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Of Light and Love
Carolyn Trent-Parker is one of her generation’s best artists but after losing her wife two years ago, she can no longer paint. In fact, she doesn’t want to do much of anything except hide away. Unwilling to move from her home but with no means of income, she’s forced to get a lodger.
Laura Kingston-Lopez is heartbroken and disillusioned, and she heads to England to pursue her masters in animation. She needs a place to stay but isn’t prepared for what she gets. Her new landlady, Caro, is unwelcoming, grumpy, and completely fascinating.
Opposites in every way, they push each other in unexpected ways. Can Caro rediscover her creativity? And even if she does, can Laura let go of her past so they can paint a new future?
Laura Kingston-Lopez is heartbroken and disillusioned, and she heads to England to pursue her masters in animation. She needs a place to stay but isn’t prepared for what she gets. Her new landlady, Caro, is unwelcoming, grumpy, and completely fascinating.
Opposites in every way, they push each other in unexpected ways. Can Caro rediscover her creativity? And even if she does, can Laura let go of her past so they can paint a new future?
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2022
90 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
dnf
November 25, 2022DNF 5%
The minute one of the MCs needed a hand puppet to communicate with herself and others… nope. This is not the book for me.
The minute one of the MCs needed a hand puppet to communicate with herself and others… nope. This is not the book for me.
September 8, 2022
E.V. Bancroft
Of Light And Love
MC Carolyn Trent-Parker & Laura Kingston-Lopez
This story is about Caro who feels lost after the death of her wife she can’t paint and has lost her fire to see the world without her muse.
Caro was low on funds after now working for the past few years and decided to rent a room to one of the students going to the college in the UK .
Laura is a Ray of light , she makes Caro home feel whole again , there was a connection that both main characters felt fit each other , the love for art pulled them together.
The support characters added to the story the love and support from Laura parents was beautiful, the love Caro and Laura shared was amazing they were able to be honest about there fear and issues from pasted relationships.
Caro was able to look back and see her ex wife was really not the person she through blind by her love for her she could not see the person her ex wife really was, she was Consume with her work and looks.
I highly recommend this book 5 stars it is available on Amazon KU!
Of Light And Love
MC Carolyn Trent-Parker & Laura Kingston-Lopez
This story is about Caro who feels lost after the death of her wife she can’t paint and has lost her fire to see the world without her muse.
Caro was low on funds after now working for the past few years and decided to rent a room to one of the students going to the college in the UK .
Laura is a Ray of light , she makes Caro home feel whole again , there was a connection that both main characters felt fit each other , the love for art pulled them together.
The support characters added to the story the love and support from Laura parents was beautiful, the love Caro and Laura shared was amazing they were able to be honest about there fear and issues from pasted relationships.
Caro was able to look back and see her ex wife was really not the person she through blind by her love for her she could not see the person her ex wife really was, she was Consume with her work and looks.
I highly recommend this book 5 stars it is available on Amazon KU!
April 12, 2024
4 Stars
I needed another story to scrub my brain of a throuple scene from the last book I read and Of Light and Love was the perfect story for that!
EV Bancroft has a way of making lovey dovey stories not sickeningly sweet but rather endearing and enjoyable to read. The way she wrote about grief was so raw, I could taste it. Artists stories are always so passionate and poetic.
I needed another story to scrub my brain of a throuple scene from the last book I read and Of Light and Love was the perfect story for that!
EV Bancroft has a way of making lovey dovey stories not sickeningly sweet but rather endearing and enjoyable to read. The way she wrote about grief was so raw, I could taste it. Artists stories are always so passionate and poetic.
September 24, 2022
From the start I experienced E.V. Bancroft’s writing as breathtaking. Caro’s grief and depression got through straight to my emotions. Laura’s personality, though comes through as a true sunshine and here lies my one criticism of this book. While everything going on in both characters is well defined and clearly comes to life, when Laura’s family appears and her background and youth get clearer, there is no reason for her blatant lack of self esteem, the betrayal of Valentina certainly is a cause for pain, but nowhere near a credible reason for her to feel NEVER to be enough. Yes, both her and Caro are highly sensitive and creative personalities and deeply affected by their experiences.
But my experience as a counsellor has taught me, that mechanisms like Laura’s avoidance strategy are, as I used to call them in my professional counselling, mechanisms to clean your psyche from never digested emotional pain dating either in your childhood or early adolescence. They lead time and time again into situations, that produce exactly that same pain, until the individual finally deals with it, in this case until Laura overcomes her fear and mental block for trust, into herself and others.
Even though that was a major stumbling block for me for a moment, I still enjoyed the plot and writing a lot and therefore still rate this book a five star, rounded up from 4.6 stars. It also joins my top favourite shelf.
But my experience as a counsellor has taught me, that mechanisms like Laura’s avoidance strategy are, as I used to call them in my professional counselling, mechanisms to clean your psyche from never digested emotional pain dating either in your childhood or early adolescence. They lead time and time again into situations, that produce exactly that same pain, until the individual finally deals with it, in this case until Laura overcomes her fear and mental block for trust, into herself and others.
Even though that was a major stumbling block for me for a moment, I still enjoyed the plot and writing a lot and therefore still rate this book a five star, rounded up from 4.6 stars. It also joins my top favourite shelf.
August 28, 2023
From now on, Caro would relish every day.
2.5 stars. I didn't dislike this, but what started off as a cute (if somewhat cheesy and a bit tonally off-kilter) romance turned into a kind of tiresome and plodding narrative by the end. The blurb definitely had me interested; it's about an artist who's lost her spark and her muse after her wife died two years ago, and the younger lodger she takes in to make ends meet while she tries painting again. I'm always interested in explorations of grief, and second chances at love after losing the person who you thought was your soulmate. Caro and Laura are good characters, and I did feel the chemistry, but there just wasn't enough build-up for me?
