The Art of Stealing

by Sandi Perry

Valentina Philips is a respected Decorative Arts curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is also a thief. Growing up in Italy as the British ambassador's daughter, Valentina never felt she fit in. Her classmate, Luca, stepped in as a mentor introducing her to Florence's exquisite artwork and encouraging her to refine her artistic skills. He also taught her how to steal. As an expert forger, she replaces the masterpieces she steals with her spot-on reproductions. Her warring conscience ultimately wins over, and she sets about trying to legitimize her talent. If only it were that easy.
Luca appears at the Met as she's preparing their Fabergé egg collection for loan to the Bargello museum in Florence. Valentina knows his visit to New York can’t be a coincidence. Temptation plays many forms as Valentina relives the thrill of thieving, and Luca tries to charm her back into his bed. She has to decide which world suits her better, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to make the right choice.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2014

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not perfect — there are some plotting issues and some character development problems — but it takes the reader away from life for just a bit and deposits him or her in a totally different time and place, which is exactly what one wants from a book. Valentina and Luca are from two very different worlds but find themselves drawn together time and time again — in very descriptive scenarios that make the reader long for more. From the streets of Florence to the suburbs of New York, the story dips in and out of their lives and their histories with agility and grace. The only thing missing is depth — I wanted more. More about the characters, more about the backstory and, subsequently, more about the plot. That being said, it was a good book from a good, solid author. This is one to watch. She writes along the lines of Talli Roland and Trisha Ashley — where the setting and minor characters are just as important as the two major players. She is going to have a long career and we will all be able to say we have read her from (almost) the beginning. I am off to read her other books now.

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Valentina is a young woman who has left a shady past and has set up a life for herself in New York with a great job at the Met and her sister living close by, but when Luca shows up she knows that everything she has just done will probably become undone.

The reader meets Valentina after she has been in New York for awhile, but there are a few moments in the book where we get to see bits and pieces of her and Luca's past - I loved being able to dip into and out of those moments, it worked perfectly. Another thing that I loved was the two time jumps. At two moments in the book, the author jumps the story ahead 11 years and I didn't feel like I was missing anything when those jumps happened - instead I got to skip what could have been mostly boring moments.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Sandi Perry's career since her first book "Love Doesn't Play By the Rules." "The Art of Stealing" is hand's down, her best book yet. From New York City to Rome to the South of France and just for fun--Westchester, this book takes you on a high flying journey to some of the most exciting places in the world. It is set in both the legitimate art world as well as the underground art world and weaves its way between the two gracefully. Valentina leaves the underground behind in pursuit of a better life for herself, but is being alone worth it? I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intended to read this book on a beach vacation and considered it a guilty pleasure. It turned out to be much more pleasure than guilt. It wasn't even a beach read as I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book at 2:15 a.m. The plot was engaging. The characters were believable.The references to pop culture, the art world, fashion and modern society were accurate and clever. This was a thoroughly satisfying read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story about a woman who falls for the wrong guy, in a big way. Valentina's trying to be a good mother and has a satisfying job at an art museum, but the problem is that her ex is an art thief and he needs her help. The characters are richly developed and the story pulls you in.