Veena’s review of Illusion Town by Jayne Castle
Futuristic Romance published by Jove 26 Jul 16
It’s the perfect blend of romance, intrigue, and tongue-in-cheek humor – not to mention the very creative just-so-twisted world abandoned by aliens and other things that go bump in the night – that keep me coming back for more. Having explored the Pacific Northwest in her series, Jayne Castle takes us behind the scenes of the biggest illusion of all: Las Vegas.
When Elias Coppersmith headed out on a first date with a woman he only knew as the finder, he hardly expected to wake up the next morning married and without a single memory of the noteworthy event itself. As it turns out, the newspapers have definitely gotten the scoop and, as unlikely as it seems, all their friends and family seem to read the gossip news and want to know the facts before they’ve worked out quite how it all came about.
While marriage is all very well, it seems their plate is pretty full. The Coppersmiths have a crew that is locked underground and Elias needs Hannah’s help to disarm the trap that’s holding them captive. Hannah has acquired an enemy that she doesn’t know, who has no qualms about ransacking her place, and if the hazy memories serve them well, attacking them during the night. Elias is convinced that someone has found her claim that she’s filing to the Midnight Carnival, a treasure trove of artifacts that people would kill to own. If that wasn’t enough, they have to run the gauntlet of Hannah’s well wishers who want to be sure that Elias is the right man for her.
As usual, the author builds a great cast of characters, bringing to life the myths about Las Vegas in her illusion town. Of course, Hannah is able to disarm the gate and release Elias’s team, but then she dream walks into a murder that, for all the alien characteristics, was definitely committed by a human. As they chase clues and work to get to the bottom of the events, I couldn’t help but fall a little in love with the so-very-pragmatic Elias Coppersmith, who’s a scion of the Coppersmith family. It’s great to see him work through Hannah’s uncertanities and restore her self-esteem and give her what she wants the most: a sense of belonging in a family that she never realized she always had.
This is a sweet love story that plays out pretty much like all the other books in the series, aided and abetted by Hannah’s personal dust bunny friend Virgil. I just love this series with its tongue-in-cheek wise cracks that gives me a short, quick escape for everyday doldrums.
Grade: B
Summary:
A new adventure begins on Harmony…
With its opulent casinos and hotels, the desert city of Illusion Town is totally unique—and will take you on a thrill ride you’ll never forget.Hannah West isn’t the first woman to wake up in Illusion Town married to a man she barely knows, but she has no memory of the ceremony at all. For that matter, neither does Elias Coppersmith, her new husband. All either can remember is that they were on the run…
With Hannah’s dubious background and shaky para-psych profile, she could have done much worse. The cooly competent mining heir arouses her curiosity—as well as other parts of her mind and body. And even her dust bunny likes him.
But a honeymoon spent retracing their footsteps leads Hannah and Elias into the twisting underground catacombs, where secrets from both their pasts will come to light—and where the energy of their clashing auras will grow hot enough to burn…
No excerpt available.