I liked how they started with a mildly antagonistic relationship, with Caro being grumpy, while Laura is kinda needy and determined to break down her walls. The bonding through art was really cute, and I always love when, in books about artists, one character draws another. It's always emotional and really sweet and can lead to some great scenes and character interaction. But it really did feel like their relationship peaked too soon. They started using the L word way earlier than I'd have liked, and the latter parts of the book got really bogged down with misunderstandings. Some of them were expected and character-driven and I wasn't mad about it, but then when it came to people outside of the relationship trying to keep them apart and causing them to miscommunicate, that just got to be really tedious for me. And I have to admit, the situations with both their exes turned out to be predictable and cliched and I didn't really appreciate either of them.
Listened to the audiobook as ready by Morag Sims, and as with a lot of books that I feel lukewarm about, it really was the only thing that kept me going. I adored her voice work, the light accent for Laura and the husky tone for Caro. So that at least was solidly enjoyable. Not that the rest of the book wasn't! It was sweet and sensual, and there's just something about books about artists that I really like. But it didn't really live up to my expectations.
December 11, 2023
E.V. Bancroft as written another wonderful book. She has a talent for bringing a time and place to life. This is a contemporary story. But, it is firmly anchored in British and European life, which I am totally unfamiliar with. The writing transported me to another place, and a specific time in these character's lives. I loved it. Bancroft is one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to reading her latest book over the holidays.
September 7, 2022
Very special!
Caro has lost her creative muse following the death of her wife, when Laura, a student who has had her heart broken needs a room to rent while doing her masters degree. Not used to having someone as vibrant as Laura around, Caro has to push herself to try and let Laura into her life, especially when there is no escaping her around the house.
Everything about this story was packed with emotion, feeling, and everything I needed to become completely lost in Caro, Laura and their blossoming relationship as they both learn to open up and deal with what’s still causing them pain from the past. I fell completely in love with this story from the moment Caro and Laura found that very first moment of connection, and that was it, I was completely immersed in their world and unable to put the book down.
I’m completely obsessed with how much I loved this story. In a way it was something I didn’t know I needed to read, and even though I can’t place why, it had something reminiscent about it – something I just can’t explain, just a feeling like this was all something familiar that I loved when I was reading this. There is so much to connect with, both with Caro’s character and Laura’s, and I found myself empathising and hoping they’d be good for one another, healing in a way. E.V. has crafted this so beautifully that I could imagine everything, from the beautiful home Caro has, to the scenery they found themselves in at every moment.
This is the first story I’ve read by E. V. Bancroft and it won’t be the last! There was something completely magical about it that just has me wanting to read it again and again, and if it was ever made into a film, it’s be something I’d want to watch continuously just to be in that moment with them, always. I just can’t recommend this perfect story enough!
Caro has lost her creative muse following the death of her wife, when Laura, a student who has had her heart broken needs a room to rent while doing her masters degree. Not used to having someone as vibrant as Laura around, Caro has to push herself to try and let Laura into her life, especially when there is no escaping her around the house.
Everything about this story was packed with emotion, feeling, and everything I needed to become completely lost in Caro, Laura and their blossoming relationship as they both learn to open up and deal with what’s still causing them pain from the past. I fell completely in love with this story from the moment Caro and Laura found that very first moment of connection, and that was it, I was completely immersed in their world and unable to put the book down.
I’m completely obsessed with how much I loved this story. In a way it was something I didn’t know I needed to read, and even though I can’t place why, it had something reminiscent about it – something I just can’t explain, just a feeling like this was all something familiar that I loved when I was reading this. There is so much to connect with, both with Caro’s character and Laura’s, and I found myself empathising and hoping they’d be good for one another, healing in a way. E.V. has crafted this so beautifully that I could imagine everything, from the beautiful home Caro has, to the scenery they found themselves in at every moment.
This is the first story I’ve read by E. V. Bancroft and it won’t be the last! There was something completely magical about it that just has me wanting to read it again and again, and if it was ever made into a film, it’s be something I’d want to watch continuously just to be in that moment with them, always. I just can’t recommend this perfect story enough!
April 6, 2023
4.5 🤍
“She had stepped out of the shadows, and now she revelled in a world of light and love.”
this book was the sweetest ever :(
“She had stepped out of the shadows, and now she revelled in a world of light and love.”
this book was the sweetest ever :(
August 1, 2022
I absolutely love this book! Both Carolyn and Laura are damaged. They are also opposites, Caro is damaged because she lost her wife of 12 years and in doing so, her muse and will to paint. She is one of the best artist of her generation. But it's been 2 years, and she needs an income, so she's forced to take a lodger.
Laura is in England to pursue her masters in animation having done so because of being heartbroken at home in Spain. She needs someplace to rent.
This is a slow burn, age gap story about two women healing. It flows really nicely and you fall in love with both MCs and Artemisia the lovable cat! I gave it 5 stars! Do yourself a favor and buy and read this book! E.V. Bancroft wrote a fabulous book !
Laura is in England to pursue her masters in animation having done so because of being heartbroken at home in Spain. She needs someplace to rent.
This is a slow burn, age gap story about two women healing. It flows really nicely and you fall in love with both MCs and Artemisia the lovable cat! I gave it 5 stars! Do yourself a favor and buy and read this book! E.V. Bancroft wrote a fabulous book !
May 2, 2023
What a roller coaster of emotions!! Brilliant writing by E.V. Bancroft. I'm already looking forward to her next release coming 1st June 2023.
August 16, 2022
E.V. Bancroft has created another beautifully complex and thoughtful novel with her second release “Of Light and Love”.
