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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this. The ending, not so much. The heroine was just not emotionally invested at all, it seemed. I did like the hero.
This is one I will likely remember because it wasn't the traditional tropes. At first, it reminded me a bit of [b:Curio|12198033|Curio (Curio, #1)|Cara McKenna|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314900179s/12198033.jpg|17170513], but I think that had to do with (a) Max being originally French, and (b) him being a bit of a recluse. Oh, and hot. ;-) But it was definitely a different story.
Fallon traveled to Max's sculpting studio to fulfill the terms of what is basically extortion by a man who wants but can't have her. Donald Forrester is a land developer. Fallon works to save environmental lands. They stand on opposite sides of land issues, but over time Donald apparently developed a crush on Fallon, and Fallon wants nothing to do with him. When Donald buys the only home in which Fallon had any semblance of childhood and threatens to destroy it, Fallon agrees to model nude for a statue. She's not comfortable with this idea, but it's better than actually dating the man.
Max was a phenom when he was younger, discovered at a very early age, and then more or less exploited. At some point, he decided he didn't want any of it anymore, so he moved to a remote location in Nova Scotia. His life has been as full as he wants it for many years, but Fallon's arrival shakes up his routine. She doesn't care who he was. She isn't even sure that she likes him at first, and she says things to him that most people wouldn't, because of who he is. But as time goes by, they grow closer. Both of them try to keep it platonic -- she will eventually go home, and he'll go back to what he's always done -- but the pull is too strong.
I liked how they both grew during the story. I liked how Fallon was able to give Max a chance and get under his skin. I liked that they were able to share with each other things they'd never told others. I liked that Max wasn't a man whore (even though he could have been). I liked that they didn't just fall into bed, even when it did happen. I loved that Max didn't take his own pleasure that first time, and that he was so excited and anxious when it did happen. My heart broke a few times at the callous things Fallon would say, even though she didn't really intend them to be so. I totally saw how Max could be hurt by them, even with him knowing she didn't intend them to be hurtful. And I loved Max's solution to the statue issue.
I really enjoyed the epilogue. It's always nice to have a little window into what happens next, and what happened was really sweet. I was glad to see it end where it did.
Fallon traveled to Max's sculpting studio to fulfill the terms of what is basically extortion by a man who wants but can't have her. Donald Forrester is a land developer. Fallon works to save environmental lands. They stand on opposite sides of land issues, but over time Donald apparently developed a crush on Fallon, and Fallon wants nothing to do with him. When Donald buys the only home in which Fallon had any semblance of childhood and threatens to destroy it, Fallon agrees to model nude for a statue. She's not comfortable with this idea, but it's better than actually dating the man.
Max was a phenom when he was younger, discovered at a very early age, and then more or less exploited. At some point, he decided he didn't want any of it anymore, so he moved to a remote location in Nova Scotia. His life has been as full as he wants it for many years, but Fallon's arrival shakes up his routine. She doesn't care who he was. She isn't even sure that she likes him at first, and she says things to him that most people wouldn't, because of who he is. But as time goes by, they grow closer. Both of them try to keep it platonic -- she will eventually go home, and he'll go back to what he's always done -- but the pull is too strong.
I liked how they both grew during the story. I liked how Fallon was able to give Max a chance and get under his skin. I liked that they were able to share with each other things they'd never told others. I liked that Max wasn't a man whore (even though he could have been). I liked that they didn't just fall into bed, even when it did happen. I loved that Max didn't take his own pleasure that first time, and that he was so excited and anxious when it did happen. My heart broke a few times at the callous things Fallon would say, even though she didn't really intend them to be so. I totally saw how Max could be hurt by them, even with him knowing she didn't intend them to be hurtful. And I loved Max's solution to the statue issue.
I really enjoyed the epilogue. It's always nice to have a little window into what happens next, and what happened was really sweet. I was glad to see it end where it did.
I've been trying to come up with a way to convey how much I truly enjoyed reading this love story, and that's what this was, a love story. This was not a plot driven book, but rather a simple story of two slightly damaged people meeting, testing boundries, learning one another and ultimately becoming whole by fallng in love. Simple really, I guess when you spend so much time reading elaborate fantasy worlds with mythological creatures and lots of action scenes a quiet story like this takes you pleasantly by surprise.
Max was such a wonderfully strong hero. He was an intense, artsy, masculine man who proved with every touch, look and word that he wanted to give Fallon exactly what she NEEDED, and wasn't afraid to open himself and let her know that what he needed was her. Really, how much more perfect a hero can you get in a romance?
I fell in love with these characters while reading about them falling in love. This is a story that I will remember long after finishing it..... a quietly profound, lovely, romantic story with a beautiful ending. It will definately make my favorites list.
Max was such a wonderfully strong hero. He was an intense, artsy, masculine man who proved with every touch, look and word that he wanted to give Fallon exactly what she NEEDED, and wasn't afraid to open himself and let her know that what he needed was her. Really, how much more perfect a hero can you get in a romance?
I fell in love with these characters while reading about them falling in love. This is a story that I will remember long after finishing it..... a quietly profound, lovely, romantic story with a beautiful ending. It will definately make my favorites list.
4-Stars Contemporary Romance
Meg Maguire is a totally new author for me and though I added this to my wish-list way back in February/March when this title's blurb and release date became available under the "coming soon" section in Samhain, what really propelled me to get a copy was the rave reviews this book received right from the very day of its release. Though my reading progress has been slow with this one, it had nothing to do with the book but rather my busy schedule which prevented me from reading and reviewing this book as soon as I would have liked to.
The Reluctant Nude is the story of 33 year old sculptor Maxence Luc Èmery (Max) and 29 year old Fallon Frost who reluctantly comes to seek Max's services to fulfill her part of a bargain she makes with the devil himself. Most of the story takes place in Nova Scotia, Canada where Max has made a home for himself after his shot to fame when he was a mere 12 years old. An only child, Max though a world renowned sculptor prefers to live his life in seclusion, taking in clients as he sees fit.
The only thing that has him agreeing to take Donald Forrester on as a client is the large sum of money that he agrees to pay Max upon completion of Fallon's sculptor, an agreement that Max starts to regret as he chips away the resistance that Fallon hides behind so very well to reveal the passionate woman who Max comes to fall in love with.
One of the things I appreciated most about the story is the fact that Max and Fallon's relationship wasn't about being in lust at first sight. Rather, the story developed at a pace that was believable, lending the sexual tension that practically brought the pages alive a quality which it otherwise would have lacked. Though Max might not be an alpha hero through and through, nevertheless Max proves to be a dreamy and albeit a bit of an unusual hero who managed to squeeze a lot of emotion from me as the story progressed along.
Max's playful nature when it comes to Fallon with whom he feels comfortable with enough to let go of his celibacy for the past 8 years is an enjoyable facet in a story where the heroine is the more serious of the two, an aftereffect of the foster care system through which Fallon had grown up.
Both Max and Fallon are broken in their own way and come together to create scenes of lovemaking so beautiful and vivid that it just about took my breathe away and picked up my pulse damn near every single time. As I said before, its the pace that the author sets with the story and the beautiful way in which she brings to life the tormented soul of Max as well as that of Fallon's that makes this story a contemporary romance that all lovers of this genre must read.
Though I found Fallon to be lacking in some way which I can't really describe, I still loved the story that unfolded and absolutely adored Max right from the very beginning. The epilogue left a huge smile on my face, a fitting ending to a story that held me enthralled all throughout.
I finish off the review with a scene of seduction in the story where Max and Fallon lose themselves in a world of magic that they both can create only when they are together.
Meg Maguire is a totally new author for me and though I added this to my wish-list way back in February/March when this title's blurb and release date became available under the "coming soon" section in Samhain, what really propelled me to get a copy was the rave reviews this book received right from the very day of its release. Though my reading progress has been slow with this one, it had nothing to do with the book but rather my busy schedule which prevented me from reading and reviewing this book as soon as I would have liked to.
The Reluctant Nude is the story of 33 year old sculptor Maxence Luc Èmery (Max) and 29 year old Fallon Frost who reluctantly comes to seek Max's services to fulfill her part of a bargain she makes with the devil himself. Most of the story takes place in Nova Scotia, Canada where Max has made a home for himself after his shot to fame when he was a mere 12 years old. An only child, Max though a world renowned sculptor prefers to live his life in seclusion, taking in clients as he sees fit.
The only thing that has him agreeing to take Donald Forrester on as a client is the large sum of money that he agrees to pay Max upon completion of Fallon's sculptor, an agreement that Max starts to regret as he chips away the resistance that Fallon hides behind so very well to reveal the passionate woman who Max comes to fall in love with.
One of the things I appreciated most about the story is the fact that Max and Fallon's relationship wasn't about being in lust at first sight. Rather, the story developed at a pace that was believable, lending the sexual tension that practically brought the pages alive a quality which it otherwise would have lacked. Though Max might not be an alpha hero through and through, nevertheless Max proves to be a dreamy and albeit a bit of an unusual hero who managed to squeeze a lot of emotion from me as the story progressed along.
Max's playful nature when it comes to Fallon with whom he feels comfortable with enough to let go of his celibacy for the past 8 years is an enjoyable facet in a story where the heroine is the more serious of the two, an aftereffect of the foster care system through which Fallon had grown up.
Both Max and Fallon are broken in their own way and come together to create scenes of lovemaking so beautiful and vivid that it just about took my breathe away and picked up my pulse damn near every single time. As I said before, its the pace that the author sets with the story and the beautiful way in which she brings to life the tormented soul of Max as well as that of Fallon's that makes this story a contemporary romance that all lovers of this genre must read.
