Review: Painting Kisses by Melanie Jacobson

 

Painting Kisses by Melanie Jacobson

Kindle Edition, 240 pages

Published October 2nd 2014 by Covenant Communications

Description: Lia Carswell is good at what she does, even if it isn't as glamorous as her old artist life in Manhattan. The popular waitress works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister's financial strain. And with her witty personality and good looks, she's something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Ever the professional, Lia keeps her distance, with one exception. Aidan is a breakfast regular, and his gentle, clever teasing draws Lia's attention and builds an easy rapport between them, though Lia would never let their relationship get serious, especially since he's not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.

Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.

My Review: Lia is a snarky waitress at a roadside diner in Utah. She has walls built up around herself and it's for a good reason. She is very gruff, yet consistent, with the customers in the diner and they come to rely on her for that stability.Her sister and niece live with her and they work hard to make ends meet. Lia likes her job and is good at it--she's also good at avoiding the teasing and advances of the men who frequent the diner. She doesn't want to give out any personal information about herself, yet as time goes by, she starts to build a friendship with Aidan, who comes in often. But then there's Griff...her handsome and quiet neighbor. I loved the way Aidan was able to chip away at the walls and the banter that ensued between them. I also enjoyed the relationship that Lia had with her sister. 


I was completely captivated by Lia's art. The imagery used to describe her work and how she worked was amazing. In fact, I found myself going around trying to figure out what pumpkins sound like, what the sky tastes like, and what a feather sounds like. 

Ms. Jacobson's books are often light-hearted and hilarious, but this one was different. Yes, the humor was there at moments, but the storyline was a little more serious. Lia's secret past came out, little by little, which really pulled the reader into the story. As I mentioned earlier, there was a mini-love triangle going on, and I honestly felt torn between who I wanted her to choose.



Even though this one is different, I found it to still be very good and well-written. I did not see the ending coming!

Content: no language or violence; mild kissing. Clean!

 

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About the Author:

Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. 

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