When Kate Andrews—divorced, fifty-something, and quietly restless—attends a lecture at her local lifelong-learning center, she doesn’t expect it to change her life. But the speaker, David McDonald, a dry-witted retired software engineer with a depth she can’t ignore, catches her attention. What begins with easy conversation grows into something warm and steady: a late-in-life relationship built on curiosity, respect, and the quiet thrill of starting over.

As Kate settles into this new love, something else awakens—her long-buried impulse to create. What begins as tentative sketching becomes an urgent need to paint, pulling her from domestic comfort into a world she once only studied. A prestigious residency in Santa Fe becomes the gateway to a rapid, dizzying rise in the contemporary art world, guided by a charismatic gallery owner who sees exceptional promise in her work—and who challenges her to take risks she never imagined.

But just as Kate’s career takes flight, David’s health begins to fail. Loving an older man exposes a tenderness—and a fear—she wasn’t prepared for. Torn between devotion and the artist she is finally becoming, Kate must navigate the widening space between who she has been and who she is called to be.

Set across Texas, Rome, Paris, and the glowing high desert of New Mexico, Love and Art is a sweeping, intimate novel about midlife reinvention, artistic awakening, and the complicated, beautiful work of choosing the life—and the love—you want. Perfect for listeners who love deeply realized characters, mature relationships, and emotionally layered journeys of self-discovery.