Jack and Djinn

I feel horrible for leaving this review, but the truth is I just can’t read this. There’s just so much domestic abuse, and as an abuse victim I thought I could handle this, but I just can’t. Ben is very well written... too well written. I’m over half way through, and I just feel so sick to my stomach. I really can’t do this, and I’m sorry, but just let this be a warning to other future readers. Also apart from the whole domestic abuse, is no one going to talk about how she just starting showing signs and Jack was like k. I understand that he has his whole “sight” thing but I don’t think I could handle that. And also freaking RACHEL?!?!?!? I’d straight up murder her. How can she not care that her boyfriend is sleeping with someone else???? I’d be absolutely livid! But anyways, it seems to be a good book so far, and I feel horrible for leaving this review but i can’t stomach this with my background.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning. I enjoyed the method of past and present in the telling of the story. This technique was well done, not confusing or sloppy. The paranormal aspect was also fresh and just a little different. I truly enjoyed this book. I will read more books by Ms. Wilder.

This was a very different read from her other books. I enjoyed it just the same.

Wow I was really surprised at how fast of a read this was. A little too much on the domestic violence but after reading the epilogue, I understood the author's motive. I will read the next issue.

Writing a story around the sensitive subject of domestic abuse can be tricky. Hats off to Jasinda for her creative skill. Miriam is a young woman who finds herself in abusive situations. It's almost like a curse. She knows what she needs to do but having the courage to do it seems to be her stopping point. Flat out, she is just scared. Until she meets Jack, Miriam is slowly getting angry at the mistreatment, rape, and ugly she is facing in her current relationship. Little by little Miriam finds she can do some magical things. With the intensity of her feeling the more her magic and fire element comes to play. She learns of these things about herself and has no clue she is a Djinn. Following Miriam and her battle with her feelings, seeing her grow and learn more about herself and most importantly finding true love, we applaud Miriam getting her happy ending. But we meet Detective Carson, who is a homicide detective and continues to puzzle over the death of Ben, Miriam's latest boyfriend. Miriam's Jack has the "second sight" and foretells more interactions with our detective. I suspect we will be seeing more of our love birds featuring our very own detective in the next book, Djinn & Tonic. Has he met another Djinn, named Leila, only with an air element?

Miriam’s life is in shambles. Her abusive boyfriend Ben will not let her go and she is not sure how much more of him she can take. She is reaching her limit and cannot take another slap or punch to the face. But she has no family to speak of her father died when she was a girl and her mother left her alone when she was a teenager. Miriam has nowhere else to go. So she endures the abuse, she does not believe she deserves any better. One night when Ben is in one of his drunken rages and beating her in a parking lot she meets Jack. The complete opposite of Ben, Jack is sweet, brave, and very hot and he is completely unafraid of Ben. Jack rescues Miriam and they begin a tentative friendship. She is too afraid to leave Ben he will not let her go without a fight. The more time she spends with Jack the more she fears for his life. Things between Miriam and Jack burn hot in many ways. Miriam is finding that she has strange powers of strength and magic hidden deep within in her body. She begins to let it out but is unable to control it entirely, Ben thinks she is a freak; she continuously awes Jack as he learns more about Miriam. Which one will she chose? The man she is used to but knows will always hurt her, or the man who wants nothing more than to love and take care of her? It has been a long time since I have read a paranormal romance, this one came to me one day when I was play around on Facebook and Jasinda was looking for bloggers. I love Jasinda’s writing and it had been awhile since I had read one of her books so I said why not. I am so glad I did. Miriam is a great character. Some may feel she is weak but to me she is exactly the opposite. I know a few woman who have been in abusive relationships and it is very easy for an outsider to say, “Just leave him.” Miriam didn’t have any self-worth going back to her mother abandoning her as a teenager and being turned away by her aunt when she asked for help. Those kind of things take a toll on a person’s self-esteem. When Miriam met Jack sparks flew, she can’t believe that men like Jack really exist. I enjoyed progression of their cautious relationship it was well written. I was frustrated with Jack when he pleaded with Miriam to leave Ben even if she didn’t go to Jack he just wanted her safe. Jack was a fantastic character and his family especially Gramps were a joy to read. I particularly liked the Irish heritage of his family, Jasinda did a great job making the background characters believe able. Ben was a real piece of work, seemed to me that he had some major issues he chose not to deal with but instead took out on Miriam with his fists. Detective Carson Hale was also a great character. He drew me in from the beginning and I definitely can’t wait for his story. The book bounces back and forth between the present and the past so that we can follow Detective Carson as he tries to figure out an unusual murder. The murder shows all signs of being connected to Miriam and Jack somehow. Miriam is a Djinn her power is the element of fire, she slowly begins to realize she has powers of magic and fire but has no idea how to use them or how she got them. Thankfully, all is revealed in the end, no cliffhanger here. A nice bonus was the sneak peak at the next book, which features Carson and Leila the mysterious bartender we meet in Jack and Djinn. An emotional journey of an abused, confused and shattered young woman who doesn’t think she is worthy of love and respect. If you like, you love stories with lots of desire, fire and a little mystery you will love this book.

