This suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing from.
Icarus
by K. Ancrum
Genre: YA LGBTQ Contemporary Romance
Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing from—think Portrait of a Thief for YA readers.
Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.
Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.
As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.
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He lowered the Monet to the ground and unfastened the backing from the frame. Now that he was able to put them side by side, he could tell that the forgery was lighter in weight, and the canvas it was painted on much softer and more delicate than the original cloth.
The painting his father made was slightly too yellow, but without the other work next to it, it wouldn’t be easy to tell. This clearly was not a room that Mr. Black went into particularly often.
Icarus pinned the replacement painting to the old frame and folded a protective sheath of silk around the original Monet, before placing it in the carrier on his back.
Then he climbed the small stack again and hung the painting where it belonged in the center of the wall. When Icarus bent down to pick up the books and replace them, his headlight landed on two feet.
Icarus jerked up with a gasp and turned around.
He stumbled backwards over the books, catching himself against the bookcase. His headlight spinning crazily around the room as he faltered, eventually landing steady on the person in front of him.
Dressed in a slightly too-small blue linen pajama set, another boy stared back, very calm. He had bright red hair—mused as he’d obviously been asleep—and soft brown eyes. He was taller than Icarus and broader in the shoulders. But he wasn’t armed or standing like he was about to attack.
He looked resigned, but curious.
“How long have you been doing this?” He asked.
K. Ancrum is an author of award winning contemporary YA notably THE WICKER KING, DARLING and most recently the triple starred ICARUS. K. is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the lush gardens of the Chicago Art Institute.
Bayou Book Junkie 
This book sounds great. I like the cover art.
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