Loved this unique, immersive story. I appreciated the Covid tie in and I would recommend this to everyone who loves a sweet, mysterious, detailed story.

Morgan Pager's debut "The Art of Vanishing" is absolutely one of the most unique and enchanting books I've read in a long time. This original love story between a museum employee and the man in a masterpiece hanging on the walls is breathtaking and I was completely captivated by the magical realism woven throughout. The premise of a woman who gets a night shift janitorial job at an art museum and discovers she can somehow step inside the paintings is both imaginative and beautifully executed. What impressed me most was how Pager balanced the fantastical elements with genuine emotion and character development. The narrative was unlike anything I've read before, full of quiet wonder and unexpected turns that kept me entranced from beginning to end. Jean's character was particularly well-crafted, and I found myself completely invested in this impossible romance. The book explores themes of art, time, and love in ways that feel fresh and deeply moving. It's a fast read and very fun - the perfect blend of whimsy and heart that left me thinking about it long after I turned the final page.

The best debut I’ve read in a long time! This story was so unique but also so intriguing. I love how imaginative it is and it makes me want to take a trip to the art museum right now. The book made me kept wondering how it would end and it wasn’t resolved the way I was expecting.

This charming debut novel has a something for everyone and is a bit hard to classify as result,but I look forward to more from Morgan Pager because The Art Of Vanishing has definitely left me wondering where she'll take us next!

I really enjoyed this! It’s incredibly thought-provoking and makes me feel all the emotions.

This read was so much more than I thought it would be, my only issue is I wish we got more Claire POV at the end. I would have loved that.

Wonderful debut novel, I will definitely read more by this author.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I wanted to love this book but it ultimately fell a little flat for me. The first half of the book seemed to really take a while to get going, and then when the COVID portion hit it felt so disjointed. Add in a heist at the end that felt rushed… it just didn’t all work together for me.

<i>Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC </i>

<i>The Art of Vanishing </i> by Morgan Page was filled with magical whimsy. I was transported directly into the world of Claire and Jean.
Their connection provided an escape from the world, which is exactly what their own love brought for them as well.

This book was fanciful and captivating. I could not put it down. I wanted to immerse myself in the alternate world of oil on canvas, forgetting about any of the matters that swarm our day to day lives.
Claire was a mirror of our current world. I found myself connecting with life and thoughts of Jean, feeling frozen in time, unable to find the will to push on.

This book is perfect if you're looking for magical realism and a whirlwind love story.

Morgan Pager fan club rise!!!!! Loved this book and these characters so much!! I’ll never look at a painting the same way again. I’ll always be on the look out for the slightest movement and will leave wondering what those depicted are really up to when visitors have left for the day

The Art of Vanishing is such a magical mix of art, history, and romance. The idea of stepping into a painting and living inside it completely swept me away, and Claire and Jean’s love story felt both tender and impossible in the best way. Very Night at the Museum, with a sprinkling of Blues Clues (IYKYK), but make it a sophisticated love story across space and time. Perfect if you like a little magic woven into your love stories.

Thank you Morgan Pager, Random House Publishing, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

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This was a unique premise and unlike anything I’ve read before. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. I look forward to seeing what Morgan Pager writes next!

Loved this book! So fun and a unique topic. Glad I got to read this!

Thank you NetGalley and Morgan Pager!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. At its heart is Jean, the son of Henri Matisse, trapped in time within one of his father’s paintings. For years, he’s watched museum visitors pass by—an observer of life but never a participant—until Claire, a lonely museum employee, begins to notice him. Their tentative connection becomes something extraordinary when Claire discovers she can step through the canvas into Jean’s world, one painted in the colors of a bygone era. Suddenly, the museum is no longer just a gallery but a portal, where paintings by masters like Renoir, Picasso, and Van Gogh come alive in breathtaking, dreamlike detail.

Such a fun and unique concept for a romance - Jean has been stuck in well over a hundred years in his own world, limited to his own piece of art he lives in and the pieces he can travel to and from. He spends his days observing those who come into his gallery, and one evening a young woman working as a janitor captures his attention. She soon discovers she can enter his world and they form a relationship.

Somehow this execution fell a little flat. Pager wrote Claire holding some mysterious secret, but it was quite obvious what that was and the mysteriousness of it became a bit frustrating as opposed to adding to the story. There were a few turns this story took as well that I just didn't really enjoy - some modern events brought in and side characters I wasn't really interested in.

If you're looking for a cute romance this might fit the bill, but it was a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis (and the cover), I thought it sounded original and I decided to give it a go.
What I wasn't expecting is how much juvenile this book sounds. The writing is very juvenile - and I'm not speaking as a criticism. But this book is being marketed as 'adult' and, in my opinion, it doesn't read as an adult novel. Som sadly, that pulled me off of the story because I couldn't care for the characters. Even though the scenario was intriguing enough.
It didn't work for me, but it might work for readers who are more open to YA writing style.

I really like following Morgan’s book recommendations on instagram and the premise of this book was super unique so I had high hopes going into it. Unfortunately, the execution just did not meet those expectations. The characters’ dialogue and inner monologue felt super juvenile and underdeveloped. I wasn’t convinced in their love story at all. And the second half of the book crammed in way too many different plot points. I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters beyond a surface level. This might be a good book for a YA or NA reader who is interested in art history, but I wasn’t for me. It did make me want to visit The Barnes Foundation though.

I loved the concept of this book! It is very unique and perfect for museum and art lovers. I felt there were a bit too many elements and turns being thrown in but it did keep me engaged throughout.

I think this book was a little too weird for me. I was bored the first half and found it really hard to pick up and read. It got more interesting during the COVID (yes it’s set during that time) part and then a fun twist at the end

Posted review Aug 20 on Goodreads

I think at some point in time we had that dream of either staying overnight in a museum or walking into a painting. This is the greatness of the museums. They allow you to dream, step away from the bring world, acknowledge the world is larger than our little worlds and there are other lives lived in other times

I remembered the first time that I saw Las Meninas at Prado and Guernica at Reina Sofia live. They were larger than life, greater than I imagine. How I would love to go into that little girl's room to fix her hair or understand how a country can be destroyed with a civil war like Claire did with a step. This book took me back to 15 years in a blink of an eye. Morgan knew the way to my heart.

Also, I loved that she still acknowledged this: "This is what happens in this world. Most of the art you've seen in the world, the things displayed in the big museums, well, it's all been stolen or looted. The older the art, the higher the chance. It's awe-inspiring, sure enough, to see it and experience it, but the way it's hung on the walls in these institutions obscures its true provenance. I'm not saying you can't enjoy it; I'm just saying don't forget how it all got here." I cannot get over the fact that the whole Pergamon Altar can be taken away to be displayed in Berlin when the city of Pergamon is open to the public and the altar rightfully belongs there. I appreciate the sentiment to protect, but I wish we could see the art work where they are supposed to be

This book has such a unique premise and is perfect for fans of romance with a little magical realism, à la Ashley Poston. The mystery fell a bit flat for me, but otherwise this is a quick, enjoyable read.

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i was looking forward to this title because i follow morgan pager on IG and thought she would write a lovely book. however, it doesn't translate to the page. this read like YA and the use of the pandemic as a plot point fell flat for me. the mystery was actually quite predictable with unlikable characters.