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Painting Kisses
Lia Carswell is good at what she does, even if it isn't as glamorous as her old artist life in Manhattan. The popular waitress works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister's financial strain. And with her witty personality and good looks, she's something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Ever the professional, Lia keeps her distance, with one exception. Aidan is a breakfast regular, and his gentle, clever teasing draws Lia's attention and builds an easy rapport between them, though Lia would never let their relationship get serious, especially since he's not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.
Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.
Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
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842 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
February 7, 2017
99c Kindle sale, 1/22/2017.
Sometimes I'm in the mood to read something that's, shall we say, less demanding. Some of my GR friends call these books "palate cleansers." My palate cleansers of choice are romances, just for all the feelz. Melanie Jacobson writes delightful, clean, funny romances with intelligent characters who have just the right amount of snark in them.
Painting Kisses is less humorous than her other books, but a little deeper. The main character, Lia, is an artist who was once the wunderkind of New York society, but retreated to Utah a few years before the story starts, disillusioned by a broken marriage and the shallowness of wealthy society. Lia has been completely avoiding art, just getting by, by waitressing in a diner to support herself and her single-mother sister. The customers who come to the diner often ask her out, but Lia hasn't had any interest in dating either. But things start to happen, of course, and suddenly Lia finds that she can't avoid art, love or life any longer.
I loved seeing the world though Lia's artistic eyes: I do just enough artwork to make me really appreciate how difficult it is to come up with inspiration. And I thought the descriptions of the artistic process were insightful:
Sometimes I'm in the mood to read something that's, shall we say, less demanding. Some of my GR friends call these books "palate cleansers." My palate cleansers of choice are romances, just for all the feelz. Melanie Jacobson writes delightful, clean, funny romances with intelligent characters who have just the right amount of snark in them.
Painting Kisses is less humorous than her other books, but a little deeper. The main character, Lia, is an artist who was once the wunderkind of New York society, but retreated to Utah a few years before the story starts, disillusioned by a broken marriage and the shallowness of wealthy society. Lia has been completely avoiding art, just getting by, by waitressing in a diner to support herself and her single-mother sister. The customers who come to the diner often ask her out, but Lia hasn't had any interest in dating either. But things start to happen, of course, and suddenly Lia finds that she can't avoid art, love or life any longer.
I loved seeing the world though Lia's artistic eyes: I do just enough artwork to make me really appreciate how difficult it is to come up with inspiration. And I thought the descriptions of the artistic process were insightful:
I flew to the garage and snatched up brushes and paint tubes. It all came, the wind and the sky and the smell of the soil, the hint of pine, the sense of being a tiny speck on a huge thing, the ageless mountain that showed me my insignificance and yet connected me to something so vast it anchored me as nothing had for years.Lia's road in this story was definitely a bumpy one, but it kept me interested and I swallowed this story whole in one day. 5 stars for the feelz; 3.5 stars for the overall plot, due to a few cliché moments. Overall a solid 4 palate cleanser stars, if you like clean romances. No religious content.
I worked for hours, and when colors I didn't expect appeared--crimson and cobalt and a bright, true yellow--I paused. I'd painted the way it felt when Aidan stood next to me without touching me, and I'd found the color of yearning and put it there too, because, for me, Aidan was now bound up with the mountain.
February 4, 2017
1/22/17 Covenant currently has this for $0.99 for the Kindle version. This is unheard of from them and I'd definitely encourage taking advantage.
This was a pleasant surprise. I've been enjoying something of a Jacobson jag, lately, and this is the last on my pile. What a treat to end with! It's pretty different from her other books, with less humor and more heart, but I loved both protagonists so much I had a really hard time putting it down.
Lia is prickly, so I didn't warm to her right away. It was fun seeing her waken from a three year protective hibernation after her marriage blew up. I loved the family she has pulled around herself, and that includes Tom the diner owner/cook and some of the regulars there. I particularly loved her sister and niece and how they weren't so much important as they are vital. I worried about this being first-person to start, but Jacobson not only made it work, but used it as an entry into the artistic heart that this book absolutely needed. Lia's art is very much a part of herself and Jacobson does a fantastic job opening that feeling up and letting us live there for a while.
