I was expecting a romance with some mystery to solve on the side but it was the other way around. The story was executed well though so no complaints here.

Ally is a recovering substance abuse user and has to rebuilt her life after rehab. She lost her license to work in the ER so takes on a job taking care of people at home. With one of her clients she discovers a lot of art. As an artist and fan they immediately get her attention even more so when she figures out these are all stolen. she comes up with a plan to repatriate the art as a way of redemption.

In between she reconnects with doctor Maria. The romance part is really small in this book so if you are in it for the romance, you'll be disappointed. I loved the parts between Ally and Maria but they were only a few.

I loved the twists and turns the story took and nothing is really as it seems and it keeps you guessing.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

This is one of my favorite books I read this year! I loved the mystery and especially loved how well developed the character development was! I really enjoyed the location since I live in this part of Pennsylvania. I also really appreciate the reinvention that the main character had to do because of her stint in rehab. I also loved the art history since I’m a huge history nerd! I highly recommend this book!

Firstly this is an absolutely gripping thriller that keeps you guessing right until the end of the book. Secondly, there is also a romance, not the most convincing and clearly very much a sub plot, in the shadow of the main thriller plot. I really enjoyed the beginning where we are following Ally as she processes getting caught taking opiates in the hospital where she works and begins her recovery, working as a home health assistant until she gets her nursing license back. The book takes an unexpected turn, when she decides that she will steal the rare art that she sees on a patient's wall to save it and in case we feel bad we are told at length that of the patient's previous sins. Interesting choice and one that leaves you wondering in terms of morality, what the author is trying to say about addiction and recovery and also the maligning of low paid carers.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting and well written mystery that kept my interest the whole time. I liked the way Ally's addiction was portrayed, with consideration and awareness of how tough it is to go through something like that. The plot twist at the end was clever.

Well written, fast paced story that focuses on a nurses recovery (opiate addiction). Highly recommend!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written mystery and was very enjoyable to read. I read this in one sitting and would recommend. The main character was believable and likeable. I recommend, 4 stars.

Thank you Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Repatriate by Jaime Maddox is an interesting, drama filled novel that also covers some sensitive and relevant subject matters. It has a complex plotline that will satisfy both intrigue/thriller lovers as well as readers who love romance mixed into their mysteries.

Ally Hamilton is a physician’s assistant who was busted at work after she became addicted to opioids following a ski accident. As a recovering addict, Ally takes a job as a medical assistant for a home healthcare company. She hopes this job will eventually help her to get her medical license and maybe her old job back. One of the patients she works for is an elderly man who has many beautiful paintings in his home. Ally begins to wonder about the paintings and starts researching them. This leads her into a world of intrigue and danger.

I really liked the way the author treated Ally’s addiction. It was done with consideration and a realization of what folks in this position have to go through. The mystery and danger surrounding the stolen paintings is quite dramatic and kept me reading. The love interest between Ally and Maria, a doctor she is attracted to works well with the rest of the tale.

I enjoyed reading Repatriate. There really is something in this book for everyone.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

A beautiful story written with sensitivity about the recovery of a nurse with an addiction to opiates with a clever plot twist finale. Thank you to the author, BSB publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful storyline which was written with sensitivity about the recovery of a nurse with an addiction to opiates. , includes a plot twist ending.

3.7 out of 5

This is a very cleverly plotted, well paced, extremely well written book. There is a lot going on and a lot to keep up with and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ally works in an ER but has lost her licence to practice because of drug addiction. During her rehab she works as a home carer and meets a wealthy man with a fine art collection. Ally loves art and she and the cranky old man bond strongly. But Ally has her suspicions about the paintings and after much research discovers they are masterpieces stolen from various galleries. As atonement she decides to get the paintings back to their rightful owners.

There begins the heart stopping tension that is reminiscent of Mission Impossible. Ally is a great character and her friend Maria an excellent foil. The book is different from the formulaic lesfic and recommended if you’re looking for good storytelling that’s engaging, engrossing, and unusual.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

This book tackled important issues - addiction in healthcare, redemption, self-esteem - but I just really struggled to enjoy it. Ally is a physician assistant who has just been released from a rehab facility, overcoming her dependence on opioids after a ski accident left her injured. She is working on getting her job and her life back by taking a position as a medical assistant for a home health company as a first step towards reclaiming her medical license. However, when she finds out that one of her patients is harboring hundreds of millions worth of stolen art, she is driven by the need for redemption to repatriate it. Along the way, she reconnects with a doctor she had always been attracted to, who is also familiar with the trials of addiction.

