"Paint and Nectar" by Ashley Clark - Heirloom Secrets, book 2

In 1929, a spark forms between talented watercolorist Eliza and William, a charming young man who has been hired to forge her popular paintings. Her aunt makes it clear Eliza should stay away from him because of a feud over missing heirloom silver. But the source of the rivalry was long ago, and the two fall in love. William regrets the job that desperation led him to take and their families' ongoing bitterness, but setting things right comes at a cost. In present-day Charleston, Lucy Legare has just inherited an old house along with all the secrets it holds, possibly including an old silver heirloom. Declan Pinckney is determined to buy the house for his family's development company. But as Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, garden, and silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history's sake but also for her own.

As is often the case with two storylines, I confess to finding myself more invested in one than the other--in this case, the historical timeline more than the contemporary. How can one resist a forger falling in love with the artist he's forging? I was actually quite surprised by how their story turned out, especially given the way facts revealed in the contemporary timeline made things appear for a while!

I did struggle to understand the exact connections between storylines. It's probably more my fault than the author's--I was pretty exhausted when I read the book (and fell asleep for a while about a third of the way in), and I suspect it strongly affected my comprehension. I also might have been more invested if I knew anything about Charleston or antique silver. But as an artist who loves botanicals, I most certainly appreciated Eliza's occupation and subject matter!

I enjoyed all the connections to The Dress Shop on King Street--while I don't think one would have to read that book first, there are a lot more connections than I anticipated between the two stories. It makes me wonder if book 3 will be so thoroughly intertwined as well! I recognized a bit of set-up for it, especially near the end.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Heirloom Secrets
1. The Dress Shop on King Street
2. Paint and Nectar