What do you think?
Rate this book
Body of Work
A moving, lesbian romantic suspense about taking a chance on love after loss.
London-based abstract artist Noa Stevens has turned her back on the world after too much loss. First her brother disappeared in a storm years ago, then she lost her wife.
Noa’s perfectly content to bury herself away rather than face the pain and risk that comes from embracing life. She’s certainly not looking forward to an enforced break in rural England that her worried agent’s sent her on in some misguided bid to break her out of her rut and inspire new art.
Busy district nurse Paige Clarke has a lot on her plate right now so a chance meeting with some hobbling, stubborn out-of-towner just adds to her workload. But for some reason the intriguing Londoner stays in her head, and the more she sees of her, the more Paige craves of her. It’s a shame Noa has such a resistance to new romance.
Noa’s torn between protecting her heart and trusting it, just as strange notes start appearing about her brother’s disappearance. As ghosts from her past surface, she wonders if now’s the time to risk it all?
London-based abstract artist Noa Stevens has turned her back on the world after too much loss. First her brother disappeared in a storm years ago, then she lost her wife.
Noa’s perfectly content to bury herself away rather than face the pain and risk that comes from embracing life. She’s certainly not looking forward to an enforced break in rural England that her worried agent’s sent her on in some misguided bid to break her out of her rut and inspire new art.
Busy district nurse Paige Clarke has a lot on her plate right now so a chance meeting with some hobbling, stubborn out-of-towner just adds to her workload. But for some reason the intriguing Londoner stays in her head, and the more she sees of her, the more Paige craves of her. It’s a shame Noa has such a resistance to new romance.
Noa’s torn between protecting her heart and trusting it, just as strange notes start appearing about her brother’s disappearance. As ghosts from her past surface, she wonders if now’s the time to risk it all?
204 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2020
6 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Mills
22 books86 followersI guess I would describe myself as a southerner even though I have lived in the north of England for some years now, I work hard to keep my accent intact. After having several careers in the arts, conservation and education where writing or using my imagination has always been in the background I finally took the plunge with self publishing in 2014.
In 2017 I was awarded a Gold Medal for the Fiction - Gay/Lesbian/LGBT category in the Global Ebook Awards for my double novel Out of The Blue - Latent memories.
My first book to be published with Ylva in 2019 was Payback, it was made a finalist in the 2019 Lesfic Bard Awards.
My latest book - Sub-Rosa is set in the south of England and revolves around corruption in a small town and an undercover police officer desperate to find the truth.
In 2017 I was awarded a Gold Medal for the Fiction - Gay/Lesbian/LGBT category in the Global Ebook Awards for my double novel Out of The Blue - Latent memories.
My first book to be published with Ylva in 2019 was Payback, it was made a finalist in the 2019 Lesfic Bard Awards.
My latest book - Sub-Rosa is set in the south of England and revolves around corruption in a small town and an undercover police officer desperate to find the truth.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 21, 2020
Unfortunately, compared to the other reviews mine won’t be much different. This book was strictly in the just okay category for me. While there were a few things I enjoyed, the story felt disjointed and I could never truly get into it. I loved Mills book Payback, it was one of my top reads of 2019, so I was very excited about this. Maybe I’m being a tiny bit harder on this since I was looking forward to it so much, but I don’t think so. There were too many things that were just odd or didn’t work so I just could not rate this any higher.
This book starts off with a contemporary fiction feel about a woman with a tough past who is still mired in her grief. Then the book took a lighter just romance feel, and lastly the book turned mini mystery. It felt odd how the book kept changing like it was searching for its identity. Instead of just sticking to one category and doing it well, each individual category suffered a bit instead.
I found the beginning especially to be very dry. Noa, an artist, is dealing with almost crippling grief but the problem was I couldn’t connect enough with her to feel badly for what she was going through. I mean it was awful all she had went through, but I felt like I was watching through a filter, her emotions where not affecting me as a reader. Instead, I found her unlikeable and I was wondering why the other woman Paige had any interest in her. Noa was not a very nice person to Paige but Paige seemed happy to take it.
I do have to say that once the characters consummated their relationship, the book really improved. The sex scenes were well written, Noa started to act like a person, and Paige came out of her shell too. I started to feel like the book was finally turning around but then there was one, maybe two, too many sex scenes and the book started to feel rocky again.
The last part was the mystery part. The problem was it wasn’t really a mystery. There were no clues, no twists, nothing except we are just told what happened. That is not how a mystery works. Not to mention the “what happened” was just weird and way too reminiscent of a very famous movie. I can’t even say the movie name because I would spoil the ending since it is too similar.
There were a few other issues I had that I know other reviewers have mentioned like the poor cast of secondary characters. This book is really small in the amount of characters and two of them were completely pointless. One was Paige’s friend and co-worker. She seemed to be Paige’s only friend and all Paige did was complain in her head about her and blow her off anytime they talked. It seems like her character would have been invented to be a confident for Paige, instead she just made Paige look like a bad friend. And then there was Paige’s brother. There is all this talk about the brother and his dog, and instead we only see them both for a few paragraphs. It was just enough story time to show that Paige doesn’t care enough to let the dog go out to the bathroom and that her brother seems like a ‘roid head. Just really odd character choices that didn’t help propel the story at all.
Unfortunately, I have to say that this was a disappointment. The more I write this review the more I think I might have over rated this at 3 stars. But then I think back and I did really like the middle third of the book. It showed promise and gave me little glimpses of what I enjoyed in Payback. While this book was not for me, I still want to be a Mills fan. I’m just going to consider this a bump in the road and be sure that Mills’ next book will be another hit like Payback.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
This book starts off with a contemporary fiction feel about a woman with a tough past who is still mired in her grief. Then the book took a lighter just romance feel, and lastly the book turned mini mystery. It felt odd how the book kept changing like it was searching for its identity. Instead of just sticking to one category and doing it well, each individual category suffered a bit instead.
I found the beginning especially to be very dry. Noa, an artist, is dealing with almost crippling grief but the problem was I couldn’t connect enough with her to feel badly for what she was going through. I mean it was awful all she had went through, but I felt like I was watching through a filter, her emotions where not affecting me as a reader. Instead, I found her unlikeable and I was wondering why the other woman Paige had any interest in her. Noa was not a very nice person to Paige but Paige seemed happy to take it.
I do have to say that once the characters consummated their relationship, the book really improved. The sex scenes were well written, Noa started to act like a person, and Paige came out of her shell too. I started to feel like the book was finally turning around but then there was one, maybe two, too many sex scenes and the book started to feel rocky again.
The last part was the mystery part. The problem was it wasn’t really a mystery. There were no clues, no twists, nothing except we are just told what happened. That is not how a mystery works. Not to mention the “what happened” was just weird and way too reminiscent of a very famous movie. I can’t even say the movie name because I would spoil the ending since it is too similar.
