“Develop your own style, and don’t be afraid to go for it.”

Minty has returned to Maida Vale for a fresh start even though her life is shadowed by whispers of a family art forgery ring that once duped the London elite. But the watchful eyes of the law linger on Minty, convinced she is back to unearth a treasure trove of truths about a legendary missing painting. While navigating the chaos of raising twins, caring for her parents, and juggling her turbulent world with the possibility of romance, Minty’s life is a comical collision of art and reality.

Love Painted in Lies is a blend of mystery and humour. I loved how relatable Minty is as a woman juggling different roles as she strives to find balance in her crazy life. When love comes knocking, she must choose how much of this madness is safe to reveal before he decides to run.

The part about her evolution into a con is revealed gradually through flashbacks. This adds an exciting mystery to the plot with twists that can give some of the best suspense-thrillers a run for their money.

The essence of the story comes from Minty’s life at home and her relationship with her parents, children, and siblings. The everyday mayhem not only creates some uniquely hilarious situations but also makes you empathise with the characters and their struggles.

Drama, desire, and disaster join hands in this story that’s great as a holiday read, a pick-me-up, or as your companion for a lazy weekend. Nothing can hold you back from devouring it once you sink your teeth in.

This ARC courtesy of @netgalley and Front Recruitment Publishing.

Totally madcap. Minty has a chaotic lifestyle bringing up twins after the death of their father a year ago. She has returned to Maida Vale to look after her aging and ailing parents. Minty is an artist currently working in metal sculpture, who is an expert painting copier. Now everyone from the police, CIA, MI5, Russian Oligarchs and Glaswegian gangsters are after her thinking she is in possession of a famous painting. Minty's life is anything but dull. Absolute chaos. #lovepaintedinlies #netgalley #amaidavaletale

Bulbous and funny. Thoroughly enjoyed meeting Minty for the first time. Digging out previous books by Holly as it was a very funny read. Recommend.

Love Painted in Lies is a laugh-out-loud feel-good British romantic comedy. Minty's return to Maida Vale isn't just about the chaos of raising twins, Old English Sheepdog shenanigans, school runs, and caring for her parents. Her life is shadowed by whispers of her involvement in a family art forgery ring that once duped the London elite. The watchful eyes of the law linger on Minty; they're convinced she’s back to unearth a treasure trove of truths about a legendary missing painting. Minty must prove her new life is a genuine fresh start. But does she know more than she's revealing, or is her return an honest attempt to repaint her life’s canvas? Amidst it all, a mysterious stranger strolls into her already turbulent world, bringing a hint of intrigue and the possibility of romance. Is he a brushstroke of fate or a shadow from her past? With gangsters on her heels and love at her door, Minty's journey is a hilarious adventure, where art and reality comically collide in Maida Vale.Holly Denham, known for her heart-warming romantic comedies, is back after fifteen years. Her first two books were loved worldwide and translated into six languages. Now, Holly returns with a new, laugh-filled love story that's sure to capture hearts again. Get ready to turn your phone to silent, with the kettle on, and settle down for a page-turning read, because the fun is about to being again..

Words cannot express how much this book has helped me through some trying times. This is the perfect escape from reality. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

A very different, riveting and at times exasperating in a good way book.
A whole world painted in lies or maybe just little white lies.... ?
Some crimes in this story are way worse than others

Love Painted in Lies: A Maida Vale Tale by Holly Denham is a fantastically hilarious rom-com. I am not normally a fan of the genre, but when a novel bucks the usual tropes, adds in an art heist and comical villainy, eccentric fmc's and relatable family life, then it is a winner for me. (and I was not disappointed!)

Minty is a bean and I want to give her the biggest hug. Yes she may be quirky and feisty, but truthfully, I wanted to give her a hug. Minty's life goes from dealing with aging parents, chaotic home life and maybe a lil bit of wit woo on the horizon wih a new love, to a rampaging heist

What's not to love?

Thank you to NetGalley, Front Recruitment Publishing and the author Holly Denham for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I love a funny book and Love Painted in Lies: A Maida Vale Tale lives up to that. It took me a good third of the book to actually get into the story but it was worth preserving. One of the real strengths of this book was the portrayal and development of Minty's relationships with various family members. These added a real poignancy to the work as a whole. A lovely summer read which I really enjoyed!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this one. I am not exactly sure why but it took me a bit to warm up to the characters. Once I did though, it was easy to settle in to this cute cozy quirky rom-com novel.

The story is told in past and present by Minty, a single mom trying to keep it all together. While I appreciate the humour being woven into her character, sometimes it came across as cringe-worthy and I felt embarassed for her lol I did have some laugh out loud moments though which is always great.

It does have a unique plot with Minty being an art forger. Her past is catching up to her present and Can't say I read many books about this type of profession. The book does feel a little bit all over the place but maybe it is to add extra dimension to Minty's character because she herself is all over the place lol

Overall, okay. It's a light read, slow start but once you get into it, has its humourous moments.

Love Painted in Lies is a delightful follow-up to Holly's Inbox, blending humor with a more mature look at life, love, and the chaos of parenthood. While it's unmistakably the same author, it showcases a growth in depth and relatability.

Minty, the protagonist, resonates strongly with readers, especially those who have experienced loss and the trials of managing a bustling household. Her journey through daily struggles, aging parents, and the possibility of new love is both inspiring and engaging.

