Anyone has ever had a car's coolant leak? What are the signs or what should I look for? I've just received a warranty extension notice for engine overheats or leaks coolant... and I'm worried because I'm planning a road trip in a couple of weeks. I mean, I've seen my car leaking water when I put the cool air on for the feet, but I thought it was condensation or something. I use the cool air instead of AC. If it was a coolant leak, I guess I should see a gradual loss no? I know, I know. I probably worry for nothing, but... Ugh, why did I have to receive this letter?!?
Onto another subject, I was doing so well on reviews. What happened?!? Hopefully, I can back into the rhythm...
Money Honey by Susan Sey
WHEN A LAWMAKER...
FBI Agent Elizabeth Brynn has dedicated her life to her job, having earned her position through hard work and a firm belief in law and order. She played strictly by the book until she recruited a notorious jewel thief as an informant-a professional criminal who used his wicked ways to tempt her into something more personal...
BETS ON A HEARTBREAKER...
Patrick O'Connor assisted the Feds for three years before going legit. Now a successful crime novelist, he wheels and deals his way around Hollywood, getting anything and everything he desires-except a certain federal agent who remained immune to his charms...
THERE'S MORE AT STAKE THAN JUST THE MONEY, HONEY.
Cop and robber are unexpectedly reunited when Patrick agrees to go undercover to help bust a counterfeiter-but his true motive is to get Liz under the covers, and she's not sure she can keep her hands to herself this time...
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Money series, Book #1
The Story: Patrick O'Connor used to be a jewel thief, till he gave it all up to save his little sister, Mara. In order to keep her out of jail, he agreed to become FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Brynn's snitch and worked for her for three years. He then went to Los Angeles to turn a new leaf and became a successful bestseller author... that doesn't mean he cut all his ties to his old world or doesn't have any more contacts...
Liz is working on a counterfeit case and suspect that someone is trying to launder the money through Brightwater's Casino which is own by Mara's husband. Then, Patrick suddenly re-appears and Liz doesn't know what to make of it. Can she trust him?
My Opinion: This is Ms Sey's debut novel and I thought she did a good job of it. I was first attracted to this book because of its cover - it looked fun - and then, the blurb sealed the deal :P What can I say? I love jewel thief characters! There's something about them that is so cool. It's hard to pinpoint, but it's a combination of their nonchalance, their aloofness, their wits... and you know what? Patrick O'Connor had it all! :)
So you probably figured out that I really liked Patrick O'Connor. He definitively made the book for me - of course, keep in mind that I love jewel thief :P Think Roarke, that whom he reminded me of. I liked his nonchalance and his aloofness and his wits, but even more, I liked his loyalty and his love for his sister. No matter how you look at it, he gave it all up for her. He appears vain, but it's just a facade. He's been raised in an environment where he couldn't show his true feelings and after all those years, he doesn't know how... and he's afraid of getting attached... but I thought he was so genuine. I loved, loved the scene where Patrick had to interact with his family, especially his toddler niece, Evie :)
On the other hand, I thought Liz was just okay. A bit too stuffy, a bit too stubborn to my tastes, the worst though was the wishy-washy attitude. She didn't know if she could trust him or not, if she should have sex with him or not... and I understand her situations, but at one point, please, stop thinking and just choose! Aside from that though, Liz wasn't too bad. It's just that she leads a very structured life and has difficulty stepping out of them. In that sense, I thought Ms Sey did a good job with the unusual background stories, it fit and really explained why Liz and Patrick were the way they are.
The romance worked well. There was a lot of sexual tension between Liz and Patrick, you know that both wanted each other, but were unsure. I liked that they didn't have sex at the first opportunity they could... that Patrick wanted her to really be sure and wanted her to really want him and not regret it. Liz lack of decisiveness did bother me at time and I would say, it cramped their chemistry, but overall, the romance was satisfying.
As for the rest of the book, well as Holly mentioned in her review, I did feel like I was missing something. Perhaps the book could have started with a "Six years ago" prologue, that would have definitively helped. Even better would have been Mara's own story - I would have liked to read that one. The story itself was quite interesting and I liked the idea. However, it was far from perfect and I think a lot had to do with the pacing. Patrick's motives, the villain's motives were revealed either too soon or too late. I think there should always be something a bit mysterious about jewel thief... and while Liz didn't know, the readers knew so that threw it off a little. Plus, the investigation process was a bit off. Still, like I said, it was an interesting case. It wouldn't work for romantic suspense, but for a contemporary romance, it did :)
My Grade: B. Money Honey was definitively a good first effort from Ms Sey. There were some flaws to it, but the good definitively overpowered it and made for an enjoyable. I think Ms Sey showed great potential with Money Honey and I will read her next book, Money Shot.
