Review: Refreshingly Unique Read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 26, 2014
I really enjoyed J.L. Flynn's Short Game novella, which is part of a longer series (The Long Game and The Waiting Game). First of all, it was a refreshing departure from the typical romance fare. It was set in Louisiana and the main character was from a group of Irish gypsies, called Travelers. They made their living conning folks, doing anything from completing a roofing job with many slippery shortcuts, to long games, involving cheats that required intricate planning and years of infiltration to make the steal.The main character, Jimmy starts to fall for a girl named Tracy, who works at the local hardware store. He considers this an impossible relationship from the start because she's what the Traveler clan calls a Buffer, a village person, who the clan is never supposed to interact with in any deep way.It's a perfect setup for a forbidden romance, and to add to the tension, Jimmy is also quite worried about what's happened to his older brother, Shay, who was sent away for a long con, or long game.My only quibble with this fascinating, fast-paced story was that the ending was too much of a cliffhanger. That's why I gave it four rather than 5 stars. I understand why--Flynn is setting her readers up to nab the next story and continue reading. But I am a believer in at least tying up a few loose ends in any series book. That said, I still heartily recommend this read, which stands out as unique, among other all-too formulaic fare.