I was gifted this book by the fabulous Jasinda Wilder! Like all of her books, I fell right into the storyline. I'm a fan of paranormal romance/suspense books and this one did not disappoint. I liked the paranormal angle that didn't involve the normal shapeshifter/vampire story line. It was fresh and eye opening. I say eye opening because there was a fair amount of physical and mental abuse that I was not expecting. The only thing it was missing was a disclaimer or warning in the beginning (or synopsis) because there was enough abuse to possibly be a trigger for some people. That being said, Jasinda did write a heartfelt letter at the end about abuse. For the people that view Mariam as weak for sticking with someone that abuses her, I felt Jasinda's letter made it more understandable. Overall I gave the book 4 stars because the story line was great, the characters were well developed and likable. I'm excited for the next book to come out.

LOVED! Where do I start? How about I start with the fact that I just inhaled this book! I was captivated from the first word to the last. I was never bored, or distracted, completely taken by the thrill and suspense. Jack and Djinn is a step outside the norm for a Jasinda Wilder book, but that just makes it so much more impressive! Wilder takes a gander at the paranormal romance genre, and produces an original and exciting read. Jack and Djinn is a great mix of reality and the supernatural. In a world of magic and fantasy, the author injects very harsh reality. The heroine, Miriam is an average girl with not so average capabilities. She is living a life filled with horror, stuck in a nightmare she can't escape from. At a time in her life when she's lost all hope, and has learned a helplessness that's left her numb, she realizes that hidden deep within herself is a strength, a fire that dimly glows. This faint flame grants her the glimmer of light she needs to find her freedom. Jack is the man that Miriam needs, not to save her, but to show her a true reflection of who she is, so that she can see past the warped image filtered through her fear and low self-esteem. Miriam learns that in order to take control, she has to let that fire blaze. This book was very fast-paced and suspenseful. It opened with a mystery that snatched my attention immediately. The clues to the mystery unfolded in a nonlinear narrative, which I believe enhanced the suspense, and kept me intrigued. I thoroughly enjoyed Miriam and Jack, but I also loved the supporting characters in this one. The whole lot was diverse, multidimensional, and interesting. Mrs. Wilder usually writes characters that represent the many shades and shapes of her readers, and this book was no different. Love that! The cast of characters in Jack and Djinn added layers to this story, creating a new world, and making this more than just a romance. Of course this had steam (it's Jasinda Wilder!), but the sexy was one of many layers, and not the whole cake. This opener to The Houri Legends series left me very happy and completely satisfied. Well, maybe not totally satisfied, since I am desperate to read the rest of the series. Hey, there's always room for more Jasinda! I definitely recommend you read this one! P.S. No cliffy.