Ashley Clark’s debut novel, The Dress Shop on King Street, was a powerful dual-timeline story that highlighted and humanised the tragedy and inhumanity of racism. The writing was brilliant, the research was excellent, the setting was fascinating, and the both stories were compelling—especially the horrible choice one mother had to make to ensure the best possible future for her daughters.
Paint and Nectar has the same brilliant writing, the same excellent research, and the same fascinating setting: the city of Charleston.
But I didn’t find the story nearly so compelling.
It was a variation of the Romeo and Juliet story. Two families each blame the other for stealing and hiding valuable Paul Revere silver (yes, apparently Paul Revere was famous for more than a certain night-time ride).
In the past timeline, Eliza and William Pinckney meet and fall in love, but are driven apart by their feuding families and the lust for silver.
In the present, Lucy Legare falls for Declan Pinckney before she finds that not only is he the Pinckney heir, but his father is trying to force her out of her house … partly because he wants to find the missing silver, which he believes is buried in her garden.
One reason was that the underlying intergenerational conflict wasn’t believable.
Even in the past timeline, an hour with a metal detector would have provided the answer to the mystery of the buried silver. The other thing that annoyed me was this line, which is Declan thinking about Lucy:
She wasn’t like the other women he knew.
It’s an overused trope that places one woman on an unachievable pedestal while dismissing all other women. (It’s even more annoying in reference to faith: she wasn’t like the other Christians he knew). Instead of telling us Lucy is different, show us … and show us without using tired and inaccurate stereotypes.
Having said that, I liked Eliza and William and their story.
While William was doing the wrong thing (forging Eliza’s paintings), he was at least acting out of a noble reason (providing for his sister). I was less keen on Lucy and Declan and their story. This was mostly because of Declan’s father: he was clearly the evildoer, but his motives weren’t clear. That made him feel like a caricature rather than a realistic character. That affected my view of Declan.
There were also several nuggets of wisdom in the story, and they kept me engaged. Overall, this was a solid story but it didn’t have the impact of The Dress Shop on King Street, which was excellent.
Half of me says you should read Paint and Nectar before reading The Dress Shop on King Street, because that way you won’t be disappointed by the plot. The other half of me knows that’s impossible: while both are standalone novels, there is enough crossover between the two that reading Paint and Nectar first would spoil a few of the plot points in The Dress Shop on King Street.
Paint and Nectar by Ashley Clark has brilliant writing, excellent research, and a fascinating setting; the city of Charleston. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on XThanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Ashley Clark
Ashley Clark writes romantic women’s fiction set in the South, and The Dress Shop on King Street is her debut novel. With a master’s degree in creative writing, Ashley teaches literature and writing courses at the University of West Florida. Ashley has been an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers for almost a decade. She lives with her husband, son, and two rescued Cocker Spaniels off Florida’s Gulf Coast. When she’s not writing, she’s rescuing stray animals, dreaming of Charleston, and drinking all the English breakfast tea she can get her hands on.
Find Ashley Clark online at:
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About Paint and Nectar
In 1929, a spark forms between Eliza, a talented watercolorist, and William, a charming young man with a secret that could ruin her career. Their families forbid their romance because of a long-standing feud over missing heirloom silver. Still, Eliza and William’s passion grows despite the barriers, causing William to deeply regret the secret he’s keeping . . . but setting things right will come at a cost.
In present-day Charleston, a mysterious benefactor gifts Lucy Legare an old house, along with all the secrets it holds–including enigmatic letters about an antique silver heirloom. Declan Pinckney, whom Lucy’s been avoiding since their disastrous first date, is set on buying her house for his family’s development company. As Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, its garden, and the silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history’s sake but also for her own.
Find Paint and Nectar online at:
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