Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Unlucky
Author: Jana DeLeon
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing
ISBN-10: 0-5055-2729-4
Release Date: November 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Romantic Mystery
Year/Setting: Present Day, Royal Flush, Louisiana
Overall Rating: 4.75
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle/Sensual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Jana's Website: www.janadeleon.com
Mallory Deveraux knows she’s unlucky. She knows she’s a walking disaster. In fact, the entire population of Royal Flush, Louisiana knows that she has some sort of bad karma cloud over her head. They know better than to touch her—even casually—for fear of what might happen. Mallory uses her situation to her advantage by working for a demolition company. However, when she finds out that the company is going to be sold at an IRS auction, she has very little time to make the $10,000 needed to pay off the IRS and take over the company that she’s been planning to purchase. Left with no other options, she agrees to "cooling" cards at her uncle’s casino boat. If she keeps the crooks invited to the tournament from winning back their money, she’ll have her $10,000 and will be able to save her company.
If only she didn’t have to deal with a great hunk of a man dealing at the table she’s supposed to cool. Jake is good looking and might know a few things about poker, but he’s a Yankee so nobody is too thrilled with him being around the tournament. Jake is also smart enough to realize there might be a little something to Mallory’s unusual ‘abilities’. He lets her in on his secret, he’s an FBI agent investigating money laundering. When the two of them find out about a gun running scheme on top of the poker and money laundering, it’s a race against time to see if both of them can get what they need.
Mallory and Jake are like oil and water, until they decide that they could actually help each other out. From there on out, the sparks really fly and it’s hard to tell who (or what) might combust . There is the total sexual attraction, but every time they have a little love play, Jake risks losing life, limb or the tournament.
As the story unfolds, it’s like peeling an onion. Layer after layer reveals something totally unexpected. It makes for quite a ride. Ms. Deleon has an excellent knack at weaving the total story together. She gives the right amount of mystery and suspense with plenty of romance and lots of laughter thrown in. I enjoyed every page and found it hard to put down. I think many people will be putting Unlucky on their keeper shelves.
Robyn
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