Ever since I saw the title of Julie Klassen's Regency novel, The Painter's Daughter, I've been anxiously waiting for its release! I am The Artist Librarian, after all ... 
 Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors writing Regency fiction today. Klassen's latest novel, The Painter's Daughter, is a story of the two very different Overstreet brothers and the young woman torn between them. A marriage of convenience, and love triangle of sorts, tinged with sibling rivalry, sets this story (Klassen's 10th published novel) apart from her previous work. 
 One of the most enjoyable parts for me was the art aspect. Having an art background myself, I loved seeing little details I recall learning from my art history courses and studio classes come to life on the pages of Klassen's novels. From the role of women in the art world to the reputation of art models or the creation of paint or stretching canvas, I don't recall anything off or out of place. Klassen gives enough details that you can get a picture of the scenes without getting mired with minutiae. Sophie, the protagonist and titular painter's daughter, has a believable, historically accurate role as a background painter and assistant to her father. 
 This novel felt like it was a bit higher on the drama than some of Klassen's previous works --there are a couple of climaxes and plot twists that almost felt like they were from a Julie Lessman novel. I still haven't decided how I feel about those, but they did keep me turning pages late into the night, so I guess that's a good thing! I didn't feel like the romance was any more intense than her previous books, but maybe a couple more innuendos if anything (it is a marriage of convenience story). I think Klassen fans and Regency romance lovers will definitely want to give this uniquely set story a look. 
 [Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.]