When Carolyn, Caro to her friends, loses her wife of twelve years, she falls almost into a state of despondency where she can no longer paint and is hardly making ends meet. When bills start to pile up and unexpected repairs in the house need to be made Caro reluctantly decides to take in a lodger to help with the cost.
After a bad break up Laura comes to the UK to do a masters in animation. When her initial housing arrangement with her best friend fall through she moves into Caro’s house where she has to deal with her aloof, almost frosty landlady.
Both characters are scarred and damaged in their own way. Lauren has immense trust issues after the betrayal and subsequent breakup from her ex. Laura’s emotional hang-ups are very believable and crafted well to make her a multi layered character. To her friends and for the reader she is this happy vivacious person that is hurt deep inside.
Caro’s grief is so palpable so incredibly raw on the page without overpowering the reader that it blows me away how deeply and detailed E.V. managed to capture that on the page. It’s so incredibly beautiful to see how the two characters have the courage and ability to break the other out of their self-imposed holding pattern and letting them heal in the process.
The conflicts withing the story from Caro believing that there is only one soulmate for her and that she’s lived her fairytale love life, to the angst over the mild age-gap between the two main characters, up to the fact that Laura has to go back to Spain when she finishes her degree, is what makes the characters wonderfully multidimensional and real to the reader.
In its core this book is a sweet romance with a somewhat forced proximity between Laura and Caro since they live in the same house. Despite grief and dealing with loss is part of the story development the book has a lightness to it. Laura’s tendency to express her emotions through a hand puppet called MiniMe gives the story some quirkiness and poignant humor that fits well with the character and the complexity of the story.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
When Carolyn, Caro to her friends, loses her wife of twelve years, she falls almost into a state of despondency where she can no longer paint and is hardly making ends meet. When bills start to pile up and unexpected repairs in the house need to be made Caro reluctantly decides to take in a lodger to help with the cost.
After a bad break up Laura comes to the UK to do a masters in animation. When her initial housing arrangement with her best friend fall through she moves into Caro’s house where she has to deal with her aloof, almost frosty landlady.
Both characters are scarred and damaged in their own way. Lauren has immense trust issues after the betrayal and subsequent breakup from her ex. Laura’s emotional hang-ups are very believable and crafted well to make her a multi layered character. To her friends and for the reader she is this happy vivacious person that is hurt deep inside.
Caro’s grief is so palpable so incredibly raw on the page without overpowering the reader that it blows me away how deeply and detailed E.V. managed to capture that on the page. It’s so incredibly beautiful to see how the two characters have the courage and ability to break the other out of their self-imposed holding pattern and letting them heal in the process.
The conflicts withing the story from Caro believing that there is only one soulmate for her and that she’s lived her fairytale love life, to the angst over the mild age-gap between the two main characters, up to the fact that Laura has to go back to Spain when she finishes her degree, is what makes the characters wonderfully multidimensional and real to the reader.
In its core this book is a sweet romance with a somewhat forced proximity between Laura and Caro since they live in the same house. Despite grief and dealing with loss is part of the story development the book has a lightness to it. Laura’s tendency to express her emotions through a hand puppet called MiniMe gives the story some quirkiness and poignant humor that fits well with the character and the complexity of the story.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 5, 2022
So much drama
The characters were well developed but immature in the first half, then constant back and forth miscommunications in the last half. I finally quit because I could not handle their immaturity. This book had the makings of a great story, but little to no character development and constant drama
The characters were well developed but immature in the first half, then constant back and forth miscommunications in the last half. I finally quit because I could not handle their immaturity. This book had the makings of a great story, but little to no character development and constant drama
August 27, 2022
Carolyn Trent-Parker is a renowned artist who lost her wife and hasn’t picked up a paint brush since then. Her grief is overwhelming. Laura Kingston-Lopez is getting her masters in animation after suffering a heartbreaking betrayal. First, I want to say that age-gap romances are among my faves, but this one included an interesting issue with two age-gaps. And I am here for it all. I’ve been waiting for a second chance love story tied into an age-gap where the “May” woman is now the “December”. Caro and Laura are fantastic and lovely characters. I can see the attraction building even while they circle each other and address their baggage. For both of them, there’s a lot of insecurity within, some mixed with grief and sadness and some combining fear with the ever-present hesitation to entertain even a chance for happiness.
Sometimes I wanted to scream at them, especially in the way they second guessed themselves and each other. Revelations force them to confront who they want to be and how they want to move forward, and that helps the process along in a smart way. Ultimately we know that choices must be made for our characters. I’m glad I invested in them and their story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes I wanted to scream at them, especially in the way they second guessed themselves and each other. Revelations force them to confront who they want to be and how they want to move forward, and that helps the process along in a smart way. Ultimately we know that choices must be made for our characters. I’m glad I invested in them and their story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2022
This was a very sweet, if predictable, romance and it served as a lovely palate cleanser after reading a couple of emotionally hard-hitting books. Sometimes you just need the guarantee of a HEA. Although I didn't anticipate such a tragic beginning, which was a bit of a shock to my already lowered defences. But the steamy love scenes made up for it. 😉
Caro is a brooding, distraught widow and an incredibly famous British artist, who is down on her luck and inspiration after losing her wife and the desire to paint along with her. So she reluctantly agrees to take on a boarder for some extra cash, in the form of bubbly, sexy, Spanish-British animator hiding her own heartache, Laura.
What follows is an opposites attract, love lifts us up where we belong, whirlwind romance between two cautious artistic souls that have been burned before, and all the chaos that comes with those underlying insecurities and misunderstandings. But of course, their love is eventually strong enough and they realize how much they need each other, and go on to grab their happily ever after with both hands.
