3.7 Stars

One Liner: Quite entertaining 

Madelyn is a 43-year-old art appraiser with a simple, drama-free life. She gets a contract to appraise the collection at The Witch House, a local infamous mansion she’s been curious about as a teen. There, she meets the owner, a multibillionaire Baron, Thomas von Dreiss, and feels an instant attraction. 

 Thomas has been living for centuries just like most of his type do. However, he keeps women at an arm’s distance and leads a solitary life to avoid becoming the monster he is. However, Madelyn makes him crave more. 

Can they find a way to be together despite the obvious differences in their worlds? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Madelyn and Thomas. 

Well, based on the phrases in NetGalley’s description (sexy demons, et al.), I thought this would be a smutty novella. Luckily, this one turned out better than I expected. 

The lead characters, Thomas and Madelyn, are 40+ (though Thomas has another 120 years to his age), which makes them slightly more mature leads. Even though Madelyn blushes a lot, she is competent, smart, and efficient. 

While the book has steam (3+), the primary focus is not on smut. Even with Incubi as the MMC, there’s enough plot to make the romance seem organic enough for a novella. I like that they don’t jump right into action but spend time talking and getting to know each other (even if it is ‘told’). 

The writing is easy to read and maintains good momentum. By only issue is the lack of H2s for POV change. Since both voices come in the first person, I had to pause after every scene break to see if there was a POV. Also, there aren’t any chapters as such. We only get scene breaks. Having a new chapter for POV changes would also have helped. 

That said, the voices are distinct enough that I didn’t have to wonder whose POV I was reading. This is a huge plus as I noticed that even popular (women) authors don’t always get the (cis male) voice right. First-person POV is much more than writing with I’s. It’s where the author has to think, talk, and act like the character. 

The setting (The Witch House is a real place known to the author) is well done, though the atmosphere could be a little more intense. The chilly vibes aren’t strong enough, even though I could visualize the house and its interiors. 

The tweaks to the incubus and succubus lore are creative and seamlessly blend with the storyline. I like how the focus is on emotional connection and physical (which is food for them). They also have good and bad folks, just like humans. 

While the book has some details about art, there isn’t much other information. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. On the plus side, it doesn’t distract the reader from the core plot. However, for a plot that relies on paintings and art, a little more detail wouldn’t have hurt. 

We also have an epilogue (yay!) and an author’s note, which made me quite happy. If a novella can have an epilogue, why can’t a 400-page novel? 

To summarize, The Art Collector is a quick entertainer if you want something light, sexy, and sweet. I see the second book in this standalone series listed on GR. Might try that one too. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#TheArtCollector #NetGalley