There were a few other issues I had that I know other reviewers have mentioned like the poor cast of secondary characters. This book is really small in the amount of characters and two of them were completely pointless. One was Paige’s friend and co-worker. She seemed to be Paige’s only friend and all Paige did was complain in her head about her and blow her off anytime they talked. It seems like her character would have been invented to be a confident for Paige, instead she just made Paige look like a bad friend. And then there was Paige’s brother. There is all this talk about the brother and his dog, and instead we only see them both for a few paragraphs. It was just enough story time to show that Paige doesn’t care enough to let the dog go out to the bathroom and that her brother seems like a ‘roid head. Just really odd character choices that didn’t help propel the story at all.
Unfortunately, I have to say that this was a disappointment. The more I write this review the more I think I might have over rated this at 3 stars. But then I think back and I did really like the middle third of the book. It showed promise and gave me little glimpses of what I enjoyed in Payback. While this book was not for me, I still want to be a Mills fan. I’m just going to consider this a bump in the road and be sure that Mills’ next book will be another hit like Payback.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
January 22, 2020
Charlotte Mills' latest outing, "Body of Work," was a combination of a second-chance romance with a touch of mystery built around it. The story also dealt with a myriad of emotional and psychological issues, namely, grief, depression, loss, childhood trauma and mental instability. After having read all of Mill's books since her debut, "Unlikely Places," and her last one, "Payback," which became one of my favourite crime/mystery/romance books, had effectively sealed her as one lesfic author to watch out for. I've enjoyed her writing style and stories which almost always have some twists along the way. So I was looking forward to what was up her sleeve with this new story of hers. Reading the blurb got me excited about exploring the story especially how Mills would weave the intriguing mystery into the main arc. As I expected, Mills didn't disappoint because all throughout the story, she made you feel like at any given moment, something would pop out revealing something about the mystery!
I loved that Mills started the book with a prologue that was a flashback from the present time. 1987. Immediately it hit my sense of curiosity. Right off the bat, Mills set up what would become the backdrop of the main arc all throughout the book. The case of a mysterious disappearance of the main character's elder brother, a late teen, who was not only her sibling but also her close mate. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance were pure mystery. One moment he was just going out to his bestie's house, the next, poof, he was gone! Missing and never found despite attempts from the police force to locate him. Then in a blink of an eye, 30+ years had passed. That's when the main story began...
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC of this book by Ylva in return for an honest review.
I loved that Mills started the book with a prologue that was a flashback from the present time. 1987. Immediately it hit my sense of curiosity. Right off the bat, Mills set up what would become the backdrop of the main arc all throughout the book. The case of a mysterious disappearance of the main character's elder brother, a late teen, who was not only her sibling but also her close mate. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance were pure mystery. One moment he was just going out to his bestie's house, the next, poof, he was gone! Missing and never found despite attempts from the police force to locate him. Then in a blink of an eye, 30+ years had passed. That's when the main story began...
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC of this book by Ylva in return for an honest review.
January 11, 2020
This is my second novel by Charlotte Mills. I loved the first one (Payback) very much, but unfortunately "Body of Work" wasn’t that good.
After losing her wife three years ago, Noa lost her creativity mojo too. She was a successful painter, but now she is just a shell of herself, she is drinking too much and to much time she is sleeping on the floor in her studio. Her agent sent her away to a small town for a few weeks, to change the scenery and maybe pull her out of her dark place.
District nurse Paige is helping Noa, as she finds her limping on the street, despite the harsh reactions from Noa. There is something about this stranger, a sadness, that piques Paige's interest. She is no stranger to losing loved ones. Maybe they can help each other.
I needed some time to connect with Noa, I don't know exactly why I struggled, I understood her loss and depression, but I just couldn't feel her. Paige herself is a sweetheart, I liked her very much. The romance was a little bit too fast in my opinion but I liked that the women could find love again.
The mystery was OK but not that thrilling than the one in Payback. The storyline was very interesting with the disappearing of Noa's brother. But it was a little bit confusing in the end. The two leads were too similar but with no real connection.
Even if I didn't like this book that much, I'm looking forward to Mill's next one.
My rating 3.25 stars
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review
After losing her wife three years ago, Noa lost her creativity mojo too. She was a successful painter, but now she is just a shell of herself, she is drinking too much and to much time she is sleeping on the floor in her studio. Her agent sent her away to a small town for a few weeks, to change the scenery and maybe pull her out of her dark place.
District nurse Paige is helping Noa, as she finds her limping on the street, despite the harsh reactions from Noa. There is something about this stranger, a sadness, that piques Paige's interest. She is no stranger to losing loved ones. Maybe they can help each other.
I needed some time to connect with Noa, I don't know exactly why I struggled, I understood her loss and depression, but I just couldn't feel her. Paige herself is a sweetheart, I liked her very much. The romance was a little bit too fast in my opinion but I liked that the women could find love again.
The mystery was OK but not that thrilling than the one in Payback. The storyline was very interesting with the disappearing of Noa's brother. But it was a little bit confusing in the end. The two leads were too similar but with no real connection.
Even if I didn't like this book that much, I'm looking forward to Mill's next one.
My rating 3.25 stars
Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for an honest review
January 10, 2020
If you’ve read other reviews for this novel, mine won’t be very original. After loving Payback last year (so much so that I got the paperback too), I was hoping to enjoy Body of Work at least as much.
I didn’t.
At first, it was more because of my own issues than anything the author had written. When we first meet Noa Stevens, she’s depressed and keeping herself away from the world. A few years ago, she lost her wife to a heart defect. That loss came after Noa’d already survived her brother’s disappearance when she was eleven. Chris left home one day and never came back. The police never found him. The family never recovered. These two tragic losses would be a lot for anyone, they’re too much for Noa, who has become a reputed painter but spends her days and nights drinking too much and sleeping on the floor of her house. So when her agent suggests she leaves London for a while, she reluctantly agrees. He helps her move into one of his friend’s house in the countryside, and Noa slowly learns to appreciate her new surroundings. And her new neighbour, nurse Paige Clarke. The attraction is instant between them, and quickly grows into a lot more, as if Paige, who’s also suffered through her share of loss, had come into Noa’s life at the exact right time for her to be ready to finally open up to someone else.
As I wrote above, at the beginning of the story, Noa’s depression made it hard for me to enjoy what I was reading, which, I guess, means Mills did a good job at describing her character’s state of mind. I got more invested in the story as soon as Noa met Paige. I liked their interactions, the chemistry was plausible, everything about the two of them together was enjoyable, even though I felt Paige’s patience with Noa was admirable. Maybe as a nurse she’s used to people not showing their best selves. Or because she’s lost so much too, she gets her.