Aiden was an enigma, but a compelling one. I enjoyed getting to know him as well and seeing his confidence and hesitation and confusion was a treat. I liked seeing him struggle to be open, even as Lia fumbles around with her own insecurities. And I loved how well he fit her once we come to know him better at last.
This was a solid four stars throughout with a dip in the middle and a major upswing in the last couple pages—almost enough for me to bump to five stars. I mean, that ending was fantastic! Unfortunately, the middle dip was long enough, and painful enough, that I just can't do it. Lia makes some pretty stupid assumptions and they had me cringing, hard. I mean, she's obviously smarter than that and I couldn't help feeling that Jacobson was manipulating the dumb to have the plot developments she wanted. It broke some essential piece of the story because being in Lia's head was otherwise very smooth and relatable. I was never tempted to stop reading but there were some parts I couldn't wait to have resolved.
A note about LDS: Utterly and completely non-LDS. Despite being set in Salt Lake City, this book has literally zero Mormon content in it. Since most of Jacobson's other work is the opposite (on this axis), I thought it needed calling out. Seriously, a great general-audience romance and well worth taking on if you can deal with Covenant's (the publisher) brain-dead pricing.
This was a pleasant surprise. I've been enjoying something of a Jacobson jag, lately, and this is the last on my pile. What a treat to end with! It's pretty different from her other books, with less humor and more heart, but I loved both protagonists so much I had a really hard time putting it down.
Lia is prickly, so I didn't warm to her right away. It was fun seeing her waken from a three year protective hibernation after her marriage blew up. I loved the family she has pulled around herself, and that includes Tom the diner owner/cook and some of the regulars there. I particularly loved her sister and niece and how they weren't so much important as they are vital. I worried about this being first-person to start, but Jacobson not only made it work, but used it as an entry into the artistic heart that this book absolutely needed. Lia's art is very much a part of herself and Jacobson does a fantastic job opening that feeling up and letting us live there for a while.
Aiden was an enigma, but a compelling one. I enjoyed getting to know him as well and seeing his confidence and hesitation and confusion was a treat. I liked seeing him struggle to be open, even as Lia fumbles around with her own insecurities. And I loved how well he fit her once we come to know him better at last.
This was a solid four stars throughout with a dip in the middle and a major upswing in the last couple pages—almost enough for me to bump to five stars. I mean, that ending was fantastic! Unfortunately, the middle dip was long enough, and painful enough, that I just can't do it. Lia makes some pretty stupid assumptions and they had me cringing, hard. I mean, she's obviously smarter than that and I couldn't help feeling that Jacobson was manipulating the dumb to have the plot developments she wanted. It broke some essential piece of the story because being in Lia's head was otherwise very smooth and relatable. I was never tempted to stop reading but there were some parts I couldn't wait to have resolved.
A note about LDS: Utterly and completely non-LDS. Despite being set in Salt Lake City, this book has literally zero Mormon content in it. Since most of Jacobson's other work is the opposite (on this axis), I thought it needed calling out. Seriously, a great general-audience romance and well worth taking on if you can deal with Covenant's (the publisher) brain-dead pricing.
August 4, 2014
So Aidan, the guy in this book? Super hot. Just sayin'. I think you guys will dig him. Oh, and I guess there's a meaningful exploration that the main character Lia does of the meaning of art and expression and whatnot. But really, let's get to the point. Aidan=hot.
October 24, 2014
3 1/2 stars--I enjoyed this story, but not as much as some of her other novels. It was a sweet, fun & clean read. After hiding away for the years since her divorce, Lia finally has some major decisions to make. Gifts from a secret admirer seem to make the decisions harder, not easier!
