The Portrait

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic read...(4 1/2 stars)
Review: "The Portrait" was so absolutely different than anything I have ever read. It tells the story of Imogene and Jonas. Imogene has felt invisible her entire life. To gain acceptance of her father, she decides to enroll in an art class. The instructor of this class is Jonas. Jonas has a fear of abandonment due to his manic behavior caused by a mental illness. No one in his life has stood by him. No matter what they promise, they all eventually leave...until Imogene. Watching Imogene and Jonas come together had me flipping the pages like mad to get to the ending. This book was truly unputdownable. I loved Imogenes tenacity and I adored Jonas as well, although, I must admit that Im not sure Id have the strength to be in a relationship with him. All in all, this book, even though not quite a 5 star read for me...is definitely a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic read...(4 1/2 stars)
Review: "The Portrait" was so absolutely different than anything I have ever read. It tells the story of Imogene and Jonas. Imogene has felt invisible her entire life. To gain acceptance of her father, she decides to enroll in an art class. The instructor of this class is Jonas. Jonas has a fear of abandonment due to his manic behavior caused by a mental illness. No one in his life has stood by him. No matter what they promise, they all eventually leave...until Imogene. Watching Imogene and Jonas come together had me flipping the pages like mad to get to the ending. This book was truly unputdownable. I loved Imogenes tenacity and I adored Jonas as well, although, I must admit that Im not sure Id have the strength to be in a relationship with him. All in all, this book, even though not quite a 5 star read for me...is definitely a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Painfully accurate
Review: I know three manic-depressive people and I have to say that the male lead in this book is an accurate representation of the illness. Seeing things (the illness) through his eyes helped me be more understanding about manic-depression; to see how the person really feels when going through the different stages. the author really did a wonderful job with this. My only complaint is that the story could've been longer. I think she could've drawn out more how the illness developes in stages. The romance itself I think could've also used more explanation, like why she could love this man after all she had seen of him-after only a few weeks! I do think she was a strong character, just what he needed.
Try reading 'Beyond Seduction' by Emma Holly for another male hero that is deeper than he looks ;)

Rating:
Summary: An interesting love story
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were different and interesting. Imogene wasn't the usual timid woman and Ms. Chance certantly took risks when she wrote the character for Jonas. This book showed the dark side of the artist, along with the good side. Excellent writing.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Romance of the Atypical
Review: If you're looking for a darker, angsty read of the unusual, this romance is one of the most beautifully written pieces of the genre. A keeper for me. Yes, Imogene wants Jonas to teach her art, but he also teaches her about courage and strength, and in return Imogene teaches the bipolar Jonas about trust and love. Set in the early 1900s, this novel is an amazing testament to Megan Chance's skillful ability to craft realistic characters.

Rating:
Summary: Madness, Art and Passion
Review: Jonas Whitaker is an artist with a studio in New York where he paints, carouses and sometimes teaches students. He has a powerful patron who has promoted him to the position of prominence he holds at the time the books opens. He is also alienated from his family because he suffers from a condition that today would be termed bi-polar disorder or manic-depression. In the 19th century it was simply madness.

Imogene Carter is the daughter of a wealthy dilatante artist who lives in Nashville (the Athens of the South). Her sister had been a talented young artist, but her sister had died. In an effort to please her father, Imogene has come to New York, where her godfather has secured for her a place among Jonas Whitaker's students.

The depiction of someone suffering a bi-polar disorder is very realistic. Chance does an excellent job of portraying a three dimensional couple with real problems that must be overcome. It's a particular pleasure to see Imogene realize and resolve her own issues with her family.

If you enjoy iconoclastic romances this is definitely a book to treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Madness, Art and Passion
Review: Jonas Whitaker is an artist with a studio in New York where he paints, carouses and sometimes teaches students. He has a powerful patron who has promoted him to the position of prominence he holds at the time the books opens. He is also alienated from his family because he suffers from a condition that today would be termed bi-polar disorder or manic-depression. In the 19th century it was simply madness.

Imogene Carter is the daughter of a wealthy dilatante artist who lives in Nashville (the Athens of the South). Her sister had been a talented young artist, but her sister had died. In an effort to please her father, Imogene has come to New York, where her godfather has secured for her a place among Jonas Whitaker's students.

The depiction of someone suffering a bi-polar disorder is very realistic. Chance does an excellent job of portraying a three dimensional couple with real problems that must be overcome. It's a particular pleasure to see Imogene realize and resolve her own issues with her family.

If you enjoy iconoclastic romances this is definitely a book to treasure.

Rating:
Summary: A touch of ivory, burnt umber..a small pool of Naples yellow
Review: There are often times when I question a writer's decisions...why did she say that?..why did she let that happen?....there were no such times in this book. Not once did I question a sentence, a word, an emotion, an action. This book read like poetry. It was intriguing from start to finish. We were taken on a coaster ride through the cold, dark world of a madman and the cold, dark streets of nineteenth century Greenwhich Village.

This was a captivating read and definitely worth more than its 5 star status.

Rating:
Summary: A touch of ivory, burnt umber..a small pool of Naples yellow
Review: There are often times when I question a writer's decisions...why did she say that?..why did she let that happen?....there were no such times in this book. Not once did I question a sentence, a word, an emotion, an action. This book read like poetry. It was intriguing from start to finish. We were taken on a coaster ride through the cold, dark world of a madman and the cold, dark streets of nineteenth century Greenwhich Village.

This was a captivating read and definitely worth more than its 5 star status.