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!**
One thing I didn't really like was how the breach of trust between Caro and her supposedly best friend/agent Rebecca was handled. Rebecca did Caro seriously dirty and was totally wrong to do what she did. But Caro's just like, "Damn Rebecca and her interfering ways. ... I’ll speak to her about that." tsk tsk. And then it's glossed over until the epilogue and a sort of lackluster make-up moment between the two. If my best friend had been serving her own selfish wants to further her career as my agent, rather than letting me know the woman of my dreams was trying to find me, when she probably knew I wanted to see my woman too... Oh hell no.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Caro is a brooding, distraught widow and an incredibly famous British artist, who is down on her luck and inspiration after losing her wife and the desire to paint along with her. So she reluctantly agrees to take on a boarder for some extra cash, in the form of bubbly, sexy, Spanish-British animator hiding her own heartache, Laura.
What follows is an opposites attract, love lifts us up where we belong, whirlwind romance between two cautious artistic souls that have been burned before, and all the chaos that comes with those underlying insecurities and misunderstandings. But of course, their love is eventually strong enough and they realize how much they need each other, and go on to grab their happily ever after with both hands.
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!**
One thing I didn't really like was how the breach of trust between Caro and her supposedly best friend/agent Rebecca was handled. Rebecca did Caro seriously dirty and was totally wrong to do what she did. But Caro's just like, "Damn Rebecca and her interfering ways. ... I’ll speak to her about that." tsk tsk. And then it's glossed over until the epilogue and a sort of lackluster make-up moment between the two. If my best friend had been serving her own selfish wants to further her career as my agent, rather than letting me know the woman of my dreams was trying to find me, when she probably knew I wanted to see my woman too... Oh hell no.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2022
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢ 👩💻❣️🐱👩🎨👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
I received an ARC copy of E.V. Bancroft’s “Of Light And Love’’ from Butterworth Books (via BookFunnel) in exchange for an honest review. So, here it is !!!
My rating : 3.5 ⭐️
Carolyn Trent-Parker is an artist, one of her generation’s best at that. But she hasn’t picked up a paint brush since Yvonne, her wife & muse died two years ago. Why? Because she doesn’t want to do much of anything except hide away. But all this doesn’t help to pay the bills adding up and fix the disrepairs of the house & she’s forced to get a lodger.
Laura Kingston-Lopez is a Masters student in animation who desperately needs a place to stay for the duration of her course after her initial plans have been derailed. The only place on offer at such short notice is a room in Caro’s house…
E.V. Bancroft’s writing is great. The reading went smoothly and there are good touches of smart-arse humour from time to time. The romance between the lovely MCs is sweet if predictable. I liked a lot the MCs’ artistic souls & I LOVED the moggy 😍🐈🥰 …
The story is touching, exciting & captivating, but, sadly, some things didn’t totally work for me.
°° At first, especially after the reading of the prologue, I felt Caro’s grief and depression in my core and, that was painful … But, after a short while, it became very clear to me (so, way before Caro began to realise it in the story) that Caro was blinded by her love for Yvonne, her deceased wife and that Yvonne was a woman who never loved Caro that deeply because she was a narcissist consumed only with her work and looks using Caro as a foil… So, it pissed me off Caro grieved Yvonne for so long.
°° Caro’s taking the poor excuse of the age-gap not to get involved further with Laura grated on my nerves. Why? Well, because that was such a paradoxical and, let’s say it, hypocritical argument…Caro has been the youngster in her marriage with Yvonne and it didn’t bother her but having a younger partner suddenly became an issue ?? Come on !!!
°° I liked Laura’s liveliness & personality but something didn’t feel right. I’m no expert but, IMO, her blatant lack of self-esteem was definitely far-fetched. What I mean is: yes, of course Valentina’s betrayal has certainly caused Laura a lot of pain, but there is no logical/credible reason for it to make her feel so disillusioned and that she’ll NEVER to be enough given her family background & the way she was raised (surrounded by love & attention!).
BUT
°° above all, there’s ONE thing I definitely didn't like: the “Rebecca situation” and the way it has been handled … It’s just unbelievable and, (at least to me) totally ridiculous. Gosh !!! We don’t talk about a light interfering here, we talk about a flagrant breach of trust between Caro and her supposedly best friend also acting as her agent to make things even worse. No matter which excuse could have been given, what Rebecca did to Caro was totally wrong & seriously dirty, something that, unless you’re deeply under a narcissistic pervert’s “spell” in real life, you won’t accept no matter what… That’s a good reason to cut all ties with people like Rebecca, serving their own selfish wants to further their career. Because such people are parasites and they can never be sincere friends! So all this didn’t make any sense to me. It would have been more logical & mature to have Caro stand for herself & her love for Laura and turn her back to Rebecca once and for all.
To shortly summarise my view, I’d say something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => not as much as I wanted to
- Did I find the characters believable? => not totally
- Is this book now included in my "must be re-read"-list? => I don’t think so
- Will I purchase the paperback? => I don’t think so
- Would I read another book by this author? => yes. She’s still a new author so I’ll give her another shot
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢ 👩💻❣️🐱👩🎨👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
I received an ARC copy of E.V. Bancroft’s “Of Light And Love’’ from Butterworth Books (via BookFunnel) in exchange for an honest review. So, here it is !!!
My rating : 3.5 ⭐️
Carolyn Trent-Parker is an artist, one of her generation’s best at that. But she hasn’t picked up a paint brush since Yvonne, her wife & muse died two years ago. Why? Because she doesn’t want to do much of anything except hide away. But all this doesn’t help to pay the bills adding up and fix the disrepairs of the house & she’s forced to get a lodger.