Throughout the book, I didn't really love our MC. She repatriated the art under the guise of redemption and acted as if money wasn't a motivating factor, which was totally not realistic because if someone is going to steal from someone dangerous (alluded to in the beginning), the money would DEFINITELY be the most important reward. Then, the reason for her botched surgery leading to her addiction was that her dad "made" her wait to have her shoulder repaired so a family friend could do it? Was she not a grown adult woman who could make her own choices? Obviously the addiction was not her fault, but blaming her dad when she could have just as easily chose to have the surgery when necessary seemed like an out. And then the final straw for me was the "twist" at the end...what??? It pissed me off so much because it was both unnecessary and ruined Ally's character arc, in my opinion.

I did like the representation given to those who struggle with addiction and I enjoyed the romance between Ally and Maria, but that was about it.

Thank you net galley and bold strokes books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The description was everything I was hoping for: art crime, a strong female lead, and a sapphic love story. Sadly I didn't get that. This was more an "Intro To Exiting Rehab for the Medical Professional," with a side plot of art history. The Main character has an appreciation for art from her mom, but can somehow authenticate stolen works of art from a quick glance in the space of a paragraph. It wasn't until a third of the way through the book that we were introduced to the art in question.

The book also did a lot of telling instead of showing and went into great detail regarding information that did not pertain to the story. The story had a reasonable layout and the timeline was well-plotted but not well-executed. Overall, I give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.

I was sent this book as an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a decently enjoyable read. While it was not for me, I think the targeted audience would devour this!

Ally Hamilton has just been released from her rehab facility where she's been staying after developing a problem with oxycodone after surgery. She has taken a job as a home health aid and is assigned to a millionaire curmudgeon. After her first visit to his house she starts suspecting some of the art displayed in his home were stolen in a well known museum heist. She has few options to involve the police so she develops a plan to steal the paintings from his home instead. As she works her way through the artwork she is also working on getting her life back together and hopefully also working on a relationship with Dr. Maria Alfano.
This is the first book I've read by Maddox and I really enjoyed it. The beginning, planning portion was a little dry and at first seemed like an impossible task, full of risk. As she went on though, the risk even greater as she got to the larger pieces I was rooting for her and I couldn't stop reading, hoping she wouldn't get caught and wondering how no one had questioned her. I liked her interactions with Maria, the romance was really a secondary plot line in this one but I'd have liked to see a bit more with them. There were some things that didn't make sense as I read but the ending really tied everything up in a very nice surprise that I really didn't see coming. Overall, great plot, interesting characters and nicely done ending.

This was a really unique story, and one I kept reading on and on, to get to the end, and to find out what happened 'next'.

However I did struggle with a fair few choices made and the idea that some of the things done were morally acceptable or even "good" as was presented.

Our MC Ally is a Physicians Assistant who is fresh out of rehab, after struggling with Opioid addiction. She starts a new job, as a home nurse; a downgrade from her former career. But is working hard to get back to 'normal' and figure out her life and future.

One issue I had with this character is, she really didn't have that much of a hard time. She gets off very easily and has a lot of support around her. But yet doesn't seem to realize that, and takes full advantage of having rich parents, funding her life, and the ability to spend money despite being in debt, and not having a high paying job any longer. I never really felt she hit a 'rock bottom' or truly learned any real lesson with her addictions. Even when she does come to a place of seemingly understanding why she became an addict, it's because she feels she had to be 'perfect'. But it felt so very self indulgent and cringe worthy, I ended up not liking the MC very much at all!!!

Most of the story is set about a rich man's estate, who himself has a shady past - who Ally is nursing for most days, and her noticing the artworks he has displayed as possibly being real missing pieces that had been stolen and lost. And her setting about 'repatriating' them. AKA Stealing them. Swapping them out.

The problem I had was the moral ambiguity here, where our MC Ally barely second-guesses anything she is doing. Let alone questions the fact she is seemingly just swapping out one 'high' for another. This was a very obvious and glaring issue, and yet it was literally never addressed. Even when she admits to her parents and girlfriend what she has done, it's all swept away with "OMG NOW YOU'RE MEGA RICH!" and that left a foul taste in my mouth.

I really just didn't like the characters at all? I couldn't understand any of their motivations. Despite the ending being more eye-opening in revealing that - it still just irritated me more than it probably should. I think my issue was this idea that she was so self righteous and everyone telling her she was so "right" in what she was doing, and being rewarded for such morally grey behaviour, while never actually acknowleding it as such.
I do like morally grey characters, but they have to at least OWN what they are doing as such, not still gading about, acting as if they are doing some great work of benefit to society, as the character here was.

I also failed to really understand the romantic connection here, at all. It barely went surface level, and the I Love You's came way too quick. So overall, the story just left a lot of weird feelings for me, that clearly didn't bother other reviewers, so I guess I'm just the odd duck out.

