Review: Art & Grace

Art & Grace by Catherine E. Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Art & Grace was my second Catherine E. Chapman read, and like my first, The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady, I found it difficult to decide upon a final rating. It was a solid three-point-five-star read, and there were reasons for me to both round up and down. As I said in my review of The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady, I’m an extremely picky person with my reads, and I often round down instead of up. However, this does not mean I did not enjoy Art & Grace. I did, devouring it in a single sitting, and would highly recommend it.

With Art & Grace, Catherine E. Chapman offers something outside the norm of regency novels. Although there is romance to be found throughout this one, the focus is much larger in scope. It is a story of family and the connections with have with people, with the story focusing more on the friendship between the two characters than on the romance that plays a large role in events. With the story focusing outside the norm, I was sucked into the events and friendship between the two and could not get enough.

Although the main focus of the book was not the romance, it did play a large role in the events. It was a pivotal part of the story, and the reason for my rounding down is linked to the reason I opted to round down with The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady as well. The romance between the characters seemed too quick, too close to instalove, and whilst it was an important part of the story, I never felt the connection I would have liked. Yes, the romance was secondary all the other events we experienced, but I would have liked to feel the romance more than I did.

I’m a very fussy romance reader, though. I find myself feeling this way often when the romance is not main focus of the story, as I always expect to be sucked in deeper. People who are less picky about their romance will easily overlook this and will adore the book.

As I said, this is not your normal regency novel. It’s something different, something that will have you hooked. Well-written with plenty to love throughout, it’s a story that will have you hooked.

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