$6.99
“You can live in my pool house, if you’ll teach me to paint.”
Living alone in her bare mansion in LA’s Hollywood Hills, gentle Celia takes up art therapy, hoping it will soothe the deep scars of her past. Each failed artwork deepens her fear of losing to depression, like her father.
León, an intense painter struggling with a creative block, empties his savings to move to LA in search of new visions. He needs a cheap studio and some raw, authentic inspiration—his dreams and future as an artist depend on it.
Brought together by their colorful mutual friends, Celia offers León a deal: he can live in her pool house for free if he teaches her to paint. As he becomes her infatuated teacher and she his reluctant muse, both are laid bare by their pursuit of honest art. Could the desperate creativity that drew them together also rip them apart?
Unique and powerful, this sensual slow burn romance unfolds between mature characters, exploring themes of healing, trauma, and empowerment. Perfect for readers who appreciate new contemporary romance and women’s fiction, this novel includes diverse, over 40, LGBTQ characters, making it a profound choice for those looking for explicit angsty romantic stories that mirror their own experiences and complexities.
This is not your average romance. It’s quiet in places, messy in others, and deeply sensual throughout. Painting Celia is about finding beauty in the broken parts, and falling for someone who sees them too. Come for the pool house. Stay for the transformation.
| Format | Ebook (EPUB or PDF) |
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DanzaCapricciosa
Visually luscious, emotionally taut, I was engaged on many levels. Embedded in a love story are reflections on art and honesty as the heroine Celia struggles to release herself from a childhood of psychological oppression. The prose is luminous, lit by humor, poignance, and lust. Grab the book and prepare to spend a weekend in a world of art, romance, and revelation.
Karen Light
Painting Celia is riveting from the start. The connection I felt to the characters, especially Celia was immense. The emotional roller coaster that everyone rides is so real. Maya bairey captured so many emotions and feelings that I felt like I was actually feeling them also.
A romance novel that is so unexpectedly beautiful and real. The emotions were raw, and I felt them with each character, I cried when they cried, laughed when they laughed.
Celia and Leon both had things they needed to work out, but will they end up together after growing up and learning what they each need separately?
Definitely a ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
️ book!
Jane
Loved this book!! Celia and Leon are strong characters on their own (which is usually one of my pet peeves with romance — one fully formed character and another placeholder that serves very little purpose or lacks any motivation at all). Believable love stories are so hard to come by and this one had me so impatient for the main characters to JUST GET OVER THEMSELVES ALREADY. Really hoping for more in this series. I feel good about where it ended but the friend group feels ripe for more books!!
Karen Fletcher
Fun and sweet awakening story. Celia is so wounded from childhood abuse that she finds it impossible to know who she really is, although she has made some wonderful encouraging friends. When she meets the painter Leon, her life is upended and she becomes curious and interested in her own life and what she uniquely has to offer the world.
DJG
The story of Leon the artist and the sensitive tormented Celia, who becomes his Muse, is replete with intense emotional clashes, sensual torrents, memories that cripple, and the blessings of idiosyncratic friends, is mostly set in Los Angeles, counterpointed briefly by New York. When the lovers and friends finally achieve a measure of tranquility, the reader is left feeling that this finale is earned, and well deserved.
Crystal
“Painting Celia” by Maya Bairey is a poignant exploration of art, vulnerability, and the transformative power of love. Through Celia’s eyes, we experience the struggles of confronting a painful past and the courage it takes to paint a new future. Bairey’s narrative is a testament to the strength found in fragility and the beauty that emerges when we dare to expose our true colors. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt lost in the shadows, as it guides you towards the light of self-acceptance and love.
Lynn H
Painting Celia had everything that I love in a book. The characters were likable and had interest and depth to them. The book centered around art which is a passion of mine and I learned a lot about painting which was fun! I loved that one of the main characters revealed their trauma and the healing journey was portrayed in an honest and thoughtful manner. The book was fast paced and made me look forward to possible future books with the characters. I loved the ending which was uplifting and inspiring; the message that relationships, happiness and fulfilling your passions was amazing. It seems very relevant to address in today’s world of consumerism and individualism.