Then there’s the mystery surrounding Noa’s brother. I didn’t see the point of it, as if the author had wanted to tell two stories at once. At first, it was very light, in the background of the love story, and when it got in the foreground, I had this feeling of déjà vu (think Psycho)… Also, as others (mainly Carrie in her own review) have pointed out, the secondary characters took a lot of space for no particular reason.
The best part was the sex scenes, they’re hot and tender and believable. It’s not enough to make a great book, but at least they were nice to read. Added to Mills’ writing style, which I really like, they account for the three stars.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I didn’t.
At first, it was more because of my own issues than anything the author had written. When we first meet Noa Stevens, she’s depressed and keeping herself away from the world. A few years ago, she lost her wife to a heart defect. That loss came after Noa’d already survived her brother’s disappearance when she was eleven. Chris left home one day and never came back. The police never found him. The family never recovered. These two tragic losses would be a lot for anyone, they’re too much for Noa, who has become a reputed painter but spends her days and nights drinking too much and sleeping on the floor of her house. So when her agent suggests she leaves London for a while, she reluctantly agrees. He helps her move into one of his friend’s house in the countryside, and Noa slowly learns to appreciate her new surroundings. And her new neighbour, nurse Paige Clarke. The attraction is instant between them, and quickly grows into a lot more, as if Paige, who’s also suffered through her share of loss, had come into Noa’s life at the exact right time for her to be ready to finally open up to someone else.
As I wrote above, at the beginning of the story, Noa’s depression made it hard for me to enjoy what I was reading, which, I guess, means Mills did a good job at describing her character’s state of mind. I got more invested in the story as soon as Noa met Paige. I liked their interactions, the chemistry was plausible, everything about the two of them together was enjoyable, even though I felt Paige’s patience with Noa was admirable. Maybe as a nurse she’s used to people not showing their best selves. Or because she’s lost so much too, she gets her.
Then there’s the mystery surrounding Noa’s brother. I didn’t see the point of it, as if the author had wanted to tell two stories at once. At first, it was very light, in the background of the love story, and when it got in the foreground, I had this feeling of déjà vu (think Psycho)… Also, as others (mainly Carrie in her own review) have pointed out, the secondary characters took a lot of space for no particular reason.
The best part was the sex scenes, they’re hot and tender and believable. It’s not enough to make a great book, but at least they were nice to read. Added to Mills’ writing style, which I really like, they account for the three stars.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 9, 2020
Another good suspense from Mills. When Noa Stevens was 11 her older brother disappeared never to be found. While it affected her then, and now, life goes on until it doesn’t. The death of her wife sends her into a downward spiral to the point that she’s no longer producing the abstract art she’s so famous for. Her agent convinces to take a break in the countryside which seems like a reasonable idea until she sprains her ankle. Her neighbour and district nurse, Paige, comes to her rescue.
There is something wonderfully understated and very English about this novel. The strange disappearance of her brother lingers in the background. I could feel the movement of something else in my peripheral vision that would disappear every time I tried to guess what it was. The connection between Paige and Noa develops subtly, although, at times I thought it was too subtle. I would have liked a little more discussion about their feelings for each other.
Both characters have difficult pasts and I liked that their pasts came up in conversation and weren’t kept as burning secrets to blow up the developing relationship. The sex scenes are steamy but one or two of them could have been a tease and then fade to black. There were times that I wasn’t sure whose point of view I was seeing things from but it wasn’t too distracting.
I found it to be a quick read which lets me know that I enjoyed it.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
There is something wonderfully understated and very English about this novel. The strange disappearance of her brother lingers in the background. I could feel the movement of something else in my peripheral vision that would disappear every time I tried to guess what it was. The connection between Paige and Noa develops subtly, although, at times I thought it was too subtle. I would have liked a little more discussion about their feelings for each other.
Both characters have difficult pasts and I liked that their pasts came up in conversation and weren’t kept as burning secrets to blow up the developing relationship. The sex scenes are steamy but one or two of them could have been a tease and then fade to black. There were times that I wasn’t sure whose point of view I was seeing things from but it wasn’t too distracting.
I found it to be a quick read which lets me know that I enjoyed it.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
January 2, 2020
Preserving death.
Noa is once successful painter who has had to deal with the loss of the people who were closest to her. She has shut herself off from truly living. Numbing herself with alcohol and forcing herself to sleep on hard floors. Her agent, Marcus, begins receiving concerning messages addressed to Noa. Partially afraid for Noa but mostly anxious about keeping her exhibitions going without issue, he sends Noa to a friend’s house in a remote area. He convinces her that she needs to get a change of scenery that will help spark her creativity. In Woodbridge, Noa meets Paige, a local nurse.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story. Noa’s brother is presumed dead as he has been missing for 30 years., but when messages referring to his disappearance surface, the questions begin to add up. It felt a little bit like a whodunit and found I was guessing as to who might have been involved IF there was someone involved.
Upon meeting Noa, Paige is persistent to spend time with her. The attraction is burning hot but they also find that they have a lot of commonality between them. I’m sure most of you will enjoy the many explicit scenes more than I did as I prefer a nice and sexy fade to black. I also like a slower burn than this book afforded. They were quite full-on quickly.
There were some characters that didn’t add much to the story. I didn’t understand the purpose of Paige’s co-worker always butting into her business. I felt like it was leading up to something, but then nothing ever came. She just no longer existed at some point. And why was Paige always trying to brush her off? Seemed to me like she could have used her as a good sounding board. And Paige had a brother that leaves a dog at her house sometimes and exchanged a handful of works with Noa one morning. I expected some kind of conflict that never happened there, too.
Overall, this book had a deeper feel to it with Noa’s ongoing struggle with her losses. It kept me entertained and I certainly did not predict the outcome.
I recommend this to people who like to read mysteries, romance, art, estranged family, booze, tea, beans on toast.
I received an ARC from YLVA for an honest review.
Noa is once successful painter who has had to deal with the loss of the people who were closest to her. She has shut herself off from truly living. Numbing herself with alcohol and forcing herself to sleep on hard floors. Her agent, Marcus, begins receiving concerning messages addressed to Noa. Partially afraid for Noa but mostly anxious about keeping her exhibitions going without issue, he sends Noa to a friend’s house in a remote area. He convinces her that she needs to get a change of scenery that will help spark her creativity. In Woodbridge, Noa meets Paige, a local nurse.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story. Noa’s brother is presumed dead as he has been missing for 30 years., but when messages referring to his disappearance surface, the questions begin to add up. It felt a little bit like a whodunit and found I was guessing as to who might have been involved IF there was someone involved.
Upon meeting Noa, Paige is persistent to spend time with her. The attraction is burning hot but they also find that they have a lot of commonality between them. I’m sure most of you will enjoy the many explicit scenes more than I did as I prefer a nice and sexy fade to black. I also like a slower burn than this book afforded. They were quite full-on quickly.
