Liviania’s review of Loose and Easy (Steele Street, Book 9) by Tara Janzen
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Dell 26 Aug 08
I started Loose and Easy unaware it was the ninth in a series. By the time I finished I knew there had to be more books although I did not suspect there were so many. I can safely say someone new to the series can begin with this entry although it may affect enjoyment of the novel.
Heroine Esme is uninvolved with the Steele Street Garage. She’s a private investigator specializing in the recovery of stolen artwork. When the book starts she’s on a tight time frame to make enough money to pay off her father’s bookie. Things start going wrong quickly. Hero Johnny Ramos recognizing her is only part of it.
The two dated briefly in high school but it was a relationship destined not to last. But Ramos discovered the straight and narrow due to Lieutenant Loretta Bradley. He entered the army and returned home to join the Special Defense Force – one group of which operates out of the Steele Street Garage. In his sections of the novel members of the SDF appear often but do little to further the plot. In addition, Tara Janzen begins setting the stage for the tenth book in two scenes that have nothing to do with the rest of the novel. Fans will likely enjoy these cameos, but I was confused by the large cast (and the fact everyone has a nickname) and their lack of involvement with the main plot until I realized Loose and Easy fits into an established series.
The main plot moves quickly. Everyone’s tightly knit plans spiral more and more out of control, mostly due to miscommunication. Esme and her partner keep catching each others voice mail. Her father never told his bookie Esme was making the drop, not him. A hotel room becomes a crime scene after Esme and John leave and the police know their faces. Even with the sheer number of things happening and the large cast, Janzen manages to create a convincing romance. John clearly admires Esme’s brains and capabilities. He’s protective of her, but still allows her to be responsible for herself. Esme can control her life better now that she’s an adult and has the emotional maturity needed for a sexual relationship she didn’t have as a teenager. The two share a clear attraction and a seriousness about entering a relationship.
To me, Loose and Easy’s only real fault was some extraneous scenes and characters. I believe if I read the rest of the series I would enjoy the chance to catch up on old characters and see where they were going next. The only ones who made me want to read their story were Esme’s cousin and a former gallery owner. Of course, their romance is still budding and not part of the previous eight books. I probably won’t buy the others because they aren’t my preferred subgenre, but I’m very likely to look for the books at my library.
Grade: B-
Summary:
He’s the bad boy she always wanted.
She’s the good girl that got away.
He’d know her anywhere. Johnny Ramos had just come off a tour of duty in Afghanistan to find Esmee Alden trolling the mean streets of Denver in red lace and leather. The smartest girl he ever knew turning tricks? Not even close. Esmee’s in danger so deep, only Johnny can get her out—which is why the elite government operative is shadowing her every move. Esmee had everything planned down to the last detail: dressed in disguise, she’d recover a stolen painting and pay off her dad’s ruthless bookie. Until Johnny Ramos, her high school crush, blows into town and nearly blows her cover. Now Esmee, a P.I. and an art- recovery expert, has a mother lode of bad guys on her trail…including the one bad boy she always wanted: Johnny. But passion will have to wait. Because when bullets start flying, suddenly they’re on the run, playing it fast and loose—and heading straight into the line of fire.…
Read an excerpt here.