**possible spoilers: I liked that Lia was willing to help her sister out. What a great way to give. I love the way she interacted with the guys at the diner. It made me lover her character. Her attitude however, when dealing with Aidan, gave me mental whiplash. She went hot to cold--then back, faster than I would think possible. Over and over she made the same get close & then pull away. I get why, but it seemed to drag to much for me. I loved the ending, but I would have liked to read about them being happy together for more than a page! The whole book built to them getting together and all I got to read about was a kiss?!? I would have at least liked another chapter to enjoy their bliss!
language: clean, heat level: mild
**possible spoilers: I liked that Lia was willing to help her sister out. What a great way to give. I love the way she interacted with the guys at the diner. It made me lover her character. Her attitude however, when dealing with Aidan, gave me mental whiplash. She went hot to cold--then back, faster than I would think possible. Over and over she made the same get close & then pull away. I get why, but it seemed to drag to much for me. I loved the ending, but I would have liked to read about them being happy together for more than a page! The whole book built to them getting together and all I got to read about was a kiss?!? I would have at least liked another chapter to enjoy their bliss!
language: clean, heat level: mild
March 28, 2019
Fabulous! Kept me up til almost midnight - yikes, but so worth it!
Thoroughly engaging and even though I figured out what was going to be the deal with both Griff & Aidan pretty early on - it didn’t have that annoying sense of predicability that happens sometimes. It somehow didn’t matter that I guessed it, it just worked.
Great characters all around, well written though I am not a huge fan of ‘insta endings’ (I’m an epilogue kinda girl) it was a great one at that!
Thoroughly engaging and even though I figured out what was going to be the deal with both Griff & Aidan pretty early on - it didn’t have that annoying sense of predicability that happens sometimes. It somehow didn’t matter that I guessed it, it just worked.
Great characters all around, well written though I am not a huge fan of ‘insta endings’ (I’m an epilogue kinda girl) it was a great one at that!
October 17, 2014
You can find the original tour post here.
Melanie Jacobson is one of my favorite authors. Her books tend to have some fabulous dialogue and wit that always endears me to them as well as her characters. Painting Kisses is no exception. It is definitely a story I will re-read in the future.
I will say it is one of her heavier stories. There aren't the usual laugh-out-loud moments that some of her other books are filled with, but I appreciated seeing a different side of this author. Her characters had some serious depth to them and had some former pain that they needed to deal with before they could open their hearts.
What won me over was the fabulous dialogue between Lia, the MC, and those around her, especially Aidan. I also came to love these amazing down-to-earth characters who were also so talented. I particularly fell in love with Lia's niece. She was such a sweet and tender little girl and I loved her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and others she gets to know. I also found the painting and how Lia gets lost in her art quite genuine and interesting. Towards the end my heart about broke, but then the ending made up for it all.
I would highly recommend Painting Kisses to those who enjoy reading sweet romance that has some depth, witty dialogue, and likable characters. It was full of friendship, family, colorful and full descriptions (she is an artist), forgiveness, the risk of heartbreak, and love. I can't wait to find out what Jacobson will be writing next!
Content: Clean
Source: I would like to thank the publisher, Covenant Communications, for my complimentary copy, which did not affect my review in any way.
Melanie Jacobson is one of my favorite authors. Her books tend to have some fabulous dialogue and wit that always endears me to them as well as her characters. Painting Kisses is no exception. It is definitely a story I will re-read in the future.
I will say it is one of her heavier stories. There aren't the usual laugh-out-loud moments that some of her other books are filled with, but I appreciated seeing a different side of this author. Her characters had some serious depth to them and had some former pain that they needed to deal with before they could open their hearts.
What won me over was the fabulous dialogue between Lia, the MC, and those around her, especially Aidan. I also came to love these amazing down-to-earth characters who were also so talented. I particularly fell in love with Lia's niece. She was such a sweet and tender little girl and I loved her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and others she gets to know. I also found the painting and how Lia gets lost in her art quite genuine and interesting. Towards the end my heart about broke, but then the ending made up for it all.
I would highly recommend Painting Kisses to those who enjoy reading sweet romance that has some depth, witty dialogue, and likable characters. It was full of friendship, family, colorful and full descriptions (she is an artist), forgiveness, the risk of heartbreak, and love. I can't wait to find out what Jacobson will be writing next!