There were some characters that didn’t add much to the story. I didn’t understand the purpose of Paige’s co-worker always butting into her business. I felt like it was leading up to something, but then nothing ever came. She just no longer existed at some point. And why was Paige always trying to brush her off? Seemed to me like she could have used her as a good sounding board. And Paige had a brother that leaves a dog at her house sometimes and exchanged a handful of works with Noa one morning. I expected some kind of conflict that never happened there, too.
Overall, this book had a deeper feel to it with Noa’s ongoing struggle with her losses. It kept me entertained and I certainly did not predict the outcome.
I recommend this to people who like to read mysteries, romance, art, estranged family, booze, tea, beans on toast.
I received an ARC from YLVA for an honest review.
January 22, 2020
"Body of Work' by Charlotte Mills begins on a really dark note with the main character (Noa Stevens) having gone through a couple of extremely traumatizing events in her life. Her only brother went missing when she was a child, and her wife died suddenly from an unknown heart defect. Either event would be life changing for anyone, and to have both happen would be devastating. I wanted to empathize with Noa, but unfortunately, because of many of her actions in the book, I had a hard time doing that. She came across as very unlikeable for a good portion of the tale. Regrettably, this is just the beginning of the problems that I had with the characters in this story, and even with the story itself.
The book is supposed to be a combination of mystery and romance. However, most of the book ends up being Noa recovering from her grief with the help of the other main character Paige Clarke. She meets Paige who is a nurse in the small town Noa is sent to by her agent to recover and begin painting again. I’m not sure how the romance started since Noa treats Paige like dirt to begin with, but eventually they do connect. The romance between the two, once they do get together, is probably the best part of the whole book. I did enjoy the romance once the two finally came together.
The secondary characters in the novel are not well developed. They serve little to no purpose, and actually interfere in the story sometimes. The mystery part of the book really didn’t get going until near the end of the story, and even then, it wasn’t much of a mystery. I really expected more from the author who blew me away with her mystery and intrigue novel 'Payback'.
While I can only describe this novel as average, with a pretty good romance as part of the tale, I know that the author is capable of writing exceptional stories. That is why I will be looking for more from Ms. Mills in the future.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
The book is supposed to be a combination of mystery and romance. However, most of the book ends up being Noa recovering from her grief with the help of the other main character Paige Clarke. She meets Paige who is a nurse in the small town Noa is sent to by her agent to recover and begin painting again. I’m not sure how the romance started since Noa treats Paige like dirt to begin with, but eventually they do connect. The romance between the two, once they do get together, is probably the best part of the whole book. I did enjoy the romance once the two finally came together.
The secondary characters in the novel are not well developed. They serve little to no purpose, and actually interfere in the story sometimes. The mystery part of the book really didn’t get going until near the end of the story, and even then, it wasn’t much of a mystery. I really expected more from the author who blew me away with her mystery and intrigue novel 'Payback'.
While I can only describe this novel as average, with a pretty good romance as part of the tale, I know that the author is capable of writing exceptional stories. That is why I will be looking for more from Ms. Mills in the future.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
January 8, 2022
3,25 stars
First thing first: the cover and title make it seem way more dramatic/suspenseful than it is.
Secondly: it wasn't bad and I don't regret reading it but I'll forget about it in a few weeks
First thing first: the cover and title make it seem way more dramatic/suspenseful than it is.
Secondly: it wasn't bad and I don't regret reading it but I'll forget about it in a few weeks
January 2, 2020
This book features two grieving women. Noa has locked herself up and her agent is about the only person she ever sees. He tries to encourage her but it’s mostly fruitless until she agrees to go to some remote house to paint. Paige, a nurse, moved to the same town to start over. They meet unexpectedly as Paige is making her rounds. The novel details their growing friendship and attraction as well as the other thread, the mystery. A man is watching Noa and sending missives through her agent who doesn’t pass them on.
The characters were believable, especially Noa in her grief and depression. I could feel her anguish. Paige seemed healthier but still saddened by her loss. She had friends and a life outside of her head, if that makes sense. They seemed to help each other heal.
Mills does a beautiful job of building up the tension. As she relates the women’s interactions, I was left wondering what was going on with the stalker. There was the occasional scene featuring the stalker or the agent, which just increased the suspense for me. I did not see the twist coming; it was definitely creepy. Since there are things going on in Noa's past, she reacts strongly when she finds out about the stalker. I thought the book was well written and kept my interest.
I received an ARC for review.
The characters were believable, especially Noa in her grief and depression. I could feel her anguish. Paige seemed healthier but still saddened by her loss. She had friends and a life outside of her head, if that makes sense. They seemed to help each other heal.
Mills does a beautiful job of building up the tension. As she relates the women’s interactions, I was left wondering what was going on with the stalker. There was the occasional scene featuring the stalker or the agent, which just increased the suspense for me. I did not see the twist coming; it was definitely creepy. Since there are things going on in Noa's past, she reacts strongly when she finds out about the stalker. I thought the book was well written and kept my interest.
I received an ARC for review.
December 31, 2019
I didn’t love this book. I found the writing to be choppy. Too many short sentences. It broke up the reading flow. See how irritating it is?
The book is kind of a mystery-romance. The mystery was interesting but the resolution was rushed. The coincidences were unlikely and . The romance didn’t really work for me, either. The almost insta-love didn’t seem likely given their backgrounds and the circumstances of their first few meetings. Is Paige a masochist?
The secondary characters were mostly unsatisfyingly portrayed. The motivations of Noa’s agent, Marcus, didn’t ring true. People do behave inconsistently, but I felt I didn’t understand him at all. Similarly, the police were either not peripheral enough to the story or not sufficiently involved. I can’t work out which.
In all, I found the book to be generally wanting. It took me a while to read it because I kept putting down – it couldn't hold my attention. I skim-read the last few pages because I didn’t really care enough about the characters to be fully involved. This could have been a good book, but it needed more work.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book is kind of a mystery-romance. The mystery was interesting but the resolution was rushed. The coincidences were unlikely and . The romance didn’t really work for me, either. The almost insta-love didn’t seem likely given their backgrounds and the circumstances of their first few meetings. Is Paige a masochist?
The secondary characters were mostly unsatisfyingly portrayed. The motivations of Noa’s agent, Marcus, didn’t ring true. People do behave inconsistently, but I felt I didn’t understand him at all. Similarly, the police were either not peripheral enough to the story or not sufficiently involved. I can’t work out which.
In all, I found the book to be generally wanting. It took me a while to read it because I kept putting down – it couldn't hold my attention. I skim-read the last few pages because I didn’t really care enough about the characters to be fully involved. This could have been a good book, but it needed more work.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2023
Oh dear…. Just didn’t buy the ‘adventure’ of this story: love story was fine, but WTF and skip read through to the end.
