Art of War and Love

A Rogue Encounter

by Honey Mavryck

An ex-SEAL meets his match in a sassy art curator.

Dive into this sizzling quick read featuring enemies to lovers who are pushed together and blaze into an unforgettable romance.

"He's an ex-SEAL turned art critic with questionable taste. When we’re thrown together to curate an art event, sparks fly––and not just the artistic kind."

"She's an art curator with opinions as fiery as her personality, and she's turned my world upside down. I may be an expert in warfare, but she's leading me into unfamiliar territory—a battle of hearts, not arms."

“We're oil and water, fire and ice. But when it comes to art and love, we're both willing to break a few rules. Are you ready to step into the crossfire?"

Experience The Art of War and Love, a snark-filled, romantic novella where passion, art, and a touch of danger collide. Are you ready for a short love story that's as compelling and captivating as a masterpiece?

Tropes:
⭐️Enemies to Lovers
⭐️Later in Life
⭐️Second Chance
⭐️Opposites Attract
⭐️Forced Proximity
⭐️Alpha Hero
⭐️ Snarky Heroine
⭐️Underlying Danger

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Military Fiction, Fiction, Enemies To Lovers

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2024

About the author

Romance author. PhD in HEAs. Minor in Smirks. Writing hot love tales that'll make your e-reader blush. Current obsessions: Ex-SEAL hunks, hockey hotties, & perfecting eating spaghetti seductively (Spoiler: impossible, still I persist).

(Also writing as Luna Rose)

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing as an ARC reader.
A great story! This was a hard one to put down.
Alex is the strong, brooding type with a soft side that us females tend to dream about from time to time. Emily is the gorgeous girl with a quick wit we'd all like to be. Their chemistry is clearly off the charts.
The characters have a very real feel to their voices. Alex with the self deprivation & hiding behind his rough exterior to protect himself. Emily with needing something different than what she had with her ex, who was save & stable. The back & forth between the two.
I called her ex being involved from early on... But how he's involved is what surprised me.
It's an awesome book... but I couldn't help but feel that there were parts of the story missing. & I guess that's why the progression of Alex & Emily's relationship seemed a little far fetched to me. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars.

[Stacey T · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second chance at love romance. Callie is an art lover that believes all art can truly be inspiring, not just the famous works of well-known artists. She enjoys her art studies and loves arguing the value of different forms and styles, especially with her nemesis, Hunter. He enjoys art but knows his life is heading in a different direction – to the Navy Seals – just like his father and grandfather. While he enjoys riling Callie up, he needs to keep some distance between them as nothing can come from a relationship between them. Never did they anticipate meeting again after so many years, but sparks fly, and old memories resurface. Now they must work together to help bring her vision to life and perhaps they can leave the past behind them and find new common ground to build a friendship and maybe more.
The story was fine, but it lacked something for me. A little slow at times that got a little better as it progressed. A big deal was made about a past encounter but was never revealed which just led to confusion about their issues. Although there was some chemistry between them, it wasn’t explosive. The focus on her comeback into the art world seemed to be the focus and not their relationship. Overall, an easy read but not my favorite. I would consider another book by the author but will not be rushing to add to my TBR list. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Enemies-to-lovers meets second-chance romance.

I enjoyed a lot about The Art of War and Love. The tension between the characters was sharp, with the perfect mix of frustration, chemistry, and slow-burn moments that kept me interested.

That said, there were moments where the pacing felt a little uneven. I found myself wanting a bit more depth in the emotional moments to really connect with the characters. I loved the banter and the fiery interactions.

Overall, this was a fun, angsty read that delivered on drama, spice, and a few heartfelt moments. If you’re a fan of messy emotions, passionate battles, and the fine line between love and hate, you’ll definitely enjoy the ride!

Thank you to Voracious Readers and to Honey Mavryck for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

[╰⊱♥⊱╮ღ꧁Kathy,Ahmazing Book Faerie꧂ღ╭⊱♥≺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me through Voracious Readers. The fact it was free in no way affects my review.