Laura Kingston-Lopez is a Masters student in animation who desperately needs a place to stay for the duration of her course after her initial plans have been derailed. The only place on offer at such short notice is a room in Caro’s house…
E.V. Bancroft’s writing is great. The reading went smoothly and there are good touches of smart-arse humour from time to time. The romance between the lovely MCs is sweet if predictable. I liked a lot the MCs’ artistic souls & I LOVED the moggy 😍🐈🥰 …
The story is touching, exciting & captivating, but, sadly, some things didn’t totally work for me.
°° At first, especially after the reading of the prologue, I felt Caro’s grief and depression in my core and, that was painful … But, after a short while, it became very clear to me (so, way before Caro began to realise it in the story) that Caro was blinded by her love for Yvonne, her deceased wife and that Yvonne was a woman who never loved Caro that deeply because she was a narcissist consumed only with her work and looks using Caro as a foil… So, it pissed me off Caro grieved Yvonne for so long.
°° Caro’s taking the poor excuse of the age-gap not to get involved further with Laura grated on my nerves. Why? Well, because that was such a paradoxical and, let’s say it, hypocritical argument…Caro has been the youngster in her marriage with Yvonne and it didn’t bother her but having a younger partner suddenly became an issue ?? Come on !!!
°° I liked Laura’s liveliness & personality but something didn’t feel right. I’m no expert but, IMO, her blatant lack of self-esteem was definitely far-fetched. What I mean is: yes, of course Valentina’s betrayal has certainly caused Laura a lot of pain, but there is no logical/credible reason for it to make her feel so disillusioned and that she’ll NEVER to be enough given her family background & the way she was raised (surrounded by love & attention!).
BUT
°° above all, there’s ONE thing I definitely didn't like: the “Rebecca situation” and the way it has been handled … It’s just unbelievable and, (at least to me) totally ridiculous. Gosh !!! We don’t talk about a light interfering here, we talk about a flagrant breach of trust between Caro and her supposedly best friend also acting as her agent to make things even worse. No matter which excuse could have been given, what Rebecca did to Caro was totally wrong & seriously dirty, something that, unless you’re deeply under a narcissistic pervert’s “spell” in real life, you won’t accept no matter what… That’s a good reason to cut all ties with people like Rebecca, serving their own selfish wants to further their career. Because such people are parasites and they can never be sincere friends! So all this didn’t make any sense to me. It would have been more logical & mature to have Caro stand for herself & her love for Laura and turn her back to Rebecca once and for all.
To shortly summarise my view, I’d say something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => not as much as I wanted to
- Did I find the characters believable? => not totally
- Is this book now included in my "must be re-read"-list? => I don’t think so
- Will I purchase the paperback? => I don’t think so
- Would I read another book by this author? => yes. She’s still a new author so I’ll give her another shot
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢ 👩💻❣️🐱👩🎨👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
August 14, 2022
A heart-warming tale of rediscovery; a passion left untouched, tainted by the blackest depths of grief. Glimmering fireflies light a pathway to love and new adventures, if one can only let go of the past.
Award winning E.V. Bancroft's latest novel, Of Light and Love tells the touching story of renowned yet bereft artist Carolyn 'Caro' Trent-Parker, as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her late wife. No longer painting, and with funds running low, Caro has no choice but to take in a lodger.
That lodger is none other than Laura Kingston-Lopez, a mature student pursuing her masters in animation. Cheerful and seemingly happy-go-lucky, Laura couldn't be more different than Caro if she tried. But appearances can be deceiving as Laura is in fact hiding her own heartbreak, unwilling to become yet another chess piece in someone else's game.
There's a lot of creativity in this book, encompassing both traditional methods of creating art and more modern, technology driven approaches; both of which I know very little about. The author does a great job of not only explaining these artistic methods, but also really enabling a reader to feel the expressive flow of creativity and the emotions of each artist on the page.
Caro was my favourite main character; her depth of sorrow and torment were palpable right from the very start. I enjoyed watching her move through the stages of grief, to finally embrace new opportunities and new love, even though at times her doubts threatened to keep her in the depths of despair. It felt like watching a beautiful flower blossom after an exceptionally harsh winter.
Caro's cat Artemisia, is the perfect ice breaker between Caro and Laura; an endearing bundle of fluff acting as the insistent go between for two hearts and minds full of trepidation.
There are two things that kept this review of Of Light and Love at a four star.
In contrast to Caro, whilst I could understand the premise of Laura's struggles, there was something missing for me; I just didn't feel that emotional connection to her character. Whilst Laura is a likeable character and is supposed to be the opposite of Caro, I found at times she reads as being too light-hearted making it difficult to fully believe in her heartbreak. I think a deeper exploration of the difficult times in Laura's life might have levelled the emotional playing field somewhat.
Towards the end of the story, Caro's long time best friend and agent Rebecca, concocts a scenario which is self-serving to say the least. Yet when Rebecca's actions come out in the wash, I found Caro's reaction particularly understated. I feel most readers would expect a best friend come agent to put a friend's shot at love (especially having lost their first love) before their own financial gain, and yet Rebecca does the exact opposite, completely serving her own interests. When Caro eventually finds out, her almost none reaction and quick acceptance of events, just didn't ring true for me.
Of Light and Love is a touching and heartfelt opposites attract, age gap romance, exploding with creativity and hope after heartbreak. Despite their frequent misgivings and misunderstandings, Caro and Laura's story is a guaranteed happy ever after.
I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.
Award winning E.V. Bancroft's latest novel, Of Light and Love tells the touching story of renowned yet bereft artist Carolyn 'Caro' Trent-Parker, as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her late wife. No longer painting, and with funds running low, Caro has no choice but to take in a lodger.
