Southern Comforts by JoAnn Ross: 3/5
I usually enjoy JoAnn Ross' books and this one wasn't bad; however, it wasn't the best. The intrigue was so-so as well. On the first page of the book, you had a list of characters and a little description and their motives, but once you start reading the book, it's easy to eliminate more than half...
Cash and Chelsea used to be lovers during college and then, Cash left. However, don't worry, Chelsea wasn't heart-broken as Cash was only her boy-toy. Ever since she was young, Chelsea expected to marry Nelson, a snob, at the age of 30. Why 30? Because only then, would she inherit 2 millions $ from her great-grandmother. Before 30 y.o and bye bye the money. So obviously, she's not in love with Nelson, even Cash who wasn't ready to commit could tell. Then, of course, Nelson is cheating on her and she has no idea until she walks on him. I'm sorry, but this is just a bit too cliche for me. Then, she falls into Cash's arms and that's it. So not much romantic development really, not much tension either. You go to point A to B in a straight line. As a result, this book still gets a 3 from me because it's well-written and you can still enjoy it, even if the characters and the story are cliche and forgettable.
*is Book #3 of the Dirk & Steele series
Genre: paranormal (psychic powers)
I first discovered Marjorie Liu through the live journal romance community where lots of ppl were praising her work. So I went out and bought the first 2 books of the series. Personally, I find the books - this one included - okay reads only. I think it's the intrigue, because aside from the romance story, you have an intrigue and it's always so... big, like a conspiracy.
So, The Red Heart of Jade is the story of Dean from the Dirk & Steele agency where all agents have psychic powers... Here, ick no. 1 - I don't think it was ever explain what Dean's psychic powers are exactly. It seems he can see everyone's energy and follow its trail in addition to having visions... but I don't think he's precog. Anyway, Dean, along with his parter Koni - a shapeshifter- is investigating a series of murders in Taipei involving a pyromaniac. Well inspecting the apartment of the last victim, he finds the picture of a woman - Mirabella Lee... the one and only one woman Dean has ever loved and who he taught was dead for the last 2 decades. Turns out that Mirabella is in danger and Dean involves himself, that everything is connected to the series of murders he was investigating and that actually, he's part of it too.
I'll skip the details, because it's way too complicated to summarize and that's the ick no. 2 - too complicated, too confusing for me. I had difficulty to keep up with the story. Too much details, too much characters that have no development. By the way, why doesn't Mirabella freaks out? She's not psychic and has never witnessed these things... so why? Just a little panic would have seemed normal to me... I guess she didn't have time.
Anyway, this book had good main characters - I liked Dean and Mirabella... by the way, Dean is so different than in Book #1 and I guess that's the true him, but it's the story that failed and lots of things left unexplained.