Content: Clean
Source: I would like to thank the publisher, Covenant Communications, for my complimentary copy, which did not affect my review in any way.
June 20, 2015
Awww. Swoon. That's all.
I LOVED this book. I have waited so long to read it. I finally just broke down and bought it. So glad I did. I loved aiden. He was a great character. I just wish there was an epilogue.
I LOVED this book. I have waited so long to read it. I finally just broke down and bought it. So glad I did. I loved aiden. He was a great character. I just wish there was an epilogue.
May 30, 2015
super cute and clean
May 20, 2017
I loved this book! This is this author's first non-LDS book published with Covenant (but still just as clean). I loved the characters and the focus on the MC's growth. And of course you know I loved the love story! I loved the banter between the MC's, the snark and wit made me laugh several times. I loved diving into the art world, I can't imagine how much research it took to create such a realistic and vivid picture of Lia's world. And Aidan, can't say too much there, but yup, he's hot. Great clean read, highly recommend.
November 20, 2014
Lia is a snarky waitress at a roadside diner in Utah. She has walls built up around herself and it's for a good reason. She is very gruff, yet consistent, with the customers in the diner and they come to rely on her for that stability.Her sister and niece live with her and they work hard to make ends meet. Lia likes her job and is good at it--she's also good at avoiding the teasing and advances of the men who frequent the diner. She doesn't want to give out any personal information about herself, yet as time goes by, she starts to build a friendship with Aidan, who comes in often. But then there's Griff...her handsome and quiet neighbor. I loved the way Aidan was able to chip away at the walls and the banter that ensued between them. I also enjoyed the relationship that Lia had with her sister.
I was completely captivated by Lia's art. The imagery used to describe her work and how she worked was amazing. In fact, I found myself going around trying to figure out what pumpkins sound like, what the sky tastes like, and what a feather sounds like.
Ms. Jacobson's books are often light-hearted and hilarious, but this one was different. Yes, the humor was there at moments, but the storyline was a little more serious. Lia's secret past came out, little by little, which really pulled the reader into the story. As I mentioned earlier, there was a mini-love triangle going on, and I honestly felt torn between who I wanted her to choose.
Even though this one is different, I found it to still be very good and well-written. I did not see the ending coming!
Content: no language or violence; mild kissing. Clean!
I was completely captivated by Lia's art. The imagery used to describe her work and how she worked was amazing. In fact, I found myself going around trying to figure out what pumpkins sound like, what the sky tastes like, and what a feather sounds like.
Ms. Jacobson's books are often light-hearted and hilarious, but this one was different. Yes, the humor was there at moments, but the storyline was a little more serious. Lia's secret past came out, little by little, which really pulled the reader into the story. As I mentioned earlier, there was a mini-love triangle going on, and I honestly felt torn between who I wanted her to choose.
Even though this one is different, I found it to still be very good and well-written. I did not see the ending coming!
Content: no language or violence; mild kissing. Clean!
April 9, 2017
Because sometimes you need sappy romance.
Predictable? Maybe.
Delightful? Yes.
Heaving bodices? No.
Kissing? Yes.
Sex? No.
Awkward kissing? Yes.
Get it good kissing? Yes.
More to the plot than kissing? Yes.
Cringing because we all need to communicate better? Yes. --but then where would the chase be?
Read it in a day? Yes.
Book sugar. It's a thing and it's perfectly fine to indulge every now and then.
Predictable? Maybe.
Delightful? Yes.
Heaving bodices? No.
Kissing? Yes.
Sex? No.
Awkward kissing? Yes.
Get it good kissing? Yes.
More to the plot than kissing? Yes.
Cringing because we all need to communicate better? Yes. --but then where would the chase be?
Read it in a day? Yes.
Book sugar. It's a thing and it's perfectly fine to indulge every now and then.