December 17, 2019
Noa Stevens is a forty one year old reclusive painter whose life has been filled with tragic losses. During a vicious storm when she was just a child, her older brother went to visit a neighbourhood friend and never returned. Noa’s wife Kim recently passed away and she has hidden herself away in her London home barely coping. Her art dealer believes a change in scenery will help Noa find her muse again and maybe help her deal with her loss. Noafinds herself in a rural community enjoying Mother Nature in all her glory.
Paige Clarke is a District nurse who comes to Noa’s rescue in more than one way after she has an accident while walking one of the local trails.
I really love the prologue for Body of Work. Writer Charlotte Mills effectively brings you into Noa’s childhood world where her reality is skewed by her suffering from tonsillitis on the day her brother vanishes. The suspense ratchets up quickly as you try to understand what Noa is seeing and hearing in her fever haze. This is really well done and a unique way to pull you so thoroughly into the story.
Ms Mills has an intensity to her writing which I find to be one of her many strengths. I don’t know how best to describe it other than it is crisp and clean. The pacing of both the suspense and the romance is spot on as well. The characters are fully formed and quite likeable and I especially enjoyed the banter between the main characters. Body of Work is a wonderful novel to lose yourself in.
4.5 ⭐️
Paige Clarke is a District nurse who comes to Noa’s rescue in more than one way after she has an accident while walking one of the local trails.
I really love the prologue for Body of Work. Writer Charlotte Mills effectively brings you into Noa’s childhood world where her reality is skewed by her suffering from tonsillitis on the day her brother vanishes. The suspense ratchets up quickly as you try to understand what Noa is seeing and hearing in her fever haze. This is really well done and a unique way to pull you so thoroughly into the story.
Ms Mills has an intensity to her writing which I find to be one of her many strengths. I don’t know how best to describe it other than it is crisp and clean. The pacing of both the suspense and the romance is spot on as well. The characters are fully formed and quite likeable and I especially enjoyed the banter between the main characters. Body of Work is a wonderful novel to lose yourself in.
4.5 ⭐️
January 3, 2020
District nurse Paige Clarke lived a quiet life, if that included tending to the needs of the people assigned to her when they required it. Everything you’d think of when it came to their health needs. She had been in a relationship that she’d thought was going just fine until her partner decided to leave her for another. Bad as that was, she’d also taken their son and unfortunately both died in a car accident. So she moved just to get away and make a new start for herself. After four years she felt like this little community was finally feeling like her home.
Noa Stevens lived a very different life, In some circles she’d be considered an accomplished artist, selling her paintings that enabled her to live. But was she really living? As a young girl she lost her older brother, her family didn’t have a clue if he was alive or dead, as her parents believed. But Noa thought he was still around and had hoped she’d either meet up with him again or find out just what happened to him. She was also lucky enough to have found the woman who she’d thought would be with her forever. But cancer had other plans.
Now alone with her pain, unable to go on with her painting her manager decided she needed to get away, hoping a stay in the country would get her back on track. He took a chance that not telling her about the letters, letters that had come asking her questions about her brother was the right thing to do. Who was it and what did they want?
This is the second book I’ve read by this author and while the first book I labeled as a very, very good read, with this one I’m labeling it a very good read. Nicely paced with some interesting twists and turns I’m sure you will enjoy too.
ARC via Ylva Publishing
Noa Stevens lived a very different life, In some circles she’d be considered an accomplished artist, selling her paintings that enabled her to live. But was she really living? As a young girl she lost her older brother, her family didn’t have a clue if he was alive or dead, as her parents believed. But Noa thought he was still around and had hoped she’d either meet up with him again or find out just what happened to him. She was also lucky enough to have found the woman who she’d thought would be with her forever. But cancer had other plans.
Now alone with her pain, unable to go on with her painting her manager decided she needed to get away, hoping a stay in the country would get her back on track. He took a chance that not telling her about the letters, letters that had come asking her questions about her brother was the right thing to do. Who was it and what did they want?
This is the second book I’ve read by this author and while the first book I labeled as a very, very good read, with this one I’m labeling it a very good read. Nicely paced with some interesting twists and turns I’m sure you will enjoy too.
ARC via Ylva Publishing
February 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book for the most part. Tortured artist filled with angst has become a bit of a trope, but it doesn't feel overdone here. Even if I did want to slap the main character a few times. But this is an easy read with a bit of a surprise at the end that will stick with me. Actually, it's been weeks since I finished this book, and I can still see the end quite clearly, so yeah, it made an impression.
Great cover, memorable end...three stars.
Thanks to Ylva for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.
Great cover, memorable end...three stars.
Thanks to Ylva for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.
January 18, 2020
This was an odd story. The writing was good. The characters were interesting. But I felt it was an odd combinations of plots. I thought this was going to be a romance between two women who each had tragically lost their wives, finding romance. And fort three quarters of the book it was. This part of the story was very entertaining. The characters were cute, the banter between them was funny. And many, many sex scenes. Probably could have faded to black in some cases. I really didn't need to know what they did every night.
But then the story takes a big plot change. I felt like we entered the Bates Hotel. I actually said said out loud...What? This part of the book got really weird. And then the story ends abruptly.
With all the sex in the beginning, I thought the ending was rather tepid.
Not a bad read...just sort of an odd combinations of plots.
But then the story takes a big plot change. I felt like we entered the Bates Hotel. I actually said said out loud...What? This part of the book got really weird. And then the story ends abruptly.
With all the sex in the beginning, I thought the ending was rather tepid.
Not a bad read...just sort of an odd combinations of plots.
January 10, 2020
I certainly enjoyed Charlotte Mills first book better than this one -mostly because it is billed as a mystery/ thriller but the mystery doesn't seem to really matter so much that it remained unsolved. A whole lot of lead Noa's character is built around her survivor's guilt, both in the case of her missing brother, who disappeared in the 80's and her wife who died of cancer. Noa's arc drives the story, which isn't so much for her need to know what happened to her brother, but a for her to move on from him. When Paige fully comes into the picture, Noa is able to slowly rebuild her life that basically stopped the moment her wife died. Paige has a very similar situation to Noa, but she is working through her grieving in a much healthier way. This dynamic is the true core of the story, and I wish that the Mills had stuck with that, instead of cramming a half baked mystery into it.
The majority of the book deals with Noa's healing and Paige coming along for the ride. Their romance is explosive and full of chemistry, and all their scenes together were amazing. Especially with Paige unknowingly helping Noa getting back on her feet as a painter. So much great stuff here that was messed up with a mystery plotline that was unnecessary, I thought. It tries so hard to pay homage to a classic horror flick, but falls flat on its face when doing so.
