Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Olin starts the book off by answering an ad for a living canvas body model when she discovers she knows the artist. Gil, the lead male has tortured soul down to a T and just about kills us with how many times he tells Olin... no or gtfo. Book has a huge elephant in the room but author doesn’t give an inch.

What did I like? I liked Gil in his younger years but adult Gil is anything but good. Since he tells Olin to GTFO eight million times I guess we can really say that she only has herself to blame. We get it, you loved Gil in high school and he needed fixing so Olin charges to the rescue but adult Olin is a freaking doormat. The ping pong relationship that Gil and Olin have is bordering on insanity on both their parts. It was truly annoying to watch them go back and forth about a giant elephant that nobody knows what the hell is going on.

Would I buy this book? Clearly my low rating is a downer and I love it when the author drags a tortured soul out for us to find some redemption but Olin and Gil had zero chemistry. I’m just shocked the author stayed this route because if it was torture to read, it had to be torture to write. I mean if I want frustration I have other avenues to get it.

Thoughts for the author? I wanted to quit this book through pretty much all of it. Even more so after that teacher chapter. I don’t even want part two. I have some love/hate relationship with your books but this one was definitely a hate.

3.5 stars

This is a story seeped in mystery and half truths, as a young couple fight the directions their lives have taken in hopes of finding their way back to one another.

I'll be honest, it took me a while to understand the direction of the story. Told in past and present, from two POVs, the author only feeds the reader bits and pieces as to why the H and h, Olin Moss and Gilbert "Gil" Clark, were no longer together. We don't actually get the answer until almost two-thirds of the way through, and the reason why is worse than I expected.

In the past, Olin and Gil are two young teenagers that form an unlikely friendship. Olin is popular. Gil is not. But it is Olin's kind heart that opens up to Gil and gives him comfort from his horrid home-life and not so stellar school-life. A friendship is formed, and there are hints that they want to take things further. But something gets in the way that spoils that chance.

In the present, Olin and Gil reunite as their worlds are falling apart. Olin's promising dance career has come to a tragic end and she's struggling financially. Gil may be having more success professionally as a talented body painter, but his personal life is a disaster. The frustrating part here is we don't know why.

The reunion between the two is far from pleasant, and there are pages and pages of the two fighting and ignoring the other's feelings. I could have done without these parts, especially when they are repeated so frequently within.

There are two huge twists in the book the explain why the couple were driven apart and what threatens them now. I actually figured out both before they were revealed, not sure if that was the author's intention. Either way . . . . *gags* . . . so disturbing. What I haven't figured out is the crime element of the story, which is brought up in small doses throughout the story. We aren't given much to this part of the storyline other than assuming Gil is somehow involved. How that plays out, along with the twist revealed at the end (yes, this ends in a cliffy), should be interesting.

I'm intrigued enough to continue the duet, but hope the back and forth bickering between this struggling couple, comes to an end.

The Body Painter was an expected hit for me. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of it, because Pepper Winters books can be dark at times. But, she really nailed these characters and their story!

This story has despair and agony, utter love and passion. But, WARNING- it does end in a cliff hanger, so be ready to wait for book 2!

This blurb gave me an idea of a cliché erotica to come in this book. Prologue was everything that can pique your interest and keep it there. It let you know that this book was much more than your usual erotica. I was prepared for a gripping tale of romance, passion and darkness to come.

Olin responded to an advertisement requiring a model for a body painting project, description of which is given in the blurb. She was almost broke and was grabbing at straws when this job opportunity came up. Here’s when she met Gil, a tortured, injured but extremely talented body painter and the source of the advertisement. Gil and Olin had a troubled history with high school romance filled with stolen touches, deep caresses and intense feelings. Their relation ended abruptly for some inexplicable reasons but Olin’s love for Gil never died.
When faced with the demons of Gil’s past in the face of Olin, he was intent on saving her from brutality of his present. There was too much pain and too much history between them and the monsters in Gil’s closet didn’t do him any favors.

You can fault Pepper Winters for anything but her writing. She is flawless in expressing her characters. She’ll force you to live with them, feel them and entirely new world. This was a cliffhanger and we’ll continue with Gil and Olin’s journey in the second installment of the series. This book left us with too many questioned unanswered, too many puzzled unsolved and too many secrets unrevealed. Shadows will be illuminated, bonds will be tested, mysteries will be unraveled and an unknown future will unfold in the conclusion of this story.

This is my first pepper winters book. My first impression began with the cover, it just drew me in. I had heard so much about this book I was so excited to get it from netgalley.
A second chance darker romance is a little different of a read for me. It was a really good book it had angst and suspense, I didn’t liked some of the repetition, I felt like I was reading in circles at times.

The emotions and actions of both Olin and Gil were very complex and I really enjoyed that. And oh my just when you can’t put it down, BOOM cliffhanger,!

Thank you pepper winters and netgalley I can’t wait for book two in Master of Trickery Duet

4 1/2 Stars! A dark romance!

