A good book has an impact on the reader, and this book will give you chills, thrills and more. Jules is a young, determined journalist, working for one of the best investigative journalists, Dan. When Dan is asked by his good friend Ellis to help recover a lost work of art stolen from his family by the Nazis, a long and challenging road begins. Danger is at every corner, not from descendants of the Nazis, but from a psychopath named Margaux. Although I really had disdain for Margaux, the story is extremely well written and there isn’t a slow moment in the book. I recommend to lovers of historical fiction and mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 ⭐️. An excellent read for fans of White Collar, art history, and investigative journalism. I was quickly invested in this story and enjoyed the ride.

Woman on Fire
by Lisa Barr
Pub Date: March 1, 2022
Harper
Now with Sharon Stone signed on to produce and star in the movie. From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece--forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth.
Thanks to the author, Harper, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Lisa Barr just keeps getting better and better! I love a good historical thriller so I am highly recommending this one! Woman on Fire is a clever, thrilling adventure with a touch of romance and a stunning historical backdrop that kept me fully invested from start to finish.
5 stars

Get your fan ready because Woman on Fire will make you feel the heat of the flames with each page you turn! And…I highly recommend turning off your tv, your phone and plan to lose yourself within this story. Ellis Baum is dying. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, he knows that time is running out to find a painting, Woman on Fire, that connects him to his past and more importantly the woman in the painting…his mother. But there’s a catch…it was the last known work of a famous artist, painted in 1939 and ultimately stolen by the Nazis. To help him find the painting, Ellis enlists the help of an investigative reporter and his protege as well as his artist grandson whose connections in the art world could help them track down the masterpiece. But there’s a catch…there’s a psychopath art dealer after the painting too. She’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants including using sex, lies, drugs, money and cold blood. I could tell you more…but you definitely want to read this captivating work of art!

Oh this book is great! Definitely one of my top reads so far this year! While it’s a work of fiction…it is important to know that Nazi theft of art was very real. Lots of pieces have been recovered but there are so many still missing despite the grand efforts of those trying to reunite stolen items with their rightful owners.

Do not hesitate to add this stunner to you TBR list!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and Lisa Barr for access to this awesome story. I loved every page!!

If you like historical fiction, you will love Woman on Fire. If you like thrillers, you will love Woman on Fire. If you like romance, you will probably also love Woman on Fire. Perhaps you’re sensing a theme?

Lisa Barr’s new release, Woman on Fire, has it all. Don’t wait on this one. It’s just that good, and, if fine art isn’t your thing, don’t let that worry you. Although the plot revolves around a stolen painting, you certainly don’t need to be an art lover to thoroughly enjoy Woman on Fire

Thank you for the opportunity to review. Link to 2/14/2022 post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbGA8j1LQji/

Brilliant and immensely entertaining! This WWII and art-themed thriller will undoubtedly be among my favorite reads of 2022. A truly sizzling, sexy, smart page-turner, this book is well researched and well written, with superb plotting and pacing. I couldn’t put it down. It also has every ingredient of an excellent novel, including psychopath villains and a relatable, ambitious and courageous Chicagoan girl next door protagonist. And I even learned a fair bit about the art world and the Nazi’s despicable looting of treasures during WWII. I loved this book! Four and a half stars. Many thanks to Harper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, though I actually read a paperback version I had purchased.

This was so good! I really loved this intriguing book. Woman on Fire is a heartbreaking novel rich in history, well developed characters and absolutely beautiful writing!

This book was as interesting as it was heartbreaking. The back stories bad me feeling all the feels! I loved getting lost in this powerful story of mystery, art, love, family drama, secrets and more.

Full of suspense, lies and twists that will keep you turning the pages, Woman on Fire is a must read!

𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙: Yes! ✅
𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 4.5/5
𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝘿𝙖𝙮: March 1, 2022 - out now!
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪: Harper Perennial for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sexy thriller that hinges around finding art the Nazis have looted 75 years ago. The female lead is a journalist on the hunt but we also have other characters such as Margeaux a sexy art gallerist who is equally invested in finding the painting. This is an interesting thriller that weaves historical fiction and a bit of sexy romance. There was a lot going on here and I recommend reading vs listening. Well written with a lot of sparks!

