The Delicate Things We Make by Milena McKay is an angst filled age gap romance with a fantastic mystery subplot.
Investigative journalist Jamie Walker has been kicked out of her apartment by her ex-boyfriend, and her career has hit rock bottom. She’s working a multitude of odd jobs to sustain herself in Manhattan and still send money home to her mother. Sleeping on an air mattress in the attic of an art gallery isn’t part of her life goals.
When a magazine editor offers her the assignment of a lifetime, she jumps at the opportunity. How hard can it be to uncover the identity of the legendary artist, DeVor? This illusive artist has been influencing the art and fashion worlds for over a decade. Their work commands intense bidding at auctions around the world, yet little else is known about them.
This story could be Jamie’s ticket to journalistic fame, and her skillful sleuthing leads her to Vivian DeVor, the woman behind the artistic icon. However, Jamie’s world is knocked off kilter as she falls deeper and deeper in love with the enigmatic older woman. As Vivian begins to fall for her too, the lie Jamie has to maintain – after all, she’s working on an article to uncover DeVor’s identity – weighs heavy on her. She knows she has to come clean, but when is the right time?
As Jamie delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the inscrutable artist, she uncovers a deeply disturbing side of the publishing world. As she uncovers one unsettling story after another, she has to decide if her commitment to social justice is more important than her love for Vivian.
Can Jamie fulfill what she sees as her moral obligation while keeping the woman of her dreams or does the former make the latter impossible?
The Characters
Victoria: Vivian and Jamie are absolute perfection as a couple. Everything about them screams – opposites, yet from the moment they meet it’s clear they’re each other’s forever person.
Tara: I totally agree, Victoria, and that’s part of what makes this book so special. Sure, we know they’ll get together because it’s a romance, but there’s something magnetic about Jamie and Vivian — both in terms of how I felt about them as a couple and how they come together in the story.
Victoria: I find Jamie very relatable, and that’s not just because I too am head-over-heals in love with Vivian. She’s kind and earnest and approaches every situation with a polite, no-nonsense style. It doesn’t take her long to discover DeVor’s identity, and it takes her even less time to fall in love with the haughty, vulnerable artist. Vivian makes Jamie feel seen despite her feeling that she’s out of Vivian’s league. Jamie can’t keep her wits about her when Vivian addresses her by her full name, Jameson, in a voice that’s like “bourbon over gravel”. Jamie uses her self-deprecating sense of humor to woo the woman of her dreams. She knows as soon as she turns in her expose revealing Vivian is DeVor, she’ll lose her forever. I loved seeing Jamie’s strength and confidence grow as the book progressed. I enjoyed the way she could be both loopy-in-love and powerfully protective over Vivian all at the same time.
Tara: Can you blame her for swooning over Vivian and her voice? I know I did, although that may have been because of Abby Craden’s narration…
You really nailed it when it comes to who Jamie is as a person. The one thing I’ll add is that I also appreciated her strong sense of ethics. For example, she knows she can’t sleep with Vivian without Vivian knowing who she actually is. Also, she works with many of the victims of a serial rapist to ensure he’s brought to justice, even though he is incredibly powerful and has zero scruples, and while knowing it might cost her her fledgling relationship with Vivian. I was so proud of the complete and total badass that Jamie becomes as she pursues this cause, because she acts fearless in a situation where there is so much to fear. Thankfully, Vivian seems to agree with me eventually.
Victoria: Vivian – Oh my! I haven’t been this captivated by a main character in a long time, and her place in my heart is permanent. It’s due to much more than the fact she’s reminiscent of a certain actress I’m drawn to. Vivian is a complex combination of character traits that individually might be off-putting, but together make her flawless. She’s a snob, but she finds Jamie’s unpolished nature refreshing. She’s aloof yet tender, with a smile that conveys her vulnerability. Sarcasm is her second language, but it’s always tempered with gentle words of encouragement. At times she’s anxious and fearful, and at others she’s wildly passionate. She’s just as smart as Jamie and puts her own machinations in place to achieve her domination of the art world and keep herself safe from public scrutiny. She’s got everything to lose by giving her delicate heart to Jamie. Before she can completely commit herself to her, she’s got to face painful memories and determine if her yearning for Jamie is stronger than the anguish of her past. Her character arc is one of resilience, and it’s beautiful to witness.
Tara: Vivian is everything I love in an ice queen. She’s cutting, yet compelling. Icy, but oh so delicious when she melts, thanks to her time with Jamie. Would I want to spend time with her in real life? Hell no, but she would never look at me, anyway.
I’m so glad I got to read about Vivian, because she has an incredible arc. She grows from being completely guarded, thanks to trauma in her past, to eventually being able to live her truth authentically, shedding the terror that’s followed her for years and embracing a true happily ever after.
Victoria: The Delicate Things We Make is full of interesting and compelling side characters. Each one plays a pivotal role in the plot, and they all get just the right amount of page time to add to the story’s depth.
Tara: Also, one of them is a lovely dog and who doesn’t love that?
