I was so excited about this book since it was going to be centered around the Impressionist painters, and that part of it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed Cartland’s descriptions of Provence and watching the characters explore Impressionism in their paintings as they strove to master the style.
Which leads us to Simonetta who wants to be an Impressionist painter, and finally succeeds in convincing her father to take her with him on one of his art trips to Provence. As a Duke who wants to befriend painters, her father goes in disguise, so she has to pretend to be his art student. This little lie creates complications when she catches the eye of a creepy art dealer but also the attention of Pierre, an Impressionist amateur who wants her to model for his painting of an old temple ruin. Simonetta and Pierre fall in love but they are both hiding their real identities... which turns out to be a predictable but fun reveal at the end. Simonetta was likeable enough, but Pierre was so demanding and pushy that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.