Art of Affection

Love, California Style #3

by Ellen Butler

Holly Hartland has spent the last year in Los Angeles finalizing her divorce from an abusive husband and getting her career as an art gallery curator back on track while trying to raise her young daughter. She shares a nanny with LAPD detective Gary Sumner, whose wife ran off to France with another man, abandoning him and his daughter.

With full-time careers to juggle, Gary and Holly end up relying on each other to help keep watch over their girls, who’ve become fast friends. The platonic co-parenting roles they’ve adopted are perfect for two people who’ve sworn off romance, but the burgeoning sexual chemistry they share proves hard to ignore.

When a Christmas wish puts the children in danger, Holly and Gary are forced to set aside their trust issues and work as a real team to keep their families safe. But can they overcome their baggage enough to open up their hearts to love?

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

224 pages, ebook

Published August 24, 2015

About the author

Ellen Butler is bestselling novelist writing critically acclaimed suspense and award winning romance novels. Coming in May- the first Karina Cardinal Mystery, about a intelligent D.C. lobbyist with a sharp wit, and a curiosity to rival Jessica Fletcher into. Karina’s inquisitiveness pulls her into one adventure after another occasionally putting herself or those she loves into danger. Ellen is also the author of bestselling historical suspense, The Brass Compass about a beautiful American spy whose cover is blown behind enemy lines. She flees into the night, and on her own, she must live by her wits to evade capture and make it to the safety of the Allied forces. Ellen's award winning romances are from the Love, California Style series which includes Heart of Design, Planning for Love, and Art of Affection.

Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long list of writing for dry, but illuminating, professional newsletters and windy papers on public policy. The leap to novel writing was simply a creative outlet for Ellen’s overactive and romantic imagination to run wild.

Reviews

[Kristin Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was all sorts of AMAZING. I literally can not stop smiling at this story. This book was so full of love, healing, suspense, and it was just an over all feel good book.

I absolutely love Gary, he is this reliable detective with the cutest daughter..I don't know what it is about fictional single man with kids but ...SWOOON... Some of the things that Gary says is so freaken cute..

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you that , as my collleague pointed out. I've got it bad for you." He is just so cute.

I love Holly, she is one brave lady, with a heart of gold. There is a part in this book (don't want to give any spoilers) but a main part that I literally just feel hard for her, and loved the how unselfish she was.

I adore Holly and Gary's Neighbor to Friends to Lovers to More story. It was so heartwarming and magical. OMG...and the girls... I just adore Annie and Eva they made this book that much better... Another great book from Ellen Butler.. I can not wait for more. Gosh I love this series so much...

[Llaph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly Hartland, a newly divorced mother, recently fled an abusive marriage and shares a nanny with her neighbor, Gary, who also has a daughter. At a party she sees a man snorting coke, reports him, and as he is being shown out, he vows payback. While at a different party she gets tipsy, loosening the strict control she has around Gary, making her more affectionate toward him. Does she really want to tempt fate and open her heart to another man?
Gary Sumner, an LAPD detective, is also recently divorced from a woman who abandoned him and his daughter. He believes that things are good enough as is, their foursome a convenient family and does not want to chance his heart again. The recent troubles Holly is going through, with the threats of dead rats and the vandalizing of her car has him questioning his stance on romance. His ex-wife is also trying to slip back into his life.
Their unique family is the perfect resolution for two people avoiding romance, but the intense sexual chemistry growing between them is hard to ignore. Shocking threats in the form of dead rats, the reappearance of a flighty ex-wife, and the disappearance of their daughters forces them to work together and face their trust issues. With each new crisis they grow closer together, the closeness chipping away at the shields each has about their hearts.
This story was a nice read, the characters had good depth to them, the romance was sweet and the sexual tension burning between Holly and Gary added some thrill into the mix. The pacing was spot-on, though the POV switches between Holly and Gary could be jarring at first. The story had a nice touch of suspense near the end which added a bit of spice to go along with the sweet romance between them. Though third in a series, this book can easily stand alone.

My review can be found @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third trip back to the Love California Style crew. I was pleased to once again receive a request from the author to review her new book. Holly is the sister of the heroine in book one, Heart of Design. We met Holly as well as LAPD detective Gary Sumner in that book, and they have come a long way since their introductions.

Holly and Gary are both single parents, doing without the assistance of the other parent, and each with a young daughter close in age. Since they have become neighbors and close friends, they have taken to co-parenting the girls together. Their girls share a nanny and practically live in each others homes, while Holly and Gary are each others sounding boards and confidante.

This book had the most action of the three, with a threat against Holly, a scare involving the girls, and a bit of a unique chase scene. Another thing different about this book from the other two, was the intensity of the scenes between Holly and Gary. There were a couple of scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, nervous about how things would play out. Plus to give a boost to all the feels happening, the story takes place in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The couples from the first two books were interwoven in this story, giving us a peek at how they are doing with their Happily Ever Afters, plus a special bodyguard come back to provide some help with the girls. I don't know if this will be the last story in the series, but it definitely wrapped things up nicely and was a wonderful closure to a storyline that begin in book one. I really liked this book and gave it 4 stars.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was a nice read, the characters had good depth to them, the romance was sweet and the sexual tension burning between Holly and Gary added some thrill into the mix. The pacing was spot-on, though the POV switches between Holly and Gary could be jarring at first. The story had a nice touch of suspense near the end which added a bit of spice to go along with the sweet romance between them. Though third in a series, this book can easily stand alone.
Llaph
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Dixie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Gary and Holly (well...especially Gary!) are so easy to like. They're real. They care deeply about each other and their kids. And that's just while they're best friends and neighbors! Hold onto your hat when they realize they've got a thing for each other! Add in a little danger and...WOW! I was up way too late last night because I couldn't put this book down. Ellen Butler knows how to write a story that satisfies!