That lodger is none other than Laura Kingston-Lopez, a mature student pursuing her masters in animation. Cheerful and seemingly happy-go-lucky, Laura couldn't be more different than Caro if she tried. But appearances can be deceiving as Laura is in fact hiding her own heartbreak, unwilling to become yet another chess piece in someone else's game.
There's a lot of creativity in this book, encompassing both traditional methods of creating art and more modern, technology driven approaches; both of which I know very little about. The author does a great job of not only explaining these artistic methods, but also really enabling a reader to feel the expressive flow of creativity and the emotions of each artist on the page.
Caro was my favourite main character; her depth of sorrow and torment were palpable right from the very start. I enjoyed watching her move through the stages of grief, to finally embrace new opportunities and new love, even though at times her doubts threatened to keep her in the depths of despair. It felt like watching a beautiful flower blossom after an exceptionally harsh winter.
Caro's cat Artemisia, is the perfect ice breaker between Caro and Laura; an endearing bundle of fluff acting as the insistent go between for two hearts and minds full of trepidation.
There are two things that kept this review of Of Light and Love at a four star.
In contrast to Caro, whilst I could understand the premise of Laura's struggles, there was something missing for me; I just didn't feel that emotional connection to her character. Whilst Laura is a likeable character and is supposed to be the opposite of Caro, I found at times she reads as being too light-hearted making it difficult to fully believe in her heartbreak. I think a deeper exploration of the difficult times in Laura's life might have levelled the emotional playing field somewhat.
Towards the end of the story, Caro's long time best friend and agent Rebecca, concocts a scenario which is self-serving to say the least. Yet when Rebecca's actions come out in the wash, I found Caro's reaction particularly understated. I feel most readers would expect a best friend come agent to put a friend's shot at love (especially having lost their first love) before their own financial gain, and yet Rebecca does the exact opposite, completely serving her own interests. When Caro eventually finds out, her almost none reaction and quick acceptance of events, just didn't ring true for me.
Of Light and Love is a touching and heartfelt opposites attract, age gap romance, exploding with creativity and hope after heartbreak. Despite their frequent misgivings and misunderstandings, Caro and Laura's story is a guaranteed happy ever after.
I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.
May 17, 2024
This book is full of interesting characters and ideas about art. It also shows that sometimes you are so close to something (or somebody) that you don't get a clear look at what is really happening.
This is an age gap romance, set in Bristol. The story centres around the grief of Caro, a well known artist, and how she reassesses her grief, life and love with her recently deceased wife and moves on with a younger Spanish animation student. We are introduced to Caro as she is literally on the doorstep as the police and ambulance leave her house following her wife's death. That leads you (or at least me) to presume there is a reasonable suspicion that she had taken her own life.
Caro struggles to move on and is unable to paint and create art without her muse.
Her finances dwindle and she is finds herself having to take in a lodger - an animation student, Laura.
Laura of course is determined to make this frosty woman lighten up a little.
And it works - of course it does, or there would be no story.
They both have trust issues and do not communicate them.
Ultimately though, Laura is reason enough for Caro to try and move forward. When she starts to sort her wife's things out she finds and reads her journal for her last days. She is not complimentary about Caro in it - and this prompts Caro to reassess their relationship, and she packs her things away.
There is of course many side roads in the story.
I like it when I learn something from a book - the research or existing knowledge is appreciated as it transforms books into something vibrant with passion.
Epilogue - Predictably, this is their wedding. Although Laura's work has been nominated for an award so that gets a mention.
This is an age gap romance, set in Bristol. The story centres around the grief of Caro, a well known artist, and how she reassesses her grief, life and love with her recently deceased wife and moves on with a younger Spanish animation student. We are introduced to Caro as she is literally on the doorstep as the police and ambulance leave her house following her wife's death. That leads you (or at least me) to presume there is a reasonable suspicion that she had taken her own life.
Caro struggles to move on and is unable to paint and create art without her muse.
Her finances dwindle and she is finds herself having to take in a lodger - an animation student, Laura.
Laura of course is determined to make this frosty woman lighten up a little.
And it works - of course it does, or there would be no story.
They both have trust issues and do not communicate them.
Ultimately though, Laura is reason enough for Caro to try and move forward. When she starts to sort her wife's things out she finds and reads her journal for her last days. She is not complimentary about Caro in it - and this prompts Caro to reassess their relationship, and she packs her things away.
There is of course many side roads in the story.
I like it when I learn something from a book - the research or existing knowledge is appreciated as it transforms books into something vibrant with passion.
Epilogue - Predictably, this is their wedding. Although Laura's work has been nominated for an award so that gets a mention.
October 31, 2022
E.V. Bancroft
Of Light and Love
A Review by Ka
*****
This is E.V. Bancroft's second published book, but for me, it was the first one I have read by this author, and I truly enjoyed it for several reasons:
The writing is very good and the storyline solid. Though it is an age gap romance and as such a rather popular trope, the narrative is far from formulaic. Both main characters are well fleshed out, mature women and, like all of us, no matter our age, have to work through some of their issues. In my opinion, it takes them rather long to reach their conclusion — not in terms of real life credibility, because these things do take time and often involve some internal back and forth. But as a reader, I would have preferred for this process, which takes up about the last third of the book, to be told a bit more concisely. This is what might have led me to discount one star from my rating.
As a fan of painting and the visual arts, I particularly enjoyed the creative process, technical as well as emotional, that is being described in expert detail throughout the book, subtly being made use of to portray the development of style of one of the protagonists in alignment with her inner growth.
What Ms. Bancroft really wowed me with, though, were quite a few powerful, creatively coined similes and metaphors that she used, their phrasings condensed and as beautifully worded as poetry. This definitely balanced out my assessment, so that, in sum, I'll gladly rate this book with the full five stars.
