Title: Jack & Djinn
Series: The Houri Legends #1
Author: Amber Sweetapple
Published: May 2012, Amazon Digital Svcs
Tour: No
Format: Ebook provided by author for review
Miriam's life is a hot mess. Her boyfriend Ben is no longer the man she fell in love with, and he won't stop knocking her around. Every time she tries to leave him or stand up to him, she gets hurt even worse.
Then one day she's saved by a sexy stranger named Jack. He's kind, handsome, and sweet: everything she could ever want and more. And he's determined to protect her at all costs.
As her passion for Jack ignites, so does the rest of her body...
But Ben won't give up his girl so easily, leading to a violent confrontation with deadly consequences no one could have predicted.
This was a book I had been looking forward to for several months because it takes place locally, and the author is local. I always get a kick out of that. This author did especially well with describing streets, landmarks, and businesses as such. It really allowed me to immerse myself and feel like I was part of the story.
The story itself was a good premise. A woman, Miriam, is in a bad relationship and she meets a new man just as she is learning that there is something different about her. In this case, it’s that she is a djinn. I was all on board for that story. Unfortunately, I just didn’t really feel like I connected with these characters as much as I wanted to.
Miriam seems like a nice enough woman. I really loved her history, and thought that would have made her stronger – except it didn’t. The level of abuse she accepted and returned for really was unsettling. And I know that women in abusive relationships sometimes find it hard to leave, that they feel it was their fault or they deserve it, or don’t deserve better. Sure, there are a million reasons. But Miriam knew better. She knew she had to get away. She found someone else who cared, and still… she stayed. It really took points off for me, and I just couldn’t get on board with her.
As for Jack, I liked him. He seemed like a genuine guy. I don’t really feel like I got to know him too well, but he was sweet and caring, so he had that going for him. But again, I just didn’t really feel like I connected.
The story itself was pretty good. There was plenty of action and a touch of romance. I really loved seeing a bit of Metro Detroit through someone else’s eyes. I hadn’t read a djinn story before, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to in that regard. I like the idea of djinn, and I wish that the story had focused more on that. I really think local readers will be happy to read this, especially if you live in or know the Royal Oak area. If abuse is a sensitive subject, I’d proceed with caution, cause there is a large dose of it in these pages.
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