I'd thought I'd never say this, but if the mystery plotline were scrapped for more scenes of the nuanced ways in which both women handle their grieving, this would be an amazing book. In fact, the romantic plot was worth dealing with the tacked on mystery. It just felt like the mystery was part of a completely different book than the one that I was reading. Which was too bad, because this is a great read otherwise.
I received this ARC from Ylva in exchange for my honest review.
The majority of the book deals with Noa's healing and Paige coming along for the ride. Their romance is explosive and full of chemistry, and all their scenes together were amazing. Especially with Paige unknowingly helping Noa getting back on her feet as a painter. So much great stuff here that was messed up with a mystery plotline that was unnecessary, I thought. It tries so hard to pay homage to a classic horror flick, but falls flat on its face when doing so.
I'd thought I'd never say this, but if the mystery plotline were scrapped for more scenes of the nuanced ways in which both women handle their grieving, this would be an amazing book. In fact, the romantic plot was worth dealing with the tacked on mystery. It just felt like the mystery was part of a completely different book than the one that I was reading. Which was too bad, because this is a great read otherwise.
I received this ARC from Ylva in exchange for my honest review.
January 8, 2020
3.5 stars, would've been higher but for some at the end
This is a story about two women who have each known loss learning how to connect. Overall I liked it. I connected with each character. I felt their story was genuine, if a little insta-love. But I get it. I liked the setting, the art scene, the nature walks. Sure, Marcus was inconsistent, but oh well.
I was very disappointed though in the ending to the thriller. Making a the "villain" was disappointing and unnecessary. I'm willing to hear other's perspectives on this...
*Arc provided by Ylva*
This is a story about two women who have each known loss learning how to connect. Overall I liked it. I connected with each character. I felt their story was genuine, if a little insta-love. But I get it. I liked the setting, the art scene, the nature walks. Sure, Marcus was inconsistent, but oh well.
I was very disappointed though in the ending to the thriller. Making a the "villain" was disappointing and unnecessary. I'm willing to hear other's perspectives on this...
*Arc provided by Ylva*
January 18, 2020
I enjoyed Charlotte Mills' Payback and was looking forward to reading her next book.
Maybe I expected too much but this book was hard to get through. Noa was a total "downer", so steeped in her depressed, super self-indulgent state that I really could not understand how Paige could have liked her.
I did not feel that both the main characters had any chemistry and I was quite surprised to find Paige confessing her interest to her colleague after just meeting Noa for a short while and under not so desirable circumstances.
The mystery bit was also not that interesting - in fact it was a bit of a let-down. It felt like the author had to tie up that loose end of Noa's brother since she spent most of the book brooding about him.
I'm sorry but I did not quite enjoy the book.
Maybe I expected too much but this book was hard to get through. Noa was a total "downer", so steeped in her depressed, super self-indulgent state that I really could not understand how Paige could have liked her.
I did not feel that both the main characters had any chemistry and I was quite surprised to find Paige confessing her interest to her colleague after just meeting Noa for a short while and under not so desirable circumstances.
The mystery bit was also not that interesting - in fact it was a bit of a let-down. It felt like the author had to tie up that loose end of Noa's brother since she spent most of the book brooding about him.
I'm sorry but I did not quite enjoy the book.
January 16, 2020
First I thought this was a book about how to deal with the pain of loosing someone you love; than I thought, well apparently it's sort of erotic. A few chapters later I thought, ah after all is a mystery! No, wrong again, because a 3 chapters later it was a cliched horror show. Each part I've mentioned could be a different story, but all of them put together in the same book just doesn't work. The story doesn't connect and I had a hard time to finish the book. If it wasn't a ARC copy I would have drop it in the middle. My 3 stars is always my minimum rate and there are small parts of the book really good. This could have been a good book if the author had chosen one theme and stick to it.
January 5, 2020
Overall it had a good plot line and was an interesting read. It seems as though it was a hit or miss for some people on the timeline and chemistry of how Noa and Paige’s relationship develops, but I thought it went as well as it could have. They both had complicated and tragic pasts and I felt that led to the credibility of their understanding and compassion for each other.
What has me on mixed feelings is that at times it almost felt like two separate books trying to mesh into one but not quite seamlessly. One was the romance side and the other a mystery, either works on its own but together it didn’t flow as smoothly as it could have. Some parts were relevant, others not, and I felt like it ended a bit abruptly. Regardless, it was an interesting storyline and I still look forward to reading more from the author.
ARC provided by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
What has me on mixed feelings is that at times it almost felt like two separate books trying to mesh into one but not quite seamlessly. One was the romance side and the other a mystery, either works on its own but together it didn’t flow as smoothly as it could have. Some parts were relevant, others not, and I felt like it ended a bit abruptly. Regardless, it was an interesting storyline and I still look forward to reading more from the author.
ARC provided by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
January 24, 2021
Read it a a few month ago and can t remember much so ok book probably.
January 1, 2020
An ARC copy was given to me by YLVA for a honest review.
This is a book about two women, both try to cope with their lost.
Noa is a artist and she tries to find a new way in her life after the lost of her brother and wife. Paige is a nurse in a small village in England and she tries the same thing, because her wife and her son are dead too.
In the book there are two story lines, first the line where characters try to cope with her problems with different approaches and the second line is about Noa´s brother and the story behind. I find both good, but I missed more depth about the investigation of the missing, death of Noa´s wife or backround of Paige.
This is a book about two women, both try to cope with their lost.
Noa is a artist and she tries to find a new way in her life after the lost of her brother and wife. Paige is a nurse in a small village in England and she tries the same thing, because her wife and her son are dead too.
In the book there are two story lines, first the line where characters try to cope with her problems with different approaches and the second line is about Noa´s brother and the story behind. I find both good, but I missed more depth about the investigation of the missing, death of Noa´s wife or backround of Paige.
January 11, 2020
I felt like it wasn't really a mystery nor a romance or something in between. The romance part felt a bit too forced and quick that it was a bit unbelievable especially for the characters. I also couldn't connect to them.
December 25, 2019
I loved Charlotte Mills novel "Payback" and was looking forward to this one.
Sadly this one was just ok, still a good story of two people getting to know each other and helping one another through traumatic events or the aftermath of such.
For me it happens kinda fast to get past these feelings which accumulated over years.
The suspence fell kinda flat for me and wasn´t really gripping.
The irrational behaviour was kinda weird from a certain person.
But I kept reading for the story between the two MC´s which was kinda sweet and funny, I was really happy for them.
I´m still looking forward to the next book and hope it gets back on the level of the first one.
*An ARC was given to me by YLVA for a honest review*
Sadly this one was just ok, still a good story of two people getting to know each other and helping one another through traumatic events or the aftermath of such.
For me it happens kinda fast to get past these feelings which accumulated over years.
The suspence fell kinda flat for me and wasn´t really gripping.
The irrational behaviour was kinda weird from a certain person.
