Review: Paint and Nectar

 

Paint and Nectar 

by Ashley Clark

About the Book

In 1929, a spark forms between talented watercolorist Eliza and William, a charming young man who has been hired to forge her popular paintings. Her aunt makes it clear Eliza should stay away from him because of a feud between their families over missing heirloom silver. But the source of the rivalry was long ago, and as the two get to know each other, they fall in love. William regrets the job that desperation led him to take and their families’ ongoing bitterness, but setting things right comes at a cost.

In present-day Charleston, Lucy Legare has just inherited an old house form a mysterious benefactor, along with all the secrets it holds, including an old heirloom. Declan Pickney is determined to buy the house for his family’s development company. But as Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, garden, and 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 Thoughts

Oh my, where to even BEGIN with this book. It was amazing; simply marvelous! This is a book that I will be gushing about and telling people to read for eternity.

Last year I read Clark’s debut novel, The Dress Shop on King Street and it was wonderful. A beautiful, emotional novel that stuck with me for a long time afterward. But Paint and Nectar? It completely blew me away.

Ashley Clark has such a way with words. Her style just blooms with life and you can practically hear the characters speaking in their distinctive voices in your head as you read. Her passion for the city of Charleston is made abundantly clear in this book and will make you want to book a trip there ASAP. I totally want to see Rainbow Row and have even more appreciation for it now that I know the story behind it, which is highlighted in the book.

What truly makes this novel are the characters. Eliza! She has to be one of my favorite heroines of all-time! She was so fun and full of life and had such passion for art and preservation. She is most definitely the type of character I would want to befriend. Her grit and determination made her an admirable character. I also loved our contemporary heroine, Lucy. She shared many characteristics with her great-grandmother Eliza, yet was unique and stood out herself.

Of course I loved the setting. The 1920s is my favorite period in history and I loved reading Eliza and William’s story in that roaring decade. I was also enchanted by the descriptions of Eliza’s paintings of Charleston. So lovely!

Clearly, I loved Paint and Nectar. It is a novel that I would recommend to anyone, a book readers across the board will love.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.