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A review by meezcarrie
Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones
5.0
Fair warning: this will be a long review b/c there is much to love about this fabulous book! If that annoys you, go check out my shorter review on Amazon lol.
First things first: COVER LOVE!!!! Who’s with me?!?
Second – WHOLE BOOK LOVE!!
I adore this book, these characters, and Jenny B. Jones’ style. Hilarity abounds between Paisley’s sassy narrative voice, a small Southern town, and her grandmother’s group of sexy-book-reading-matchmaking former spies. Sylvie (Paisley's grandmother) says completely delightful things like:
“And if we need to, we’ll prove [your innocence] to the whole world…Or surgically alter your face and send you to my friends in Nairobi.”
The mystery is really well-plotted with several potential suspects and just as many opportunities for Grandma Sylvie and her CIA cohort … or Beau (more on him in a moment) to help Paisley keep herself out of jail. In typical cozy mystery fashion, of course.
Third – BEAU LOVE!!!
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Beau…. sexy, next-door-neighbor Beau with a gravelly drawl and a tender spot for Paisley and some awesome ex-military moves. The romantic tension in this book is fabulously swoonlicious but it won’t overpower the story for those readers who prefer more cozy mystery and less cozying up. But … I mean… how can you resist this?
"His eyes … reflected his protective nature, his loyalty, and unspoken stories he unwittingly carried like the shrapnel in his leg. On the drive, I kept finding myself asking Beau questions just to hear his voice. It was a voice that could narrate books – and a girl’s fantasies."
Oh be still my book-boyfriend-collecting heart!
FOURTH – JENNY B. JONES LOVE!
This is my first Jenny B. Jones book and it will not be my last! The way she turns a phrase, the perfect comedic timing, the beautiful imagery her words evoke. I’m going to be adding her backlist to my TBR pile post-haste. This quote is perhaps my favorite part of the entire book (and that includes Beau’s scenes! lol):
"This was home.
For most of my life I’d wanted nothing to do with it.
But it welcomed me back all the same, gathered me to its freshly laundered bosom, and said, “Child, I’m gonna love you anyway.”
Home."
Y’all. That’s grace summed up in 4 sentences. Just beautiful.
Bottom Line: Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones is a truly enjoyable read from page 1 until the very end. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, keep-a-fan-handy swoony and Southern-belle sassy – all while weaving a mystery that will keep you guessing! Jenny B. Jones’ way with words and her sense of humor are the icing on the wedding cake in this bridal-salon-turned-crime-scene mystery novel. And while this is not Christian fiction, the author’s faith is clearly – if gently – felt.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is the SuperPower
First things first: COVER LOVE!!!! Who’s with me?!?
Second – WHOLE BOOK LOVE!!
I adore this book, these characters, and Jenny B. Jones’ style. Hilarity abounds between Paisley’s sassy narrative voice, a small Southern town, and her grandmother’s group of sexy-book-reading-matchmaking former spies. Sylvie (Paisley's grandmother) says completely delightful things like:
“And if we need to, we’ll prove [your innocence] to the whole world…Or surgically alter your face and send you to my friends in Nairobi.”
The mystery is really well-plotted with several potential suspects and just as many opportunities for Grandma Sylvie and her CIA cohort … or Beau (more on him in a moment) to help Paisley keep herself out of jail. In typical cozy mystery fashion, of course.
Third – BEAU LOVE!!!
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Beau…. sexy, next-door-neighbor Beau with a gravelly drawl and a tender spot for Paisley and some awesome ex-military moves. The romantic tension in this book is fabulously swoonlicious but it won’t overpower the story for those readers who prefer more cozy mystery and less cozying up. But … I mean… how can you resist this?
"His eyes … reflected his protective nature, his loyalty, and unspoken stories he unwittingly carried like the shrapnel in his leg. On the drive, I kept finding myself asking Beau questions just to hear his voice. It was a voice that could narrate books – and a girl’s fantasies."
Oh be still my book-boyfriend-collecting heart!
FOURTH – JENNY B. JONES LOVE!
This is my first Jenny B. Jones book and it will not be my last! The way she turns a phrase, the perfect comedic timing, the beautiful imagery her words evoke. I’m going to be adding her backlist to my TBR pile post-haste. This quote is perhaps my favorite part of the entire book (and that includes Beau’s scenes! lol):
"This was home.
For most of my life I’d wanted nothing to do with it.
But it welcomed me back all the same, gathered me to its freshly laundered bosom, and said, “Child, I’m gonna love you anyway.”
Home."
Y’all. That’s grace summed up in 4 sentences. Just beautiful.
Bottom Line: Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones is a truly enjoyable read from page 1 until the very end. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, keep-a-fan-handy swoony and Southern-belle sassy – all while weaving a mystery that will keep you guessing! Jenny B. Jones’ way with words and her sense of humor are the icing on the wedding cake in this bridal-salon-turned-crime-scene mystery novel. And while this is not Christian fiction, the author’s faith is clearly – if gently – felt.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is the SuperPower