Cover Image: A Portrait of Emily Price

A Portrait of Emily Price

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What could be better than a romance? A romance set in the Italian county side. I'm a sucker for any book set in a European Country so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read it...loved this faith inspired romance.

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Charming and wholesome book that has very little plot. The characters are gorgeous and the message is strong, but I didn't feel like very much happened. The core relationship was so convenient at every turn, I'm not sure I ever really believed that it was real. I loved the elements of art and Italy, but this left a lot to be desired for me. Appreciative of the experience anyway!

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Another rich, multi-layered story from Katherine Reay. Fabulously described settings will make readers long to visit Italy and become a part of this family, shortfalls and all. Food and art are intertwined with discoveries about love, secrets and the true meaning of family and forgiveness. Ben, Emily and Joseph are detailed characters, each with their own story to tell and dilemmas to work through. This is a lovely tale that will nest in the reader's heart and won't let go.
Emily Price travels to Atlanta to complete a restoration job. As an art restorer, Emily is convinced that everything can be fixed. She meets Joseph, who owns the studio where she will be working, who introduces him to his brother Benito, a chef who is visiting from Italy to help with his aunt and uncle's restaurant. Ben and Emily fall in love and the two head to Italy, where things aren't as easy as she had initially hoped. Slowly, she and Ben carve out a life for themselves, but it isn't without trials and tribulations. The two will need to learn to work through them in order to move toward each other

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While this wasn't my favorite of Reay's books, I was still swept in with the descriptions of the antiques, the books, the food...

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This was different than I'd expected - I thought it would be a light love story and it definitely addressed some weightier themes and problems. The characters were interesting and the setting was beautiful. This is a perfect story for someone who wants to delve into family issues in the beautiful Italian countryside.

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Katherine Reay is a Christian author of both quality and a gentle sense of humour.
Generally, I can and would gladly recommend her works with any reader, Christian or not, because she can entertain while being witty and offering valuable insights.
So let me explain, why this novel is 3 stars for me. First, it is quite prolonged. Pages after pages are just setting the tone, while the cathartic moments come quite late and are solving with little growing pains for the ones involved. It touches the important subjects of control and inner freedom, yet somehow too carefully for me. Empathy is great, but too much empathy can lessen the intended impact. Ben is also too ideal husband for me (much complicated Joseph makes for far more interesting character).
But I like the Italian settings, all things mural and lovely older men characters: Lucio and Father Matteo!
And having said all of that - I very much plan to read everything qwritten by Katherine Reay! Because she really can touch the (female and feminine) nerve in me.

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This is my favorite Katherine Reay book. Wonderful, thoughtful character studies, and a serious look at family dynamics and what love really means. The beauty of the setting comes through as well.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

This was a fun, easy, summer kind of read. It was that typical story of girl meets boy, they fall in love super fast, and then conflict happens. But Reay, to her credit, didn't keep the story that typical.

Emily Price is a restorer of all manner of things for an insurance company. She fixes paintings that have been damaged by water, fire, weather. She fixes priceless heirlooms that have been damaged by the same elements. She's a fixer. Problem is she's a fixer in lives as well and that doesn't always work out so nicely. When she travels to Atlanta to restore a wall mural damaged in a house fire she meets Joseph. He has a workshop where he restores items as well and employs people to do the same kind of work. He takes her to his family's Italian restaurant her first night in town and there she meets Ben, brother to Joseph. Emily catches Ben's eye and it's not long before he is the apple of hers. Through a whirlwind of Italian food, restoration, and love butterflies Emily finds herself in Ben's hometown near Florence, Italy. And in a strange land with a strange family Emily discovers she can't fix anything. She's got to learn a whole new way of being Emily Price.

Reay's novel is fun, I highly recommend it for a beach read. (This is hilarious coming from me since I'm not a fan of the beach but I trust you know what I'm saying when I say beach read.) It was refreshing (sorry if this spoils part of the story, I don't consider it to) that the conflict wasn't between the main characters in love but outside of them and how it affected them. The ending also took me by surprise, there was no neat bow to wrap things up and I liked that. That's much more real life than the "happily ever after" story line.

