Title: Legal Artistry
Series: Bottled Up
Author: Andrew Grey
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 23, 2011)
ISBN: 978-1613721131
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Format: Novel (ebook edition 645 KB)
Heat Level: Explicit
My Review: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Artemis
From the Publisher: Years ago, Dieter Krumpf’s grandmother died and left him everything, including a photo album containing pictures of the art collection she left behind when her family fled the Nazis. Now, Dieter is calling on the services of a lawyer, Gerald Young, to determine whether his family’s legacy might be returned to him.
Gerald doesn’t hold out much hope that the paintings will be returned, but Dieter’s earnestness speaks to him and he agrees to help. At first he concludes that while Dieter has a case, suing in Austria isn’t practical. But Gerald is a good lawyer, and as his feelings for Dieter develop, so does his determination to win the case. Together, Gerald and Dieter navigate research, hearings, and a dysfunctional family in the pursuit of fine art—and discover the art of love along the way.
About the Author: Andrew Grey grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
My Review: I have read several of Andrew Grey’s books and have always been very pleased with how well he develops his characters. In this book, you have shy and reserved Dieter who has been raised by his grandmother ever since the death of his parents when he was little. Then you have Gerald, an up and coming young lawyer who is smart, ambitious, and actually has morals! A great change of pace from most lawyer characters you read about!
After his grandmother’s death, Dieter (quite by accident!) learns that he may be the rightful owner of some extremely famous artwork that is currently residing in an Austrian museum. Thanks to the Nazis, his heritage has been lost but Gerald is determined to find a way to return these paintings to their rightful owner.
I loved the attention to detail that the author put into the plot of this story. Reading about the legal aspects of the court battle was really fascinating and I kept on reading just to find out if Dieter would be successful in bringing home his ancestor’s portrait!
I admit I like my characters a little bit bolder and more confident than Dieter is portrayed but that is part of his charm and why his relationship with Gerald works so well. Gerald works hard to bring him out of his shell and show him what he has been missing out on in his sheltered life.
The relationship between Dieter and Gerald is both sweet and hot…this is a real romance! They don’t jump right into bed with each other in the first chapter but when they finally do make it to the bedroom there is real emotion between them. There is also quite a bit of heat to their bedroom scenes as well! I think it was the perfect balance!
Overall, a very good book! A wonderful plot that really kept my attention, plenty of romance and heated love scenes and characters that were very enjoyable!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review.
Keep those great books coming!