Emily Champagne
Wow, I could hardly put the book down! Painting Celia reads like poetry, so clear and captivating. Especially awesome…how you wove many themes into an amazing tapestry. Your portrayal of the art world brought it to life, made it exciting and memorable. And you showed a way for a woman to heal from the childhood trauma by a father who deserted and by a physically abusive mother. Still more was the way you presented bisexuality, as nothing special, just a normal part of some lives; I loved that. And the bi-cultural experience of several characters was fun – as you artfully included and taught us all the Spanish words. And you showed the difference a supportive network of friends can make for repairing a damaged psyche. Finally, I cherish the way you grappled with the struggle of us women to be free to be ourselves, in a world where so many people think we must belong to man to be someone important or worthy. I’m recommending this book to everyone I know…and truly expect one day it will be on the New York Times Bestseller List!
JJ
I loved everything about this book! How the lead characters slowly change over the course of the story. Celia into a confident women and Leon into a less selfish man. The author fleshes out the secondary characters so you find yourself caring about them too. The friendship between all of them is charming and real. For a first time author, Maya Bairey hits the ball out of the park. Looking forward to what she’s planning for the future.
Maura
Wowza! This booked was immersed in vibrant color, intense relationships, and heartfelt emotion. I hated to see it end. Celia’s culinary talents filled the story with luscious aromas (squash curry . . . I’m in!)
veronica esagui
I absolutely loved reading Painting Celia by Maya Bairey. I have played a little with painting but never saw what this author describes in such detail of colors. I highly recommend this book to anyone that needs to
learn more about romance, inner healing and the sweet deep understanding of what life is meant to be when you open your heart to love.
Marcy Meyer
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the dynamic between Celia and Leon. It was a passionate story, and I loved how art brought them together and fueled their attraction. They both did a lot of growing throughout the book. It was a good read.
Carolyn Martin
For a reader who has closed many novels after the first few pages because they didn’t grab me, Painting Celia grabbed me. From the central characters to the supporting cast, from spicy sex scenes to the profound study of personal empowerment, Maya Bairey engages, delights, and intrigues in this well-written debut novel. I can’t wait to read more about this imaginative universe she created.
Lori K
I really loved Painting Celia. Celia was a very relatable character to me. I felt protective of her and was rooting for her to stand for herself in her relationships with both her mother and her love interest, Leon. The descriptions of the paintings and scenery were very vivid; I could picture them clearly. My favorite aspect of the book was character development of Celia and her friends. I would love to learn more about them in a possible sequel. I have to admit I also immensely enjoyed the “spicy’ scenes in the book.
K White
With so much choice in novels today it’s never been more important to grab the potential reader’s interest in the opening sentences, compelling them to continue turning the pages. The opening chapter where Celia is having a phone conversation with her grasping mother is vey well done and sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the novel.
I’m old enough to remember the bland, original Penguin Paper back covers. Those days are long gone. The author now has to make every aspect of their novel a winner. Painting Celia does exactly that. The cover alone is irresistible. With the cover a winner, we move to the blurb, and yes it’s first class. It’s obvious troubled millionaire Celia Torres will have a torrid relationship with impoverished Latino painter Leon Alejo-Rios. Sex is so difficult to write. Do it wrong and it becomes crass porn. Do it right and it’s a beautiful art form. The slow burn of Celia and Leon’s passion is artfully and superbly created. A novel needs more than a blurb a cover and passion, it needs to be a good story. Painting Celia is an engaging story that holds the reader’s interest from page one. Without letting the cat out of the bag, as with any good romance, Painting Celia ends on a hopeful note.
This really is an excellent read and I unreservedly award talented author Maya Bairey the coveted 5 stars. Well done.