Paintings Of You [Paperback]

Mia Paluzzi (Author, Artist), Chris Delk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2007

Claudio Verges is a talented young painter with a terrible secret: there is no passion in his work. His paintings are as vivid as photographs, and everyone expects him to go far, but he lives in fear that someday, everyone will discover he's no better than a copying machine. To escape his fame, Claude transfers to the Messina College of Art and Design, but instead of disappearing into the background, he's surrounded by eccentric, talented students who all know his name. To make matters worse, Benedict Connor, a sarcastic yet charming photography student, knows his big secret, and is determined to help Claude find his inspiration, whether he wants to or not! And on top of it all, everyone, including Ben, is convinced that Claude is in love with Ben's best friend Beatrice, while Beatrice wants nothing to do with the sullen painter. While Claude's crazy roommate Hero, Hero's boyfriend John, and Ben all work to help him win Beatrice's heart, sparks fly as Claude finds himself falling for Ben. Will Ben's lessons help Claude find passion in his work and his life, or will the flames fizzle as Claude is pushed towards the unyielding Beatrice? Paintings of You is a comedic and romantic tale, sure to delight boy's love readers everywhere. Coming Spring 2007!

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: Iris Print (June 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978753135
• ISBN-13: 978-0978753139
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,229,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Boys Love, December 5, 2007

By 

Inky "the squid" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paintings Of You (Paperback)

This was a nice, fun read. No melodrama or graphic, sexual gymnastics just a very sweet and charming romance. While I could have done without the "kooky" sidekick and his dol, I liked the main characters and enjoyed seeing them grow to like each other. I'm happy to own this book and I would certainly buy another from this team.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice change of pace., January 13, 2008

By 

Zoey L. Hogan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paintings Of You (Paperback)

An excellent story, with a believable and solid romance I entirely enjoyed. Both story and art are a refreshing change of pace from Japanese offerings (especially the art).

That being said, the art could use some improvement. In fact, I have seen the artist do better! Overall however, it's a cute, enjoyable read that you won't regret purchasing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars how can i be the first to review this book?, July 5, 2007

By 

Robert Pendarvis (Savannah, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paintings Of You (Paperback)

i originally tried to write a review of this book a month ago, but the review thingy wasn't working yet. other things have kept me distracted since then, but i remembered tonite to pop in and check out everyone else's reviews...

...but there aren't any. how can this be?

as you've probably already guessed, i really enjoyed this book. i'm a big fan of manga, especially shoujo manga (i've been teaching manga classes at the savannah college of art and design for over five years now) and was ready to embrace the romantic elements of mia's story. no, i'm not exactly a big yaoi or "boy love" fan, but that didn't ruin my enjoyment in the least. for those who worry about these things, this story is about young romance, not young SEX. i know a few girls who were disappointed at first to hear that PAINTINGS OF YOU wouldn't be as graphic as some of their favorite yaoi books, but these same girls also discovered that PAINTINGS OF YOU is charming, sweet, adorable and intelligent.

yes, ms. paluzzi uses the same formulaic ingredients as most other romance writers, but that doesn't keep the story from feeling surprisingly fresh and new. the artwork by chris delk (with inks by both paluzzi and chris sanchez) is a little rough in spots, mostly in the first part of the story, but it works very well with paluzzi's script. in fact, i kinda liked the "less than slick" vibe. many american manga artists worry too much about looking "correct" and don't worry enough about storytelling. paluzzi and delk, ably supported by the tonework of cari stephenson and the lettering of matt razzano, have produced a love story that should satisfy not only fans of the genre, but also fans of well done comics in general.

of course, i'm a little prejudiced, as i'm a friend and former professor of the creators involved. hey, at least i'm honest about it. i'm also being honest when i say that i highly recommend this book. don't just take my word for it, order your own copy and see for yourself.