October 20, 2014
This book is darling. I instantly liked Lia. Her spunk and attitude were my favorite things about her. I loved how the author gradually introduced us to her life, not spilling all her secrets out in the first chapter. I appreciated Lia even more, getting to know her and those around her, and what she especially has gone through. I also loved the men in her life. As much as she didn't want them around at first, they came anyway. Aidan and Griff kept me guessing, I suspected something early about one of them. I turned out to be right, but I loved how it all came about. I also liked the turn the book took when Lia made her decision on who she liked and what to do with the news he shares. What I really enjoyed were Lia's painting scenes. Also a particular trip up to the mountains with a certain character. Lia came alive when she started painting again and it made a difference for those around her too. Her story is a sad one, but again, I loved how Melanie revealed it all. Melanie did a great job with these characters and as always, her writing is creative and fun. The romance and humor in Painting Kisses, as with Mel's other books, is spot on.
July 14, 2018
Not my favorite. Characters were hard to relate to. The preschool logic was ridiculous to me. Ending was abrupt and it felt unfinished to me — what ever happened about the paintings for the festival? Meh...
February 6, 2019
A nice quick read.
I had a hard time with the whole idea that a 4 year olds entire life could be ruined if she didn't get into the Uber expensive elite preschool. Otherwise it was a fun story with interesting characters.
I had a hard time with the whole idea that a 4 year olds entire life could be ruined if she didn't get into the Uber expensive elite preschool. Otherwise it was a fun story with interesting characters.
March 19, 2019
I really enjoyed the story, and the descriptions used about painting and art. I am not an artist but I could relate to her feelings about her work and the emotions she felt. It kept me interested in the relationships that developed between the characters.
May 28, 2019
Audio book. I loved this sweet romance!
May 17, 2023
I needed a light and easy read after the latest Hunger Game book. This was light and enjoyable.
July 18, 2017
I really liked this story about Lia, an artist who hasn't painted in awhile. The banter at the diner is cute, and Aiden is persistent in asking Lia out in a sweet way. This is upbeat and fun, fun, fun.
May 25, 2021
This was a fun read. I was so drawn in to the MC and her dilemma with her life, trying to put the pieces of her life back together while helping her sister, and avoiding the shallowness of society circles with their devouring of the soul of her art and not appreciating it for what it was to the MC rather than something to be consumed without passion, integrity or feeling.
Ms. Jacobson always writes in such a way that I feel that I am reading the heart of the MC's dilemma. Seeing, feeling, and sensing their thoughts, emotions, pain and joy in such a way that I care deeply about the resolution.
Loved the diner setting with all the fun characters. The secondary characters and their back story moments were fun, and seemed to be 'painted' in well, even though they weren't fully developed, the colors they blended into the story, and the surprise moments where they added important elements were rich and gave the painting of the story those finishing details that make the whole story/painting more complete.
The labor of love and healing at the end of the story, the final disclose of all of the secrets, waiting to see if she was truly understood and loved not just as an 'object' to be collected, but an individual of worth, was a fun ride...
I can't wait to read her next book!
Ms. Jacobson always writes in such a way that I feel that I am reading the heart of the MC's dilemma. Seeing, feeling, and sensing their thoughts, emotions, pain and joy in such a way that I care deeply about the resolution.
Loved the diner setting with all the fun characters. The secondary characters and their back story moments were fun, and seemed to be 'painted' in well, even though they weren't fully developed, the colors they blended into the story, and the surprise moments where they added important elements were rich and gave the painting of the story those finishing details that make the whole story/painting more complete.
The labor of love and healing at the end of the story, the final disclose of all of the secrets, waiting to see if she was truly understood and loved not just as an 'object' to be collected, but an individual of worth, was a fun ride...
I can't wait to read her next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2014
I am a Melanie Jacobson fan. I admit it. I am. I love her books and I love her style of writing. She knows how to write a clean romance with humor and wit. Her books suck me in and I never want to put them down. This book was no exception. I've been wanting to read this book since I first saw it. Yay for the day when it popped up in my Deseret Bookshelf to read and review! I love book gifts sent to me through Deseret Bookshelf!!
