Fish Out of Water (Fish Out of Water, #1) by Amy Lane

It's going to be silly saying this but I was scared of reading this book. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe because I've read mixed reviews and maybe because I wasn't sure what it's going to turn out to be. I can tell you now - it turned out GREAT. What was my problem really? I already know I love Amy's writing and though I had a few misgivings about her books before, that's BOUND to happen since this is the 51st (!) book I've read by her. Starting I was still a bit worried and even though my misgivings stayed for the remainder of the book, I'm still saying this - it was AWESOME. I enjoyed both the romance and the thriller side of the story, in my mind it was beautifully balanced and though we are mostly left with a HFN it's very important to add that this book doesn't resolve ALL issues since it's the first in what I guess will be new Romantic Suspense series of the best couple to solve crimes - PI Jackson Rivers and Defense attorney Ellery Cramer.

Jackson life have been horrible growing up, his saving grace were his neighbors - the Cameron family. He got a REAL mom and siblings with Kaden and Jade. He made his dream come true when he turned into a cop but the dream was broken when his partner turned out to be more crooked than crooked.. He did the right thing but it cost him dearly - not surprisingly his job but he almost lost his life. Now he is a PI working for a distinguished attorney office, the same company Jade works at as a secretary. His life isn't perfect but it's what he can handle. He has a house he can call his own, though it's nothing fancy with an ally cat no one but him seems to like, he has a tenant he calls his friend and he has an endless hookup line of men and women who all adore him (including Jade who fills in the blanks for herself as well as for him). It's not what you'd think and maybe because of that everyone loves him and can't say one bad word about him. The ordeal he went through left him somehow broken and though in his heart of hearts he wishes for more he lost hope for it. 

He didn't expect Ellery in any sense of the word. But Ellery presents a truth I found most amusing and strangely true - "fixed creatures don't wander". Even though Jackson tries to run away from Ellery at every corner, Ellery won't let that happen. He had his eyes on Jackson for 6 years and now that he is in his grasp - game over - Jackson just has to deal, Ellery is there to stay (and he got a fair bonus with Ellery's mother - Taylor - AWESOME woman). Ellery played it cold as a fish around Jackson throughout the years, admiring him from afar, thinking he doesn't even see him. But see him he did.. Jackson knew Ellery's worth in court, not real life.. But what does it matter who Ellery IS when he needs the best attorney he can have? He NEEDS Ellery because Kaden's life would be over without it, being framed for murdering a cop. It's all too familiar for Jackson. Dirty cops all over again..

This book is really a thriller mixed with a start of a romantic relationship. I LOVE those. I don't usually enjoy a thriller all by itself, without another dramatic / romantic aspect to it. I'm no Sherlock enthusiastic which is why this book was perfect for me. The plot was complicated, but not complicated to have me too confused about what's actually happening, though with some clues I did need a bit more time to sink in. It was all in Ellery and Jackson hands, not knowing who they can truly trust, or rather who they won't put at risk just asking for their help with dirty cops littering the whole city. Even if they aren't the majority, it's still difficult to trust the police when they are trying to end your life.. 

The romance part was so damned sweet! Jackson and Ellery were really the perfect fit because Ellery was as dominant as Jackson was, taking his bullshit for what it is.. bullshit! They might come from a different background and live a very different lives, but at heart, they are exactly what the other needs. You would think two alphas together would be a hardship, but really it's was just funny and endearing. Don't expect ever lasting "I love you"s or a wedding, this book ends with an absolute happy note for Jackson and Ellery but they have a long way to go before they can be announced as "HEA" which works well with the loose ends of this case to be dealt with in another book. For me it was more than enough and I actually thought it's more likely and not made to be OTT, not in the investigation as well as the romance part.

My only complaint about this book, the one thing that made it a little bit hard for me to get into the story, was the amount of things I had NO CLUE about. There were a lot of references that left me hearing crickets. But at a certain point I was just ignoring them, realizing I probably would enjoyed this book more if I understood them, but not truly needing every sentence to make me see the bigger picture. At first it annoyed me enough that I wasn't sure about this book at all, though I was intrigued and glued to both Jackson and Ellery's banter as well as the dirty cop investigation. That's when I realized I HAD to let it go. I guess it's goes with the territory of not being an American, and not understanding some of the "pop culture". It's like watching "Top Secret" without knowing Yiddish, you still find yourself ROFL but the (older) person next to you seems to enjoy it much more. Oh well.. I STILL loved both Jackson and Ellery, LOVED seeing them turn into a couple both in the romantic sense as in the professional way.     

Can't WAIT for the next book, from Amy's website it seems this will be a long running series - YAY!!!! Next on - "Red Fish, Dead Fish" to be out in August. This is going to be SO AWESOME! 

Rating: ★★★★½

E-Book Edition

270 pages

Read on: 28-29 Apr-2017

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Fish out of Water is Romantic Suspense series by Amy Lane. The series focuses on PI Jackson Rivers and Defense attorney Ellery Cramer. Jackson is a former cop. After almost getting killed because of corrupt cops he leaves the Police to work as a PI in an attorney at law company a close friend of his works for. There he meets Ellery who SEEMS like a rod is stuck up his ass, but once they work together they each discover in one another something quite special. The series progresses not only on their growing friendship and relationship but also on the crimes they solve (or try to solve) together.

*** In the 2nd installments we get a visit from Sonny and Ace, a couple from a stand alone novel by Amy  - "Racing For the Sun". In the 3rd installment we get introduced to a new couple Lee Burton and Ernie Caulfield, as a crossover from that book, with the 4th installment being all about them as the front couple. I have an issue with both Sonny and Ernie being a MC in a romance novel. I ranted enough about it in my review of "A Few Good Fish" which is why I won't read "Hiding the Moon".

Hopefully Amy returns to herself for a wonderful 5th installment as I've enjoyed the first two and am hopeful for this series to continue to be what it was in the beginning.

Books:
1. Fish out of Water (Published 29 July 2016) ★★★★½
2. Red Fish, Dead Fish (Published 4 August 2017) ★★★★★
3. A Few Good Fish (Published 28 August 2018) ★★
4. Hiding the Moon (Published 23 October 2018) ***
5. Fish on a Bicycle (Published 15 October 2019)