But I kept reading for the story between the two MC´s which was kinda sweet and funny, I was really happy for them.
I´m still looking forward to the next book and hope it gets back on the level of the first one.
*An ARC was given to me by YLVA for a honest review*
December 22, 2019
Before I start I must admit to two things: first, from very early on I fell madly in love with Noa Stevens. Second I was quite hesitant about about this (I got an arc, I probably wouldn't have bought it) as the last Charlotte Mills book I read was a frustrating combination of awesome and "why the actual fuck did you do that?")
Thankfully this book shows Mills as a much more mature and accomplished writer and features well developed characters and a smooth narrative arc. Paige and Noa are believable and relatable, while Marcus the art agent is delightfully slimy and dickishly self-centred. While the text mainly focuses on Paige and Noa's blossoming romance and the mysteries that haunt Noa's past, we get plenty of humour from Paige's visits to her clients around the rural community (she's a district nurse), my favourite being the menopausal lady who suggested that sex should be available on prescription!
I don't want to say too much as this is a very good thriller but you won't be disappointed and I would now totally buy this book!
Thankfully this book shows Mills as a much more mature and accomplished writer and features well developed characters and a smooth narrative arc. Paige and Noa are believable and relatable, while Marcus the art agent is delightfully slimy and dickishly self-centred. While the text mainly focuses on Paige and Noa's blossoming romance and the mysteries that haunt Noa's past, we get plenty of humour from Paige's visits to her clients around the rural community (she's a district nurse), my favourite being the menopausal lady who suggested that sex should be available on prescription!
I don't want to say too much as this is a very good thriller but you won't be disappointed and I would now totally buy this book!
December 16, 2019
*ARC from Ylva for review*
Noa is a depressed artist, hounded by the childhood trauma of the disappearance of her brother, grieving over the death of her wife. So her agent/manager decides she has to have a change in scenery, not the least because there are appearing mysterious messages.
So Noa moves from London to some rural town. There she meets nurse Paige (who has also a traumatic past), leaving a mixed impression. Repeated contact ensues and the rest, as they say, is history.
The first part of the story depicts Noa's depression rather well, one could almost feel the pull.
What ails me is the rather quick (after only three meetings?) relationship between Noa and Paige. Also the story with the messages and the conclusion of the disappearing brother was a downer for me. It felt unnecessary and only added to have some mystery/thriller/drama.
As a positive the story shows that both, Noa and Paige, can come to terms with their past traumas and start with a new will to live.
Noa is a depressed artist, hounded by the childhood trauma of the disappearance of her brother, grieving over the death of her wife. So her agent/manager decides she has to have a change in scenery, not the least because there are appearing mysterious messages.
So Noa moves from London to some rural town. There she meets nurse Paige (who has also a traumatic past), leaving a mixed impression. Repeated contact ensues and the rest, as they say, is history.
The first part of the story depicts Noa's depression rather well, one could almost feel the pull.
What ails me is the rather quick (after only three meetings?) relationship between Noa and Paige. Also the story with the messages and the conclusion of the disappearing brother was a downer for me. It felt unnecessary and only added to have some mystery/thriller/drama.
As a positive the story shows that both, Noa and Paige, can come to terms with their past traumas and start with a new will to live.
February 1, 2021
Given that we’d thoroughly enjoyed Mills’ Payback, we wanted to like this one. Like really, really wanted to. But alas! That was not to be.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
February 26, 2020
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢🇬🇧 👩⚕💖👩🎨🎨👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received, from Ylva Publishing, an ARC of « Body Of Work » by Charlotte Mills.
So, here it is !!!
My rating : 2 ⭐️
The story sets in the England (a part in London and, another one in rural Woodbridge) and focuses on 41 years old abstract artist Noa Stevens and busy district nurse Paige Clarke. Both women had suffered from painful losses – Noa is widow and still has not recoverer neither from the death of her wife nor from her childhood trauma resulting from the disapearance of her brother thirty years ago &, above everything, Paige mourns the loss of her young son killed in the same time than her ex-partner. – A chance meeting brings them together and helps them both, at their own rhythm, healing from their emotional wounds. Meanwhile, ghosts from Noa’s past surface …
"Body of Work" is the second novel by Charlotte Mills I’ve ever read. Last year, I deeply loved « Payback » (it was really brain blowing), so I was very excited and impatient to read BOW but, unfortunately, this new book didn’t work for me…
After the mindblowing work the author did with « Payback » I, personally and seriously, expected something way much more interesting & mind challenging than that … (= this disappointment). I really thought I’d find in those pages something looking like a real thriller with angst, action and suspense, etc … but also a touch of romance … That’s what the cover and intriguing blurb made me (and probably a lot of other readers) believe …
Of course, to obtain such a thing, all this would have required a longer novel (way much longer, as a matter of fact, even two books … ) to allow a real romance mixed with real thriller to be developed properly.
Here, we’ve got an unbalanced & lacking of rhythm book. On one hand, there’s a sloppy romance with underdeveloped MCs, so it’s hard to connect with them and to « fall for them » and their stories … even more when it includes a MC, who’s supposedly a mature woman (remember, Noa is 41 years old), acting like a (drunken) jerk or a petulant child, all this when she doesn’t act like an irresponsible teenager … &, on the other hand, we’ve got an aborted thriller …
------------------------ -------------------------
==> If I were the one who had beta read the book, here is an example of what I would have suggested to the author => The romance would have been developped properly, in a long length novel in which Paige’s love would have allowed Noa’s to be reborn (a bit like the proverbial Phoenix from his ashes) AND, in a sequel, I would have developed the thriller, this way, both parts would have had a chance to keep the reader in me interested … In my suggestion, Marcus would have acted like a real agent protecting his client / friend, not like a lazy coward & from the moment they would have learnt about the notes, phrased like some enigmas, Noa, Paige and Marcus all together (because Marcus could have been a great secondary character) would have lead the investigation and uncover the truth, piece by piece … IDK, maybe because the culprit (the one sending the message for a good reason not one weird one like it is right now in the book) could have expressed his guilt throught art or something like that, planting some clues here and there. I don’t see the point of the notes like they were left in the book … they’re useless and, yes, maybe quite disturbing at best but definitely not threatening &, when it comes to the one left by the « real culprit », you can’t understand why it appears like that, out of the blue, after 30 bloody years and without any logical reason. In my idea, it could have been a tricky game from the unbalanced unsub, to try to undermine the « investigators » in a cat and mouse game …
------------------------ -------------------------
On a positive note, there were very interesting expressions and idioms to work on …
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Nope !
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !!
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Definitely not … unless it’s deeply reworked before being re-released
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope !!
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes … because I don’t want to stay on this miss … and hope the author’s next novel will be a hit.
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢🇬🇧 👩⚕💖👩🎨🎨👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received, from Ylva Publishing, an ARC of « Body Of Work » by Charlotte Mills.