Lia is such a likable character. I just love her. I love how she devotes so much to her niece and her sister. Lia's interactions with Aidan will make you smile. Well, it made me smile anyway. :) I love how Lia returns to a love of painting. The whole process and how it is described make me feel like I was missing out on something grand.
Aidan and Lia are two imperfect people who definitely don't really understand each other until they break down the walls and listen to each other- which made me want to strangle them both at one time or another, but the tension and the build up are both parts of what make this book really good. I really loved it.
This was a fantastic diversion for me. I love picking up a book, getting sucked in and not wanting to put it down. Entertaining, romantic reads are my favorite.
Lia is such a likable character. I just love her. I love how she devotes so much to her niece and her sister. Lia's interactions with Aidan will make you smile. Well, it made me smile anyway. :) I love how Lia returns to a love of painting. The whole process and how it is described make me feel like I was missing out on something grand.
Aidan and Lia are two imperfect people who definitely don't really understand each other until they break down the walls and listen to each other- which made me want to strangle them both at one time or another, but the tension and the build up are both parts of what make this book really good. I really loved it.
This was a fantastic diversion for me. I love picking up a book, getting sucked in and not wanting to put it down. Entertaining, romantic reads are my favorite.
October 18, 2018
First of all. I want to say I enjoy Jacobsen’s fiction and she has an interesting way of writing that I keep coming back for.
I also want to say whoever is naming her books, needs to not because I almost couldn’t bring myself to admit I read this.
I also also want to say that her heroines are often extraordinarily selfish while being presented as amazingly altruistic. I need some of them to be both a little less “perfect” and a little less self absorbed. This main character was just so ... irritating and small minded in that her art was just SO IMPORTANT and nothing anyone else felt could possibly ever have any meaning beyond her art and the whole struggle over getting her neice into the BEST preschool in all the land, as if the options are prison preschool or $1200 a month. Please. Stop.
And I do. I genuinely LIKE her books, but I think the characters could be a little expanded outside of their own heroine-ness to see that sometimes they’re kind of the bad guy pushing everyone else around because of their feelings that are just the most important ever.
I did, I enjoyed it like I enjoy a chocolate cake I feel a little bad about eating later, but, unlike this book, I don’t generally want to yell at the chocolate cake while I’m eating it.
I also want to say whoever is naming her books, needs to not because I almost couldn’t bring myself to admit I read this.
I also also want to say that her heroines are often extraordinarily selfish while being presented as amazingly altruistic. I need some of them to be both a little less “perfect” and a little less self absorbed. This main character was just so ... irritating and small minded in that her art was just SO IMPORTANT and nothing anyone else felt could possibly ever have any meaning beyond her art and the whole struggle over getting her neice into the BEST preschool in all the land, as if the options are prison preschool or $1200 a month. Please. Stop.
And I do. I genuinely LIKE her books, but I think the characters could be a little expanded outside of their own heroine-ness to see that sometimes they’re kind of the bad guy pushing everyone else around because of their feelings that are just the most important ever.
I did, I enjoyed it like I enjoy a chocolate cake I feel a little bad about eating later, but, unlike this book, I don’t generally want to yell at the chocolate cake while I’m eating it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2015
Okay I hate that I lived this book so much! It was very cheesy romcom but I loved the description of the main character Lia as an artist. Just that feeling of something within trying to get out and not being able to until she could paint. I'm sure the same feeling comes to writers or other artists in their media but I just a loved that description. Plus this is one of the first books where I really hoped the guy and girl get together in the end! As a reader you are always supposed to hope for that but this time I felt really invested in the characters and legitimately cared about what would happen to them! Very well written and very fun to read!
November 5, 2019
I don’t know if I’m just out of practice after a long reading slump, but this book was much heavier and slower than I expected. I usually find stories from Melanie Jacobson to be fun and fluffy but this one was more serious and even though it was short, it felt slow paced and my mind wandered a lot. Overall a cute story but it just felt lacking in energy.
Read
May 2, 2016Spent my sick day reading the whole thing.
I loved that equal to the romantic relationship was the sister and niece relationship.
This book just made me happy, and the twists were fantastic, and the END....
Perfection.
I loved that equal to the romantic relationship was the sister and niece relationship.
This book just made me happy, and the twists were fantastic, and the END....
Perfection.
February 10, 2017
Beautiful
Hurt, hiding, healing hearts finding peace, hope and love through a beautiful journey. This is a sweet story romantically told through the eyes of an artist.
Hurt, hiding, healing hearts finding peace, hope and love through a beautiful journey. This is a sweet story romantically told through the eyes of an artist.
June 22, 2018
It was okay. Kinda silly, kinda cute, kinda frustrating with all the run-around she gave him. I honestly don’t know what guy would keep trying like he did after getting scolded and shooed off so many times. She was awfully prickly. She was also super critical about how he tried different approaches toward her. She wasn’t all that lovable or attractive, personality-wise. (The overly abbreviated backstory of her and Donovan made her more interesting, which was good though.) I laughed out loud when she was in the most awkward moment ever with Griff.
There wasn’t much chemistry or romantic tension between Lia and Aidan. There were plenty of awkward scenes, though. The plot doesn’t thicken; nothing unexpected or romantic happens. Just lots of run-around and unrelatable reactions on Lia’s part.
(There is a ridiculous part about how Lia felt that her 3-yr old niece absolutely HAD to attend a prominent and costly private preschool even though they couldn’t pay for it: “She [the preschooler] shouldn’t have to settle for any old program and hope her natural intelligence offset any lack in the school.” What? I’m sorry, what? Is this preschool that puts an impossible financial burden on the family something the child is entitled to? No kid absolutely MUST attend an expensive, exclusive preschool in order to succeed. Sure, the author painted the two other available preschools as being holes in the wall and utterly sub-par, but that was discovered only after the heroine had already set her heart on this preschool that was outside her means. Her logic was just plain silly.)
I’m sorry for being overly critical. This would probably satisfy a teenage reader, which is great. That’s probably the author’s target audience with the very cheesy cover. I would recommend this to girls ages 13-15. There is some kissing but there’s no heat/ it’s not described, so I think it would be appropriate for that age.
There wasn’t much chemistry or romantic tension between Lia and Aidan. There were plenty of awkward scenes, though. The plot doesn’t thicken; nothing unexpected or romantic happens. Just lots of run-around and unrelatable reactions on Lia’s part.
(There is a ridiculous part about how Lia felt that her 3-yr old niece absolutely HAD to attend a prominent and costly private preschool even though they couldn’t pay for it: “She [the preschooler] shouldn’t have to settle for any old program and hope her natural intelligence offset any lack in the school.” What? I’m sorry, what? Is this preschool that puts an impossible financial burden on the family something the child is entitled to? No kid absolutely MUST attend an expensive, exclusive preschool in order to succeed. Sure, the author painted the two other available preschools as being holes in the wall and utterly sub-par, but that was discovered only after the heroine had already set her heart on this preschool that was outside her means. Her logic was just plain silly.)
I’m sorry for being overly critical. This would probably satisfy a teenage reader, which is great. That’s probably the author’s target audience with the very cheesy cover. I would recommend this to girls ages 13-15. There is some kissing but there’s no heat/ it’s not described, so I think it would be appropriate for that age.
February 27, 2024
🎧REVIEW OF Painting Kisses by Melanie Jacobson
SYNOPSIS (Amazon)
Lia Carswell is good at what she does even if it isn't as glamorous as her old artist life in Manhattan. The popular waitress works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister's financial strain. And with her witty personality and good looks, she's something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Ever the professional, Lia keeps her distance with one exception. Aidan is a breakfast regular, and his gentle, clever teasing draws Lia's attention and builds an easy rapport between them, though Lia would never let their relationship get serious especially since he s not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.
Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.
BRIEF REVIEW
This one wasn't for me, but it might be for you! I did like that the FMC was an artist. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually kind of enjoy love triangles. I was mainly disappointed by the characters themselves; I really liked both of the guys at first, but I ultimately changed my opinion and in some cases went back and forth. But I guess that makes it a little bit more like real life because people are not static creatures.
CONTENT
😘Clean but with some suggestive remarks. A side character is a single mom who became pregnant out of wedlock.
🙊🍷🤕Mild or N/A
TW: Brief mention of domestic abuse and addiction to prescription meds.
Other: Divorce, embezzlement
BOTTOM LINE
If clean contemporary romance with a bit of love triangle is your cup of tea, you may like this one.
#paintingkisses
SYNOPSIS (Amazon)
Lia Carswell is good at what she does even if it isn't as glamorous as her old artist life in Manhattan. The popular waitress works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister's financial strain. And with her witty personality and good looks, she's something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Ever the professional, Lia keeps her distance with one exception. Aidan is a breakfast regular, and his gentle, clever teasing draws Lia's attention and builds an easy rapport between them, though Lia would never let their relationship get serious especially since he s not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.
Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.
BRIEF REVIEW
This one wasn't for me, but it might be for you! I did like that the FMC was an artist. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually kind of enjoy love triangles. I was mainly disappointed by the characters themselves; I really liked both of the guys at first, but I ultimately changed my opinion and in some cases went back and forth. But I guess that makes it a little bit more like real life because people are not static creatures.
CONTENT
😘Clean but with some suggestive remarks. A side character is a single mom who became pregnant out of wedlock.
🙊🍷🤕Mild or N/A
TW: Brief mention of domestic abuse and addiction to prescription meds.
Other: Divorce, embezzlement
BOTTOM LINE
If clean contemporary romance with a bit of love triangle is your cup of tea, you may like this one.
#paintingkisses
January 13, 2019
This was such a fun read and great book, Lia Carswell gave up her glamorous lifestyle as an artist in Manhattan. Lia is now a popular waitress and works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister's financial strain. Lia keeps her distance, with one exception. Aidan, his gentle, clever teasing draws Lia's attention but Lia would never let their relationship get serious, especially since he's not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.
When her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia really could use the money, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she finds herself falling in love with painting again.
I loved the mystery that surrounded Lia, I loved the triangle love story, I loved the growth she made in becoming the person she wanted to be without all the fame. I loved the characters and the depth the author used to make them believable and unique. This book was a quick fun clean read
When her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia really could use the money, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she finds herself falling in love with painting again.
I loved the mystery that surrounded Lia, I loved the triangle love story, I loved the growth she made in becoming the person she wanted to be without all the fame. I loved the characters and the depth the author used to make them believable and unique. This book was a quick fun clean read
May 21, 2018
Lia Carswell is an Artist with a capital "A." She's not your average dabbler, no, she's an artiste! I got really tired of hearing how she paints what she feels and everyone who sees her paintings practically faints with admiration. She's the kind of painter that describes her artistic process like she's painting with angel feathers - the kind of artist that makes me want to throw something. I'm allergic to artists who act like what they do is something mystical and magical and not just putting paint on canvas so I had a hard time with that aspect of this book. That's probably just me, your mileage may vary.
Other than the artiste stuff, this is a solid book. It's my least favorite book so far by Melanie Jacobson but it's still a good read. The romance was interesting and the stuff with the niece was good but it relied too heavily on the art and on one pretty crazy coincidence. I would have preferred it if the big conflict in the past hadn't been a bad experience with a man. I just think that was a little bit cliche.
This is a good, solid book, but not nearly as much fun as I have come to expect from this author. 4 1/2 stars.
Other than the artiste stuff, this is a solid book. It's my least favorite book so far by Melanie Jacobson but it's still a good read. The romance was interesting and the stuff with the niece was good but it relied too heavily on the art and on one pretty crazy coincidence. I would have preferred it if the big conflict in the past hadn't been a bad experience with a man. I just think that was a little bit cliche.
This is a good, solid book, but not nearly as much fun as I have come to expect from this author. 4 1/2 stars.
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