If you've got two and a half hours free, and nothing to fill it with, then this book will take care of that for you!

What a great fast, and complete read.
I loved that in such a short space of time the author took us from introducing our couple, to full on, head over heels.
Our couple had know each other in art school, had a very brief fling, and then never saw each other again.
Gone but not forgotten!

Circumstances, karma, and the universe knew these two were meant to be together, and so it happened.

Fantastic story, (it could do with a read over, I noticed a few ifs, a's , the's etc missing) but other than that I loved it!!
Another new to me author to look out for.

[K.J. Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art of War and Love is a short romance story. Hunter and Callie knew each other in art school, and always had a very volatile relationship. Years later their paths cross again and it's clear that their chemistry is still there.
This is a short but satisfying read, it doesn't take long (I read in one sitting) but it doesn't really miss out on anything despite it's short length. Hunter and Callie make a great couple and their chemistry is clear to see. I really enjoyed this quick read and I'd be interested in reading more from the same author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Voracious Readers. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

[Stephanie Grosse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and saucy!

Written from a dual POV, we follow the story of Hunter and Callie. Hunter is the nemesis of Callie throughout art school, but they can both agree that there is an undeniable spark between the two of them. This spark fizzles out when Hunter leaves art school to join the Navy, but will their romance blossom when fate brings them together once more?

I throughly enjoyed this story, although it somewhat reads like a wattpad story. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but rather the story is a little rough around the edges and is in dire need of a copy edit to correct some errors throughout. If you can see past that, this is a wonderful little novella.

I would like to thank Honey Mavryck and InkedPlot Media for supplying an ebook copy as a Complimentary Review Copy.

[Vickie Chaisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a second chance romance. Hunter and Callie knew each other in college but he leaves to be a Navy Seal. Neither of these characters really had their act together at the time. When they meet again she is still sassy but has an art exhibition to plan and he is the gruff owner of the venue. The spark is still strong between them but they have to get over their past. The fact that he left her and disappeared leaves it hard for her to trust him again. Hunter is nor a touchy feely type but soon comes to care deeply. The story was a little choppy in places but gets better on the second half. The author is one I have not read before but I did enjoy the story.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read, so for that it gets full marks. I felt like I was missing a bit more character development to really get invested in either of the main characters. The plot was straightforward, but lacked any real conflict - so felt a little flat for me. I prefer to have some challenges for the main characters so that you're screaming at them to fix it so that the HEA feels like it was earned. That all being said - if you're looking for a sweet, cute little taste of a rom com it's going to check all the boxes for you. It is well written, so a delight to read from that perspective.

[Rebecca Lingg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second chance romance had chemistry, tension, frustration and some heartfelt moments between the characters in The Art of War and Love. While their banter was playful and passionate at times, I found myself wanting a little more from the story. I would have liked some more of their background to build up the characters. There was a big deal made about their past while at school, however not much was really revealed about it to help the story. While it started off a little slow, it did build and overall was a good read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jennifer S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book through the author via Voracious Readers. This is a short romance that was easy to consume in one read. I would have given it 4.5 stars if I could.

I enjoyed the story and the ending of course. The story is a second chance, enemies to lovers story which began between the two thirteen years before. They both were interested in art and Hunter took an interesting turn in life. I enjoyed seeing these two get back together and the way Hunter realized he couldn’t live without Callie. I do enjoy men who turn out to be complete teddy bears over their women in the end.

I enjoyed the story and actually give it 4.5 stars only because I was a bit confused in the beginning but the story did give more details about what happened between the two in the past. I would definitely read more by author because they are talented and the story did keep me reading.

