Artfully Yours

November 28, 2022
An art forger falls for the very critic who’s determined to expose her in this seductive Victorian romance from Lowell (The Runaway Duchess). Nina Finch never wanted to live a life of crime. Though she spends her days forging paintings with her brother, Jack, and selling them to esteemed (but gullible) lords and ladies, she secretly dreams of owning her own bakery. After Lord Alan De’Ath, a discerning art critic who’s built his career on sniffing out forgeries, declares one of Jack’s Rembrandts a fake and sets out to uncover whoever forged it, Jack and Nina are on the brink of being found out—until Alan offers Nina a job as his scribe. Nina accepts, hoping to use the position to throw Alan off their scent. Unaware Alan, meanwhile, is enchanted by his new hire’s looks and wit, and the pair grow closer as they work together. But can their relationship last when secrets are exposed and loyalties questioned? After a slow start, the cat-and-mouse tension between Nina and Alan keeps the pages turning while Lowell’s playful period language creates a strong sense of place. This cute, quippy romp is sure to win romance fans. Agent: Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary.

December 16, 2022

To earn the money to fund her own bakery, Nina Finch became an expert art forger under the tutelage of her art-forger brother. Nina is about ready to leave her life of crime when their work comes to the attention of London's best art critic, Lord Alan De'Ath. Nina fortuitously secures a position as the art critic's amanuensis in order to foil his attempt to find the source of the forgeries hanging in his brother's house. As they work together, Alan begins to see that Nina isn't who she seems, but she may also be the one to finally steal his heart. VERDICT This third installment in the "Duke Undone" series (following The Runaway Duchess) can stand alone and is recommended for those who enjoy steamy Victorian era-set stories that feature detailed careers and cross-class romances, or patrons looking for Elizabeth Everett read-alikes.--Elizabeth Gabriel

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2023
Lowell's latest historical romance, following The Runaway Duchess (2022), is a delight as her rich prose transports readers to the streets of Victorian London and into the world of art forger Nina Finch. Nina's talent is undeniable. She can paint as well as Rembrandt, but she never thought she'd be mimicking his work in the underworld of art forgery; she'd rather be in the countryside running a bakery. But her brother (the driver behind their operation) insists that he knows what's best for their future. Through a series of her brother's bad decisions, Nina finds herself face to face with the notorious art critic, Alan De'Ath. Desperate to keep him off their trail, she accepts a job in his employ. Nina pretends she knows nothing about art, but Alan isn't fooled and as he stokes her passions, she slowly opens up. The two are magnetically attracted, but how could Alan accept Nina if her background was revealed? A slowly paced start soon picks up, and readers are rewarded with multidimensional characters and an unusual and engrossing love story.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.