The Writing Style
Victoria: The book is told from Jamie’s point of view. We’re with her throughout her investigation and while she’s falling in love with Vivian. McKay’s fresh writing style brings both women to life with dialogue that’s sexy and endearing. Every exchange between the two women is flawlessly constructed, highlighting their vulnerabilities along with their desire. When they’re together it’s perfection, and when they’re apart it’s absolutely devastating. This is angst on steroids, and you know I can’t get enough of that.
Tara: Totally agree, Victoria. However, I found this story does a great job of walking the angst line so that it keeps things interesting, without getting overwhelming. And even though they’re apart for a while, I was more okay with it than I often am when reading romance, because it felt like it was for a very good reason (see above statement about taking down a truly terrible man).
Victoria: The plot of The Delicate Things We Make is full of revelations and plot twists, and I didn’t see any of them coming. I was reeling with each new disclosure and delighted every time my jaw hit the floor. The investigation Jamie is tasked with at the opening of the book grows in scope with each chapter, and as much as I’d like to say more, I can’t because – Spoilers! Suffice it to say, nothing is as simple as it appears in this story, and every character is full of surprises.
McKay certainly brings the heat in this book. Jamie and Vivian have an undeniable chemistry that’s always simmering just below the surface. I never knew a haircut could be so sexy. It felt like forever until they finally acted on their mutual attraction, but the result was worth the wait. The love scenes are especially tantalizing because the craving Jamie elicits in Vivian allows the reader to see a much more passionate side to her.
Tara: Yessss! Much like with Truth and Measure, this romance hinges on mutual obsession, which brings a palpable level of passion to the story. Jamie can’t help but fall into a near-instantaneous fascination with Vivian and she positively pines for her from the get go. And while we never see Vivian’s perspective, it’s clear that she has a similar compulsion for Jamie, breaking her nearly two-decades-old “no romance” rule. The chemistry crackles, giving us things like an explosive first kiss and, yes, the sexiest haircut imaginable.
The Narration
Tara: I love books by Milena McKay and I love narration from Abby Craden, so how could I not adore this audiobook? If you’re an audiobook person, I absolutely recommend grabbing it in this format, because it’s spectacular. I listened to the last three and a half hours in one shot without putting it down once.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Victoria: This book is what I call, “Romance Plus.” While the relationship between Jamie and Vivian is at the core of the story, McKay gives the reader a fully fleshed out subplot that shines a light on the long-lasting trauma women often endure as a result of society’s patriarchal structure and the insignificance it places on sexual harassment and rape. Jamie’s pursuit of justice is unflinching and shows the author did extensive research on this topic.
Tara: Yes, I love that aspect too. Every so often, I’m thrilled to come across a romance novel that also has a social conscience (The Awkward Truth springs to mind). I so appreciated the important light this story shed on sexual predators, how they thrive through intimidation and making others complicit, and how the legal system makes things worse with statutes of limitations that can be way too short in some jurisdictions. If you’d told me before I read this that a subplot with a rapist would work well in a romance, I’d have looked at you like this 🤨, and yet it works beautifully in The Delicate Things We Make. Total applause from me.
Cons And Heads Up
Victoria: In the story, characters recount past experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. It may be sensitive for some readers.
The Conclusion
Victoria: This debut novel ruined my sleep patterns over the course of the two days it took over my life. It’s the kind of book that makes everything else in your life fade into the background, and you’re compelled to keep reading – other commitments be damned. The Delicate Things We Make ticked off so many boxes for what I look for in a story. At its core is a gorgeous, dramatic romance. McKay skillfully adds elements of mystery and intrigue with a generous dose of social commentary resulting in an exceptionally compelling book. It’s obvious this novel will become a regular reread for me, and I can’t wait for McKay’s next offering. One-click this treat and let’s discuss.
Tara: Go get this book. It’s smart, sexy, and has layers upon layers. I especially recommend it in audio, which is exactly how I plan to come back to it again and again in the future.
Excerpt from The Delicate Things We Make by Milena McKay
Suddenly when faced with a direct question about her intentions, her bravado abandoned her.
“I… ugh… I mean, wouldyouconsidergoingonadatewithme?” She mumbled, her words running together in her haste and embarrassment of her own indecision and cowardliness.
Vivian just gave her a bland look and raised an eyebrow. Okay, time to be brave. Time to go for what she wanted now more than professional success, since she seemed to have completely abandoned her professionalism to begin with, for a chance with this woman.
“Okay, so yesterday, we touched on a number of conversation subjects, including my standards for dates. Would you consider going on a date with me, so that I may prove to you that I, in fact, have some worthy standards?”
“You’re asking me on a date?” Vivian’s eyes went big, full of astonishment. “My, how old-fashioned. And charming.” She smiled and Jamie melted.
“Yes, a date. I could’ve fibbed and told you that I would like to take you out as a thank you for giving me the best haircut I’ve had in years, or for bandaging my bleeding hand, but what I really want is to take you out on a date.” Jamie gulped and looked Vivian right in the eye.
“Why, Jameson?” Trust Vivian to go to the heart of the matter and make Jamie spill her guts.
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you.” And despite all the lies that seemed to envelop everything that Jamie touched these days, those seven words were the one truth that Jamie could hold on to.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9798593883360
Publisher: Indie author
Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Abby Craden
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