WILD JINX

Author: Sandra Hill ISBN: 9780446616539 3/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL

When reporter Celine Arseneux entered The Playpen, a Baton Rouge club for men and women, she never expected John LeDeux to swagger up to her. Sure, the bayou's notorious bad boy is pure sex on the hoof, but even with her exposé on the line, Celine refuses to be a conquest left cryin' in her crayfish—at least not again. Not for a man who doesn't remember her! Detective LeDeux has always been too hot to handle, but now he's on fire as the cop who posed as a gigolo to bust the Dixie Mafia. Joining Tante Lulu's treasure hunt seems a fine way to avoid the media ruckus—until Celine pursues her story deep into the bayou, stoking John's hazy memories of a sizzling night five years ago. Lovers and pirates and gangsters—oh my! It's another wild ride with Jinx Inc., where trouble is no match for a cagey Cajun matchmaker... and passion conquers all.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Sandra Hill always has a funny romance story to tell, and WILD JINX is no exception. Riddled with crazy old Cajuns, silly anecdotes, and that group of LeDeaux hottie brothers, WILD JINX is a lighthearted but still substantial offering.

The romance aspect of WILD JINX is okay. There are a lot of FUBAR's standing in love's way, as the hero would say. The ride is enjoyable enough, but Hill has offered better, steamier, more enthralling couples to get into. So, I feel compelled to admit a slight disappointment in the wooing and love department.

While I most certainly enjoy reading about the LeDeux family, this one is not quite as hilarious or as crazy as its predecessors. Nor is the romance up to the usual standards Hill sets for herself. But, it is smart, cute, and worth your hard-earned dollars because, let's face it, anything with 92 year-old Tante Lulu in it cannot help but be fun.

Shannon Johnson