Johanna Porter is Not Sorry a debut book by Sara Read features a middle-aged, divorced soccer mom, who was once the next big thing on the art scene. At the height of her promising painting career, she was cast out by a jealous ex, Nestor Pinedo, who at the time was a famous painter, with the power to make her or break her. He breaks her, ending her career. Two decades later, she steals a multi-million dollar painting he once painted of her. The theft, an unplanned act of rebellion, becomes the unexpected catalyst for changing herself; regaining those dreams she once had, purging the self-doubt, and healing.

One cannot help but cheer for Johanna to get her life back on track, as many of us can relate to the feeling of self-doubt when chasing our dreams. The story is filled with moments of self-healing, moments when Johanna truly gazes at her own reflection, analyzes the lies she has allowed others to cloak her in, and redraws her own portrait, one strong line at a time. She recognizes that she is the only one with the power to decide how she is allowed to view herself, which, in larger terms, speaks to a woman’s worth, and her own ability to find and define it. This book was not afraid to tackle heavy topics such as addiction to pain medication, accidental overdose, and infidelity. A tale filled with action, self-healing, and self-determination, Johanna Porter is sarcastic, illogical, smexy, vulnerable, and brave and she is not sorry. I highly recommend Johanna Porter is Not Sorry to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry by Sara Read

Catalyst invitation accepted and art show attended instigate changes that see major changes in Johanna Porter’s life. How she will come out at the other end as her story progresses is well worth reading.

What I liked:
* Johanna: mother, art teacher, divorced, once an up and coming artist, stymied and boxed in for almost twenty years, rebirthing herself, coming into her own
* Mel: Johanna’s daughter, late teens, athlete, self-aware, supportive, integral to the story
* That this was not an easy read filled with sunshine and light but one that had me thinking, caring, and contemplating ‘what if’
* The changes and growth that occurred in Johanna as the story progressed
* That Johanna took time to look at and learn from her past while using it to create a better more real future for herself – she put the past in perspective
* The plot, pacing, and writing with flashbacks that explained Johanna’s backstory
* The love interest that could have been Mr. Perfect but instead was a rather brilliant but flawed human instead
* Johanna’s ability to, in the end, do what was best for herself and make it happen
* The growth in more than one character in the story and the inclusion of the reader in the process
* Reading a new-to-me author that I would read again

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Johanna’s mentor that proved to be more menace than lover
* The time Johanna lost before coming into her own and the reasons this happened

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Twenty years ago Johanna Porter was tipped as one of the most talented up and coming artists in the US. After an indiscretion her fledgling career is trashed by her mentor, the renowned artist Nestor Pinedo. Now Johanna is a Soccer Mom looking after daughter Mel and teaching Art at a private school. Out of the blue an embossed invitation arrives from Nestor’s daughter Pilar. Nestor is having an exhibition to celebrate his lengthy career, a retrospective of all of his work.

It is the last place on earth that Johanna wants to be, but having been “styled” by Mel and looking her absolute best she goes to the gallery for the official opening. Face to face with both Nestor and Pilar all of the old resentment bubbles up and the vision of what could have been is something that she can no longer deny.

La Rosa Blanca is a portrait of Johanna. Painted by Nestor when she wasn’t much older than Mel herself and at the height of her early fame. She is young and fierce and fearless and it is one of Nestor’s best works with a multi million price-tag to match. When she cuts it out of its frame and rolls it up under her coat she is only reclaiming what is rightfully hers.

Now you might be thinking that this is just the story of a heist but Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry is so much more than this. It is a very delicate exploration of how the young woman was exploited by a much older man in a position of power. A man who had the ability to ruin her when he felt his control over the young protégée beginning to fade. Equally it is about the relationship that she has with her talented daughter and the struggle that Johanna has as a woman in her forties when there is a possibility of a new romantic relationship in her life.

I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. It became a real page turner as we follow the flight to the shores of the Chesapeake with La Rosa Blanca. The confidence that it seems to endow upon Johanna is interesting and the dynamic between her and the neighbour, Mitchell, is just wonderful. It almost made me want to get my sketchbook out myself!

Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins UK in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the initial theme of a vindictive woman reclaiming her power from her artist "mentor" and was willing to overlook a couple other eye roll/cringe details, but then a new love / possible romance started and that just cinched it. I think lots of readers will like this one, but it's just not for me.

Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry is so much more than I expected. To be honest, the blurb, title, and cover led me to think this would be a frivolous read, and it is. Kind of. It's sassy, for sure, and it's a story that is easy to get lost in. It's also a story about healing, self-awareness, determination... The list goes on, but I'll leave it there and let you discover what a hidden gem this book really is. It's very well written, and the character development is terrific. We get to see all sides of Johanna, and it made for a compelling read. There are even discussion questions at the end, and I didn't think of it til then, but this would make a great book club book. This one is a solid introduction for this debut author. I will say that as a debut, Sara Read has set the bar high for whatever comes next.

I enjoyed this book very much. I had no idea what to expect from it and was drawn in from the first chapter.

This is the story of a woman in her early 40's, divorced, mom of a teenager who's getting ready to start college. Johanna was an artist as a young woman but a complicated relationship changed everything and now she teaches art at her daughter's school.

What happens when that complicated relationship reaches out twenty years later? Well, sit down, open this book, and find out.

Sometimes raw with emotions, this book was very unique to me, the story, the settings, I really enjoyed it. Recommend to almost everyone.

This was unexpected as I was expecting a classic rom com got more as this is an excellent book about a woman who takes back her life, her dream, and her narrative.
And this woman is a gifted artist whose career was ruined by jalousie and spite.
And this woman is a mother, is brave and decides to steal a very valuable portrait of the young Johanna painted by her former lover who’s also the one who trashed her career and dreams.
This could a very serious and complex novel, full of thought provoking parts about the role of women in art and how they must be able to recognize their own value.
This book talks about these serious topics but it’s also entertaining and compelling.
Johanna is a strong woman who’s not afraid the take risk, to reflect on her life and steal her portrait.
If you want to know more please read the book.
I loved it and love Johanna and the other well plotted characters. The author is talented and can’t wait to read other books.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Johanna Porter is Not Sorry is centered around a woman’s journey to find herself and and her artistic talent. The main character steals a painting and spends most of the book waiting to be caught. This wasn’t my favorite read but was enjoyable enough. The character development is well done and it touches on varied topics so it’s perfect for a book club discussion.

I really enjoyed JOHANNA PORTER IS NOT SORRY and think it would be perfect for book clubs.

Our main character, Johanna Porter, is a middle-aged mother and former artist who has put her art aside for years. We follow along with great interest as she steals a painting and tries to paint again. I found the descriptions of the artistic process to be extremely well done and intriguing. Johanna's struggles seem realistic and relatable to anyone in an artistic field, particularly someone who has contended with middle age and motherhood. (And yes, she's a good mother; I'm sure some readers will want to debate this point...)

Johanna's struggles with people from her past, notably Nestor and Pilar, kept me turning the pages. I was cheering for her to make good decisions and also not to lose herself or her art in the process. Ultimately, this is a rewarding story about a woman reclaiming her identity.

There's also a love story, which is quite a lovely surprise in terms of how nicely it's written. It's not a cheesy or easy love story of the type sometimes found in novels (you know the type).

This is a smart and elegant book that grapples with the reality of women in middle age and artistic identity. I look forward to Sara Read's next novel.

Johanna Porter is Not Sorry is centered around a woman’s journey to find herself and believe in her talent. The main character spends most of the book waiting to be caught after she stole a very expensive painting of herself. This wasn’t my favorite read but I think many will enjoy this. The character development is done very well. This would make a wonderful book club discussion read as it deals with varied topics.


ARC ebook provided by publisher via Netgalley
Blog post and reviews to be posted on release day

Book Summary:

It's hard to believe that once upon a time, Johanna Porter had a dream. Those dreams would have taken her rising art career and turned it into something new and bright. Unfortunately, those dreams didn't exactly happen. She's just one of several unknown soccer moms in her area suffering from the impostor syndrome and worse.

However, Johanna is not content to let this slide. She's picking up her art again, which means chasing after her artistic dreams with new fervor. She needs to do this if she ever wants to hope to be the person she once dreamed of. Her own person.

My Review:

Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry is the perfect book for anyone tackling impostor syndrome of the feeling of impossibility when chasing their dreams. While Johanna's story may feel larger than life, the simple truth is that much of her struggles will resonate with readers. It certainly hit me hard!

If you love fictional novels with a touch of life lessons, this is the book for you. Likewise, this book is fun and quirky, unafraid to tackle real subjects in a fictional world. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I hope that we'll see more from this author soon.

Highlights:
Fiction
Comedy laced tale
Impostor Syndrome

Johanna Porter is a divorced mom in her mid-40s currently teaching art at a local private school while grieving the loss of her former high profile art career. When an out-of-the-blue art gallery invitation arrives from the person who single-handedly ruined her career, Johanna is intrigued. An display at the gallery is a painting of Johanna done by her former lover when her career was at its peak. In a moment of rage (or is it a mid-life crisis?), Johanna rips the canvas from its frame and flees the gallery. Escaping to her father's home in Chesapeake Bay, Johanna finds her asking what happened to the young woman in that portrait. What happened to her art career? And, when will the police arrive to arrest her?

Johanna is a bold female character and it took some time for me to understand and/or appreciate her at first. Her personality and language comes on strong in the beginning but I appreciated how the author captures the softer side of this character and her character development throughout the book is really well done. Ultimately, I found this book to be very entertaining. I may not relate to the main character but I can certainly appreciate her re-examination of life in her 40s, particularly after motherhood and its affects on the balance of career and family.

This book went into a direction and focused on some heavier topics that I was not expecting but it all made the book compelling and hard to put down. I also appreciated the discussion questions at the end and think this would make an excellent book club book.

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

When Johanna was just beginning her career, she had an affair with Nestor Pinedo. Unfortunately for her, while he has the power to make her, he also had the power to break her, and she hasn’t painted since. When she gets invited to his new gallery show and La Rosa Bianca is under a tarp in the back room for repair, instead of on the walls, Johanna cuts it out of the frame and steals it. It is after, her. Now she just has to keep anyone from finding out she has it.

I just love an art themed/art heist themed book. They are always fascinating to me. Johanna was just the perfect character. While she was a badass who stole a painting worth millions of dollars, she also struggled so much with her own work being good enough. She was easily a character you rooted for from page one, even though she did something pretty screwed up. When you look at the big picture though, Nestor was even more screwed up in what he did. I thought this book was just an absolute delight. It had enough seriousness to it, while still being a bit flirty and fun.

Johanna Porter is a hot mess! And that makes her a fun, relatable character. Secondary characters were also realistic and well-utilized. Read's writing style easily pulls the reader in. There were a couple unexpected twists. I look forward to reading future books from this author.

I really enjoyed getting to know Johanna Porter as a main character. This book was really well done and I enjoyed how well the story worked with the characters. Johanna and the rest of the characters were wonderfully written and I enjoyed how good the story was. Sara Read has a great writing style and it works with everything. It left me wanting to read more and I can't wait to read more from her.

"So now we have a problem,” he says. I laugh. “Just one?” “I like you, Johanna, and the truth is…” he turns his head to the windows, then forces himself to look at me “… I’d really like to kiss you.” “So what’s the problem?”

Johanna Porter is a “hot mess”, might be a better title, and she just could not catch a break. But she stood up for her self, made horrible decisions and survived. Loved this harried, furious and heartbroken woman. And loved this book. Definite addition to your TBR list.

Sara Read's debut has everything you want in a good book--an authentic character you can relate to, a believable yet wild plot that keeps you turning the pages, and a couple questions to keep you guessing what will happen next. PLUS, Sara's writing is the sort that makes you want to reread the whole book just to better appreciate every single word, line, and paragraph. I cannot WAIT for Sara's next book. This was such a fun novel to dive into. Johanna Porter, mom and art teacher, gave up/had stolen her identity in her early 20s. But now, she's ready to (literally!) steal it back. You'll love this book!

The title and cover of this book seem too lighthearted and frivolous for the content within. This book is beautifully written and speaks to a woman’s worth, how she is made to view herself, how she must fight to believe she is worthy, and to be herself. Read covers mother / daughter relationships in a healthy way, addiction, 2nd chances at finding ones self, sailing, the art world and forging healthy relationships. Truly a beautiful read.
Johanna, at 23, once a young new darling in the art world, then cast out by jealous ex lover famous artist Nestor Pinedos is invited 18 years later to his opening where she steals a portrait he’s done of her. Deciding she’s going to paint again after all this time Johanna throws herself into her work to make a comeback. She meets her neighbor, a surgeon recovering from a painful hand injury which has sidelined him. They start to fall in love dealing with her art theft and his painkiller addiction.
The story in the here and now takes place over two years but seems much longer because of all the changes Johanna goes through. Beautifully haunting, and very worth the read.

This novel, about a woman who steals a valuable painting and has to face the consequences, is sassy, smart, and surprisingly affecting. I got swept away both by the story, as I rooted for Joanna to get her life back on track, and by the writing, which is beautiful and literary without being pretentious. I loved the mother/daughter relationship and the romance subplot. Five enthusiastic stars. Thanks to the author and her publisher for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will be withholding my review of this one till the HCP union has a fair contract. Thank you again for the arc and can't wait to publish the review in the future,