So if the features I mentioned appeal to you, I can definitely recommend reading this book. I, for one, am looking forward to what Ms. Bancroft will come up with next.
Of Light and Love
A Review by Ka
*****
This is E.V. Bancroft's second published book, but for me, it was the first one I have read by this author, and I truly enjoyed it for several reasons:
The writing is very good and the storyline solid. Though it is an age gap romance and as such a rather popular trope, the narrative is far from formulaic. Both main characters are well fleshed out, mature women and, like all of us, no matter our age, have to work through some of their issues. In my opinion, it takes them rather long to reach their conclusion — not in terms of real life credibility, because these things do take time and often involve some internal back and forth. But as a reader, I would have preferred for this process, which takes up about the last third of the book, to be told a bit more concisely. This is what might have led me to discount one star from my rating.
As a fan of painting and the visual arts, I particularly enjoyed the creative process, technical as well as emotional, that is being described in expert detail throughout the book, subtly being made use of to portray the development of style of one of the protagonists in alignment with her inner growth.
What Ms. Bancroft really wowed me with, though, were quite a few powerful, creatively coined similes and metaphors that she used, their phrasings condensed and as beautifully worded as poetry. This definitely balanced out my assessment, so that, in sum, I'll gladly rate this book with the full five stars.
So if the features I mentioned appeal to you, I can definitely recommend reading this book. I, for one, am looking forward to what Ms. Bancroft will come up with next.
August 15, 2023
Of Light and Love by E.V. Bancroft is a small town, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine contemporary romance featuring a main character over 40.
Carolyn Trent-Parker (Caro) is a well-known artist who lives with her sassy cat. She has not painted since the death of her wife two years ago, despite repeated requests from her best friend Rebecca. Caro needs money, so she reluctantly rents her spare room to Laura Kingston-Lopez, a Spanish animation student. Laura’s bubbly personality draws Caro out of herself as she ventures from the confines she has erected. The more time they spend together, the more their relationship grows as they also deal with past issues.
I enjoyed the dual location aspect of this story; descriptions of locations were such that I could visualise myself there. All characters are well rounded, capturing their personalities and regional accents. The intimate moments between the MC’s are sizzling! Narration brought the characters to life, and I must congratulate Morag Sims, the narrator. An exquisitely crafted and narrated novel that takes your breath away. Definitely one I would recommend and a keeper in my library.
Carolyn Trent-Parker (Caro) is a well-known artist who lives with her sassy cat. She has not painted since the death of her wife two years ago, despite repeated requests from her best friend Rebecca. Caro needs money, so she reluctantly rents her spare room to Laura Kingston-Lopez, a Spanish animation student. Laura’s bubbly personality draws Caro out of herself as she ventures from the confines she has erected. The more time they spend together, the more their relationship grows as they also deal with past issues.
I enjoyed the dual location aspect of this story; descriptions of locations were such that I could visualise myself there. All characters are well rounded, capturing their personalities and regional accents. The intimate moments between the MC’s are sizzling! Narration brought the characters to life, and I must congratulate Morag Sims, the narrator. An exquisitely crafted and narrated novel that takes your breath away. Definitely one I would recommend and a keeper in my library.
August 23, 2022
This new work from EV Bancroft is exquisite. It’s written with a maturity that belies the fact this is only her second book.
The two main characters Lauren and Caro are beautiful in their flawed behaviour which has you wondering how they will treat the ongoing situation of their being thrown together by happenstance.Their seemingly huge differences are not so different and their similarities become more noticeable as the story progresses. It’s superbly balanced and nuanced. Love at it’s best.
The other thing I found particularly interesting was the knowledge and love of art techniques and art that EV Bancroft has. That love shone through the work and made my heart sing in places where I knew or understood what she spoke about. I really understood that title of light and love. Well done!
I loved this book. Go out and buy it :)
The two main characters Lauren and Caro are beautiful in their flawed behaviour which has you wondering how they will treat the ongoing situation of their being thrown together by happenstance.Their seemingly huge differences are not so different and their similarities become more noticeable as the story progresses. It’s superbly balanced and nuanced. Love at it’s best.
The other thing I found particularly interesting was the knowledge and love of art techniques and art that EV Bancroft has. That love shone through the work and made my heart sing in places where I knew or understood what she spoke about. I really understood that title of light and love. Well done!
I loved this book. Go out and buy it :)
September 1, 2022
Of Light and Love by E.V. Bancroft
This is a good read. It’s a sojourn into the deepest places of our human hearts, that only love can takes us to .
Grief, betrayal, passion, euphoria are all chartered with an authenticity, gentleness and compassion that makes for compelling reading. The narrative is charged with a sizzling undercurrent of sensuality.
Bancroft’s text is brimming with insights into the world of art and creativity that her characters inhabit. In Of Light and Love this world is so expertly realised, so vivid and accessible one want’s to pick up a stetch book one’s self and ‘play ‘.
Caro and Laura are believable and endearing characters, so much so that closing the book, at the final, page, feels like a bereavement.
The author’s humours one-liners, shoot through the text, like lightning strikes , don’t blink or you’ll miss them!
This is a good read. It’s a sojourn into the deepest places of our human hearts, that only love can takes us to .
Grief, betrayal, passion, euphoria are all chartered with an authenticity, gentleness and compassion that makes for compelling reading. The narrative is charged with a sizzling undercurrent of sensuality.
Bancroft’s text is brimming with insights into the world of art and creativity that her characters inhabit. In Of Light and Love this world is so expertly realised, so vivid and accessible one want’s to pick up a stetch book one’s self and ‘play ‘.
Caro and Laura are believable and endearing characters, so much so that closing the book, at the final, page, feels like a bereavement.