3.5ish rounded up to 4.

I actually ended up purchasing and reading this book before the publisher approved my NetGalley request so here is my review from the physical pub date release copy :) I finished Woman On Fire and absolutely LOVED it. It reminded me of Kate Quinn’s writing style and a little bit of The Magnolia Palace and Fiona Davis. Even if you don’t love historical fiction typically, I would still recommend this - there is mystery, murder, sex, romance, and really interesting and educational facts about how the Nazis went after artwork. I learned a ton…for example, I had no idea Hugo Boss was a Nazi and designed the uniforms for the Nazis. What the actual heck, right? The book does a really good job incorporating information like that without sounding like a textbook one bit. 4.5/5

Oh wow, this book was incredible! Part mystery, part art historical fiction and part family drama/love story…it really had it all.
Ellis Baum is an ultra successful shoe designer who has everything he could ever want, except a painting titled Woman on Fire. When he was a little boy, an artist painted this portrait of his mother before the Nazis killed her. Ellis was eight at the time and managed to escape and build a new life for himself. But he always remembered his mother and now that he has been diagnosed with cancer, he must have the painting because it’s the only way he’ll see her again. He enlists the help of his grandson Adam, who is also a painter, and his good friend Dan, a renowned journalist. Dan brings with him a new journalist names Jules, who not only will risk anything for a story but quickly captures the hearts of both Ellis and Adam. She is in for the story of her career when she tangles with Margaux, a crooked art gallery owner. With dual viewpoints and some past timelines, all of the characters are so beautifully complex and layered. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen next, but although this was part mystery, it was even more so a heartfelt story. I cried at the end, which I wasn’t expecting. I am so glad I got to read this one!! Thank you to getredpr, Netgalley, Harper Perennial and Lisa Barr for the digital copy to review.

This review will also be posted to my Instagram blog books_by_the_bottle soon.

Reading Woman on Fire feels like watching a movie. Not surprised to learn it is being adapted for the screen.I don't usually read thriller/mystery genre, but I enjoyed this one. Engaging characters...especially the evil ones!

It’s taken me a bit of time to digest the riveting Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr. I have long been a fan, and I waited patiently for this gripping novel, and was not disappointed in the least.

The story behind Woman on Fire is so relevant, seeing as WWII stolen art is still being returned to rightful owners today. WoF tells the story of up and coming writer Jules Roth. She brilliantly talked her way into a position on the newspaper in Chicago and gets a key story with her mentor Dan Mansfield. What follows is a literal page turner filled with suspense, art, history, friendship, and a bit of romance too - all while Jules is helping Dan recover his longtime friends’ stolen art.

I cannot write enough good words about this novel. I don’t even have the words to express how perfect this story is and how incredibly well written it is. You will literally be jumping out of your seat as you turn each page following Jules’ trip across the world.


Run to your nearest bookstore, Click on your favorite online bookseller, whatever you do - just go get this book NOW.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and Harper for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Art history has always fascinated me....the story of Nazi stolen art even more so. Jules is a young journalist involved in a story that crosses two continents, involves two families, war-time secrets and lies. She and Emil Baum forge an immediate bond and she wants to find the painting...Woman on Fire. It was painted of his mother shortly before the Nazis killed her. Emil is dying and Jules wants to return it to him before he is gone, she's also after the story behind art stolen by the Germans during the war. In search of her story she becomes fully involved in the cutthroat and dangerous world of stolen art. This book is at times a mystery and at times a thriller, but it is also an emotional story of love and family.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Margaux de Laurent's quest to locate the painting "Woman on Fire.,' she believes rightfully owned by her grandfather, will keep readers in the grip of fear of what wealth can attain and destroy. Finding the painting is also the quest of the managing editor of the Chicago Chronicle and his new team member, Jules Roth. Throw in art dealers, heroin addicts, models, and the famous shoe designer with a hidden past, Ellis Baum, and author, Lisa Barr has created a dangerous mixture on the readers' palette. Recovering art stolen by the Nazis during WWII is the setting for this heart pounding race to find the "Woman on Fire". And when it is found, is it the original or one forged by an expert? Read Woman on Fire and be ready for the big screen adaptation, already optioned for a move,

This is amazing. I love the history, the glamour and the romance. The writing pulls you in the minute you start reading. It is a great book and I am so in love with it!

