Title: Cerulean Seas
Author: Jenn Brink
Series: Jessica Hart (book #2)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Author: Jenn Brink
Series: Jessica Hart (book #2)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Author Bio:
With a Master’s degree in Psychological Services and 10 years experience in counseling every aspect of the mental health field, Jenn Brink has heard it all. Now, rather than working with interesting characters, she has decided to create them. Originally from Oklahoma, Jenn is an Army wife and spends a disproportionate amount of time moving and traveling. When given the chance, she likes to relax at her sometimes home
in The Lake Of The Ozarks and work on her photography skills.
To find out more about Jenn and her books visit her website at jennbrink.com
in The Lake Of The Ozarks and work on her photography skills.
To find out more about Jenn and her books visit her website at jennbrink.com
Synopsis:
Merely days after her thirtieth birthday, Jessica Hart has been forced by circumstances beyond her control (attempted murder and homelessness) to move back in with her parents and begin the painful process of rebuilding her life, starting with getting a job.
As she endures the rejection of multiple job interviews and her parents irksome attempts to marry her off to the most eligible bachelors in town (meaning unmarried and able to string simple words together to form a sentence) she feels herself sinking into a deep depression.
To top it all off, it’s been three weeks since she’s heard from the ever elusive Eric Wolf. But, she could swear she saw him the other day at the Gas ‘n’ Go. And, who was that strange man built like a rhino on steroids who followed her around the mall last Tuesday?
Just when Jessica can’t take it anymore, her cousin, Barbie O’Grady, invites her on the vacation of a lifetime to Phuket Island. Her parents tell her not to go. Her brother Greg tells her not to go. And, the airport TSAs seem to have banded against her.
Before they know it, the cousins are pursued by strange men, kidnapped, drugged, and stranded in the Jungle by an elephant named Bessie. Now, Jessica and Barbie have questions that need answers before they turn up dead or worse.
As she endures the rejection of multiple job interviews and her parents irksome attempts to marry her off to the most eligible bachelors in town (meaning unmarried and able to string simple words together to form a sentence) she feels herself sinking into a deep depression.
To top it all off, it’s been three weeks since she’s heard from the ever elusive Eric Wolf. But, she could swear she saw him the other day at the Gas ‘n’ Go. And, who was that strange man built like a rhino on steroids who followed her around the mall last Tuesday?
Just when Jessica can’t take it anymore, her cousin, Barbie O’Grady, invites her on the vacation of a lifetime to Phuket Island. Her parents tell her not to go. Her brother Greg tells her not to go. And, the airport TSAs seem to have banded against her.
Before they know it, the cousins are pursued by strange men, kidnapped, drugged, and stranded in the Jungle by an elephant named Bessie. Now, Jessica and Barbie have questions that need answers before they turn up dead or worse.
Review:
Book two is here! Jessie is back, and so is Wolf! This time she’s been let loose on Phucket Island! Cerulean Seas is the second book by Jenn Brink, and the sequel to Black Roses. Have no fear; the sequel is just as as good as, maybe even better than, Brink’s first novel. It will totally live up to your expectations, and then surpass them.
Although they are part of the same series, the two books are vastly different. Black Roses is dark and sexy, whereas Cerulean Seas is more lighthearted and fun; with a little bit of danger (it’s kind of hard for it to be too dark when Barbie keeps calling all of the bad guys hotties.) By the way, I have a new favorite character, and her name is Barbie! She’s Jessie’s super fun and slutty cousin/best friend, and the cause of many of the mishaps during their vacation. The amount of trouble Jessie gets into is automatically doubled when Barbie is along for the ride!
One thing I didn’t like about Cerulean Seas was that Greg wasn’t around nearly enough. I kept waiting for him to show up, but he didn’t. Also, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the airplane scene was so graphic that it almost made me lose my lunch. It’s good that it’s descriptive and paints a picture, but the making me queasy part is not so good.
All in all, Cerulean Seas was marvelous! I think I am going to die before the next book comes out!!! Don’t avoid this book! Don’t put off reading it! Go out and buy it, NOW!
Here’s an sneak preview, just to add a little awesomeness to your day...
"Jessica", a strange voice whispered my name. I opened my eyes, yawning. Crouched next to me was a petite blonde, wearing a blood red bikini, covered by a gauzy black sarong.
“Do I know you?” I asked her.
“No, but I know you,” she replied.
“Who are you?” I asked, wandering if I could still be dreaming.
“No one of importance,” she answered, with one eye on the surrounding beach. “Listen up, I’ll just be another beach dream if you hand over the jewel. If not,” she gestured to a thinly disguised knife sheathed in the edge of her sarong.
“Not the jewel again,” I groaned. “How many times do I have to tell you people, I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I asked grumpily.
“You want to do this the hard way?” she asked, grabbing my bag and frantically dumping the contents into the sand.
“Give that back!” I screeched.
Dropping the bag into the pile of sunscreen, brushes, lip-gloss, and beach towels, she said, “It’s not here!”
