Realistic characters and the art class setting immersed me in the story and got me excited to keep reading right from page one!It got me in the feels and I have never rooted for main characters in quite the same way I did for Finleigh and Ian. I wanted them to be together, but not in the typical romance genre relationship sense. This story set up an ending expectation that is uniquely its own and is a wonderful reading experience unlike any other read!There are many genres that make up the Canvassed Hearts novel for all kinds of readers to enjoy. Steamy scenes for romance readers, a tragic and emotional plot for readers who enjoy well-written stories where you can really feel what the main character is going through and really enjoy getting caught up in turning the pages to find out what happens next because you are rooting so deeply for things to work out for the main character in the end, and lots of painting for artists who want to read about an artist as a main character. We all have some kind of outlet where we do the same as the main character in this book-we share pieces of ourselves in a form we don't speak aloud and I think that makes these characters still relatable to everyone, even if the reader isn’t an artist.I read Canvassed Hearts in April 2022 while its author, M Leigh Morhaime, was featured by Book-Club Hosted by Heather Skinner and I recommend this book for book clubs! It is a beautiful roller coaster ride of emotions that doesn’t hold back on being real about topics like loss and PTSD and how they can impact daily lives and interactions. There is also hope and a lot unsaid that is intriguing to chat about with other readers.Lastly, with all of the detailed art projects in this book, there are so many unique possibilities for paint and sip book chats that I know I would love to see happen and attend!