Laura C’s review of Through the Lens by K.M. Jackson
Contemporary Romance published by Crimson Romance 03 Sep 12
A few notes before I review this: First, I know the author. I spend time with a lot of authors, and if I refused to ever review anything by an author I’d met, I wouldn’t be much use. But K.M Jackson sent me this book herself, so it’s worth mentioning for those who think it would invalidate the review. Second, I rarely read category romances unless they are by authors I really love or are from new publishers that I am interested in investigating. I was interested to see how Crimson Romance, which is brand, spanking new, would handle it.
Pretty well, I’d say.
Back when I was in high school, I spent a single day as an intern working as an assistant to a high-fashion photographer. Despite the fact that that was more years ago than I care to mention, this book brought the memories screaming back. Mika is an assistant to the famous fashion photographer Alejandro, who is sometimes referred to as “Alejandro the Great.” I thought that is a bit much, but the photographer I worked for would totally have worn such a mantle if he could have gotten away with it! One of those things where fiction can’t get away with reality.
Mika and Ale are on a lush, tropical island setting up for a shoot. Mika has long admired—and desired—Ale, but she’s too much of a professional (as well as being a bit too shy) to do anything about it. After all, why would he want her when he’s surrounded by gorgeous models all the time?
But Mika has accepted a new job, going out on her own after learning from Alejandro. So when the rest of the crew and models cannot get to the island right away, leaving her alone with him, she decides the time is right to make her move.
At first, it’s great. Alejandro finds Mika beautiful, and her willingness to stand up to him and challenge him excites him. He would be more than happy to continue their affair once the models and crew arrive, but Mika’s insecurity strikes again, especially since Ale has often had affairs with models in the past…including one who is on this shoot.
Mika is confident when it comes to her professional life, but not in her personal life. Alejandro depends on her more than he’s willing to admit in a professional capacity, and he has a hard time discussing anything related to emotions at all.
I find the setup very believable and both characters likable. Mika has a bit of an edge—she’s the kind of woman you probably don’t want to get on the wrong side of—but I prefer a slightly bitchy heroine to a Mary Sue. Alejandro is like a lot of visually creative guys I’ve known in my past in that he has a hard time with words and he tends to get a bit lost in his creations.
The descriptions are wonderful, which sounds like faint praise, but when you’re talking about a book about a pair of photographers, that’s an important quality. Both the island and the NYC scenes feel “right” as I read them.
This is K.M. Jackson’s debut book, and there are a couple of places where I feel it could have used a tighter edit: Mika’s self-confidence took a bit too long to grow for me, and it is a bit uneven in spots. But overall the story moves well and I would recommend it to people who read category romance.
Grade: B
Summary:
Mika Walters is a normal-sized woman working in the not-so-normal world of New York fashion. As longtime assistant to uber-sexy photographer Alejandro Vega, she’s tired of being the girl in the background.
Just once she wants Alejandro to look at her with the same smoldering look he gives to his willowy models and now she has her chance.
After a travel mishap where the rest of the crew and the models can’t make the remote island location shoot for another three days, Mika is taking her moment to catch Alejandro’s eye and put herself in front of his camera and if all goes to plan, his bed . . . at least until the real world catches up with them.
Alejandro doesn’t know what’s gotten into Mika. Maybe it’s the sand, maybe it’s the sun, but he doesn’t really care. All he knows is that he’s finally opened his eyes and is seeing her clearly for the first time as the smart, gorgeous, and incredibly irresistible woman she is.
But why can’t she realize that what he’s feeling for her is not one of his usual one, well, three night stands. This is real. Real love, real passion.
What’s it going to take for him to prove to Mika that she’s the woman he wants? Now and forever.
No excerpt available.