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by JoAnne
Book provided by the publisher for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Gary and Holly are neighbors that depend on each other for help with their young daughters who act more like sisters than friends since they are always together. There is definitely an attraction but since he’s only divorced a year from his wife who was manic depressive and only thought about herself and she’s divorced for several after her husband ends up in jail as a result of his abuse and other criminal activity they are both gun shy. They are best friends but each is hoping for more without letting the other know. Watching their attraction grow but how they fought it was interesting. It was nice to see how they interacted as adults but also with both their daughters. There are a lot of family and friends that are always there for each other. Since this is the third book in the series, previous events are alluded to so I don’t feel totally lost but am missing key pieces since I haven’t read the first two books yet.

It was fun getting to know the characters even though there is always an undercurrent of danger. There are some shady characters that round out the story and are necessary in the telling. Sometimes civilians are pitted against law enforcement officers and things get dicey a time or two. There are a lot of emotions brought out due to various suspenseful activities. There are tears, sadness, loss, fear, anger, laughter, happiness and lots of love and loving. There is nice closure and several happily ever afters. The epilogue was a nice touch but short and sweet.

Butler is a new to me author. I will read the first two books in this series, Heart of Design and Planning for Love. I will be adding her other books to my always growing TBR pile.

Favorite Quote: “Do you think you and Daddy can get married? Then Eva and I can be real sisters and live in your house together.”

[Inishowen Cailín · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hoping that Gary and Holly would get their story. Planning for Love didn't have any suspense so I was pleased that there was an element of danger and suspense underpinning the story in Art of Affection.
The characters from the first two books also play a good role in supporting the story and providing entertainment.
Gary has more of a serious personality in comparison to Ian and Adam and so there is less comedy in Art of Affection than the previous two novels.
Holly, a strong character, is a survivor of domestic abuse and is good friends with her neighbour, Gary. They are both single parents and rely on each other a great deal. Their path to romance isn't straight forward though. First, things go awry at Ian and Sophie's party and some dangerous characters begin to make trouble. Someone is threatening Holly, Gary's ex-wife turns up with some dodgy friends, and eventually the children's lives are put at risk. It is a race against time to save them.
I loved the suspense filled action, the angst that Holly and Gary felt while hiding their true feelings for each other. The adorable little girls Eva and Annie tugged at my heartstrings and it was impossible not to root for these neighbours/friends to find love together and become a unified family.

This was a fantastic series and I enjoyed each book immensely. You can't go wrong in buying these books and they'd make a great present for a sister/mum/aunt. I'd recommend reading all three. Each one works as a stand alone but you'd really be missing out if you didn't get all three.
They are feel good romances with comedy and suspense. What more could a girl want?

There were two characters I'm hoping to see get their own stories- Poppy's blind date guy and her last internet date.

I'll definitely be following Ellen Butler's books from here on out.


I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review

[Heidi Sturgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back my friends !  How I have missed you♥

I've been following Poppy and her friends since "Heart of Design"

The last time I left Holly , she was getting a divorce from her abusive douchebag husband and working as a curator at an art gallery . If memory serves me right, she and Gary , neighbour and LAPD detective,share a nanny and their little girls Annie and Eva are joined at the hip ♥

Gary also has an ex wife that is a few beers short of a six pack!  Both Gary and Holly are fighting their feelings for one another as both are still recovering from the damage caused by their previous partners  but they can only fighting so long somewhere something or someone has to give  .

Here at 45%  my heart just about stops and I'm fighting a loosing battle with my ever productive tear ducts! 
Holly makes a monumental decision that could have a disastrous effect but her heart is in the right place , she has a heart filled with compassion and grace.

Ellen Butler , you've done it again !

Another ★★★★★ read.

Till next time Poppy,Adam,Holly ,Gary,Eva , Annie , Sophie , Ian and families ♥

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming romance that shares the story of Holly and Gary . . . and their families. It is the third in the series but makes a great standalone. It's the first I've read by Butler and I'd love to go back and read the stories of their friends (who are engaged or married in this book). Holly and Gary are both single parents and good friends but both have a lot of baggage in the form of exes. They struggle to overcome their fears, as well as deal with Gary's job as a cop, even as they realize their feelings for one another are blossoming into more than just helpful friends and neighbors. Butler uses an interesting writing style that blends narratives, switching from Holly's first person POV to Gary's third person POV to give the reader both sides of the story. It's a hard transition to pull off but it seems to work for Butler. There were one or two spots where the change jumped out at me but for the most part, it was seamless and didn't distract from the story itself. All in all, this book made me laugh and cry and--perhaps most importantly--made me feel like I had a new circle of friends!

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of Art of Affection in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Ellen Butler for the opportunity to read her work.

This was a great book. It was filled with romance and it was action packed too. In this book two unlikely, but yet likely, people meet, raise their girls, and eventually fall in love.

I really loved this book. Together Holly and Gary face real life challenges in raising their children. Then the unthinkable happens and together they deal and soon realize they are in love and have been for a long time.

Definitely a great installment in a great series....Stormi

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[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing read that will capture and pull at a reader’s heartstrings!

Read full review in the 2015 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review on Romancing-the-Book.com by clicking on the link below:

http://romancing-the-book.com/2015/08...