“That’s because I don’t have it!” I yelled.
Grabbing my hair, she yanked me up from the chair, just as Henderson flew out of nowhere, all six feet and two hundred pounds of him. Hair ripped from my scalp as he tackled the strange visitor. In shock, I saw a handful of red hair clutched in her palm. Feeling the back of my head for blood, I quickly stepped away from the scuffle.
Barbie slid up next to me, “I’ve got twenty on the blonde.”
“What?” I asked incredulously.
Barbie shrugged, “She fights dirty.”
I shook my head, “Henderson can take her. He’s a big guy.”
The blonde wriggled out from under Henderson as more spectators surrounded them. Henderson grabbed her by the ankle, just as she started to flee. Jerking her leg from his grasp, she kicked him in the nose.
“That’s got to be broken,” I winced at the sight of Henderson’s blood-stained nose.
Shaking it off, Henderson sprung at her. The crowd stepped back, avoiding the blood decorating the sand. For a moment, the two silent combatants merged into a weirdly shaped creature made of bare legs, arms, and long blonde hair.
It was looking like Henderson was about to win when somebody called out, “Watch out! She’s got a knife!”
Henderson jumped back. The blonde had unsheathed a long, thick knife, with a jagged blade and she was now circling Henderson. Crouching into a fighting stance, Henderson slid a long, smooth blade from his boot. The crowd watched breathlessly as the two combatants circled each other.
The blonde clumsily thrust her knife at Henderson time after time, just to have him dodge it. Frustration began to show on her face, as her victim artfully escaped each calculated lunge.
“My guy’s winning,” I smugly said to Barbie.
“For now,” she granted, but it’s not over yet.
As she spoke, Henderson swept his long leg across the sand, bringing down his victim. Before she could react, he pounced on the tiny woman. In an instant, he had her pinned to the ground. Sweat dripped from his face onto his opponent.
“You owe me twenty bucks,” I crowed happily.
Barbie rolled her eyes and said, “Wait.”
Pinned under the big man, the blonde was cursing in what sounded like three different languages. Henderson called out for someone to call the police while he held the fuming woman in the sand. With his attention diverted, the blonde jerked her hand out of the big man’s grasp. The onlookers gasped loudly as they watched her knife slice up the tendon in his forearm. A moment later, they were shocked into silence at the sight of the blood pouring down from his arm.
Free from his right hand, she smiled before kneeing him in the groin. A groan of empathized pain echoed through the men clustered around. Surprise mixed with pain on Henderson’s face as he briefly fell to one knee. Taking advantage of his injury she rolled away from her opponent. Springing forward, she landed spryly on her feet.
Suddenly, a high pitched whistle pierced the air, signaling the arrival the authorities. The crowd quickly dispersed as the small group of heavily armed men made their way through the throng. A panicked look crossed the blonde’s features. She turned to run, but Henderson grabbed her by the hair, roughly pulling her backwards. A shriek of pain pierced the air as Barbie pulled me to the back of the crowd, leaving Henderson and the blonde at the mercy of the patrol.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I think it’s time for us to leave,” she said, pulling me back towards the resort.
“What about Henderson?” I asked, concern in my voice.
“Don’t worry about him, he’ll be just fine.”
“But,” I protested.
“I don’t think we want to draw any more attention to ourselves,” she reasoned.
“You don’t understand, he was protecting me,” I explained, pulling away from her.
Tightening her grip on my arm, she continued leading me towards the nearby building, “Doesn’t matter. We don’t want to get caught up with the authorities.”
I glanced back, guiltily. “But,”
She shook her head, “Remember what Greg said? Stay out of trouble. That needs to be our new motto, cousin.”
Frowning, I conceded, “I guess you’re right, but I don’t have to like it.”
“Come on, let’s get lunch at that great little place in town and then we’ll go find those handmade dresses the bartender was telling me about,” she said, leading me into the resort.
Conceding, I agreed, “Okay, but I still feel bad about Henderson.”
“He’ll be fine, once he gets that arm looked at. By the way, you owe me twenty bucks.”
Although they are part of the same series, the two books are vastly different. Black Roses is dark and sexy, whereas Cerulean Seas is more lighthearted and fun; with a little bit of danger (it’s kind of hard for it to be too dark when Barbie keeps calling all of the bad guys hotties.) By the way, I have a new favorite character, and her name is Barbie! She’s Jessie’s super fun and slutty cousin/best friend, and the cause of many of the mishaps during their vacation. The amount of trouble Jessie gets into is automatically doubled when Barbie is along for the ride!
One thing I didn’t like about Cerulean Seas was that Greg wasn’t around nearly enough. I kept waiting for him to show up, but he didn’t. Also, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the airplane scene was so graphic that it almost made me lose my lunch. It’s good that it’s descriptive and paints a picture, but the making me queasy part is not so good.
All in all, Cerulean Seas was marvelous! I think I am going to die before the next book comes out!!! Don’t avoid this book! Don’t put off reading it! Go out and buy it, NOW!