Repatriate is a stunning and intense recovery story of opiate addict Ally Hamilton and eleven stolen masterpieces of art. The story is a pressure cooker with an unexpected surprise ending which will blow your mind. I will stop right here in the story description so as to not spoil anyones enjoyment of the novel.

Maddox has found that magical blend of two disparate situations and turning it into one very unique story. Her writing and storytelling just gets better with every book. The characters are multi dimensional and represent a wide swath of humanity.

I would give four stars for the interesting premise the book is built upon. That Maddox brings her A game to the telling of the story gives this a solid five star rating.

I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ally Hamilton is finishing six months in treatment for pill addition. She was a physician assistant in the ER but has six months before getting her license back. She starts a new job as a home healthcare worker. While working with a particularly wealthy client who has some past scandals she notices his art collection. She bonds with the client over the art and thinks she has stumbled onto stolen works. She makes plans to swap the art with hopes of them being returned to rightful owners. In the meantime she connects with Maria, an ER doctor who she flirted with prior to going into rehab. The attraction is still there for both.

I love the idea of missing works of art being recovered. I’ve been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and seen the empty painting frames they leave on display as a reminder of their stolen masterpieces. So this was especially intriguing. I also thought the author does a great job with the insecurity and unsureness of coming out of rehab. Trying to staying busy, need of counseling and support groups and family to rely on are shown. I really like Maria and her easiness in wanting to pursue dating and acceptance of Ally’s addiction.

The planning and swapping of paintings was actually less interesting to me than I expected. The tension never rises to thriller level. And there is some moral ambiguity in the actions. And I was confused about whether Ally is really interested in joining the family business. Her older brother's bullying and her having great ideas to benefit the company fills pages but ultimately goes nowhere. I’d rather spend more time on the romance or her with the supportive parents.

I enjoyed the book and it is easy to recommend. And the author throws in an a surprise I should have seen coming with the amount of mysteries I read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After an accident Ally who is a physician's assistant in a hospital Emergency department became addicted to pills. Now months later after rehab she gets a job as caregiver while waiting to find out if she gets her medical license reinstated. While working as caregiver she questioning wether she wants to work in medicine again she gets interest in her father security company which her brother doesn’t like. She gets more involved with her patient when she realizes that the paintings that is displaying on the home of her patient is the original paintings that went missing years ago as she decides what to do she gets involved with her fellow ex coworker Maria. I enjoy this read I like how Ally tells herself she can do this even when she having doubts that’s she can’t love that her parents and friends are supportive of her.





I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Ally is a recovering drug addict who has lost her license as a physician's assistant in a hospital Emergency department. Post rehab she lands a job as a Home Healthcare worker doing wound care. She discovers one of her clients with an unsavoury past may be an art thief. What will Ally do and will she risk her life to recover what she has found?

This story is based on a real art heist in Boston which makes this fictional “what if” scenario even more fascinating. Ally is easy to like and easy to root for as she tackles her opioid addiction and works hard to be of use while she waits for her PA license to be reinstated. A lot of the story is focused on the challenges faced by those in addiction recovery. Ally’s journey felt authentic. Her fear of relapse, of rejection by her former friends, and self loathing all play into her heroic attempt to recover these valuable works of art. I enjoyed the tension the author builds as Ally attempts to steal these lost works hoping to return them to their rightful owners. It all seems foolish as does her interest in her fathers security firm but settle in and enjoy the ride.

There is a romantic relationship with Maria, a former coworker at the hospital but it is a slow and gentle fade to black romance. Ally was attracted to her when they worked together in the hospital and their reconnection is special, the oasis Ally needs as she risks everything to recover the artwork.

I read this book in a day and that is rare for this reader at this busy time of year. Kudos to Jaime Maddox on keeping the suspense elevated and my interest maintained throughout. A love of art will help you appreciate what this recovery means to the world at large but the suspense alone will hold your interest.

4.5 stars keep you turning pages.

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

WOW what a story.

Ally works in the ER as a PA. After a recent injury to her shoulder she's become addicted to drugs, her co-workers have noticed that she has a problem. Her supervisor has now questioning her. What can she do but ask for help.
Six months later she's fresh out of rehab and looking for a job. As a home health aid she'll make a fraction of the money she once did but she gave up her medical license so what's a girl to do.

Ally knows about art and one of her patients has some very unique artwork lining his walls which she believes are stolen.
She's hatched a crazy plan to switch them. This is going to be crazy, dangerous and someone could end up dead.

This is a great story that will keep you reading. And you should because you won't believe the ending.

I highly recommend this.
Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesBooks for this ARC