I deliberately try to stay away from book reviews, firstly because I don't really trust my taste, but mostly because I usually don't stick to what I have to say after I'm finished reading a book. My thoughts ferment slowly, and I reel in my feelings and emotions at varying stages, so I'm hesitant to freeze a sliver of time and do injustice to a book with a review.
BUT, I felt really compelled to share my thoughts on this book I just finished!
TL;DR: 5/5
Title: Artful Lies (#1 of Hunt Legacy Duology)
Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
Genre: Romance / Adult Contemporary
Format: Kindle (432 pages)
Date read: May 8 - May 12, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Date read: May 8 - May 12, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
An irresistible connection, a desire that won’t let go…
When aspiring antiques dealer Eleanor Cole is handed the chance of a lifetime to work for the Hunt Corporation, the renowned antiques dealers, she doesn’t think twice. Only to discover she’ll be working up close and personal with the notorious and insanely irresistible Becker Hunt. He is a man famous for getting what he wants, and Becker wants Eleanor.
But as Becker pulls her deeper into his world, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye.
And falling for Becker goes from being foolish to dangerous…
For some reason, romance is the least sought out genre for me. I was watching some booktuber videos and saw a recommendation and decided to give romance a try.
Dejavu
So... I don't know if this is pointed out in anyone's review, but I just couldn't help but think of Fifty Shades of Grey while I was reading this book. I think the textbook formula for an entertaining romance is all jammed packed into this book.
- The guy is mind-blowingly wealthy and capable at a young age
- The girl is rather plain but different for the guy (which is followed by Is-She-The-One conundrum)
- The guy is deliciously (or dangerously) handsome
- The girl is chirpy and has a mind of her own
- NDA's are signed
- The constant struggle, denial and inner fight against the attraction
- The guy's dark troubles are linked to his parents
- The guy is controlling and possessive (especially in bed)
- They have this amazing day to solidify their true feelings
- The guy takes the girl on amazing rich people experiences
...and more, but you get what I mean.
I don't necessarily think it's mirroring Fifty Shades, but I just thought the basic foundations were pretty similar. Having said that, I don't remember every detail of Fifty Shades, but I'm definitely sure that Artful Lies sticks better to me than the Fifty Shades series.
The Book itself
The book reads like someone was transcribing a vlogger, which makes it easily digestible. It's written from the protagonist's point of view, so most of the story revolves around what she sees, how she feels, and what her interpretation of things is.
The book praises Becker's physique to a nanometer and it often makes me roll my eyes, wondering when will we get to figure out any other redeeming qualities of Becker - something other than his tight ass, thick thighs, mousy hair, straight nose, hazel eyes, and boyish smiles. There's some reference here and there that he's passionate about his job and antiques, but it doesn't go into the same level of detail as to his arse. I don't mind the descriptiveness of his good looks and body, haha. I'm not complaining! Just sayin' it would’ve been better if he had some deeper character development.
You can loosely divide the book into four sections.
The first part is the encounter and build-up.
This is the fun part where you have a smile smeared across your face. Things are fresh, you're instantly sucked into the story and anticipation builds. The fateful coincidences and the fast-paced narrative definitely helps move the story along.
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| Me, reading the first half of the book |
The second part is where the story sags a bit.
It goes on for MULTIPLE chapters, detailing every single second of a 2-day span of events. It's a bit mind-boggling when the protagonist reminds the reader that everything that had happened in the past three chapters was really only worth a single evening. I know the sex part is the fun part in these type of books, but I was just flipping through wondering when the foreplay was going to end, and... ya know, the real thang was going to happen.
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| omg........ how long is this day... omg..... |
The third part is the steamy part, where it's just a lot of detailed depiction of two people having sexual intercourse. This is where there's finally a loose agreement on the status of these two people. I cringed at a lot of the moments.
The fourth part is an attempt at building a twist and cliffhanger for the end, which I think was predictable. No major surprise at the end and you have to read the second book to know the end of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's like a rom-com. You know the two are meant for each other and have to see them through a lot of shenanigans before they figure out their feelings towards each other. I liked how it was light-hearted and nothing heavy to drain out my emotions. The plot unfolds around a very small group of characters, so that was easy for the reader too.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's like a rom-com. You know the two are meant for each other and have to see them through a lot of shenanigans before they figure out their feelings towards each other. I liked how it was light-hearted and nothing heavy to drain out my emotions. The plot unfolds around a very small group of characters, so that was easy for the reader too.
Random Thoughts
It's silly that the protagonist (Eleanor) is rendered utterly useless whenever she has a physical encounter with the guy, Becker. Eleanor goes straight into full-body-paralyzed-mode and her dignity and common sense get thrown right out the window, every.single.time. Especially her obsession with his butt (or arse, in the book) is borderline hilarious. She's literally like the dogs in UP when they sense a squirrel.
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| "I can't believe that Becker boy... ARSE!!!" |
Anyway, to wrap up a long rambling review, I ended up giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I Was entertained a lot more than I had thought I would’ve, and was unable to put it down in most cases. I was reading the book down to 4 minutes before an important presentation, so I think that says a lot.
Highly recommend if you're looking for romance fiction - this book has it all: the bad boy, the pissing game, the extravagant social setting, the confusion, the jealousy, the sex, the banter, the humor, etc. It's all in the book! Enjoy!
BONUS
We can't finish a review without daydreaming about how Becker would look like IRL!
Highly recommend if you're looking for romance fiction - this book has it all: the bad boy, the pissing game, the extravagant social setting, the confusion, the jealousy, the sex, the banter, the humor, etc. It's all in the book! Enjoy!
BONUS
We can't finish a review without daydreaming about how Becker would look like IRL!
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I think body-wise this guy is closest to how Becker was described
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This guy has the vibes
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The book keeps saying he has a boyishness to his good looks.... so, maybe this guy?
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Mmm.. this guy is a bit square looking for Becker, but I thought the eyes somewhat fit, I dunno.
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Any thoughts?!! your favorite? :)
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