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Review: Pixels and Paint - Trinket Sisters #1

Pixels and Paint book cover on blue background

My first Kristi Ann Hunter contemporary novel! Pixels and Paint is the first in the Trinket Sisters series and has a beautiful cover fitting for summer.

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

For Emma Trinket, life is a delicate balancing act between loving her family and pursuing interests they don’t understand. When the opportunity arises to finally impress them with her job as a computer programmer, she jumps at it even if it means immersing herself in a world she’s despised since childhood.

Unfortunately the one man who could crush her prospects is also the best person to help her navigate the lessons she needs to be a success.

Artistic expression is both Carter Anderson’s safe space and his livelihood, but his fading inspiration has him worried about his place in life. His encounters with Emma spark a passion to create that he hasn’t felt in years and he isn’t ready to let go of his new muse even if she’s threatening the sanctity of his art world with her digital technologies.

As each tries to gain an advantage from the other, Emma and Carter discover they actually might be more compatible than they thought. Will that be enough to unify their opposing missions or will the real differences between pixels and paint tear them apart?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Having read all of Kristi Ann's historical novels, I have come to expect a wonderful reading experience each time. That was certainly the case here. Pixels and Paint was such a treat to read from Kristi Ann Hunter, who excels in building out three-dimensional characters that you want to meet in real life. Kristi Ann's historical novels have a bucolic charm to them, which translates over quite well here, giving you time to be fully absorbed in the world that she has created. I didn't want to leave!

Reading this book hearkened me back to Nancy Pearl's Four Doors to Reading, from my library days. I used to believe that most books fit into one or possibly two doors. Pixels and Paint shattered this notion for me as I felt that it touched on all four doors in equally compelling ways. The story kept my rapt attention as the characters' relationship was building and the project was taking off. With the characters, well, how much more endearing could they have been? Seeing Carter and Emma gently and vibrantly grow in their self-awareness and spiritual understanding throughout the book reminded me why I enjoy Kristi Ann's books so much. Additionally, the setting was such that I felt transported to the vividly depicted art studios and computer labs (or portable workstations as may be), without being an artist or programmer myself. Lastly, the language—not only did I savour the words on the page, I resonated with them as they communicated the themes of contradictions, perceptions, and identity. This book is no exception to scenes that make you guffaw because of how funny the author is; the humour may be subtle but it can pack a punch! And now to wait for Amy's story; I'm curious what her spiritual journey will look like based on what was shared in this book.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Book Quotes

"Competence is its own form of art. Order and function is a type of creativity. The bridge between vision and reality must be at once strong and delicate. It takes a talented sculptor to forge it. If you can't see that, maybe it's you who needs to change his definitions."

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