So, here it is !!!
My rating : 2 ⭐️
The story sets in the England (a part in London and, another one in rural Woodbridge) and focuses on 41 years old abstract artist Noa Stevens and busy district nurse Paige Clarke. Both women had suffered from painful losses – Noa is widow and still has not recoverer neither from the death of her wife nor from her childhood trauma resulting from the disapearance of her brother thirty years ago &, above everything, Paige mourns the loss of her young son killed in the same time than her ex-partner. – A chance meeting brings them together and helps them both, at their own rhythm, healing from their emotional wounds. Meanwhile, ghosts from Noa’s past surface …
"Body of Work" is the second novel by Charlotte Mills I’ve ever read. Last year, I deeply loved « Payback » (it was really brain blowing), so I was very excited and impatient to read BOW but, unfortunately, this new book didn’t work for me…
After the mindblowing work the author did with « Payback » I, personally and seriously, expected something way much more interesting & mind challenging than that … (= this disappointment). I really thought I’d find in those pages something looking like a real thriller with angst, action and suspense, etc … but also a touch of romance … That’s what the cover and intriguing blurb made me (and probably a lot of other readers) believe …
Of course, to obtain such a thing, all this would have required a longer novel (way much longer, as a matter of fact, even two books … ) to allow a real romance mixed with real thriller to be developed properly.
Here, we’ve got an unbalanced & lacking of rhythm book. On one hand, there’s a sloppy romance with underdeveloped MCs, so it’s hard to connect with them and to « fall for them » and their stories … even more when it includes a MC, who’s supposedly a mature woman (remember, Noa is 41 years old), acting like a (drunken) jerk or a petulant child, all this when she doesn’t act like an irresponsible teenager … &, on the other hand, we’ve got an aborted thriller …
------------------------ -------------------------
==> If I were the one who had beta read the book, here is an example of what I would have suggested to the author => The romance would have been developped properly, in a long length novel in which Paige’s love would have allowed Noa’s to be reborn (a bit like the proverbial Phoenix from his ashes) AND, in a sequel, I would have developed the thriller, this way, both parts would have had a chance to keep the reader in me interested … In my suggestion, Marcus would have acted like a real agent protecting his client / friend, not like a lazy coward & from the moment they would have learnt about the notes, phrased like some enigmas, Noa, Paige and Marcus all together (because Marcus could have been a great secondary character) would have lead the investigation and uncover the truth, piece by piece … IDK, maybe because the culprit (the one sending the message for a good reason not one weird one like it is right now in the book) could have expressed his guilt throught art or something like that, planting some clues here and there. I don’t see the point of the notes like they were left in the book … they’re useless and, yes, maybe quite disturbing at best but definitely not threatening &, when it comes to the one left by the « real culprit », you can’t understand why it appears like that, out of the blue, after 30 bloody years and without any logical reason. In my idea, it could have been a tricky game from the unbalanced unsub, to try to undermine the « investigators » in a cat and mouse game …
------------------------ -------------------------
On a positive note, there were very interesting expressions and idioms to work on …
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Nope !
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !!
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Definitely not … unless it’s deeply reworked before being re-released
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope !!
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes … because I don’t want to stay on this miss … and hope the author’s next novel will be a hit.
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤👩📚⚢🇬🇧 👩⚕💖👩🎨🎨👩❤💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
January 22, 2020
Not what I expected…at all!!!
Noa is a painter on a break from the hustle and bustle of the London scene, at the instruction of her agent, to work on new art, but she is still dealing with demons from her past. She encounters nurse, Paige after hurting her ankle during a spontaneous walk as she offers her help, even though Noa is reluctant to accept. Paige drops in on Noa to check on her a few days later and finds she might have more work on her hands than she though in assisting Noa’s recovery. She is unable to shake thoughts of Noa, and after a few days the two have hit it off as acquaintances. Noa’s past demons threaten her following her heart though in falling for Paige, but she does open up and is honest. When she returns to London and discovers her agent has been trying to protect her from one of her past demons, things really take a turn and finally Noa might be getting the answers she needs to leave the past behind and embrace happiness with Paige.
Charlotte Mills really knows how to bring suspense and mystery to a story, and did not disappoint!!! I was completely intrigued by this story and spent a long time wondering how all the pieces were eventually fit together. What I got was a brilliantly woven plot with a lot to be left to the imagination. A tragedy on so many levels, but so clever, and most impressive in weaving the clues, and intrigue for the reader to be as mystified by the outcome as Noa.
I loved she met Paige and the connection they shared. Paige was brilliant at getting Noa to open up and trust her so that love could be a possibility for them both. They had all these cute moments, then some more passionate, but together they were hopelessly cute and both had a bit of shyness that made them ever more endearing.
I couldn’t help but love every second of this story, and really intensely became invested not only in Noa and Paige’s story, but in what they would uncover about the traumatic and haunting events that formed Noa’s past. The twists and turns only heightened the intense need to press on and read to find out. A great story that I struggled to put down and highly recommend. I am really looking forward to what surprises lay in store from Charlotte Mills in future!
Noa is a painter on a break from the hustle and bustle of the London scene, at the instruction of her agent, to work on new art, but she is still dealing with demons from her past. She encounters nurse, Paige after hurting her ankle during a spontaneous walk as she offers her help, even though Noa is reluctant to accept. Paige drops in on Noa to check on her a few days later and finds she might have more work on her hands than she though in assisting Noa’s recovery. She is unable to shake thoughts of Noa, and after a few days the two have hit it off as acquaintances. Noa’s past demons threaten her following her heart though in falling for Paige, but she does open up and is honest. When she returns to London and discovers her agent has been trying to protect her from one of her past demons, things really take a turn and finally Noa might be getting the answers she needs to leave the past behind and embrace happiness with Paige.
Charlotte Mills really knows how to bring suspense and mystery to a story, and did not disappoint!!! I was completely intrigued by this story and spent a long time wondering how all the pieces were eventually fit together. What I got was a brilliantly woven plot with a lot to be left to the imagination. A tragedy on so many levels, but so clever, and most impressive in weaving the clues, and intrigue for the reader to be as mystified by the outcome as Noa.
I loved she met Paige and the connection they shared. Paige was brilliant at getting Noa to open up and trust her so that love could be a possibility for them both. They had all these cute moments, then some more passionate, but together they were hopelessly cute and both had a bit of shyness that made them ever more endearing.
I couldn’t help but love every second of this story, and really intensely became invested not only in Noa and Paige’s story, but in what they would uncover about the traumatic and haunting events that formed Noa’s past. The twists and turns only heightened the intense need to press on and read to find out. A great story that I struggled to put down and highly recommend. I am really looking forward to what surprises lay in store from Charlotte Mills in future!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews