
Member Reviews

Fairly solid romance book that uses the hook of "what if the paintings all came to life at the art museum after hours, and one fell in love with a lady who's a janitor there?", adds in the twist of the pandemic, single motherhood, and a heist, and doesn't entirely deal with the fantasy part of things (not mechanics wise, that was never really the interest, but in terms of "hey this guy is going to remain forever unchanging in a painting and you are going to age"), but does fit the overall themes of the book. This was still a fun, enjoyable read, and is definitely worth your time to distract from how much everything kinda is terrible rn.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!
This was such a cool concept, but unfortunately, it just didn't quite live up to my expectations. I felt that the characters, relationships, and magic system were unfortunately lacking in the depth that I expected from this concept. Additionally, the two sources of conflict added in the middle and toward the end of the book took me out of the story a bit. Aside from some personal preferences, they unfortunately did not feel fully cohesive with the rest of the story. All that being said, I'm not sure that I would necessarily recommend this book. However, I do want to credit the author for her unique concept and for writing some very sweet and genuine moments.

I was really intrigued by this book and was really happy to receive an eARC! This book was wild in the best way and was really thought provoking. It was a really fun read and was something that I couldn't put down. I wish we got more closure on the MFCs ending - if she ended back up with her baby daddy or what happened in her life in the epilogue.

This was a lovely story with a satisfying ending. There is a dual connected timeline (which I am a sucker for) and there is also a touch of magical realism.. I loved the themes of women overcoming circumstances of control and abuse in both of the timelines. There are also some beautiful passages in this book that you'll want to read more than once just because they deserve to be. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I genuinely loved the magical realism of this book! I think this book is perfect for fans of Ashley Poston! The art aspect of this book was also done so well, and I finished the book with a newfound appreciate for art! I was a having such a great time reading this story, but the introduction of Covid into the plot kind of took me out of the story a little bit. Besides that though, I did really enjoy this book. The connection between the characters was entertaining to read and the premise was so original and entertaining. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

The concept of this book was unique and left me with an appreciation for art and museums. However, I felt like it was a slow read for me. I didn’t particularly care for the characters, and some of the back story was confusing or fell flat. The dialogue at times felt forced. I think maybe I just wasn’t the right reader for this style of book as I can see how others could really enjoy it.

OK WOW this book was amazing! I was so excited to receive this arc not only is the cover art STUNNING but this was such a beautiful romance story. I honestly never thought of a book like this before but I loved everything about it! Truly I am obsessed and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I really loved this book, but I ran out of time to read it in it! I highly rec her debut novel of love and romance in the museum! 5 stars

Loved the concept of this! I do feel like there were maybe too many plot lines happening and the heist threw me for a loop along with the pandemic. But the idea of Claire and Jean never being able to be together was heartbreaking but made me keep reading to see how they would part.

An interesting take with a main character who can enter paintings. Overall, there were moments when the story dragged, then there was an abrupt detour to reference the pandemic these characters had to navigate through and then the ending left you wanting more.
It was an okay magical realism read. Art lovers will be obsessed with the first half of this book.
eARC Netgalley

this book was a really great read! i think the way it flowed, and how people developed. I did enjoy the themes of love, relationships, and science fiction. Everything was great, i highly recommend!!
Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Like Night at the Museum but if it was a romcom. This was a cute, fun read but I don't really love books that have a covid plotline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for sending me this ARC!

A refreshing debut novel by Morgan Pager. "The Art of Vanishing" is a magical realism novel where two unlikely people fall in love, Jean from a painting by Henri Matisse; Claire a nighttime museum employee with a secret and is able to move between her world and into paintings. The novel is told from a dual point of view, set primarily in an art museum in NYC. They both know that their love affair may not last, but are happier together, even for a moment. Despite this, readers will want to root for Jean and Claire despite the ups and downs. I have not read a novel like Morgan Pager's and the storyline is unique with plot twists that keep you reading. I would recommend the novel to others and I cannot wait to see what is next for the author.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The beginning was really magical and I loved that we started off with the painting's POV (it definitely took a full chapter to understand that). However, I quickly lost interest in the characters in plot. It felt like there were lots of little B-plots that weren't thought out fully. Between Claire's ex boyfriend/daughter, the journal, COVID, and the love interest, everything felt rushed and superficial. You also really needed to suspend disbelief for many details which annoyed me a bit.
This is also a personal annoyance but Luna's vocab and mannerisms were definitely not representative of the average 4 year old. As a mom, I noticed but I'm not sure other would so probably not a big deal but if you're going to write about children, please do more research about realistic behaviors of that age group. All it would have taken was adjusting Luna's age to make it more believable .

It was a wonderful debut! Pager's writing is whimsical, with heart and intellect. Art lovers, museum patrons, romance, and even mystery lovers will find something to enjoy in The Art of Vanishing. The research and love that went into crafting this novel is evident and thoroughly enjoyable. At a quick 305 pages, this magical realism debut is sure to please!

I really enjoyed this debut! The art world was fascinating, and I loved the nod to the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and its unique setup. The COVID twist was interesting and I enjoyed the art heist!

Congrats to this debut author! I applaud the creativity of the storyline and really enjoyed reading about these two characters. The magic and imagination that were a part of this endeavor drew me in and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

I was so thrilled to receive an eARC copy of this book, as I’ve followed the author on Instagram for some time and enjoyed seeing her writing process for this novel take form. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity!
I loved the magical realism element, the setting of an art museum’s painting subject and its staff member was a refreshing change from most contemporary romance novels. I just left wanting a bit more of everything, the romance in particular. Some of the dialogue felt stilted and I didn’t fully buy into the insta love romance.
Despite critiques, I thought this was a unique and whimsical exploration of a modern day romance, particularly for a debut, and I look forward to reading the author’s future work!

3.5 rounded up to a 4, 100%
Rounded up to 4 because I woke up at 8am and started this book and finished it by 5pm the same day.
This book follows Claire, a new employee at a museum and Jean, a man within one of the portraits that has been hanging in there for years. Claire finds herself able to move through the painting and is thrown into the world within the art on the wall.
I was so drawn into the characters and their stories,though I wish we had a BIT more depth there. But the imagery had me hooked. The idea and concept of having this "what if" kind of magic. What if I just tried to put my hand it? What would happen? They spend a lot of time together over the course of 3 months before they're hit with real life challenges.
Overall I would totally read this book again. Really incredible debut.
I'll post more thoughts closer to release.
As always an adoring loving thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC <3

I wanted this to be more than it was. It's a fluffy romance, rather than a literary/romance crossover. Very interesting premise, just not quite living up to it. I haven't finished it and I'm not sure if I"ll go back to it.