Title: Artistic Appeal
Series: Bottled Up
Author: Andrew Grey
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (192pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (21st October 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Brian Watson knows close friends Gerald Young and Dieter Krumpf have an ulterior motive when they invite him to their Christmas party. Brian has taken over the case to secure the return of the famous painting called The Woman in Blue to Dieter, but they don’t want Brian to be all work and no play. They intend to set him up with a friend, but he’s not who catches Brian’s eye. Instead, it’s Nicolai, the deaf art restorer caring for the works already returned to Dieter.
But pursuing Nicolai won’t be easy. A year ago Nicolai had to fight to regain his independence after a bad break-up, and he’s reluctant to give up his freedom a second time. Plus, Brian has competition in Justin, Nicolai’s ex, who wants him back badly.
Nicolai’s reluctance isn’t the only roadblock. Brian was married to a woman for almost ten years. Now he has to confess to his mother, his ex-wife, and his young daughter that he loves a man—all while conducting a potentially groundbreaking court case and trying to convince Nicolai that love isn’t about co-dependence, it’s about support.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2581
Review: Brian is intrigued by Nicolai the first time he spots him. He decides that he would like to know him better although he does have some fears to settle. Nicolai enjoys Brian’s company and gets along great with his daughter, but he has a fear of losing his independence.
I loved this book it was so nice and sweet and left me with a happy warm feeling. Brian has been single for a while, his ex-wife is still being difficult and he adores his daughter and now feels the time is right to explore his sexuality with a man who’s looking for a relationship. Nicolai broke up with his ex a year ago and struggled to get his feet back under him. Even though he is happy to have a relationship he’s scared to become too dependent on another person.
This is a brilliant book that is written perfectly; with a great story-line and plot. The story-line is based around the appeal of The Woman in Blue with Brian having taken over the case. He meets Nicolai at Dieter’s and Gerald’s and they pursue a friendship and relationship. The relationship moves smoothly along with Brian taking into account his daughter’s feelings and also not rushing Nicolai. the way that both men treat Zoe is wonderful and I also thought it was really sweet for Brian and Zoe to both learn to sign after only a couple of dates. I thought the way that Brian handled everything that was thrown at him was wonderful and I could understand Nicolai’s fear of losing his independence and thought it was brave of him to face his fears. These two men are faced with problems caused by both their ex’s and they also face Brian’s mother when she learns about Brian. They make a great family and I would love to see more of them in the future.
I highly recommend this one to those who love family stories, hot loving, a great story-line and some slight conflict.