Book Review – Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway

Painted Faces
Stayed up until 4am to finish this one and it was totally worth my current zombie-like state, even though I had plenty of sleep. I just woke up at noon (*gasp* I KNOW!! I NEVER do that!). But I needed my 8 hours of sleep so… I don’t feel so guilty about my extravagantly lazy Saturday. AND!!! it just means I’ll probably stay up real late reading tonight and do it again all day tomorrow. Hey! I’m back on vacation until Wednesday, so you can bet I’m living large. And by living large, I mean, reading at all hours of the day and night with no concern for socially acceptable sleep schedules. Wooohooo!! I’m on a book bender! Imma read until I pass out!!! 😉 Okay so the afternoon coffee has apparently made me a little hyper, too.

But anyway…. guess what? I woke up missing the characters of this book. Especially Nicholas (but of course!!). I LOVE when that happens. A totally unconventional love story, but not as “out there” as I thought it might be. In fact, I think I was expecting more outrageous. Maybe even for it to pull a few extra shocks out of me, but it was fairly tame. A bit slow going at times, where I found myself enjoying their developing friendship but wishing for an adrenaline rush or two.

But where I’ve bemoaned about how fast some romance books are, how quickly the characters “fall” for each other … this one really plays out the initial friendship. Sloowwwllly. Mind you, we still get that delicious “so attracted to each other” tension, but she holds him off. And with good reason. She knows he’s a player (he proves it a few times), and she’s worried about her losing her heart. So I could relate and was very willing to play along. Their relationship and the issues and drama that they faced were on a more even keel (more about a realistic connection, seeing where it goes, while attempting to remain somewhat detached).

So what’s it about?

Freda has a new, very sexy neighbor, and to her delight, they hit it off. Sure, he’s quite the flirt (and she usually spurns that kind of thing), but he’s so handsome that she can’t help but bask in it (while at the same time, telling herself he’s gonna really flip when he meets her beautiful roommate). And while she quickly realizes that Nicholas is apparently very flirty with everyone, she notices that he’s especially sexually forward with her.

“… I can be whatever you want me to be. I don’t think it is though. I think you’re the kind of woman who likes a man to take lead.” He softly jerks my hips back and presses into me every so slightly. My eyes go wide.

Which confuses her. She’s very self-deprecating, no matter how beautiful (inside and out) she really is.

I’m a comfortable six, and sometimes I like it that way. It means I don’t have to bother trying. The art of laziness is something I perfected many years ago. Often it’s nice to just sit back and be a spectator for other people’s love lives. I might not have a boyfriend, but I have cupcakes and those tasty bastards haven’t let me down yet.

He sees it too, and declares her his new best friend. And her full-on crush begins. When he asks Freda to come watch him perform one evening, she gets the surprise of her life…

The discomfort is only due to the shock of seeing my new very handsome male neighbor decked out in woman’s clothes and a face full of make up. But then, once I come to terms with the idea, (which doesn’t take very long) I feel as though all of my Christmases have come at once.

This is astounding, amazing, so incredibly thrilling. Only today a world traveling cabaret performing drag queen took me out for lunch and named me his new best friend. The idea plunges my black and white work into a vibrant techni-colour rainbow.

Ahhhhh she  tells herself. He’s gay! THAT would explain it… except? Why is he so hands-y with her?

“You think I’m gay? Even after what I said to you last night?”

And this is where I’m letting you off to enjoy them play this out in it’s entirety.

A fun (and sometimes somber) “potential romance” story. Nothing too crazy other than a more realistic look into life altering situations that mold us into who we are, while simultaneously forcing us to play a “role”.

Nicholas took a deep breath, wiped at his tears with his fingers, and went to sit down. His beautiful secret, the one that had brought him so much joy, would never be a happy, childish thing again.

A look into some of the struggles, downfalls and coping mechanisms that ensue, and some of the brilliant connections that are made in the process.

And while I did find myself sighing in frustration and … well… romantic need with this one (wishing for I dunno… more excitement I suppose), the author’s witty writing held my attention. Her character’s were alive, and I was happily, and lovingly, invested in them.

And never fear!! The author does indulge us in all sorts of stuff 😉 that we look for in our romance reads. She injects it with some serious steam here and there and a few “OH NO HE DIDN’T” moments that were plenty entertaining (and agitating). Plus we get an awesome look into who he is, even as he’s trying to hide behind his various faces. Even as he tries to hide from her… his very best friend.

Oh yes. This one gets angsty, but it sneaks up on you. Once it got *there* it was fast and furious and emotionally intense for me. My heart broke at a certain point, and I lovedddd that the author drew out that anguish for me. She included every little detail and had me visualizing… and feeling it. And most of all, I loved that I believed every moment of it, of him, and of them, especially when it counted.

“Hey,” he whispers seriously. I glance back up at him.  “You’ll always be my friend, won’t you Fred? Don’t let me f&%k this up.”

4 stars! Or… 4.5 stars! *nods* yep… —> (3.5 stars for a few of the “slower” moments, 4 stars for the majority of it, and 5 stars for that big part that had my heart and emotions 100% involved).

Thank you to the author for sending this review copy my way, and thank you to the fellow readers that took the time to let me know they loved it.  I’m so glad I got to “know” these wonderful characters!

➔➔➔  Looking for my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 star reviews or my favorite book lists here 😀

➔➔➔  Love this author? Browse more L.H. Cosway features and reviews on my blog. 😀