Though I found Fallon to be lacking in some way which I can't really describe, I still loved the story that unfolded and absolutely adored Max right from the very beginning. The epilogue left a huge smile on my face, a fitting ending to a story that held me enthralled all throughout.
I finish off the review with a scene of seduction in the story where Max and Fallon lose themselves in a world of magic that they both can create only when they are together.
Spoiler
He tipped his hat to the back of his head and kissed her. His eyes shut before hers did, and his mouth burned hot and wet and tasted of the very, very fine wine. She felt his thumbs pressing into her cheeks, his rough fingertips cradling her jaw, and she parted her lips to invite a deeper exploration. He angled his mouth as his tongue slid to dance with hers, stroking the fire. His possessive hands held her head, making it seem as though he were consuming her, and each time they came up for air she wanted more.
Written by a fellow New England Chapter of the Romance Writers of America member, Maguire's book demonstrates that not all well-written, compellingly crafted romance is published by the major NYC houses. The premise sounds rather icky and unbelievable, but get past that and you have a book with intriguing, well-developed characters depicted in spare, direct prose. A real pleasure to read.
Listed as a "Buried Treasure 2011" on AAR.
4.5* Grade A
In so many ways, this is a truly excellent book. Max is one of the best male leads I've read in ages, and while Fallon was a somewhat flat character at times, it felt believable given her background. (It may have been helpful if the author had shared some of her background earlier, giving the reader a little more insight into Fallon's reserve.) Plus, Fallon was the perfect counterbalance for developing Max's character throughout the story, with him full of intense artistic feelings, and her being mostly cut off from hers.
The slow dance between the characters as they got to know each other was a joy to read. Max's emotions were especially clear and believable. The big scene between Max and Fallon near the end took my breath away-- it was so well done.
I was willing to overlook the somewhat weak reasons for the commission, and I was willing to overlook Fallon's less interesting personality (because, again, I thought it fit) and still give this book 5 stars on the force of the emotional impact. But the author pulled the plug on the tension with a "grand gesture" that robs the story of the messy, complicated, but ultimately more satisfying ending it deserved. But in many ways this is a quibble, and shouldn't take away too much from the overall experience.
The Reluctant Nude is riveting, and the author does so much so well, that it should be on everyone's to-read list. Writers should definitely read it to see a relationship done right. To develop a relationship with conversation, touches, and time spent together, instead of falling back on insta-lust to move a story along.
4.5* Grade A
In so many ways, this is a truly excellent book. Max is one of the best male leads I've read in ages, and while Fallon was a somewhat flat character at times, it felt believable given her background. (It may have been helpful if the author had shared some of her background earlier, giving the reader a little more insight into Fallon's reserve.) Plus, Fallon was the perfect counterbalance for developing Max's character throughout the story, with him full of intense artistic feelings, and her being mostly cut off from hers.
The slow dance between the characters as they got to know each other was a joy to read. Max's emotions were especially clear and believable. The big scene between Max and Fallon near the end took my breath away-- it was so well done.
I was willing to overlook the somewhat weak reasons for the commission, and I was willing to overlook Fallon's less interesting personality (because, again, I thought it fit) and still give this book 5 stars on the force of the emotional impact. But the author pulled the plug on the tension with a "grand gesture" that robs the story of the messy, complicated, but ultimately more satisfying ending it deserved. But in many ways this is a quibble, and shouldn't take away too much from the overall experience.
The Reluctant Nude is riveting, and the author does so much so well, that it should be on everyone's to-read list. Writers should definitely read it to see a relationship done right. To develop a relationship with conversation, touches, and time spent together, instead of falling back on insta-lust to move a story along.
This book is a romance novel with a very different feel. If it were a film, it would be an Indie or art house flick. It really 'reads' like one of those small, indie flicks that allow the characters to take time to think and react and have long silences. It allows a slow, seductive build of a relationship and of the characters themselves.
Continuing with my film analogy, it is a two-character study in several acts with only a few additional walk-on characters. This story belongs solely and exclusively to Fallon and Max.
I have to talk about Max, though. For me he is the heart of this story and an incredibly provocative character. He is a French ex-pat living in Canada. An ex-enfant terrible art prodigy, famous in art circles, and he even was a New York Times crossword clue.
What makes him so interesting (and for this I give the author major kudos) is that he felt very much alive and living in the body of the character the author created for him. From his effortless style, to his tattoos, to his cooking and wine and lapses into French, to his artistic tantrums...he just felt so darned real. At one point, Fallon muses that she wants to hold a mirror under the nose of one of Max's sculptures, so alive did it look. I felt the same way about Max. It got so bad that while I was reading Max's part in my head, I was doing it with a french accent. LOL.
