Heartbreak. Young love. A dark secret that tore them apart. The end was just the beginning. A heartbroken girl who lost her dream moves home again, only to face starvation and eviction when she can't find work. Until an add for a body painter comes up and she jumps at the chance for work. Even if she does not meet all the requirements. Enter the body painter, who just happens to be the boy that broke her heart and destroyed the life she dreamed they would have. Of course he still hates her. He wants her to leave. He still holds a secret. A secret he will do anything to protect her from. Even at the cost of his own heart. But he never could resist her. Their connection is still there. The lust is overpowering and no matter how many times he tells her to stay away, he does not have it in him to not give in. Just once. That's what they all say! Once will never be enough. Until it all comes crashing down on them and an end you never could have imagined will destroy them. If they let it.
This ends on a cliffhanger, so be forewarned! I loved every minute of it and cannot wait for the final book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It actually took me half of the book for me to get really invested in the story. The push-pull between Gil and Olin is somewhat tiring and after some time, it becomes repetitive. It was like, 'Here we go again. She's after him, he's going to push her away. Any minute now....there ya go.'

But after their back story got more and more revealing, not to mention it gets more and more disgusting, I find myself more and more hook and invested in Gil. It was difficult and heartbreaking to read but that was exactly what I was expecting from Pepper Winters. Heck, if I want to just read about macho hero treated the heroine badly just because he can, I'd pick up a Mills & Boons.

Heartache, anguish, angst are what I look for in Pepper Winters's novel. And I definitely got all three in The Body Painter.

But of course, the story ends in a cliffhanger. I should have expected that. Silly me, I didn't.

YAAAASSSSS!!!!! I really loved this one! PEPPER IS BACK! OMG I wasnt expecting a certain scene to happen, but since I have no limits I went into this blind. I was even avoiding teasers etc. Im so glad that the entire book wasn't past/present alternating chapters. I think this one worked very well in that format. Pepper knows how to write some tortured heroes, and I feel for Gil! I just hope Olin finds out! And those last 2 pages, its a cliffy I'm sure to remember when book 2 hits.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In the course of two trips to the Craig Tracy Gallery in New Orleans, I’ve acquired four signed lithographs that are prominently hanging in various rooms of my house. So you can imagine how excited I was to see an erotic romance take on the world of body painting. The colors and textures of body painting are so sensual that it seemed like a match made in Heaven.

The Body Painter, however, is not a soft and sensual book. It’s dark and raw. In fact, this novel ought to have a content/trigger warning associated with it because of one of the particularly rough scenes. (It’s central to the novel, so I won’t spoil it.) The art is a device for the two main characters to meet, but it takes a back seat after that. There are two or three scenes that attempt to make the art come alive, but those feel drowned out by all the drama between the two characters.

This novel read very quickly because it was so repetitive. Basically the male character is holding secrets; the female character wants him to let her in; the male character pushes her away; the female character wins her way back in. But the male character is still holding secrets, so the cycle starts over again. Done right, the cycle could have been a very seductive dance of seven veils that built and released suspense over the course of the novel. But the cycles were so quick and frequent in this novel that, rather than build the suspense, the back and forth between the two main characters in the present became tiresome. My eyes started to skip over these exchanges.

I really disliked how the novel ended. To my mind, the ending was worse than a deus ex machina resolution. The ending resolved nothing: it just bought the author more time to let things play out in another book. With a sharper pencil, this sincerely could have been just one phenomenally mind blowing novel. Instead, it feels very thinly spread with a lot of filler. But that’s not going to stop me from reading the next installment. I have a feeling how it’s all going to work out in the end (it is a romance after all) but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to take the ride.

I received this book as a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book and only had a vague idea on what it was about and holy wow did it take on a ride. This book had me hooked from the start and it had enough mystery and suspense to keep me reading until the end. I NEED the rest of Gil and Olins story, I need their final story.

I feel like I have been waiting for this book for so so long and the blurb was so amazing it set my expectations way high. I was expecting a dark romance with an artistic world build with a tortured dark hero and while I got some of that, the rest was missing. First the whole premise of being an artist and the uniqueness of being a body painter was completely missing from this story. Gil could have been a landscaper and the story would have read the same.

My biggest issue with this book is that it became too repetitive. I get the author wanted to build the suspense and leave you wondering WHAT IS HAPPENING? But she absolutely let it go on too long. The back and forth between Gil and Olin was great... until it wasn’t. By the 20th version of “leave and never come back” I was like ENOUGH ALREADY. It was pretty clear after about the 50% mark what the twist was going to be and after the strawberry smell it became more apparent that there was only one thing that would cause Gil to act the way towards Olin.

The authors writing was poetic and beautiful S always but the story pacing completely took me out of it. I wanted more substance instead of the same rinse repeat. It made the big reveals fall flat because I was already exhausted.

Perhaps I had too high expectations, perhaps the blurb was misleading but overall I felt disappointed. I will 100% read more by this author. But this just wasn’t that book I had hoped for.

** ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **

The Body Painter is another gut wrenching book from this great author, as usual there were times reading this story my heart was almost beating out of my chest.
This book follows the rekindling of a relationship between Gil a loner and his classmate Olin. Told in dual perspectives past and present it’s a brilliant and twisted tale. Ending in a cliff hanger leaving me almost throwing my kindle on the floor, as with a Boy and his Ribbon I’ve been left bereft unable to await the next in the series.
A wonderful read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I can't wait for the sequel to this book! Pepper Winters never fails to weave a brilliant story! It's, dark, erotic, raw. Just everything. Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

4.25stars--THE BODY PAINTER is the first instalment in Pepper Winters’ contemporary, adult MASTER OF TRICKERY erotic, dark, romantic thriller focusing on body painter Gilbert ‘Gil’ Clark, and Olin Moss.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Gil and Olin), using present day and memories from the past, THE BODY PAINTER follows the rekindling relationship between high school friends Gilbert ‘Gil’ Clark, and Olin Moss. Gil Clark was a loner; a young man whose life was spiralling out of control and the only bright light in his otherwise dark work was classmate Olin Moss. Olin knew something wasn’t right at home where is concerned Gil Clark but her heart wanted more for the young man whose aura screamed heart break and pain. But one night would change everything pushing Olin Moss out of Gil Clark’s life, a night that would control Gil’s future, and all that he touched.

Gil Clark’s life has never been easy, and discovering his new ‘canvas’ was the girl he had always loved found Gil caught between head and heart in order to protect the people he loved. As Gil’s life continues to circle the proverbial drain, Olin will be pulled into a nightmare not of her making.

THE BODY PAINTER is an emotional, dark, raw and heart breaking story of one man’s battle to survive in a world that is continuously threatening to take him down. A history tormented by betrayal and abuse, Gil is unable to let go of the chains that bind him to the sins of the past. A bit of a Pollyanna, Olin is desperate to save the boy/man that she never stopped loving but saving herself should be her first priority. Pepper Winter’s writes a gritty, abrasive and tragic tale about an ill-fated friendship with disturbing consequences. THE BODY PAINTER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.



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If you've read anything by Pepper Winters, you know what you're in for. If you have not had the chance prior to The Body Painter, you're in for a rollercoaster of emotions. I couldn't put this book down. Right from the start, I was thinking to myself "what will the end be???" and I cannot wait for the sequel. Olin was an incredibly strong and relatable character. Gil was a great contrast to her, and the two of them together was amazing.

I should've kept scrolling past the advertisement. I should've applied for the boring receptionist job at minimum wage.
should've clicked on any other job where I got to keep my clothes on. But I didn't. I applied. My interview is tomorrow.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. Pepper Winters is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

Super steamy, intriguing premise, not something I'd recommend besides to readers of erotic romance who already deeply immersed in the genre.

4 1/2 "broken" stars

“If you knew me, you’d run from me.” His voice thickened. “You should run. Please, God. Run.”

Oh Ms. Winters, that wasn't very nice....holy crap! I'm so twisted up right now that I can hardly see straight...

I found this to be an extremely creative and twisty storyline. I love the originality. Gil drove me a bit nuts with his back and forth actions with Olin but once some of his history was revealed, it made more sense to me. Then there is Olin. She's had a crappy life. Her parents were basically too busy living their own lives to ever be parents. Who knows where they are now. The only person who ever really seemed to care about her at one point was Gil and he ended up breaking her heart too. Now he's back in her life but he's not the same. One thing is the same though, they still have a burning attraction for each other.

“Congratulations, Gilbert, you’re successfully the only man who’s broken my heart. Twice.”

Olin and Gil were the epitome of star-crossed lovers. It truly does appear that the universe is against them because nothing has ever gone their way. They say timing is everything. Well, that is so true in this situation for sure. Their timing sucks big time. There is just so much hurt between them. They are undoubtedly in love but they aren't together. Why?! The explanations elude us for the majority of the story. As we get closer to the end of the book a few of the puzzle pieces start to fit together but the whole picture still isn't there. Then Ms. Winters drops the atomic bomb....yep...I'm blown away. Please write faster and give us book two as quickly as possible. I'm in agony...I need to know what happens next.

*I should probably note there are some intense scenes that could require trigger warnings for sensitive readers.*

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Ms. Winters for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hmmm,well I really have no real feelings about this book, the writing was really good but the story p!it left me wanting a bit more.
I kept waiting for Olin to "grow a pair" and leave the pathetic body painter alone in his own

Three and a half
This is the first in what appears to be a duology and it’s every bit as twisted as Tears of Tess which was such a groundbreaking story. Here we meet Olin who is down on her luck and desperate enough to respond to an advert for a life model. The artist turns out to be Gil the boy who broke her heart at school but amidst the turmoil of meeting again Olin discovers that Gil has dark secrets and now they are putting Olin in danger !
This was beautiful, twisted, frustrating and everything I’ve come to expect from this talented author. The constant push pull routine between the couple could give anyone whiplash but the tension and suspense was flawless. Yes I had a slight idea but the ultimate revelation on the last page was absolutely jaw dropping ! Expect insane chemistry, emotional prose, flashbacks that truly do enhance everything and a dark underbelly to the story that’s insanely chilling. My only regret is that I just didn’t actually like Gil and yes I know he’s torn and at a crossroads but at times he felt so weak particularly when compared to Olin and everything she has survived. Not my favourite book by this author but one I’m sure many will be desperate to read.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This is so much more than I thought it was going to be. The Body Painter, the advertisement, was fate and started a chain reaction. I don't know how to say any more without spoiling things, as the only blurb is just the ad and her reaction to it.

I will say it focuses on Gil and Olin, second chances, and has a feeling of unease and suspense throughout. Gil is a wall of secrets and a tormented soul. Olin has always had to be strong, independent, but she only has eyes for one man. This ends on a tortured note leaving you with so many questions and worries. I loved it.