Book Review: Beneath Beautiful by Allison Rushby

Pages: 211

Genre: New Adult

Pub. Date: October 20, 2014

Source: Author for review

Other Books By Author: The Heiresses

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "When a handsome stranger approaches Cassie Tavington in Paris's beautiful Père Lachaise cemetery, she has no idea who he is. It doesn't take long to find out. A whispered name from a passerby shocks her into the realisation that it's Cameron Callahan, high-profile modern artist, who she's busy showing around the cemetery.  Mortified, Cassie runs, but Cameron soon tracks her down. He's intent on having Cassie sit for him, but Cassie isn't sure. His provocative sculptures are often in the media, which isn't somewhere that Cassie, the daughter of a politician, should be.  But there's no denying the attraction between the pair, and Cassie soon finds herself in a strange whirlwind of a relationship. Between Paris, London and New York, Cassie finds sitting for an artist isn't as simple as it seems. There's much to contend with—including Cameron's ex-girlfriend, Plum, her own father, and her new love interest, James.  With the clock ticking down to the opening of Cameron's new exhibition, Cassie must struggle to decide just how much of herself she can give over to Cameron and his sculpture while still remaining whole."

Cassie likes to read in the famous Parisian cemetery, Pere Lachaise, and one day while reading there, she is approached by a handsome stranger. But this isn't just any handsome stranger. She finds out it's Cameron Callahan, a famous modern artist.  Once she realizes who it is, she literally runs from the scene, but Cameron finds her later on and asks her to sit for him.  His sculptures are known to be controversial and sexual at times, so she is immediately unsure about whether to sit for him; after all, her father is a politician and this wouldn't be good publicity.  As time passes, she realizes that she has strong feelings for Cameron and does want to sit for him, but things aren't going to be that simple. How can she hide this from her father and the media? Also, Cameron's ex-girlfriend, Plum, seems to be all over her and there's also the new guy, James, who she just started dating. What if he finds out? Will he approve? Allison Rushby's Beneath Beautiful is an entertaining new adult novel that brought me into the captivating world of modern art, while also taking me along on Cassie's journey of self-discovery.

Cassie is the kind of protagonist I enjoy. She is a writer, highly educated, independent, and seems to be an all-around nice person. I enjoyed her journey in Beneath Beautiful, especially as she tries to figure out what she wants out of life and makes choices for herself regardless of what her father thinks.  I also enjoyed the secondary characters in this novel, such as the vixen and ex-girlfriend, Plum. She was wholly captivating and enigmatic.  I also absolutely loved Cassie's older sister, Jo. Some of her one-liners had me laughing out loud.  I adored their sisterly relationship and witty banter. 

Cassie's relationship with Cameron was interesting as well, as she is a bit of a muse, so I liked this whole dynamic in Beneath Beautiful.  Even though Cassie is dating James, the dynamic between Cameron-Cassie-James was very original, so I didn't feel like I was reading a cookie-cutter love triangle by any means.  Also, since this is a New Adult novel, there were some steamy parts which I think were also done well.

Rushby did a great job bringing the modern art world to life and making it sexy, dramatic, scandalous and downright fun. I loved being lost in this new-to-me art world and seeing where it takes Cassie. So, if you are looking for an original new adult novel, check out Allison Rushby's Beneath Beautiful. I was pleasantly surprised!