Drawing Lessons
Patricia Sands
Lake Union Publishing, Oct 2017
354 pages, Kindle, paperback, audiobook, MP3 CD
Women’s Lit, Contemporary Romance
Provided, Author
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The cover is typical Patricia Sands with flowers and flourishes on a white cover. Giving just a hint at the goodness inside.
A straightforward love story, complicated by everyone’s two cents worth and advice. Really, you could tell from their first meeting that they would end up together. The author just has a wonderful time adding things to the journey.
The cast of characters is amazing, too! Wonderful, complex Bertram is special and endearing. Barbara is sweet and strong. Cecelia is young. John and Joan are quite flaky. Mari and Lis are great. Arianna is amazing even before she starts making the breakthrough with her art. She has the particular attention of Max, the cat and she meditates for real every day. She is determined to reawaken her art connection. She is also willing to accept all advice to do so.
I kept expecting Arianna to get a message that Ben had died, but that would have changed things drastically. It was touching that so many of these people felt compelled to reach out and share their own stories with Arianna in an effort to help her through her problems.
I loved the energy and comradery in this disparate group of people who became so close and probably life-long friends. Bertram and Arianna both made major changes to their lives from this gathering and the things they took away from it.
The pace is perfect. I loved living through the artist’s retreat with them all. The tension was mellow but present throughout. I highly recommend this book to all women and romantics.
a thoughtful reveal 