No-nonsense jewelry designer Iris Fortune yearns for a normal life. But life as Vegas magician Cosmo Fortune’s daughter is anything but normal, especially since dear old Dad is also a scam artist. When Cosmo’s latest scheme goes awry and he pulls a real-life disappearing act, Iris is left holding the bag.
Now Iris must be a master of illusion—play the poised partner to her politician fiancé while trying to save her father and stay out of reach of Mickey Kincaid, the sexy thief who claims he’s only after her jewels.
Detective Kincaid is deep undercover and seeks Iris out because of her connection to Cosmo—he never expected to be so drawn to her. While working with Iris to find the elusive con man, Mickey learns a killer has Iris in his sights, and he must do everything he can to save her, without blowing his cover.
Mickey’s put his life on the line before, but never his heart—and now he’s not sure which is more dangerous…
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A delightful, action-packed gem of a book.
Talk about fun! I finally got to read a book with some legitimate action and great romance all rolled into one. This book has the right mix of plot themes to make it a truly interesting read. I really enjoyed Amy’s polished, witty writing style, which made the book flow perfectly for me.
Iris Fortune’s—a jewelry designer—conman father disappears after one of his con jobs and leaves her holding the bag. She also has a handful of relatives who keep coming out of the woodwork. Iris’s character is strong yet just vulnerable enough to intrigue the reader and endear her to you. I loved her no-nonsense attitude and the way she handles herself in a cool, collected manner when the going gets tough. She works just perfectly with hunky hero, undercover cop Michael Kincaid.
Michael’s interest in Iris is just to get to her father…at least that’s how it begins. He has this devilish attitude and domineering personality that just makes you wish you were kidnapped and tied to a chair just so he could rescue you. The dynamic between Iris and Mickey is exciting and tension filled, which gives the reader yet another reason to keep turning the pages.
Amy’s character development overall is one of the highlights of this story. Not only are the two lead characters strong but many of the secondary characters are show stealers. Cosmo, Iris’s father – and I hope a repeat character in other books to come – is positively hilarious; his antics add vibrancy to the book. Iris’s sisters are strong, intriguing characters that I also hope to see in the future. Lastly, we have Aunt Tatiana who made me laugh out loud on several occasions. All these characters are a huge incentive to read this book.
The plot is complex and involved which makes it a better read than many of the books I have read that may have a good romance but a plot akin to weak tea. Amy sets us up for an action-packed adventure through the world that is Las Vegas and brings her readers right into the heart of the casino scene. The plot moves at a good pace with no lag or slow sections. The only thing I would have liked to see was a bit more closure for Iris and Mickey. Does he go back to Boston? Do they try to make a life together in Las Vegas? I wanted to know more about how their romance moves forward.
The love scenes were very understated and tasteful.
Overall, I highly recommend this extremely well written contemporary novel. Totally a keeper for my digital library.
Oh man! I’ve got to have this book. Vegas, jewels, magicians…sounds like an excellent read! Very, very nice review.
Thanks for the review. I keep finding more great books I want.
“The love scenes were very understated and tasteful.” This is a nice change from the over done, voyeuristic trend in so many books, both contemporary and historical. Thanks for the review.
Lying Eyes
Oh man! I’ve got to have this book. Vegas, jewels, magicians…sounds like an excellent read! Very, very nice review.
Thanks for the review. I keep finding more great books I want.
“The love scenes were very understated and tasteful.” This is a nice change from the over done, voyeuristic trend in so many books, both contemporary and historical. Thanks for the review.
Good review.