A Thief in the Nude

"I can think of a few things you do exceptionally well," he teased, but then the glint in his eyes became a steadier light. "But I think the base and bedrock of your genius is this, Miss Jones - you have a great talent for remaking the world around you."

This was a really sweet intro to Olivia Waite's writing. While it was all a little instantaneous for my usual tastes, it made sense in the context of the story, I think, since these two are both so different from the “norms” expected of them in the setting.

I really enjoyed Hecuba as a heroine; she's so feisty and strong-willed, but never in an over the top way at all. She's simply a tough, inspired young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. My only complaint is that I never felt like we saw any grief from her over the recent passing of her parents, which I expected we would have seen play a more prominent role, but then again, it was overall a pretty light story so maybe it's for the best.

John Rushmore is a perfectly fine hero, and while I can't say anything stuck out about him as unusually special to me, I enjoyed him plenty. I'm especially fond of his comparisons of Hecuba to Greek characters like Circe, and the way he's so enraptured by her refusal to stick to societal norms. I never get tired of a genuinely feminist hero, especially in historical settings!

Mostly, I loved the descriptions of the paintings, pigments, and techniques. I'm no art expert by any means, but it felt very well-developed and like the author knows precisely what she's talking about. Oh, and we stan ladies supporting ladies like Hecuba and her awesome cousin Anne, who I can't wait to read about in the next book!