Olin was Gil's only friend in high school while Olin was a rich popular girl with many friends. As their friendship went on, Olin became more attached to Gil and was broken-hearted when he broke up with her. This break-up would change both their lives and when they accidentally meet again 7 years later their worlds will explode.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book because Ms. Winter's books always leave me with a WTF! I really liked it even though I had a big problem with the way that Gil treated Olin. I just wanted to say to her "let that a$$hole go ... he doesn't want you ... get over him!" But as the story went on, I began to feel sorry for Gil because I just knew it was gonna be something big that was making him the way he was. And even though at the end we kinda know what happened to him, I know there is just sooo much more that we will get in the second book. And it's just not fair that now we have to wait till November 15th to find out the answers!

I received a copy courtesy of the author through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

The Body Painter was so good to read! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I couldn't put it down. Their story was both tragic and wonderful and I can't wait to read what happens next!

ARC provided by Netgalley through Xpresso Book Tours!!

3.50 Stars

Let me start out by saying that Pepper Winters is one author I love to read. This book was one that I found took me awhile to get through it. There was just to much back and forth with the main characters that I would skim over most of their conversations. The idea behind the book was great and heartbreaking. I just couldn't stand that Olin let Gil talk and treat her like that without standing up for herself. The scenes when they are "together" were hot and the times when Gil actually showed emotion for his "O" was amazing. I really want to read the second book( I have a feeling that it might be a lot better than this one) so I can see how these two will end up.

As she always does, Pepper has created an incredible story of two people meant to be together, yet torn apart by their past and a secret. Olin and Gil have known each other since high school and formed a bond that no one could break. That is until Gil disappears from her life, never to be heard from again and with no explanation as to why.  Fast forward to years later when Olin is desperate for work, applies for a job as a model for a body painter and finds herself face to face with the man who broke her heart all those years ago. Now that she's found him, will she get the answers her heart has been longing for? What she didn't know was that Gil's past is closing in on them and now that she's found him, there is no escape. Left on a major cliffhanger, I can't wait to devour the rest of this dark, yet beautiful story!

3.5 Stars! I don’t know what to think after finishing this. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I struggled really struggled to keep going with the story. Which is not how I feel when I read a book by Pepper. Why did I struggle? Because I was getting very frustrated with the push and pull of these two and it was repetitive a lot.

Gil and Olin have a past. Meeting in high school they soon become the calm to each other’s storms. She’s the sweet, pretty and popular girl whose desperately lonely. He’s the loner who fades into the shadows. His home life is a torment and the only bright to the dark is the girl he watches. Olin. She befriends him and soon they connect in ways neither has ever felt. But with the good comes the bad. Demons for Gil and heartbreak for Olin. Fast forward seven years and Olin stumbled into Gil’s life again. Except it’s far from a reunion she envisioned it would ever be. Gil is not Gil anymore.

Told from dual POV’s, going back and forth between past and present, we see how they begin and how they reconnect. I hated both characters at times. Gil is moody and sways from loving her to hating her at the drop of a hat. Olin just takes everything he does to her and keeps pushing for more. I wanted to smack both of them numerous times. Gah!!

But here it is plainly stated, the first 60% is where I really struggled. Once I got past that then it was game on and felt like a Pepper book too me. It reeled me in and the ending left me wanting to read the next book.

I know that this is my opinion and there will be some who absolutely love this and some who hate it. I’m right in the middle. I will be reading the conclusion because of the last part of the story, which I hope is how the next story goes.

I love Pepper’s stories so this was a hard one to feel this way. I do love the cover and blurb was what pulled me in right away. Don’t let my opinion stop you from reading this because it could be a five star read for you. It’s full angst, suspense and steamy encounters.

Okay so this one was a complicated and at times frustrating story. Definitely not your average romance that's for sure. I was 100% absorbed in the story from beginning to end. I had moments when I wanted to throw my kindle and others where my heart hurt.

Olin and Gil were VERY complicated characters and their motivations and emotions were seriously complex.

I am definitely hooked on their story and can't wait for book 2.

3 stars
Broken people seem to be like magnets to each other. They try to pull away, sometimes practically destroying themselves and others, only to find their way back to the one they are destined to be with.

But with all this push/pull in the mix and back and forth without much movement to release the pain and frustration, it can be a hard read until the last half or so.

Pepper Winters is an accomplished writer and she has an idea of where she is taking this tale...We will have to see what the outcome is in the final book.