This book is so different from what I’ve read before and I wasn’t sure what genre to call it! It’s contains a mystery and is thrilling, it has historical elements, and it’s about powerful women in the past and present. ⁣This book detailed a cat and mouse global quest to be the first to recover the painting and it was an exciting read. Guess what else? The book is becoming a movie produced by and starring Sharon Stone! I can definitely imagine this work coming to life on screen.

I’ve been drawn towards art-related stories lately, and I am loving them! This was a fantastic thriller mixing historical WWII art history into a present-day action-packed story of murder, secrets, and mystery.

Woman on Fire tells the story through the perspective of multiple characters, giving insight into so many different aspects of the story. I really enjoyed each view, and I loved the way they were put together. Jules is the main character, and she’s an investigative reporter, or trying to be. She lands a job does some undercover work to find a missing painting that was stolen by the Nazi’s during WWII. This job turns into a game of cat and mouse as people are murdered and the stakes keep getting higher and higher for Jules.

This story was full of action, and I didn’t want to put it down! I enjoyed the fast-paced timeline, and I thought the plot was great. My only downfall from this story is that there was some sexy time, and it just felt so out of place for me. I’m not against that…we all know I enjoy books featuring some steamy moments, but in a thriller, it just didn’t fall into place for me.

Overall, this was a great story, and one that I highly recommend for readers that enjoy thrillers!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

What a page turner. I wasn’t sure I’d be all that interested in the historical art aspect, but I do love historical fiction and this was a fast and intriguing read. Twists and turns and great characters with many secrets keeps you turning the pages. Throw in manipulation, family dynamics, high fashion, and addiction to make it even more interesting. I would definitely recommend this book.

What a rush!

Jules Roth, a recent journalism graduate, is desperate to work with Dan Mansfield, Pulitzer winning journalist. First step is meeting him—and that’s no walk in the park. Not to be deterred, Jules strong arms her way into his office declaring to his secretary that Dan’s her uncle. In the middle of talking to Dan an armed siege is reported in progress. Dan rushes out, Jules tags along. Demonstrating initiative Jules seizes the moment, takes a different line to the story, and scoops other journalists. She’s hired!
Dan’s friend Ellis Baum, a high end shoe designer, comes to him with a request to help track down a painting by Ernst Engle. The last painting he did, Woman on Fire, was of Ellis’ mother. It was stolen by the Nazis, and based on a newspaper report from Paris, may be part of a recent recovery of stolen Nazi art.
Jules joins Dan in the search. One that will lead from Paris to Switzerland, including investigations of an art dealer Margaux de Laurent, an approach to Bram Bakker, renowned art detective, and Baum’s son Adam Chase, a talented artist who had once been the protégée of the pathological Margaux, until drugs had nearly killed him.
Besides playing a dangerous detecting game, Jules has to negotiate her own damaged past. and the bright light that is Adam.
Strong characters, deadly situations, the taste of the hunt, all combine for an explosive read! “Monuments Men” with killer twists, madness disguised as beauty, and a relentlessness that never falters. HoweverI must admit to being won over by the idea of the shoes—“four-inch-high Anika Baum stilettos—no surprise. Because Art Basel is not about the art; it’s about the shoes.”

A Harper Perennial ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This book is set in the present day, but about the search for a painting stolen by the Nazis during WWII. A young journalist, a more seasoned investigative reporter, an old man with a personal connection to the painting, and his artist grandson team up to find the painting, while a ruthless art gallery owner who literally will stop at nothing seems the same thing.

It’s a little hard to characterize this book - WWII plays a significant role, but really just in the backstory, since other than a few flashbacks, it’s all set in the present, so it’s not really a historical novel. And some of the blurbs describe the book as a thriller, yet for a book that has multiple murders in it, it doesn’t really have the pacing of a thriller. Some of the timing didn’t seem quite right either, as after the prologue, it says “18 months earlier,” yet we get to that scene again towards the end of the book and for sure it does not seem like 18 months have passed - maybe 6 months if that much.

But that all being said, I did enjoy reading this book. 3.75 stars.