Audiobook Review: Artistic Pursuits (Art Series #3) by Andrew Grey

Frank Jennings is an FBI agent looking for redemption. Leslie Carlton is an Interpol agent looking for a thief. Attraction flares from the moment they meet on a case searching for a stolen triptych of unique Tiffany windows, but after a single night of stunning passion, Leslie is called back to London to continue his search there.

When the case heats up again, Leslie returns to the States—and to Frank—but their investigation is complicated by their tumultuous feelings. Is it possible for two dedicated detectives to pursue each other while they’re tracking down stolen art and the unscrupulous man who steals it?


Narrated by: John Solo
Length: 6 hours, 39 minutes

Reviewer - R *A Reader Obsessed*

This was a perfectly serviceable romance, and fans of Grey will probably not be disappointed as he consistently delivers on what I’m sure many have come to expect. However, for me, there just wasn’t as much impact regarding the feels surrounding the main characters as compared to the first two books, but I do love me a G-man and having his love interest be his international counterpart? Even better.

Frank is a junior FBI agent who has had the misfortune of making a mistake that got a fellow agent shot. Determined to right some wrongs, he’s set on finding out who’s behind the thievery of some priceless Tiffany windows. Such a high profile case catches the eye of an Interpol agent, and for the first time, in a long time, Frank is intrigued by the beautiful alluring man that shows up offering his assistance.

Leslie has been trying to capture a collector who has evaded prosecution for years through convenient foreign government loopholes. He hopes that he and Frank can link this most recent robbery to his past cases, and he’s definitely not above mixing business with pleasure regarding his temporary partner.

The insta-lust, of course, is darn fast, and the progression into love is equally quick. In classic Grey style there’s a lot of pretty words and proclamations with flowery love scenes that are sexy, but at the same time, just a tad cheesy and over the top. Every once in awhile I’ve noticed Grey will throw a random bit of drama into his stories that can come out of nowhere. Here, it was a sudden macho preening on Frank’s part, making him a total asshat that was out of character. Leslie, however was strong and firm and didn’t take any shit from Frank’s male posturing. These two ultimately work through their issues and discover that they can play and work well together, but does that necessarily translate into a meaningful and lasting relationship despite an ocean separating them??

John Solo continues to narrate this series with good proficiency, differentiating characters, adding emotional weight and inflection, and actually lending a British accent to a main character. You’d think this would be a given, but believe me, it isn’t. Again, nothing overtly wrong with this latest installment, I just found it a tad boring. Though not my favorite in the series, regardless, I’m curious enough to finish it out and look forward to listening to Legal Tender.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for an honest review