Review: Engaging
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 9, 2011
Sometimes you get what you need and not what you want. At least that seems to be what is happening for Daniel. Stuck in St. Nacho's while he rehabs his crushed arm, Daniel can't seem to catch a break. He unintentionally disappoints his newly engaged brother Jake, and Daniel's on-again, off-again animosity with sexy firefighter Cam is a bumpy road. Add in a long lost dying father, more accidents than anyone should handle, and a ton of misunderstandings and the result lands Daniel frequently in the hot seat. He keeps trying to get out of trouble but each attempt only lands him deeper in the mud.Book of Daniel is the fourth book in the St. Nacho's series by ZA Maxfield. Long time fans of the series will definitely want to read this one and any newcomers shouldn't worry because each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone. In fact it almost reads better as such as frequently the characters seem to change from book to book and so reading without those preconceived ideas may actually help. Book four picks up with the story about Daniel and Cam and it's a rocky romance. The romance between the two men runs hot and cold with numerous misunderstandings even as Daniel spends the majority of the book on his knees begging for forgiveness again and again.Unfortunately this doesn't always work as Daniel is painted as a selfish cad, but his actions never quite seem that way. We're told more than shown Daniel's supposed horrible character but I never quite bought into that. Additionally, the story throws in a lot of different plot points. There are simply too many and some don't really make sense with the context of the story. They seem too easy and manufactured. The timeline at the end jumps around wildly without much explanation and includes pretty big leaps in logic that are difficult to follow and furthermore relate to the point of the story.On the positive side, the descriptive quality is pretty high and pure Maxfield. The great St. Nacho's setting that stars so well in each story is on display here and the various secondary characters easily charm once again. The writing is good and very engaging, even if the characters and their romance wasn't as much. I wish the plot had been tighter with a much more linear and cohesive storyline and characterization. This is a good book in the series but not the best. Fans of the series won't want to miss it but newcomers may be better off starting with the real gem of the series, the first book. Still, I'm glad I read this book.Originally posted at Whipped Cream Reviews