The author’s humours one-liners, shoot through the text, like lightning strikes , don’t blink or you’ll miss them!
November 1, 2022
More than just light and love…
Grief and desire. Fear and inspiration. Isolation and vulnerability. There are many paired states of existence for artists Caro and Laura in this book. Neither is what the other is expecting, nor are they seeking anything other than a room rented to give one a space and the other some security. What they find is much more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story even though I wanted to shake the characters more than once and shout, “Of course you deserve love! Just grab it and run!” Luckily, the author understands the value of the story and does not race to the happily ever after I was rooting for. Good book.
Grief and desire. Fear and inspiration. Isolation and vulnerability. There are many paired states of existence for artists Caro and Laura in this book. Neither is what the other is expecting, nor are they seeking anything other than a room rented to give one a space and the other some security. What they find is much more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story even though I wanted to shake the characters more than once and shout, “Of course you deserve love! Just grab it and run!” Luckily, the author understands the value of the story and does not race to the happily ever after I was rooting for. Good book.
March 4, 2023
Of Light and Love and A Way Forward!
What a great story! With a delicate topic that brings out heartbreak, comes a book that highlights the heartwarming effect one can have when ready to move on. Caro and Laura both going through heartbreak are brought together by a desperate need. Caro, who has lost her will to paint after the death of her wife and Laura, who left Spain after her girlfriend cheated, came to the UK to get her masters in animation and winds up at Caro’s door for a room to rent. Learning to live together was the easy part. Learning to love was the hardest part. Well written. Great job!
What a great story! With a delicate topic that brings out heartbreak, comes a book that highlights the heartwarming effect one can have when ready to move on. Caro and Laura both going through heartbreak are brought together by a desperate need. Caro, who has lost her will to paint after the death of her wife and Laura, who left Spain after her girlfriend cheated, came to the UK to get her masters in animation and winds up at Caro’s door for a room to rent. Learning to live together was the easy part. Learning to love was the hardest part. Well written. Great job!
August 16, 2022
E.V. Bancroft has done it again. With her second published novel, she has given us a beautifully crafted, subtle and multi layered piece of work. It also contains one of the best descriptions of grief and bereavement I’ve read in a long time. Both main characters are believable, lovable and intrinsically attractive and the story, focusing on art and how it expresses the inner life of its creator, is thoroughly engaging. This is an exceptional novel which deserves to follow its predecessor and win a major award. I cannot commend it too highly.
September 25, 2022
lovely read
I throughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were very different and highly interesting. The age gap as well as the difference in social standing was a very good idea for the storyline. I was kept interested also by Cora’s
attitude and how it was developed throughout the book. Laura on the other hand was the polar opposite and made for the lighter and more dramatic side of the story.
Overall this read is an interesting and mesmerizing story and one I highly recommend for reading.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were very different and highly interesting. The age gap as well as the difference in social standing was a very good idea for the storyline. I was kept interested also by Cora’s
attitude and how it was developed throughout the book. Laura on the other hand was the polar opposite and made for the lighter and more dramatic side of the story.
Overall this read is an interesting and mesmerizing story and one I highly recommend for reading.
November 29, 2022
Loved this book!
I found this book to be delightful. Beautifully written, engaging, with interesting characters and a lovely story line, all in a fascinating setting and interesting cultural context. There's dramatic tension, passion, and emotional depth. And I like the immersion in the art world and the portrayal of emotions that can go with being an artist.
This one's a winner.
I found this book to be delightful. Beautifully written, engaging, with interesting characters and a lovely story line, all in a fascinating setting and interesting cultural context. There's dramatic tension, passion, and emotional depth. And I like the immersion in the art world and the portrayal of emotions that can go with being an artist.
This one's a winner.
April 1, 2024
Perfectly Painted Story
This is an awesome lesbian tale of love told through a perfectly painted story. The artists, there are two of them, are so very different in their approaches to art and life and yet together they create the best in each other. They're journey has ups and downs and the portrait comes out perfectly in the end. This is more than worth the time invested in reading it.
This is an awesome lesbian tale of love told through a perfectly painted story. The artists, there are two of them, are so very different in their approaches to art and life and yet together they create the best in each other. They're journey has ups and downs and the portrait comes out perfectly in the end. This is more than worth the time invested in reading it.
April 1, 2024
A Worthy Read
I kept passing this book over, despite it popping up on every Amazon book page due to it being promoted. I’m glad the promotion did as it intended because I thoroughly enjoyed the story. There was the odd moment where Laura was a bit frustrating and a little immature, but she got there eventually!
E.V. Bancroft certainly knows how to weave a fantastic story and I look forward to reading more of her books.
I kept passing this book over, despite it popping up on every Amazon book page due to it being promoted. I’m glad the promotion did as it intended because I thoroughly enjoyed the story. There was the odd moment where Laura was a bit frustrating and a little immature, but she got there eventually!
E.V. Bancroft certainly knows how to weave a fantastic story and I look forward to reading more of her books.
November 16, 2024
It's a fun book with genuinely likeable MC's and a lot of sweet moments. Some character beats didn't fully land for me and I didn't love the way that Caro's relationship with her late wife Yvonne progressed in the story. The relationship between Caro and Laura however, felt super sweet and genuine and I would recommend the book for romance lovers who like stories dealing with trauma and new beginnings.
January 11, 2023
cute novel!!
Really enjoyed this, very well written, my only critique is that after Laura went to Spain and they were having issues, the pace suddenly became too slow and drawn out but then it went into fast forward just after they started to talk properly. Other than that, it was great :)
Really enjoyed this, very well written, my only critique is that after Laura went to Spain and they were having issues, the pace suddenly became too slow and drawn out but then it went into fast forward just after they started to talk properly. Other than that, it was great :)
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