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Painted Hearts
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jul 26
For fans of B. K. Borison, Lucy Score, and Mariana Zapata.
Two rival businesses. One very inconvenient address.
Winnie is starting over. After arriving in Indigo Lake, she’s ready for a fresh chapter - beginning with Bubbles & Brushes, the charming paint-and-sip art studio she’s always dreamed of opening.
But there’s one thing in her way.
Everett. Her gruff, no-nonsense next-door neighbor, whose whiskey bar shares a wall with Winnie.
When Winnie paints her side of the building a bright, bubblegum pink, chaos (and competition) takes hold. Not only do they share the same building - they also share the same customer base.
As the pair butt heads over everything from noise levels to paint swatches, an undeniable spark begins to smolder. But both have reasons for guarding their hearts, and Everett is harboring secrets of his own.
As their rivalry spills from business into their apartments (that are also awkwardly connected), sparks fly in this laugh-out-loud grumpy sunshine romance about two people who need therapy - but find each other instead.
Two rival businesses. One very inconvenient address.
Winnie is starting over. After arriving in Indigo Lake, she’s ready for a fresh chapter - beginning with Bubbles & Brushes, the charming paint-and-sip art studio she’s always dreamed of opening.
But there’s one thing in her way.
Everett. Her gruff, no-nonsense next-door neighbor, whose whiskey bar shares a wall with Winnie.
When Winnie paints her side of the building a bright, bubblegum pink, chaos (and competition) takes hold. Not only do they share the same building - they also share the same customer base.
As the pair butt heads over everything from noise levels to paint swatches, an undeniable spark begins to smolder. But both have reasons for guarding their hearts, and Everett is harboring secrets of his own.
As their rivalry spills from business into their apartments (that are also awkwardly connected), sparks fly in this laugh-out-loud grumpy sunshine romance about two people who need therapy - but find each other instead.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 1, 2026
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 22, 2026
It’s hard to find the words to describe just how much I loved this! From the characters, Gavin and the gorgeous town of Indigo Lake, this story stole my heart. It had everything I love and so much more when it comes to small town romances while also being unique and able to stand on its own. The representation, the humour, the suspense and the absolute heart melting love? I loved every second. Truly an incredible debut and one I’ll be raving about forever! 🩷
Review of advance copy received from Author
Painted Hearts is THE perfect small-town romance. This book will have you laughing out loud, tearing up, and swooning over so many characters. Let me roll up a list of these tropes to start.
🎨 grumpy x sunshine
🎨 rival business owners
🎨 slow burn
🎨 forced proximity
🎨 found family
🎨 no third-act breakup
🎨 suspenseful side plot
Umm, obsessed already? 💥💳🙋♀️ Bec has poured so much love into this story and its characters– from our main couple to the charming yet slightly unhinged side characters that make Indigo Lake feel like a place I desperately wish existed IRL! I am literally counting down the days until this releases so I can recommend it to absolutely everyone. 😭
Winnie and Everett were everything to me. They have their fair share of sweet, sour, and spicy moments 🤭 Winnie arrives in Indigo Lake for a fresh start, opening her paint-and-sip studio, and immediately paints her side of their adjoining building bright pink. Chaos ensues. Now they’re competing for customers, constantly trying to outdo each other, and let’s just say there’s a very fine line between love and hate. Before they know it, sparks (and paint) are flying. 🪣
Not only did their relationship build at the perfect pace, but the banter was a complete standout. Bec is one of the funniest, wittiest people I know, and it shines through so effortlessly in her writing. The spice was also done SO well. Prepare yourself for a “f*ck it” scene 👀 AAAAAAHHHHH.
And the side characters??? Chase and Juniper have my whole heart. Chase– my gorgeous, sweetheart, hopeless firefighter? I’m melting into an actual puddle 🧎♀️ Juniper, my sweet lesbian queen? I’m already wishing she was my best friend, I love her to bits just as I love my irl lesbian queen Bec.
I had the absolute time of my life reading this. Truly one of the most bingeable, well-written, heartwarming small-town romances I’ve ever read. Bec, I am so unbelievably proud of you. Getting to BETA read this back in October was the most incredible experience- I loved every single second 🥹💕
🎨 grumpy x sunshine
🎨 rival business owners
🎨 slow burn
🎨 forced proximity
🎨 found family
🎨 no third-act breakup
🎨 suspenseful side plot
Umm, obsessed already? 💥💳🙋♀️ Bec has poured so much love into this story and its characters– from our main couple to the charming yet slightly unhinged side characters that make Indigo Lake feel like a place I desperately wish existed IRL! I am literally counting down the days until this releases so I can recommend it to absolutely everyone. 😭
Winnie and Everett were everything to me. They have their fair share of sweet, sour, and spicy moments 🤭 Winnie arrives in Indigo Lake for a fresh start, opening her paint-and-sip studio, and immediately paints her side of their adjoining building bright pink. Chaos ensues. Now they’re competing for customers, constantly trying to outdo each other, and let’s just say there’s a very fine line between love and hate. Before they know it, sparks (and paint) are flying. 🪣
Not only did their relationship build at the perfect pace, but the banter was a complete standout. Bec is one of the funniest, wittiest people I know, and it shines through so effortlessly in her writing. The spice was also done SO well. Prepare yourself for a “f*ck it” scene 👀 AAAAAAHHHHH.
And the side characters??? Chase and Juniper have my whole heart. Chase– my gorgeous, sweetheart, hopeless firefighter? I’m melting into an actual puddle 🧎♀️ Juniper, my sweet lesbian queen? I’m already wishing she was my best friend, I love her to bits just as I love my irl lesbian queen Bec.
I had the absolute time of my life reading this. Truly one of the most bingeable, well-written, heartwarming small-town romances I’ve ever read. Bec, I am so unbelievably proud of you. Getting to BETA read this back in October was the most incredible experience- I loved every single second 🥹💕
Review of advance copy received from Author
wow wow ok, first of all massive congratulations to bec for doing the damn thing and writing a full ass book. i truly never knew just how much goes into publishing a book so thank you for the insight, i don’t think i’ve ever been so proud of someone that i have never met. thank you for making me feel special and sending me an early copy i cant even begin to explain how much this means to me, this is why i started my bookstagram and become brave enough to show my face online and now finally into the review of
painted hearts 🎨🪿💜
girllllsss you already knew i was going to eat this up with the…
🎨 grumpy x sunshine
💜 neighbours (forced proximity will get me EVERY time)
🥃 starting new in a small town!!
🪿 side characters you didn’t know you needed
if i had to describe this book in one word it would be magical, i loved the setting of indigo lake and just how real everything felt to me and how whimsical is a paint and sip shop!! plus the man that everett is 😮💨😮💨
the amount of times i laughed out loud, to the point of tears with video evidence!! was criminal and its not easy to make me laugh on paper so you know this shit is funny. theres just something about everett and winnies healing journey that truly got me choking up, and dont even get me started on the side characters. between CHASE 🤌🏼🤌🏼 juniper, betty and the way the town showed up for one another…
yeah this was obviously 5⭐️ read for me and i am gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for chase’s book and whatever else comes next. OH I ALSO BINGED THIS. even with working i made time for this book i didn’t have, it is the definition of bingeable! i highly recommend if you want a laugh and swoon!!
painted hearts 🎨🪿💜
girllllsss you already knew i was going to eat this up with the…
🎨 grumpy x sunshine
💜 neighbours (forced proximity will get me EVERY time)
🥃 starting new in a small town!!
🪿 side characters you didn’t know you needed
if i had to describe this book in one word it would be magical, i loved the setting of indigo lake and just how real everything felt to me and how whimsical is a paint and sip shop!! plus the man that everett is 😮💨😮💨
the amount of times i laughed out loud, to the point of tears with video evidence!! was criminal and its not easy to make me laugh on paper so you know this shit is funny. theres just something about everett and winnies healing journey that truly got me choking up, and dont even get me started on the side characters. between CHASE 🤌🏼🤌🏼 juniper, betty and the way the town showed up for one another…
yeah this was obviously 5⭐️ read for me and i am gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for chase’s book and whatever else comes next. OH I ALSO BINGED THIS. even with working i made time for this book i didn’t have, it is the definition of bingeable! i highly recommend if you want a laugh and swoon!!
March 22, 2026
Where do I even begin?! Firstly congratulations Bec you should be so proud because this book is absolutely incredible! And thank you for letting me read an early copy of this book I had the best time 🤍
I absolutely adore every character in this book especially winnie and Everett their chemistry and banter was chefs kiss and their story moved at the perfect pace, Winnie is a ray of sunshine and Everett omg I’m in love with the way he cares for Winnie, also the “fuck it” scene 👀 wow had me screaming, also the paint sample cards OMG that was the cutest thing ever, these two are literally perfect for each other and I absolutely loved getting to read their story.
The side characters also have my heart. Chase is amazing anytime he popped up in a chapter I knew it was gonna be a good one, he’s incredibly funny and his friendship with Everett was everything and the fact he’s a firefighter too 👀. Juniper oh how I love her, her friendship with chase was amazing and hilarious, I loved how she always looked after Winnie, I would love to be best friends with her in real life. And special mention to Gavin because he’s adorable even though he’s a little crazy!
this book is the perfect mix of funny happy moments as well as more emotional deep moments, filled with characters who will steal your heart and a story that will have you struggling to put the book down from the minute you pick it up, I would highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone!!
I absolutely adore every character in this book especially winnie and Everett their chemistry and banter was chefs kiss and their story moved at the perfect pace, Winnie is a ray of sunshine and Everett omg I’m in love with the way he cares for Winnie, also the “fuck it” scene 👀 wow had me screaming, also the paint sample cards OMG that was the cutest thing ever, these two are literally perfect for each other and I absolutely loved getting to read their story.
The side characters also have my heart. Chase is amazing anytime he popped up in a chapter I knew it was gonna be a good one, he’s incredibly funny and his friendship with Everett was everything and the fact he’s a firefighter too 👀. Juniper oh how I love her, her friendship with chase was amazing and hilarious, I loved how she always looked after Winnie, I would love to be best friends with her in real life. And special mention to Gavin because he’s adorable even though he’s a little crazy!
this book is the perfect mix of funny happy moments as well as more emotional deep moments, filled with characters who will steal your heart and a story that will have you struggling to put the book down from the minute you pick it up, I would highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the absolute pleasure of beta reading this and let me tell you right now, this is a masterpiece.
This had all the ingredients for a perfect romance: small town setting, hilarious side characters, witty banter, elite chemistry between the main couple and an element of suspense. If you love Lucy Score and Catherine Cowles, you will love this book. Just wait till you meet Gavin the evil goose 🤣
I absolutely loved Winnie and Everett, their grumpy/sunshine energy was perfect and I loved that he was an acts of service king. Winnie was chaotic yet so lovable and I loved how she found her place in the small town.
The writing in this was so good, there were parts that I was giggling and kicking my feet and reveals that had me gasping. An absolutely incredible debut from Bec, I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
This had all the ingredients for a perfect romance: small town setting, hilarious side characters, witty banter, elite chemistry between the main couple and an element of suspense. If you love Lucy Score and Catherine Cowles, you will love this book. Just wait till you meet Gavin the evil goose 🤣
I absolutely loved Winnie and Everett, their grumpy/sunshine energy was perfect and I loved that he was an acts of service king. Winnie was chaotic yet so lovable and I loved how she found her place in the small town.
The writing in this was so good, there were parts that I was giggling and kicking my feet and reveals that had me gasping. An absolutely incredible debut from Bec, I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVED THIS BOOK
This book was really well written with characters to fall in love with and a storyline that will make you laugh - and then cry!
I would recommend this to anyone who reads Lucy Score, anyone who loves a great romcom, all my friends, my family, my neighbours, that guy smelly guy at the bus stop that always asks me for $2, Beyonce and whoever regularly breathes air.
I can't wait to read the next book - mostly because I'd like to learn more about one of the male characters - Chase. He's hot.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Painted Hearts by Bec George is the perfect small-town romance. Bec handles an important topic with so much care, while also creating unforgettable characters and bringing Indigo Lake to life in a way that makes you wish you could pack your bags and move there immediately.
What really stood out to me was how easy it was to get completely wrapped up in the story. I felt so connected to the characters and genuinely invested in every moment. It’s the kind of book that stays with you even after you’ve turned the last page.
Bring on book two! 🪿
What really stood out to me was how easy it was to get completely wrapped up in the story. I felt so connected to the characters and genuinely invested in every moment. It’s the kind of book that stays with you even after you’ve turned the last page.
Bring on book two! 🪿
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was fantastic
- great storyline
- loveable characters
- tension
- smut
- humour
- and addresses a very important topic that effects so many women around the world.
I think the author did a great job mixing all these ingredient togethers to create the masterpiece of this book. Love. Love. Love.
- great storyline
- loveable characters
- tension
- smut
- humour
- and addresses a very important topic that effects so many women around the world.
I think the author did a great job mixing all these ingredient togethers to create the masterpiece of this book. Love. Love. Love.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’ve actually read this book 3 times now already and every single time I’m surprised and reminded at just how funny and heart warming it is. Chase stole the show in this, my MANS
Review of advance copy received from Author
10/10 would write again
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews