I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Get A Clue
by
Jill Shalvis
romance in eBook edition that was published by Kensington Books on April 28, 2015 and has 328 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Beach Blanket Bad Boys, Instant Attraction, Instant Gratification, Instant Temptation, The Night Before Christmas, "Under the Mistletoe", Animal Magnetism, It Had to Be You, Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Animal Attraction, Rumor Has It, Rescue My Heart, It’s in His Kiss, Head Over Heels, Lucky in Love, , He's So Fine, At Last, One in a Million, Forever and a Day, Second Chance Summer, My Kind of Wonderful, "Wrapped in You", The Trouble with Mistletoe, Chasing Christmas Eve, “One Snowy Night”, Rainy Day Friends, Merry and Bright, Always on My Mind
A standalone romance set in a remote house up in the mountains outside the small town of Sunshine, Colorado, and revolving around a jilted bride and a worn-out cop.
My Take
I picked this up on a sale, figuring I couldn’t lose…it’s a Jill Shalvis. Oh, brother. Do not get this. The female protagonist will drive you mad with her whining and bravado. And she takes offense so incredibly easily *eye roll* What can I say? She can’t handle the truth… I do agree with her own assessment, that she’s a “walking/talking headache inducer”.
Who runs around holding a vibrator when they’re investigating an unknown person using their shower? She’s supposed to be intelligent, so why does she feel this need to get married when she already knows she’s not excited about the groom, and why would she keep spending all this money on fancy weddings? Who travels with only two negligees in their hand luggage?
Shalvis leaps in with the old trope: a vow of no more men. She does at least write Breanne’s actions in trying to follow it through with a touch more inventiveness than the usual.
The house is supposed to be such a luxurious place and yet nothing works…that’s before the power goes off. The butler dresses like a gangster. The maid wears 5-inch stilettos to work in. They know the storm is coming and that the generator is iffy, so do they warn their guests? Do they prepare food in advance? And no, don’t tell me that the refrigerator and freezer will go out…’cause there’s a lot of snow out there that would function quite well to keep food cold whether they haul it in for the fridge or dump it in the freezer. When they’re expecting guests, why wouldn’t they have someone at least in the vicinity of the front door? Why don’t they have fires going in the main rooms to welcome those expected guests?
Supposedly Edward is the conduit to the owner, and yet the owner gave Shelly some leeway, so obviously they do have access to him (or her). So, why hasn’t the staff reported Edward??
There were a number of Breanne’s comments Shalvis used as epigraphs that were cute.
”People who think they know everything are annoying to those of us who do.”
”If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.”
”Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”
Another good quote that made me laugh was Cooper’s response to Breanne’s question:
”’So…do you get a lot of shower sex?’
‘No,’ she admitted. ‘You?’
”’Yeah, but usually I’m alone.’”
“South American native tongue”? Really??
When we do finally find out who the mystery “guest” is, I gotta wonder how they could possibly think such intelligent thoughts. No offense intended.
Cooper was amazingly patient, and I do not understand how he could possibly fall in love with Breanne. I’d be more tempted to toss her out into the storm.
Shalvis did do a good job of keeping the mystery going, and I did appreciate her making Cooper the one who wanted a relationship.
I think the only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know who the shadowy figure was and what the staff was hiding.
The Story
City girl Breanne Mooreland gets left at the altar, takes the flight from hell to her honeymoon — alone — loses her luggage, and ends up snowed in at a Sierra mountains lodge run by the kookiest staff this side of the Addams Family. Oh, and there’s a gorgeous naked man taking a shower in her suite who says he isn’t going anywhere. That’s just the first 24 hours…
Cooper Scott is in serious need of this vacation, and he’s not about to give up the only available room because an upset — okay, make that insane — woman is having a conniption fit. They’ll just have to make the best of it — her side of the bed versus his. But when Cooper wakes up kissing the long, leggy Breanne, he wants to show her exactly what the honeymoon suite is intended for. But that will have to wait, because a screaming Breanne has just stumbled on a very dead body. So much for vacation…
The Characters
Breanne Mooreland is a bookkeeper who has been left at the altar three times and is the too-spoiled youngest in a family with four older brothers, including Danny.
Now-ex Detective Cooper Scott needed the break from his undercover career in vice. James is his brother and another cop. Annie is his ex-girlfriend.
The house
Dante is the butler. Shelly is the cook and in love with Dante. Lariana is the too-sexy maid who wears 5-inch heels to work. Edward is the house manager. Patrick is the inept man-of-all-work but a really great artist. And Edward’s nephew. Stacy is Shelly’s mentally challenged sister.
Dean, an investor with one of Breanne’s clients, is the latest boyfriend who left Breanne at the altar. Barry was the first, and Franco just needed to stay in the country. Oy…
The Cover and Title
The cover has a misty sort of background with what appears to be a misty view out over the mountains below and a cute couple. He’s in a black leather jacket and nuzzling her neck while she’s in her own black leather with a white turtle neck with her long hair curling down her back.
The title is what I wish that idiot Breanne would do, Get a Clue.
