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Blog Tour: The Art of Love by Anne Whitney (review)
The Art of Love
written by Anne Whitney
published by Anne Whitney
find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads
Why did I pick this book: I participated in the blog tour hosted by Megan at Book Brats. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
Did I enjoy this book: I did but not as much as I hoped to. The Art of Love has a lot of potential but some flaws. It took a bit longer to get through than I expected, too.
The concept is great. The girl that runs away to get away from a past that is revealed later in the book. She ends up in the big city with no where to go and knowing no one. Marina happens to stumble upon an art exhibit with free food. She then becomes the unwilling participant of the exhibit. Fitz is the performance artist who zeroes in on Marina. After the show, he takes her back to his place to give her shelter and a place to say. Then, the story progresses and other friendships are formed. Marina’s past then starts tracking her down.
As I said, a great story line with lots of potential. But there were some flaws. I had a hard time determining how old Marina was at the start of the book. I wish this had been revealed at the beginning. It would have helped me understand her a bit more. I saw her as a late-teen until I was told otherwise. Marina seems young, sheltered, and naive at times. Then, she seems worldly, sassy, and confident. It was hard to get used to her and like her. I did like her but she also got on my nerves at times. It kind of bugged me that – and I’m going to be vague here so I don’t completely spoil anything – she thought at her age that she would be forced by authorities to go back to her past. That made no sense to me at all. I understand her fear and mindset about the person tracking her down but I couldn’t get my head around her reaction to the search. And, on that note, I was also surprised that the authorities would go to such lengths given her age. I’m surprised they didn’t deem her as a runaway.
But I loved Marina’s growing confidence in determining who she is and what she wants out of life. Her story could have ended many different ways. I am happy that it went the way it did. She didn’t take the easy way out. That made me like her in the end.
Fitz was a romantic character and very trusting and caring. He was your typical trust fund boy who is “finding himself” while rebelling against his bankrolling father. While he does have these issues, I think his interest in being an artist is genuine. But he is not a starving artist like so many others. Fitz is very trusting to take in some girl he knows absolutely nothing about. That is unbelievable to me. He also experiences almost-insta-love with Marina. But his protection and love for her is genuine. That is apparent.
I would like to see a sequel to this book. I want to see what happens with all of these characters…and I don’t just mean the main two. I want to know what happens with all of them – Viridian, Derek, Fitz, Fitz’s father, Marina, Marina’s father, and Ruth.
This was a tough book to rate because there were parts of the book that bugged me and that I couldn’t get behind. However, the overall story and connection between Marina and Fitz were good and new. So, I would give this book…
Would I recommend it: I would recommend The Art of Love if you like NA and a somewhat new but not completely novel plot line.
Will I read it again: I will not.
About the book: Marina Phillips has spent her entire life as her father’s victim. But enough is enough. All it took was one moment of realization to send her fleeing across the country into the unknown of New York City with no plans and no money. A new life without the constant torture is all she wants, but what she finds waiting is something she never expected.
Fitz is New York’s premiere playboy artist. Sexy, tattooed, and coveted by women and men alike, his performances are heralded as the coming of a new god of modern art. But when Marina wanders into his show, she becomes the inadvertent piece he’s always waited for – a girl to sculpt, to change, and to craft in his own image.
She never expects to fall head over heels into the world of parties, drag queens, agents, and artists craving for her and her benefactor. She didn’t even expect to begin falling in love with someone like Fitz, the sexy, pretentious man of her nightmares.
Above all, Marina never expects her father to stage a cross-country mission to paint her as a kidnapped girl taken by a psychopath.
With her life on the line, Marina has no choice but to accept Fitz’s proposal – change everything she is, inside and out, for the chance to start anew. But Marina has plans of her own. Plans that will rock her world forever.
About the author: Anne Whitney lives near New York City and spends most of her time writing stories in her head. When she’s not putting those stories onto paper, she can be found browsing art galleries, watching sci-fi and reading whatever she can get her hands on. The Art of Love is her first novel.
Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!