[Ann Kulbeckas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a novella rather than a novel and as such the author did not have time to develop the characters as fully as I would have liked to see to truly enjoy this story. I am a rom-com reader and enjoy books like this where it is an enemies to lovers style but there was not enough content to establish that they were really enemies just that the 2 main characters had a prior short history and are now thrown back together in a situation where they will have to work together to accomplish a common goal. I did enjoy the story and might try another by this author but overall it was unsatisfying.

[Jaclyn Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art curator meets grumpy SEAL. Chaos (and kissing) ensues.

When Callie and Hunter are thrown back together for an art exhibit, it’s less “how lovely to see you again” and more “please don’t strangle each other over the sculptures.” Their past is messy, the banter is gold, and the tension? Chef’s kiss.

Honey Mavryck delivers a sharp, spicy novella that feels like a rom-com with combat boots. Short, snarky, and swoon-worthy—this is the kind of second-chance romance that throws punches and pulls heartstrings.

[Noreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for a copy of The Art of War and Love. This novel was a feel good romance novel, spanned over a decade where a one night stand, man ghosts girl then years later they reconnect to find true love. It was well written but did get a little confusing in places, not sure if it was the writing or just me. I enjoyed the concept of the story and if you are looking for a light romance, this one ticks all the boxes.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does two people who have different styles of showing off their artistic skills have in common. They let it out through their emotions. Years later they meet again and the sparks still fly but maybe in a different direction. Showing how opposites attract. Cerberus is one tough group of men willing to fight gir what's right.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter and Callie’s story has them reunited after college where they always at odds with the other. But after coming back home and settling in his family business they reunite when the business he is running partakes in an art exhibit. She is the curator and when they meet up again sparks fly and he can see it for the blessing it was and still is. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written second chance romance. While the story is quite short and easy to read the characters have depth and you fall into their story. Callie and Hunter are complex and their chemistry is scorching. The side characters, Alex and Emily, leave you wanting to know more about their story as well. A great start to a series.

[Kimlovesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️
I was given a free copy for an honest review. I enjoyed this book, but it felt more like a novella than an actual novel.

I really liked how strong the FMC was, and I liked the MMC.

The only thing I had a problem with was that this is advertised as enemies to lovers, but to me, it seemed like bickering to lovers. But it was enjoyable and a fast read.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, second-chance romance that I genuinely enjoyed. The pacing was well done, and the author balanced plot and romance nicely. As a novella, it’s a quicker read, so the characters aren’t as deeply developed as I usually prefer—but there’s still meaningful growth that makes the story satisfying. If you're looking for a light, heartfelt romance to enjoy in one sitting, this is a great pick.

[Suze82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

butting heads
What could be funnier than watching two stubborn characters fighting for the upper hand while denying their mutual attraction? Callie and Hunter make standing in your own way a new form of art I wasn´t sure if I should be frustrated or amused about.

[Jeletta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Read

I enjoyed the story and the characters. I like more steam. It was a bit long with too much internal dialog. More on their backgrounds might have earned more investment in their story. I recommend it though.

[Alison Petersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty formulaic storyline boy meets girl they ‘hate ‘ each other , then hook up , boy runs away to join the military. Years later they meet . However, it is well written and I enjoyed reading this book .

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art school rivalry, explosive chemistry, and jumping in with both feet. A fabulous story that keeps you dialed in to the end.

I was given a copy of this book through voracious readers in exchange for a review and I’m glad I was! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Nuclerjon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put it down

[Jessica Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the book I felt some parts could have had more details. Overall, I still enjoyed the book. Thank for a chance to read. Look forward to reading more.

[Felicia Seay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second chance story that's gritty and real. The chemistry is off the charts between these characters. The art inclusion just made this story all the sweeter for me personally. Great writing!

[Vicky Piggott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok where to start, yep hot hot hot ,loved it from start to finish.....

[Patricia Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I enjoyed it.
This is a voluntary and honest review.

[Gabriela Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic well written book. Gripping hard to put down.

[Lyndsay Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick romance novel. Easy read. Quick story to get into and leaves out the nitty gritty details.
I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the author via voracious readers only.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️