REVIEW: Artful Lies by Jodi Ellen Malpas

In Artful Lies (Hunt Legacy Duology #1) by Jodi Ellen Malpas, Eleanor Cole moved to London from a sleepy little English village after a couple of life-changing events left nothing for her in her hometown. And while she loves the energy of the city, finding a job hasn’t been easy. Especially in the antiques field. After losing a job opportunity for being late, thanks to a jerk who steals her cab out from under her nose, Eleanor gets offered the chance of a lifetime: to work for the world-renowned Hunt Corporation. It is *the* place to get rare artifacts. And it just so happens to be run by a mysterious, handsome-as-sin man named Becker Hunt. The very man who left Eleanor standing on a London sidewalk when he stole her cab.

“What?” Becker throws his hands up in the air. “You want her?” he asks seriously. Winston growls, making Becker take a wary step back, a stunned look on his face. It’s hysterical… He’s in a full-blown row with his dog…over me.

Unsure if she’ll be able to get along with fussy, overbearing Becker, Eleanor becomes set on proving herself, considering this is otherwise her dream job. The antiques are exquisite, her coworkers helpful, and she even wins the heart of Becker’s grumpy English Bulldog, Winston. But things get complicated fast. Because for as much as Becker seems to have a penchant for yelling and bossing her around, Eleanor can also see the desire in his eyes. After all, it matches her own. It leaves her in a weird predicament, not knowing if she should accept Becker’s interest in her or if she should heed everyone’s warning and keep things professional between them–before she loses her heart to a man who can’t love her back.

‘It’s as though until now, my life has suffocated me. Stifled me. But somehow, this dirty, controlling, sexy man is breathing much-needed air into me.’

Artful Lies was intense in every wonderful sense of the word. From the inescapable attraction between Becker and Eleanor to their hilarious debates–and the lengths they went to proving a point–readers won’t help but feel the powerful draw between them.

“Don’t fall in love with me, princess,” he whispers. “Because I’d hate myself forever if I hurt you.”

I was over the moon to see Jodi Ellen Malpas had a new duet of books coming out. If you’ve read her work before then you know how seductive and thrilling her stories are as well as how genuine her characters seem. Becker, Eleanor, and the rest of the quirky-cool cast kept me entertained, that’s for sure. It was our hero (or anti-hero?) who…well, I had reservations about. It’s not that I disliked Becker. I liked him, especially the more layers of his personality Eleanor peeled back as they fell for each other. I think it was more that I couldn’t really get a good grasp on Becker’s true intentions–and that he was SO very hot and cold. “Mr Mercurial” as JEM described him. Maybe also because this was only told from Eleanor’s POV, so we never got to see inside Becker’s head. But by the end of the book I was pretty well sold on him as a match for Eleanor.

Speaking of Eleanor, she was an exceptional heroine. And where this story had a bit of an Indiana Jones vibe to it, being that it was about rare antiques and artifacts and the hunt for them, she even reminded me of the feisty heroines in the movies. I so loved that Eleanor wasn’t afraid in the least to stand up to the formerly untouchable Becker. She argued, played his mind games brilliantly, and wrapped him around her finger with finesse–as she did with his adorable English Bulldog, Winston. But she was also a truly nice, kind person trying to do the right thing. And that’s when things got murky for Eleanor, as Becker’s world was not always black and white, putting them both in harm’s way at times.

I will caution readers that Artful Lies ended on quite the cliffhanger. One that potentially changes the whole dynamic between Becker and Eleanor. So for those of you who like to read a duet/trilogy all at once, Wicked Truths is scheduled to be released in November 2020.

Jodi Ellen Malpas brought to life on the pages one of her most enigmatic heroes to date in Artful Lies, where deception and danger met scintillating romance.

Book Info:

Publication: Published April 30th 2020 | by Jodi Ellen Malpas Ltd | Hunt Legacy Duology #1

A brand new irresistible and passionate romance from the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series

An irresistible connection, a desire that won’t let go…

When aspiring antiques dealer Eleanor Cole is handed the chance of a lifetime to work for the Hunt Corporation, the renowned antiques dealers, she doesn’t think twice. Only to discover she’ll be working up close and personal with the notorious and insanely irresistible Becker Hunt. He is a man famous for getting what he wants, and Becker wants Eleanor.

But as Becker pulls her deeper into his world, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye.

And falling for Becker goes from being foolish to dangerous…

Move over Jesse Ward and Christian Grey, it’s time to fall in love with Becker: the ultimate alpha hero!