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Katherine Reay’s stories are always fun, charming, and romantic. This one did not disappoint. Her stories have a way of drawing the reader into another place and time. I loved the characters in this story, especially the two Italian brothers. I was a bit charmed by both of them. I also loved learning a bit about art restoration.

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Loved this book by Reay! Have had books by her on my to-read list for years, but finally got around to reading this one and fully plan to read more of her books soon!

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A Portrait of Emily Price is a delightful clash between American art restorer Emily and Italian chef Ben Vassallo, the man who steals her heart. Emily is a fixer- she fixes broken objects for her work but also thinks she must fix everything around her. Ben, on the other hand, works from the heart, and sets out to win Emily in the two weeks he is in America. When they spontaneously get married, Ben whisks her off to his Italian home and family, where Emily must figure out her place. This is a sweet story filled with quirky characters and many references to classic literature. The message is there, but Reay keeps it subtle. Overall, a great read for a holiday weekend.

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The characters, art, and setting were all wonderful. But what I really loved was how seamlessly Reay added in her faith elements. They never felt forced or heavy or trite. Faith became real to Emily throughout her story. She learned that there were some things that she could never fix. But that didn’t mean that Jesus couldn’t fix them for her.

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Very cute, highly enjoyable. It’s not one of my favorite books of all time, but it’s still a cozy little read. I may recommend it to a few I think would enjoy it.

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love, art, cooking.....all set Italy and France. Family secrets unraveled. An easy and enjoyable read.

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Didn't realize this was a Christian book at the time I requested/downloaded it. It was not for me.

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A very interesting tale that held my attention all the way through. Great plot, plenty of smiles & the writing kept me hopping! Thanks for the opportunity with this ARC!

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Romance, family secrets and gorgeous descriptions of art and food. Delightful!

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Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows Emily who is a fixer, in her life and in her career, but her own life is stuck. She goes to Atlanta to help restore objects damaged in a house fire and she winds up meeting Ben, an Italian chef who is visiting family to help update his aunt and uncle's failing restaurant. Ben and Emily fall fast in love but face numerous obstacles when Ben plans to return back home to Italy. They get married on a whim and then have to face the reality of their decision. They move to Italy where Emily has trouble fitting in with Ben's family and while she starts to come into her own with her art and her relationship, an exposed family secret threatens to tear it all apart.
A whimsical romance that at times seemed a little overdone, overall this book was a quick and enjoyable read.

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This was a darling read. This is the third book I've read by Ms. Reay, I love her humor and the way she creates fun dialogue along with travel. This should really be two novels, the first based in Atlanta where Emily and Ben meet and the second in Italy and what happens. Whether it is one book, or two books in one, it is a fabulous book.

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Brushstroke by brushstroke, layer upon layer…
free copythe technique of a good painting, a great book, and life.

I like to review and rate books based their intended purpose. In addition to “Is it well written, well structured, with well rounded characters” criteria a story must meet the expectations I have for that genre (thriller, romance, inspirational, etc.) to earn five stars. Katherine Reay in A Portrait of Emily Price delivers an inspirational genre five & half starsmasterpiece worth









A Portrait of Emily Price uses the art of painting as the backdrop for a story of romance and family. While I’m not a paintpainter myself I understand that it takes paints, brushes, and an artist’s skill to make a blank canvas come alive. This is not much different from writing a good book or living a full and happy life.

Katherine is an more than just a writer, she is a storyteller. I loved her ability to write a story that you not only read with your head but experienced with your heart. Truth be told, the first couple chapters of the book, while solid, are not enthralling and give little indication as to where the book will take you. Like an artist at a canvas; Katherine adds each word and sentence, each paragraph and chapter, layer by layer, to produce not only an entertaining contemporary romance but an inspirational story. It’s a story that allows you to experience the emotions of the characters and may even trigger memories of times in your past when you had a similar emotional connections.

In a painting, each layer of paint is not impressive by itself but together with the other colors and textures produces a finished work that draws you in with its depth and expression. It’s like life in many ways; the sum of each event, interaction, and experience produces in us the picture of our lives. Even the mis-strokes add character to the portrait. life is a journey There is no such thing as a perfect life, all good and no bad. It just doesn’t exist! But perfection does not equate with happiness as Emily finally realizes:





Take time for A Portrait of Emily Price. Great Book!

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