≡ [PDF] Painted Faces LH Cosway 9781481060134 Books

Painted Faces LH Cosway 9781481060134 Books

Download As PDF : Painted Faces LH Cosway 9781481060134 Books

Painted Faces LH Cosway 9781481060134 Books

Painted Faces has some amazing things going for it, but sadly I found the actual romance quite problematic. Freda has just gotten a new neighbor. She hits it off with Nicholas right away as they're both fluent in banter. Freda's roommate has already invited Nicholas to dinner, and then Nicholas invites them to see him perform at a club the next night. Much to Freda's shock, Nicholas is a drag queen!

Painted Faces actually started off quite great. The prologue is an introduction to Nicholas (the rest of the book is Freda's POV) and how he got into drag. It's actually quite heartbreaking and I was definitely interested in learning more about him. Unfortunately, I ended up not being able to stand him and he's the main reason the romance did not work for me at all. However, I did love how sexuality and identity were handled. Nicholas is a drag queen, but he's also straight, and he identifies as a man, but he does need to dress up in order to perform how he wants to. It just goes to show that not everyone fits into nice, neat boxes. Although I was annoyed that Freda said she must have a bit of lesbianism in her, because she's attracted to Nicholas even when he's dressed up.

Now, for the romance portion. Nicholas comes on way too strong. That first day they meet, and he comes over to dinner, he comes up behind Freda and presses himself against her and tells her that he wants to do her. She immediately tells him to back the hell off. Does he? No, not really. Throughout the book he continues to touch her and say overtly sexual things to her, one time even getting a slap across the face, and saying it's all in good fun. How about...NO! He just will not stop! It's not sexy! He upsets Freda, and then laughs it off later like it's no big thing.

But even worse than this is that their entire relationship is built around the "No means yes" concept. Freda tells him to stop, slaps him, whatever, but it continues. As they get to know each other, she does find herself wanting to be with Nicholas but deciding it's a bad idea because she doesn't want to get hurt by him. This causes her words to not match up with what she's thinking. She'll say "no" to Nicholas, but in her inner narrative she says that she doesn't want him to stop. Apparently Nicholas is a mind-reader so he doesn't stop! I mean, I totally get that she doesn't mean it when she says no, but the very fact that she's saying no means that he should take that to mean no until she says otherwise!

On that same note, Nicholas tells Freda a couple of times that she does have a choice, or that the choice is up to her about where their relationship goes. Then the next words out of his mouth are "I want you to..." NO! Stop! Her choice! Stop inserting what you want and then taking it, because no means yes! The only time he accepts her choice is when it lines up with what he wants! None of this is romantic to me!

Painted Faces had an absolutely wonderful premise and I loved that it challenges rigid notions of sexuality, but that so-called romance? No. Just no. And I don't mean no in the sense that no means yes. I just mean no.


Tags : Painted Faces [L.H Cosway] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Come forth with an open mind, for an unconventional tale of love.. Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions,L.H Cosway,Painted Faces,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1481060139,Adult & contemporary romance,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction Romance Contemporary,Romance - Contemporary,Romance: Modern

Painted Faces LH Cosway 9781481060134 Books Reviews

Freda (aka Fred) finds her new neighbor Nicholas to be attractive and intriguing and much to her surprise Nicholas takes a shine to her as well. Nicholas is a cabaret performer. Freda takes a job as Nicholas’s new assistant and the two grow into an unconventional friendship where their attraction continues to grow. Against her better judgement Fred can’t seem to make herself care about Nicholas’s job choice and finds herself gravitating even more towards him because of it. Will the two be able to keep their friendship and jobs professional? Or are they both just teasing themselves thinking they can be together 24/7 and not grow deeper feelings?

This book was so different from anything I’ve ever read in the past. It’s hard to think of a man who dresses in drag but is not at least bisexual. After you read all the facts, it makes more sense and you can see where the unconventional aspect of it all comes from. Personally seeing a man dressed as a woman wouldn’t be attractive to me but to each their own. It was a different take on a love story which I enjoy. Fred loves Nicholas so much that she doesn’t care if he’s a man or woman, she just loves the soul beneath the mask. It’s a great take on unconditional love.

