Paint And Nectar By Ashley Clark

Paint and Nectar

by Ashley Clark

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: Heirloom Secrets

ISBN: 9780764237614

Summary:

In 1929, a spark forms between Eliza, a talented watercolorist, and William, a charming young man with a secret that could ruin her career. Their families forbid their romance because of a long-standing feud over missing heirloom silver. Still, Eliza and William's passion grows despite the barriers, causing William to deeply regret the secret he's keeping . . . but setting things right will come at a cost.

In present-day Charleston, a mysterious benefactor gifts Lucy Legare an old house, along with all the secrets it holds--including enigmatic letters about an antique silver heirloom. Declan Pinckney, whom Lucy's been avoiding since their disastrous first date, is set on buying her house for his family's development company. As Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, its garden, and the silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history's sake but also for her own.

My Review:

If you like the combination of mystery and time split, then you don't want to miss Paint and Nectar!

I have become a huge fan of time-slip novels and was thrilled to read the author's second book in her series. I liked the set up of the book so we had an idea of what we were going into. Not only in the past, but also the present. The author gives us a great idea of each of the characters before the story gets rolling.

William is such a nice guy and to see the choice he makes early on will cause the reader to cringe. Not only for his sake, but for Eliza's. It's easy to see why a romance blooms as you get to know the characters better. Even in the midst of everything going on around them, they have an air of innocence to them.

Then there's Declan and Lucy. HA! These two go at it like rival tom cats. You can see how great they would be together if their lives weren't on a collision course. Honestly, I think without Delcan's father in the way, I think they could've made a go for it from the start. What is it with overbearing fathers?

The mystery of the silver crosses over both time periods and is what keeps you turning the pages until the end. That and the possible romances. It is a little confusing at times to remember who is connected to who and how the silver is wanted by both families. I need a family tree or a couple of them in book three so I can keep everyone straight. I think that was especially true when William is connected with someone in as an uncle.

I really enjoyed getting to see Millie and her parents from book one in this story. I wasn't expecting that. Harper and Peter make a couple of appearances, but not much more than that. I love when older characters show up in consecutive books!

I'm looking forward to book three next year!

About the Author:

Ashley Clark (www.ashleyclarkbooks.com) writes romantic women's fiction set in the South. With a master's degree in creative writing, Ashley teaches literature and writing courses at the University of West Florida. Ashley has been an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers for almost a decade. She lives with her husband, son, and two rescued Cocker Spaniels off Florida's Gulf Coast. When she's not writing, she's rescuing stray animals, dreaming of Charleston, and drinking all the English breakfast tea she can get her hands on.