those words I am owned by her.
I will never fully get how she does what she does. I am constantly amazed with every story she writes. If you have not checked out this duet yet, do not miss it!!
‘I didn’t normally cover a girl in one shade.
I didn’t usually allow creativity to control me.
But this wasn’t a commission.
This wasn’t prepaid and scripted.
This was just us.
A canvas and a body painter.
Both in love.
Both in agony.
Both fighting goodbye’
Uncertainty, indecision and heartache litter the plot of The Living Canvas. As we learned in the previous book, Gil has suffered through a life that consumed all of his choices. The path that lead Gil to the present is littered with those that sought to take advantage, humiliate and profit from this young man’s innocence. Determined to make his life something to be proud of, Gil throws himself into his passion.
The one constant from Gil’s past is Olin. After the two reconnect in quite the unique way, life begins to unravel. No one is safe from the heartache of this tragedy. Will Gil find a way to overcome the obstacles and have a life that he only dreamed of so long ago?
The Living Canvas is the conclusion to a heart stopping duet that is full of twist and turns. It is a journey about overcoming insurmountable obstacles and unbelievable secrets. Pepper Winters has created a world that is tragic for the main characters, but at the same time allows the reader to discover the depth of human devotion. It’s a path filled with agony, heartache, and second chances. Discover the secrets hidden within the pages of the Master of Trickery duet.