Will one night be his undoing?
Alessandro Cardenas isn't stepping out on the Miami art
scene only for the hottest parties. Someone is forging his late grandfather's
paintings -- and he's determined to uncover the culprit. But when he crosses
paths with gallerist Angeline Louis, the boundaries between mystery and
seduction become blurred. Does Angeline suspect his ulterior motives…even as
she surrenders to his kisses? Does she have secrets of her own? Or can
Alessandro trust that their once-in-a-lifetime connection is real?
A good book that combines the art world and Miami's
vibrant, multicultural city. It is the beginning of a big week of art events in
the city, and Angel is sent to deliver a painting to the art gallery's
mysterious client. She arrives to discover that the mystery man is none other
than up-and-coming Hollywood star Alessandro (Sandro) Cardenas. She's a little
star-struck and attracted to the sexy star, but she holds it together enough to
deliver her spiel about the painting.
Sandro, who usually spends all his time either in
Hollywood or on the set, came to Miami mainly to find out who is forging and
selling his late grandfather's paintings. His sudden attraction somewhat
hinders his concentration on this delivery to the woman delivering the artwork.
After agreeing to purchase the painting, he invites Angel to stick around for
the party he's giving, hoping to get her into his bed.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Angel and Sandro. Still recovering from the end of her last relationship, Angel
gives in to the chemistry, thinking it is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
After a passionate night together, she sneaks away before Sandro awakens, preferring
to avoid an awkward morning after. Sandro is disappointed that she's gone but
has plans to see her again. Seeing him find ways to "accidentally"
run into her at various art events was rather sweet. It doesn't take long
before they spend all their free time together.
But both Angel and Sandro have baggage that keeps them
from being fully open with each other. Angel is an artist who has lost
confidence in herself, primarily due to the lack of support from her family. Being
with Sandro boosts her self-esteem, even though she knows it will end all too
soon. Sandro enjoys the results of years of hard work and often seems full of himself, but sometimes feels like
an imposter. Acting comes easy to him, so he isn't always sure he deserves the
fame. He can't forget his past - abandoned by his parents and raised by his
grandfather, he feels compelled to uncover who is forging the paintings.
I enjoyed seeing Angel and Sandro together as she
introduced him to the "real" Miami. It was fun to see them
participate in neighborhood events far from the glittering affairs he was used
to. The more they got to know each other, the stronger their attraction grew,
followed by feelings neither was ready to admit to. Sandro's guilty feelings
over not telling Angel the truth about his interest in the paintings begin to
wear on him, but he isn't sure how to come clean. When the truth comes out,
Angel is devastated by the betrayal. It takes time apart and some emotional
self-examination for them to see that they belong together. I liked the ending and
seeing the compromises on both their parts.
Family plays a big part in both Angel's and Sandro's lives.
Angel is an artist at heart, but family expectations have her questioning her
talent and future. I ached for her as she mourned the loss of her dreams, but I
also wanted her to tell her parents to back off and let her live her own life.
Sandro has his memories of his grandfather, but he also has a brother and niece
who live in Miami. He and his brother aren't close, and no matter how he tries,
the gulf between them is too wide. They disagree vehemently with each other
over the disposition of the paintings. Sandro's niece seems spoiled, flighty,
and more than willing to take advantage of her uncle's fame and fortune. Both
of them rubbed me the wrong way.
The mystery of the forged paintings was easily solved
once Sandro and Angel put their minds to it. Since several of the paintings
were sold through the gallery where Angel worked, the detective work wasn't all
that hard. I felt terrible for Sandro, but I was slightly irritated that he let
the culprit get away with it.
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