Overall it was a light enjoyable read. I had trouble feeling the romantic chemistry between these two at times. I really enjoyed them as friends and even the sex was hot but once we get into deeper feelings something felt off. Maybe because we only get Fred’s POV so it’s hard to see Nicholas as being sincere with his feelings. He’s constantly making sexual innuendos which makes me feel like he sees her as more of a play buddy then a romantic love interest. I’m sure the second book, which is from his POV, would change that opinion but that’s how I felt after this first book. I found it to be a tad slow at times and lacking in intense scenes or angst. Fred forgives pretty easily. It’s really a straight up unconventional love story with little bumps here or there but nothing earth shattering. Once you get through Nicholas’s past it’s easy going minus a chapter or two towards the end until we get the resolution.
I loved this book. I must admit to being a huge fan of L H Cosway's work, and was thrilled to find another one to read. Then as I neared the end of this, I was again thrilled to discover the companion book, Killer Queen. More to love.

The characters here are not sanitized for your protection. They are original and flawed. They are irreverent and funny and at the same time tragic and heartbreaking. The thing I think I loved the most though was the originality of them. He is a completely heterosexual man who finds his fulfillment as a glamorous drag queen, and she has a cruddy job in a charity shop and bakes cupcakes because she can't stand the idea of the stress of a real cooking job in a commercial kitchen. Both have self esteem issues and don't fully grasp their own amazing-ness.

I won't spoil any of the plot. Too many reviewers do that. I will just say that this book is different from the norm, and it thoroughly entertained me. It deals with a lot of issues revolving around acceptance of gays and is pretty heartbreaking from that standpoint. The friendship to lovers story between Freda and Nicholas is just great. Excellent chemistry.

I would say I highly recommend this book, but I also acknowledge it's not for everyone.
Painted Faces has some amazing things going for it, but sadly I found the actual romance quite problematic. Freda has just gotten a new neighbor. She hits it off with Nicholas right away as they're both fluent in banter. Freda's roommate has already invited Nicholas to dinner, and then Nicholas invites them to see him perform at a club the next night. Much to Freda's shock, Nicholas is a drag queen!

Painted Faces actually started off quite great. The prologue is an introduction to Nicholas (the rest of the book is Freda's POV) and how he got into drag. It's actually quite heartbreaking and I was definitely interested in learning more about him. Unfortunately, I ended up not being able to stand him and he's the main reason the romance did not work for me at all. However, I did love how sexuality and identity were handled. Nicholas is a drag queen, but he's also straight, and he identifies as a man, but he does need to dress up in order to perform how he wants to. It just goes to show that not everyone fits into nice, neat boxes. Although I was annoyed that Freda said she must have a bit of lesbianism in her, because she's attracted to Nicholas even when he's dressed up.

Now, for the romance portion. Nicholas comes on way too strong. That first day they meet, and he comes over to dinner, he comes up behind Freda and presses himself against her and tells her that he wants to do her. She immediately tells him to back the hell off. Does he? No, not really. Throughout the book he continues to touch her and say overtly sexual things to her, one time even getting a slap across the face, and saying it's all in good fun. How about...NO! He just will not stop! It's not sexy! He upsets Freda, and then laughs it off later like it's no big thing.

But even worse than this is that their entire relationship is built around the "No means yes" concept. Freda tells him to stop, slaps him, whatever, but it continues. As they get to know each other, she does find herself wanting to be with Nicholas but deciding it's a bad idea because she doesn't want to get hurt by him. This causes her words to not match up with what she's thinking. She'll say "no" to Nicholas, but in her inner narrative she says that she doesn't want him to stop. Apparently Nicholas is a mind-reader so he doesn't stop! I mean, I totally get that she doesn't mean it when she says no, but the very fact that she's saying no means that he should take that to mean no until she says otherwise!

On that same note, Nicholas tells Freda a couple of times that she does have a choice, or that the choice is up to her about where their relationship goes. Then the next words out of his mouth are "I want you to..." NO! Stop! Her choice! Stop inserting what you want and then taking it, because no means yes! The only time he accepts her choice is when it lines up with what he wants! None of this is romantic to me!

Painted Faces had an absolutely wonderful premise and I loved that it challenges rigid notions of sexuality, but that so-called romance? No. Just no. And I don't mean no in the sense that no means yes. I just mean no.