He was also sweet and sweetly funny at the same time. At one point he takes Fallon to the movies because he finds out she likes musicals:
"How accurately would you say An American in Paris reflects the typical artists' lifestyle?" Fallon asked studiously as she squeezed water from her sweatshirt.
"Quite accurate. When you're not here I am forever dancing about with Parisian school children."
Fallon, otoh, gets a tiny bit lost amidst Max's brilliance. But to be fair, the book is told mostly from her POV so we are seeing Max through her eyes and getting her reactions to him. She is a really repressed, shut down character. She is the second romance novel heroine this week that I read about who grew up in foster homes (Kat in [b:Bone Deep|10426498|Bone Deep (Harlequin Superromance)|Janice Kay Johnson|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hudRUpUpL._SL75_.jpg|15330878] being the other) where the author used that to create a somewhat closed person.
But Fallon gets to blossom under Max. She is wary and somewhat antagonistic at first but max has an holistic artistic process that absorbs her. She just doesn't model for him, they talk and share history and eat together and ...well...they get nude. She because that is the reason she is there to have a nude statue made of herself, he because he is just very comfortable in his skin.
They slowly, inexorably draw closer. Their attraction and lust for each other becomes a palpable thing. Here I think the author excelled in drawing out the tension and letting it build and build. There was nothing overtly erotic about the story, but it is nonetheless very sexy and very romantic. But still in a quiet, indie-art house kinda way.
The conflict between the two comes because of the sculpture. Fallon is an unwilling model and is having the sculpture done to preserve a piece of her past but it is at a big cost to her personally. Max is falling in love and the reader is very clear about that. He can't finish the piece because that means their interlude will be over. This part of the book worked really well because by now the reader should really get Max and so his reactions here make total and utter sense. Fallon's does as well, but again ...sorry to say...Max's characterization just overwhelms hers a bit, imo.
But in the end this is a romance and it ends the way romances do. The epilogue was lovely and I felt really good that Max got what he wanted.
Really good book. Highly recommend.
Continuing with my film analogy, it is a two-character study in several acts with only a few additional walk-on characters. This story belongs solely and exclusively to Fallon and Max.
I have to talk about Max, though. For me he is the heart of this story and an incredibly provocative character. He is a French ex-pat living in Canada. An ex-enfant terrible art prodigy, famous in art circles, and he even was a New York Times crossword clue.
What makes him so interesting (and for this I give the author major kudos) is that he felt very much alive and living in the body of the character the author created for him. From his effortless style, to his tattoos, to his cooking and wine and lapses into French, to his artistic tantrums...he just felt so darned real. At one point, Fallon muses that she wants to hold a mirror under the nose of one of Max's sculptures, so alive did it look. I felt the same way about Max. It got so bad that while I was reading Max's part in my head, I was doing it with a french accent. LOL.
He was also sweet and sweetly funny at the same time. At one point he takes Fallon to the movies because he finds out she likes musicals:
"How accurately would you say An American in Paris reflects the typical artists' lifestyle?" Fallon asked studiously as she squeezed water from her sweatshirt.
"Quite accurate. When you're not here I am forever dancing about with Parisian school children."
Fallon, otoh, gets a tiny bit lost amidst Max's brilliance. But to be fair, the book is told mostly from her POV so we are seeing Max through her eyes and getting her reactions to him. She is a really repressed, shut down character. She is the second romance novel heroine this week that I read about who grew up in foster homes (Kat in [b:Bone Deep|10426498|Bone Deep (Harlequin Superromance)|Janice Kay Johnson|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hudRUpUpL._SL75_.jpg|15330878] being the other) where the author used that to create a somewhat closed person.
But Fallon gets to blossom under Max. She is wary and somewhat antagonistic at first but max has an holistic artistic process that absorbs her. She just doesn't model for him, they talk and share history and eat together and ...well...they get nude. She because that is the reason she is there to have a nude statue made of herself, he because he is just very comfortable in his skin.
They slowly, inexorably draw closer. Their attraction and lust for each other becomes a palpable thing. Here I think the author excelled in drawing out the tension and letting it build and build. There was nothing overtly erotic about the story, but it is nonetheless very sexy and very romantic. But still in a quiet, indie-art house kinda way.
The conflict between the two comes because of the sculpture. Fallon is an unwilling model and is having the sculpture done to preserve a piece of her past but it is at a big cost to her personally. Max is falling in love and the reader is very clear about that. He can't finish the piece because that means their interlude will be over. This part of the book worked really well because by now the reader should really get Max and so his reactions here make total and utter sense. Fallon's does as well, but again ...sorry to say...Max's characterization just overwhelms hers a bit, imo.
But in the end this is a romance and it ends the way romances do. The epilogue was lovely and I felt really good that Max got what he wanted.
Really good book. Highly recommend.