This is a duet so it ended with a cliffhanger.
Olin Moss has big dream to be a dancer but her plan was disrupted – she is emotionally and physically scarred. Now living back home in England, she is barely making rent so when an ad for a job came up she did not hesitate to apply. Said job is a living canvas…naked! What happened when she came face to face with her new boss Gil Clark aka the man who broke her heart seven years prior?
I love the unique plot. The story is intense, steamy, suspense, mysterious full of betrayal and lies. I thought the pace is a bit slow and the dialogues are repetitive at times, but I feel that is partly due to the hero self-destructive nature and the persistent heroine. The hero is troubled, flawed, broken. The heroine is also imperfect but she is sweet, caring, trustworthy (to the point of putting her life in danger). She is relentless, determined to help Gil even though he is hell-bent on believing he is undeserving of love or life. Gil has a pretty good reason though (that’s the twist). I am eager to find out what happen next and if they will have a happily-ever-after at all. The Body Painter is not lovey-dovey romance. Angsty, sexy, complicated.

I love second chance romance and this book seemed to be just perfect for me.
I enjoyed this book with all the angst and suspense, the characters are reliable and I need more of them.
I didn’t liked some repetition of the same thoughts but putting it in other words and at times it felt like stalling for me as well as some other times it felt too rushed.
I must admit that it’s my first book by the author and i’ve heard so much about her that I just needed to read at least one book but it won’t be my last.

This is a really difficult review to write because I really am not even sure what to think after reading the book. The Body Painter is definitely a mysterious and darker read, which I don't have an issue with. I think I generally found the story interesting and I was curious to see where the story was going to go and what was going on with Gil, however, my issues were mainly that the first half of this book was petty slow and it dragged out too much. I find this author to be far too wordy for me. I think this story could have been told far more effectively much shorter and with fewer words. I can usually read a book a day and this book took me like four days to get through, and not necessarily because it was longer, but just because it was so wordy and not in a good way. It just kind of took away from the story. I found myself really invested in the last 10% of the book and so excited to finally see how it was going to end, only to find out that it is a cliffhanger, which is my fault, as I wasn't aware it was part of a duet. So while it ended on a cliffhanger, although I wasn't super suprised at the "surprise", I am not sure I would read book two just because I felt like this story was way too drawn out. I also didn't quite relate to either character. Olin seems to have no sense of personal safety and seems totally okay with throwing herself in danger for someone she used to love, who keeps telling her to stay away from him. While I think a lot could have been done with this story line, it has missed the mark for me sadly.

Wow did I love this book! The romance and the suspense just made me keep reading. I had to look up this author because this is my first book by her. I highly recommend this book.

My racing heart!

Another great unique story from Pepper! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her stories and her writing. She is a master at giving you all the feels. Her stories are always very character driven and this dual POV story has you invested into both characters equally. The beginning of the story for me seemed slow, though I would never not finish a book of Pepper's I did have to take breaks and come back. A quarter of the way through I was absolutely hooked and this book turned into rapid pace. One of the characters is shrouded in mystery but ever so slowly (very slowly) you start to learn pieces of his past to explain why he is broken. The slow burn of his past literally has your heart racing. The story does leave you frustrated at the end because the entire past isn't going to be revealed in book #1 so I am very impatiently waiting for book #2 and I hope I am lucky enough to score an early ARC.

I loved this book.
I love Pepper Winters.
She is my absolute favorite guilty pleasure author and read. If I ever want to indulge myself into some troubled men / troubled women I ALWAYS go to her— her writing never fails me.

I love how Pepper creates the relationships that she does. The heart-wrench filled / angst filled ones. The troubled boy, the troubled girl. The troubled past. I LOVE THE TROUBLE! LOL! Give me all of your turmoil and trouble, Pepper! I’m stingy.

I also really loved how Pepper created such dynamic characters and I think the use of her dual first person POV helps with that immensely. Getting the past and present and the girls POV and the boys really helped build this story into what it was. The writing and time-line building was genius.

Not only allll of that— but her story line is completely original. I loved the entire concept and felt the characters filled their parts perfectly. The way these character shift and change, really kept me flipping the pages.

If this book surprised me the way that it did. I can only IMAGINE what the next book will do to me. RUIN MY LIFE, PEPPER! Do it. I dare you.

WARNING Major Cliff Hanger and revelations grace the last few pages. This is my first reading of Pepper Winters' work. The two main characters in Master of Trickery - The Body Painter are Gil and Olin. They start out as two teenagers trying to fit in and finding their soul mates in each other. But... whereas Olin is Light; Gil is Dark. Reader cannot help but be in love with Olin and all of her empathy for others. Gil really switches from a poor abused teen to an abused adult with SECRETS too horrible to reveal to Olin. There are some sexual scenes along with a very graphic violent scene that made this reader shiver. When #2 comes out I will put everything else down I am reading and jump into it immediately. "A copy of this book was provided by author via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

The Body Painter is the first half of Pepper Winters Master of Trickery duology and as I have come to expect from this author, the story is a twisted account of the darker side of life, and the angst, danger and emotional turmoil suffered by the main characters. Gil and Olin have intense chemistry, but the push/pull relationship is somewhat unnerving. So while this is not my favourite story by this author, it definitely lives up to the expectations of a chilling reality and a jaw-dropping close. I’ll anxiously await the final conclusion.