Book Review on Blank Canvas by Lamartz Brown

When you think of B. Love Publications, you think of the ladies that are on that team that give us nothing but romance reads. Although, Lamartz isn't the first fella signed to this publisher, him being a male makes you wonder if he's writing romance books like his pen sisters. And if so, can a man accurately pen a love story? Blank Canvas of You is a love story, but a man's rendition of it, which isn't meant to be an insult. You get to experience the characters falling for each other, but it isn't filled with all those swoon-worthy details you're used to. Personally, I can appreciate it, and was actually surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. It was perfect blend of the streets and love, and gave off movie vibes. "'Money,' A’shai mouthed. 'Power,' I followed up. 'Respect,' A’shai echoed. 'Is the key to life,' I finished."

Mega is a man that's looking to turn his life around. After losing one of his brothers, he wants nothing more to do with the game he's tied to. "I keep asking myself why are we doing this. Our bank accounts are stacked, we wealthy. What's the point?" Deciding to put his all into his barbershop, Major Cutz. When arriving to his shop one day, his eyes land on The Picturesque Art Gallery, and something inside of him awakens. Reigniting old feelings in him that he fought so hard to suppress. When his curiosity gets the best of him, he meets Mona Lisa, the woman that will change his life in more ways than he can fathom. "When I was around Mo, she brought something out of me that I had locked in a vault. I was painting again and looking forward to our next encounter. With everything that had happened within the past few months, none of it mattered when I was with her. It was like she created a different world, and it was just me and her in it. How she managed to do that, I would never know. What I did know was I couldn't get her off my mind."

Mona Lisa has spent her entire life trying to make her dad proud. With her mom abandoning her at a young age, he's all she has left, and his approval means so much to her. Her painting and owning her own art gallery is her dream come true. But because of her mother's sketchy history, her dad isn't so accepting of her career choice. "My dad never realized how painting made her feel, how the different colors brought together inspired me, how it lifted me when I was at my lowest. All he saw was abandonment, loss, and fear when looking into the eyes of his daughter who was an artist." Now dealing with abandonment issues and daddy issues, she finds solace in the handsome man that happens upon her art gallery. "My heart rate sped up for some reason. Mega being in my personal space had to be voodoo, because I was falling for him."

As I previously stated, this book did have urban elements. Although Mega was in "the game", it wasn't the drug game. There was robbing, there was killing, there was sex, there was trauma bonds, and there was even a nice little plot twist. Lamartz did a great job of compiling all of these elements and making this a very interesting read. Pair that with the cover, and you have a five star read. If this is how he's starting off, I can't wait to see what else has in store under B. Love Publications. Great job, Lamartz! If you're looking to add more male authors to your rotation, I recommend giving Lamartz and Blank Canvas a shot.