The novel's blend of over-the-top antics, from gangsters to art heists, adds a fun, escapist quality. Minty's adventures and her attempts to prove she's changed are both entertaining and relatable, reflecting the often absurd reality of motherhood. Overall, this book offers a perfect mix of humor and heart, making it a gratifying read for anyone who's navigated life's ups and downs.

A thoroughly enjoyable read by Holly Denham about the life of Minty. She is an eccentric woman, recently widowed, who has returned to live in Maida with her twins and is caring for her aging parents (her mother with increasingly worsening dementia). If that were not enough to get on with, she also has to deal with a whole host of problems with the criminal underworld in the art industry, school admissions based on Church attendance, bullying and who is wearing the latest fashions and whether or not she should be dating again! Phew! Minty has a lot on her plate! She deals with it remarkably and with great humour. She's a fabulous character.
I loved this light and humorous book and they way Holly dealt with the more serious competing issues such as caring for aging, unwell parents as well as children.
An excellent, romantic com written by a great author.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really good read. The characters are brilliant and a lot of fun. I especially loved Minty, totally eccentric and the type of person you would love as a friend. Life would never be boring! The story line is good and I’m sure there are people like Quinn in the criminal underworld (although I did have a bit of trouble with his language). Holly writes about art theft and fraud with a good dose of humour. Enjoyable read.

I was enticed by the premise as I was born into the art world…..not forgery although my parents may have been less poor if they’d tried it….and was interested in a story from this angle. The overall storyline and comedy did remind me of the old Lovejoy series though. Altogether a lighthearted and funny/laugh out loud read to while away a lazy afternoon.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I enjoyed this book, it is a funny and light-hearted read with an entertaining story and many likeable characters, I loved the main character’s parents in particular. I had almost finished reading the book when I was advised of an updated edition with timeline clarifications, presumably made in response to other reader comments, I had no issues with the earlier version so did not reread and can only assume the changes make it even more enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This one started off a bit chaotic for me and took a while to get into. It starts off showing us that the main character Minty has quite a disorganised and chaotic life and can barely get through the day with her kids. Turns out that she used to be an Art forger.
I quite enjoyed the mystery and learning about the world of Art Forgery.
This book is really funny. It's a fun and light read even though it took a while to get into and the writing felt convoluted at some points.

I really wanted to love this novel, the plot seemed enticing and funny, but it fell flat.

The writing style was to all over the place for me, it might of been done on purpose as Minty is a chaotic main character but it affected my enjoyment and understanding. The use of past/present was messy and took away from the story. I think it lacked overall realism and/or logic.

The characters were not as likable as you would want when reading a funny romance. I don't think likable characters are needed in a story, especially one like this but the writing style and vibe just was not aligned with it at all. I felt like the character was very chaotic and confusing.

I think some people would love this funny romance however I did not particularly like it, however I don't regret reading this story.

Loved this story and how fun it was yet a genuine emotional part of managing families when hard times hit. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Really enjoyed reading this book, especially with the laugh out bits too! Loved meeting all the characters and their stories too! A perfect an easy summer read.

Gosh, Minty is absolutely bonkers and this book is very funny. It made me cringe often, laugh out loud and also be genuinely happy for her that she somehow finds a way to solve the muddle she’s in. It’s gloriously far fetched and full of hilarious cliches and it had me guessing about the end right up until I reached it. Would absolutely recommend

I was immediately intrigued by the premise. I absolutely love the art world but know fairly little about it, so the thought of exploring the vastness of it's underbelly via a somewhat light-hearted and comedic medium sounded brilliant.

Unfortunately, I just found the main character to be too all over the place for me (and this too was reflected very well in the writing style). The confusion of her life, the chaos inside her head, and the jumps between past and present did not do enough to salvage the story which hadn't even really kicked off at the 30% mark.

If you like vivacious characters and slowly uncovered mysteries, Love Painted in Lies is just the novel for you!

Love Painted in Lies: A Maida Vale Tale tells the story of a determined and compassionate woman in her mid-thirties who engaged in art forgery in her youth and now faces the consequences of her past actions.

It took me a while to get into the story, to be honest, as the character of protagonist Minty, and the narrative here, is quite quirky and focuses more on Minty’s current day-to-day which only really becomes interesting once the full picture is set. Ms. Denham chooses to slowly reveal the mystery of what’s gone on before as the pages progress in the opening 1/3 of the novel. Stick with it, as once I was into the story, I found it thoroughly enjoyable and Minty became, in fact, highly relatable as she navigates life, family, gangsters, police, and a potential new relationship.

The humor sprinkled throughout the book was largely hits, and I found myself chuckling along as I read. Minty’s ability to juggle family and personal relationships amidst a dangerous criminal underworld and police scrutiny is both amusing and endearing. Her quirky character is most evident in her interactions with family members, particularly her children and elderly parents, who are all nuts! Yet, Holly Denham doesn't shy away here from exploring heavier themes like self-acceptance, loss, and overcoming bullying.

Once the story takes off, you’ll likely find yourself immersed into Minty's chaotic world, find moments of genuine laughter that are skillfully balanced with touching portrayals of everyday family life. If you, at first, find the extravagance of painting, gangsters, and Minty’s past a little exaggerated, don’t worry—just go with it, I suggest. It’s all undeniably enjoyable, with a style that is simple and whimsical, creating a delightful and all-too-quick read.