Here’s an sneak preview, just to add a little awesomeness to your day...
"Jessica", a strange voice whispered my name. I opened my eyes, yawning. Crouched next to me was a petite blonde, wearing a blood red bikini, covered by a gauzy black sarong.
“Do I know you?” I asked her.
“No, but I know you,” she replied.
“Who are you?” I asked, wandering if I could still be dreaming.
“No one of importance,” she answered, with one eye on the surrounding beach. “Listen up, I’ll just be another beach dream if you hand over the jewel. If not,” she gestured to a thinly disguised knife sheathed in the edge of her sarong.
“Not the jewel again,” I groaned. “How many times do I have to tell you people, I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I asked grumpily.
“You want to do this the hard way?” she asked, grabbing my bag and frantically dumping the contents into the sand.
“Give that back!” I screeched.
Dropping the bag into the pile of sunscreen, brushes, lip-gloss, and beach towels, she said, “It’s not here!”
“That’s because I don’t have it!” I yelled.
Grabbing my hair, she yanked me up from the chair, just as Henderson flew out of nowhere, all six feet and two hundred pounds of him. Hair ripped from my scalp as he tackled the strange visitor. In shock, I saw a handful of red hair clutched in her palm. Feeling the back of my head for blood, I quickly stepped away from the scuffle.
Barbie slid up next to me, “I’ve got twenty on the blonde.”
“What?” I asked incredulously.
Barbie shrugged, “She fights dirty.”
I shook my head, “Henderson can take her. He’s a big guy.”
The blonde wriggled out from under Henderson as more spectators surrounded them. Henderson grabbed her by the ankle, just as she started to flee. Jerking her leg from his grasp, she kicked him in the nose.
“That’s got to be broken,” I winced at the sight of Henderson’s blood-stained nose.
Shaking it off, Henderson sprung at her. The crowd stepped back, avoiding the blood decorating the sand. For a moment, the two silent combatants merged into a weirdly shaped creature made of bare legs, arms, and long blonde hair.
It was looking like Henderson was about to win when somebody called out, “Watch out! She’s got a knife!”
Henderson jumped back. The blonde had unsheathed a long, thick knife, with a jagged blade and she was now circling Henderson. Crouching into a fighting stance, Henderson slid a long, smooth blade from his boot. The crowd watched breathlessly as the two combatants circled each other.
The blonde clumsily thrust her knife at Henderson time after time, just to have him dodge it. Frustration began to show on her face, as her victim artfully escaped each calculated lunge.
“My guy’s winning,” I smugly said to Barbie.
“For now,” she granted, but it’s not over yet.
As she spoke, Henderson swept his long leg across the sand, bringing down his victim. Before she could react, he pounced on the tiny woman. In an instant, he had her pinned to the ground. Sweat dripped from his face onto his opponent.
“You owe me twenty bucks,” I crowed happily.
Barbie rolled her eyes and said, “Wait.”
Pinned under the big man, the blonde was cursing in what sounded like three different languages. Henderson called out for someone to call the police while he held the fuming woman in the sand. With his attention diverted, the blonde jerked her hand out of the big man’s grasp. The onlookers gasped loudly as they watched her knife slice up the tendon in his forearm. A moment later, they were shocked into silence at the sight of the blood pouring down from his arm.
Free from his right hand, she smiled before kneeing him in the groin. A groan of empathized pain echoed through the men clustered around. Surprise mixed with pain on Henderson’s face as he briefly fell to one knee. Taking advantage of his injury she rolled away from her opponent. Springing forward, she landed spryly on her feet.
Suddenly, a high pitched whistle pierced the air, signaling the arrival the authorities. The crowd quickly dispersed as the small group of heavily armed men made their way through the throng. A panicked look crossed the blonde’s features. She turned to run, but Henderson grabbed her by the hair, roughly pulling her backwards. A shriek of pain pierced the air as Barbie pulled me to the back of the crowd, leaving Henderson and the blonde at the mercy of the patrol.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I think it’s time for us to leave,” she said, pulling me back towards the resort.
“What about Henderson?” I asked, concern in my voice.
“Don’t worry about him, he’ll be just fine.”
“But,” I protested.
“I don’t think we want to draw any more attention to ourselves,” she reasoned.
“You don’t understand, he was protecting me,” I explained, pulling away from her.
Tightening her grip on my arm, she continued leading me towards the nearby building, “Doesn’t matter. We don’t want to get caught up with the authorities.”
I glanced back, guiltily. “But,”
She shook her head, “Remember what Greg said? Stay out of trouble. That needs to be our new motto, cousin.”
Frowning, I conceded, “I guess you’re right, but I don’t have to like it.”
“Come on, let’s get lunch at that great little place in town and then we’ll go find those handmade dresses the bartender was telling me about,” she said, leading me into the resort.
Conceding, I agreed, “Okay, but I still feel bad about Henderson.”
“He’ll be fine, once he gets that arm looked at. By the way, you owe me twenty bucks.”