Review: fun standalone
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2014
Blackjack & Moonlight, Magdalen Braden.Review from Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews.It's good to find authors are still writing stand alone romances, so many seem to be either duos or trilogies, and that's fine but sometimes you just want to read the whole story, in one go, one with a proper ending, without waiting ages then paying even more money :-) So this seemed a treat, and promised some sensual sex alongside a romance.Well, the start made me smile. Poor Jack, in a new job ( judge, no less) and sets eyes on the love of his life for the first time. He's never thought about love, just has lots of short date relationships and he's confused, and when Elise asks him why he's recused himself from the case he's stuck. He can't start out by lying, so he blurts out the truth. Elise, she's mortified, works hard, doesn't do serious relationships, and wants to make partner this year. This won't help her at all....She decides the best way to get him to back off is to have sex with him, it'll be fun, she'll enjoy it, and like all men once he's got what he wants he'll leave and her plans can continue unhindered. Sounds simple doesn't it – but of course its not. Jack plays lawyer with her, and they negotiate a sex then romance alternate date relationship. Jack's hoping he'll persuade her, and make her fall in love given time. He's a great guy, but very single minded in this. The sex is scorching, both are shocked by how much passion they generate, but he's finding Elise hard to wear down. Elise, clearly there's some block in her mind over men and long term relationships, and as we read on I understood her a bit more. Still though I didn't see why it had such an effect on her. Though I loved the times they were together, and the sharp, witty banter between them I just didn't get Elise. I needed to know more of her, her feelings, her childhood, why she and her mum had this odd relationship. I think that's why the novel fell down for me, it was Elise, I just couldn't really like her enough...I didn't dislike her, just felt sort of neutral when I needed to love her. I also felt the drama was lacking, there was lots of humour, and some sad parts but nothing very deep, it's all light and airy, and I like angst and emotion.So, a fun read, a complete romance (hurrah!) and one I enjoyed but didn't love. It's the third in the Blackjack Quartet, a series of connected novels with each being stand alone.Stars: three and a half, its more than OK but less than a four star Good.ARC supplied via Netgalley