Official Review: The Art of Stealing by Sandi Perry

Airam Velarde · Post by **Airam Velarde** » 26 Nov 2014, 01:35

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Art of Stealing" by Sandi Perry.]

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The Art of Stealing by Sandi Perry, is the story of a woman whose troubling past seems to be catching up to her right when she was finally moving on with her life. Will she ever find strength? Or will she once again become intoxicated with the one man that introduced her to the dangerous life of art theft and forgery?

Valentina Philips grew up in picturesque Florence surrounded by the works of the old masters. Her childhood friend, Luca, introduced her to the world of art and encouraged her to refine her painting skills. However, her notable talent was soon put to a more criminal use. Not only could Valentina perfectly reproduce a painting, but she was also an expert in stealing the original works. After a turbulent past with Luca, Valentina’s conscience finally pushes her to give up this dangerous life and start anew. Now a respected curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, her life finally seems to be back on track. Until, amidst the preparations for a new project, Luca suddenly appears again. Valentina knows this is not just a friendly visit and that his appearance will bring trouble to her once more. She is tempted both by the excitement of danger and by his seductive advances. Will she ever be able to tear herself from her past crimes and from the man that started it all?

The author’s perfect blend of romance, crime, and art, make The Art of Stealing an interesting and well paced novel. It is a fun and in depth story that does not only center around romance, but that shows different elements of the characters’ lives, making their relationships more complex and genuine. Our protagonist and narrator, Valentina, is introduced when she is struggling to move away from her past transgressions and from a toxic relationship with Luca. Her determination at a new life is strong however, and her development is most apparent through her well illustrated thoughts and feelings. We not only see this, but the different aspects that make up her life, such as her work in art, her strained relationship with her mother, and her budding romances with men. All of which make her character, and those around her, richly developed and interesting for the reader to follow.

One of the things I greatly enjoyed about The Art of Stealing is the bit of intrigue and mystery the author builds as the story progresses. For example, the reader is given small hints of Valentina and Luca’s troubling past, never revealing anything too fast. This certainly kept me interested and turning pages. Moreover, unlike some novels where the romantic interest of the protagonist is very apparent from the beginning, this story keeps the reader guessing even towards the end of the novel. Her decisions about her romantic life are not always what they seem, and contribute to the intrigue and charm to the novel’s plot.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading The Art of Stealing. The plot is stimulating with its components of crime, art, and above all, romance. I would really recommend this to anyone looking for a romantic novel with well rounded characters and compelling plot points. For these reasons, I give The Art of Stealing 4 out of 4 stars.

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AVK2913 · Post by **AVK2913** » 08 Dec 2014, 16:25

Adding this book to my reading list!

I really love romance books that have more to them than just the romance, and this one in particular sounds great. I especially like what you said about not knowing who she'll end up with. I think a looot of books make it very easy for the reader to guess who is gonna end up with who. So, it really interested me when you said that!

Thanks for the great review!

Airam Velarde · Post by **Airam Velarde** » 08 Dec 2014, 16:44

Thank you for your comment! I do agree that there is a lot more to this book than just the romance. I think it's now amongst the top romance books I have read. After I finished reading it, I even went and recommended it to some of my friends! i really hope you enjoy reading it too!