Review: Great start to a new Brazen series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 23, 2013
Entangled Brazen is preparing for Halloween a bit early with Christine Bell's Dirty Trick and what better locale to set this holiday-themed story than Salem, Massachusetts? Dirty Trick is the first book in Bell's new Perfectly Matched series, following resident matchmaker Grace Love as she attempts to find her own perfect match. The narrative features a romance between best friends with a bit of a twist, pairing a reformed womanizer with his sexually repressed girl-next-door. The book is equal parts sweet and steamy, with an intense connection between the two protagonists built on chemistry and friendship.SWAT Officer Trick Matthews is Grace's longtime friend who isn't exactly pleased with his friend-zone status. I don't blame Grace for being skeptical about Trick's would-be romantic intentions towards her, yet his devious response to proving their mutual attraction is just asking for trouble. Under the guise of a Halloween costume, Trick lures an unsuspecting Grace into his arms. There is an element of the forbidden with all their clandestine meetings, but at the same time, there's a sense of security knowing the identity of the man behind the mask, at least in the reader's case.Grace and Trick's messy predicament reminded me of You've Got Mail after Tom Hanks finds out Meg Ryan's character is his online pen pal. All that's left is for her to learn the truth and once she does, it's only a matter of time before the crap hits the fan. I felt a mixture of amusement and trepidation, anticipating the blowup but delighting in the stolen moments of passion leading up to the inevitable moment of truth.Dirty Trick is the perfect introduction to Christine Bell's new series because it establishes a connection between readers and a group of characters that will appear in upcoming books. The matchmaking aspect will be a recurring trope, bringing together new couples in the comfort of a familiar setting. Bell smartly sets up a new narrative for the matchmaking agency even as she concludes Trick and Grace's story. I'm excited to see what the author does next with this series.