Portrait of a Lover

Annabelle Lawson let her heart rule her actions once before and she learned a very valuable lesson...at the hands of her brother's cousin and enemy Magnus Wallis. A chance meeting on a train these two people connect and spend a summer together, talking, sharing a passion neither of them can ignore...but Annabelle has no idea the man who has captured her heart is Magnus. He has lied about his name and when their summer of idyll is over...her heart is broken. Years later Magnus is back claiming he is a different man. He was wrongly accused of so many things because of his father's past...he now just wants to put that troubled past where it belongs and claim the love of his life. He may have been living in America but he has not forgotten Annabelle or the way he feels when he is with her. Will he be able to fix the hurt he dealt her so long ago? This was an amazing read. We met Magnus in "Love According to Lily" and he was not a nice guy...at all. Ms. MacLean's talent shines with her ability of turning Magnus from baddie to the ultimate hero. The lucky reader will be able to experience this romance from the very beginning. First meeting to the happy ending with everything in-between. Ms. MacLean evokes all sorts of emotions with this read. I highly recommend this author.

Portrait of a Lover, by Julianne MacLean, is a sweeping tale of love lost and re-found between two unique yet well-matched characters. Neither Magnus Wallis nor Annabelle Lawson 'fit in'. Magnus is the shunned grandson of an Earl; Annabelle is the adopted sister of the present day Earl, and a talented, modernistic painter who finds herself at odds with her gilded cage. They meet on a train when they are young, and a halcyon summer of illicit meetings leaves Annabelle with a broken heart, and Magnus with a deep resentment of Annabelle's adoptive brother. Thirteen years later, Magnus has made his fortune in America, and wishes to claim the hand of Annabelle, the woman who had unknowingly held his heart for so long. I loved the unfolding of the romance between the two lovers, where each has to come to terms with their shared pasts, and what they want from their futures. Julianne MacLean infuses a maturity into her characters which is hugely enjoyable, and builds the sexual tension to the max. Her fluid prose and humourous touches make her books a joy to read.

I'm a bit biased ... I've read almost all of Julianne MacLean's books so I always know I'm getting a good read when I plunk my money down. But Portrait of a Lover surpassed my expectations - it's my favourite book of this author's so far and I couldn't put it down! Annabelle Lawson is a talented painter with a tortured past. Thirteen years ago she met a man on a train and fell quickly in love with him, even though she knew his lack of fortune would be an issue for her family. It turns out, the man she fell in love with deceived her and she's left broken hearted. Thirteen years later, Magnus reenters Annabelle's life and she vows never to let him touch her heart again. But will she be able to keep her distance from him? I remember reading Love According To Lily (the book before Portrait of a Lover) when we were briefly introduced to Annabelle and Marcus and thinking it would make a great story. I was happy to see those characters revisited and the story of their journey was exciting and real. I loved, loved, loved this story and if you like bad boys at all (who doesn't?) you should buy this book. You won't be disappointed!

The challenge Julianne MacLean had with this story was taking Magnus, who was the villain in Love According to Lily, and turning him into a hero. No easy task, yet Ms. MacLean managed the hurdle with her usual brilliance. I won't give the details away, but suffice to say she did not take the easy route. Annabelle and Magnus have a past, and not a real pretty one. It would have been easy to slap together an uncomplicated explanation and have the characters get over it with the adage of love conquers all, but I think the readers would have felt a bit cheated. Instead Julianne takes us on a journey, first back to the original relationship, and then forward to the present day of the story. It's a wonderful, rocky, emotional trip that tugs at your heartstrings and ultimately has you cheering for these two to put their pasts to rest. But life isn't that easy, a lot of damage had been done in the past and there was much to overcome. Ms. MacLean doesn't shy away from that fact, and in doing so gives the story a richness and realism that makes it all the more satisfying in the end. With each book Julianne MacLean keeps getting better and better, delving into the truth of emotion and not stepping back from the dark side just because it isn't quite as pretty. She colors Portrait of a Lover with all the shades of light and dark and in the end paints a picture that stays with you long after you've finished the last page.

It was hard to top "To Marry The Duke", but Julianne MacLean has done it. This book had it all: sensuality, strong emotions, sexual tension, and neverending love. While on a train trip to Scotland, Magnus finds himself seated across from the lovely 21-year-old, Annabelle. The chemistry sizzled immediately between them and they are instantly enchanted with each other. The catch is, Magnus realizes that this young beauty is the adopted sister of his estranged cousin, Lord Whitby. Magnus knows if he reveals his identity to her, she would flee the train and snuff out these budding feelings he has, so he deceives her by giving her a false name. Over the course of the summer, they arrange clandestine meetings so that Annabelle may paint his portrait and to spend time together. Ultimately falling madly in love with each other. The lies he must tell to keep his identity secret become overwhelming. Magnus knows the affair must come to an end as well as his charade and cruely breaks off his relationship with the only woman he will ever love. Fast forward thirteen years, the star-crossed lovers reunite and Magnus will stop at nothing until she is bound to him forever. This tale of unrequited love touched my heart and I hated for the story to end. The only gripe I had was waiting so long for "POAL" to come out and reading it in a matter of hours. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.