A bit Unlucky

So it has taken me a week but I have finally finished Jana DeLeon's UNLUCKY (No, Jana dear, this is no smear on you, only myself) and I have to say, I haven't ready anything like it for quite sometime.

Mallory Devereaux is unlucky. No, not a simple run of bad luck, but a chronic and devastating rash of bad luck. The merest touch of her hand, the brush of her finger, and heaven forbid, a kiss, can lead to life threatening danger. But Mal knows her limits. She has grown up with this 'affliction' and has learned to use it to her advantage. She's no scamer or shady person, but when faced with a group of dirty Yankies what's a little fun guna hurt?

When she finds out the man who is more like a father to her than her own is about to loose his business to the IRS, Mal puts her bad luck to good use by becoming a 'cooler' on her uncle's casino boat. So she has to flirt with some old men, accidentally touch them and spread her bad luck around, no big deal right? Wrong. Mal's luck works both ways and she's found herself not only working in the middle of a group of criminals, but assigned to work her magic on none-other than Silas Herbert; a man who has been at odds with her family for longer than she can remember. A man who also has a few tricks up his sleeves.

There has to be a bright side to all this trouble, right? Sure there is and this bright side manifests it's self as Jake McMillan (aka Jake Randoll); the hot and sexy dealer at Mal's table who causes her body to warm and crave human touch. What if he also happens to be an undercover FBI agent setting a trap for Silas while making her squirm in her seat? That's ok, she can handle him.

UNLUCKY is a very witty, entertaining, funny, and smoothly written novel, but there was just some stuff that bugged me. Jake, for instance, didn't strike me as a very good FBI agent. He didn't have any contacts on board or in town, he spoke quite openly on his phone when anybody could chance by and hear him, he didn't research his undercover role or the town where he would be playing, and he seamed more like a follower relying on Mallory's plans and ideas than coming up with any of his own. Oddly, he reminded me a bit of the character Colby Granger (Hum...) but a bit more rooky. Mal's bad luck was a great catalyst for many bad accidents, but with that many people mingling on board I expected a little bit more bad luck than I received. Over all it was quite fun. DeLeon did a wonderful job weaving the story together, portraying Mallory as a strong woman, and bringing out the comedy.

Overall review score: hum... 3.5/4 out of 5
[Unlucky - Jana DeLeon - Love Spell - 978-0-505-52729-5- November 2007]