BOOK REVIEW - IN A FIX by LINDA GRIMES - IN A FIX # 1 - 4.5 BILLY & MARK STARS!!

By: Linda Grimes

Published By : Tor Books

Released : 4th SEPTEMBER 2012

Details : Netgalley Reviewed, 334 Pages, Digital

RATING: 4.5 BILLY & MARK SMEXI STARS!!

Blurb : Goodreads

The start of an original new urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan.

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable... that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

Red Light Alert

Awesome New Series

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

I saw this book on Netgalley and I liked the cover. Strong girl pose and Viking helmet. Yes, that is right, a Viking helmet. The Viking helmet did intrigue me. I did not read the blurb. I requested the book for review and didn’t think much of it. Then I saw a review went up on a blog. I didn’t read the review , I just saw five stars, so I said okey dokey I need to read this book asap.

So I did  J

YAY for me. I LOVED this book. It has humour, a very original theme, which I air high fived the author while I was reading and it had some great action scenes.

What a wonderful character, Ciel Halligan, facilitator, an adaptor. She uses the aura of another person to change into them , be them, and help her clients out with whatever they need an answer to. It pays the bills. Essentially she totally transforms into this person. Not shape shifting, this is an aura thingying thing she does.

But let’s not stop there, enter Billy and Mark. YUMMILICIOUS!!! lads who have the same aura changing thingy going on and are adaptors. Mark works for CIA and Billy is paid by Mark to do whatever he needs done, mainly watching Ciel from afar.

Let the humour begin.

Billy is absolutely delightful and witty and smart and....and...and....handsome. Mark and Billy are mates. Mark is Ciel’s brother’s best buddy too. Ciel has had a crush on Mark for a long time and Billy has been her buddy for a long time.

Yes people, we have the beginnings of a triangle and I CAN NOT DECIDE who out of these babes is on my Team T-Shirt. Mark is a bit standoffish but oooooo when he kisses and plays handsies with Ciel.....*fans oneself*

Now I am not selling Billy short, by any means. The boy has a way with words and uses them. He is protective but fun and he knows how to play handsies too. *puts the airconditioner on*

He is absolutely gorgeous and shows little pieces of the Billy underneath all the humour. The Billy who is no longer the child friend, but has become the guy who has noticed Ciel, and she is no longer a little girl.

This is an adult book but, it is quite light on the smexi, more the tension and maybe some handsies and K.I.S.S.I.N.G , oh and.......

Both guys can’t let Ciel run her business as a facilitator by herself. Both guys are over protective and me thinks a bit of vying for Ciel’s attentions will come into play next book titled ‘Quick Fix’.

At one stage I thought there was going to be a square with another character. I have to admit I was hoping at the most I had a triangle to sort out in my head.

At one stage I did get a teeny muddled with who was wearing whose aura as it gets fast paced and everybody is changing into somebody else and it got a little muddling. But, I soon worked out who was who and where. Visually, Linda writes the aura changing and descriptive of the clothes etc very well.

The humour I put in line with Darynda Jones and the fun she has with Charlie Davidson. It’s not the same, but if you like Darynda Jones’ writing, then I think you will like Linda Grimes.

The Viking’s were a fun step away from the norm and travelling to Sweden for a part of this book added quite some humour and some action, Viking style.

I want to be Team Billy , but when Team Mark gets his smexi on...ooooo weeeeee!!! I think of these two like Jace and Marc in Rachel Vincent’s Shifters series....oh boy, it is going to be a bumpy ride.

I thought this was a wonderful debut tale from Linda Grimes and I can’t wait for more of Mark and Billy and the humour is hilarious. All round this was a smashing entrance for Linda to make into the published world.

I know Matt has 'come out' but that is ok, he
makes a pretty yummy Billy to me.

Ok, just to further entice you to read this book I found an interview on URBAN FANTASYLAND BLOG which I thought was very good. Linda is asked about casting for Billy and Mark...well colour me purple people , if you can imagine Matt Bomer as Billy and Charlie Hunnam ( Sons of Anarchy) as Mark.....I may need two Team T-shirts!

I am now seeing Mark more clearly!

FAVE QUOTES:

“So, you sure you’re not mad I didn’t boink you last night?”

.........”No I’m not mad. I’m fine,” I said, letting my irritation at his reminder seep into the words.

He dug into his stack of pancakes. “Because”, he said between mouthfuls, “I’d be happy to oblige. Just as soon as you’re over your crush on Mark, and I can be sure it’s me in your head as well as your bed. I’m afraid my ego won’t have it any other way.”


“Yes, there’s a difference,” he said. “And if you’d ever been kissed by me, you’d know it.”



“Hey Mark,” I said as he walked away. “Are you the kind of guy you’d want your kid sister to get involved with?”

He stopped and turned back to me, eyes serious. “No . I’m the kind of bastard I would castrate before letting him near my kid sister. Maybe you better think about that.”

Michelle