A Few Good Fish (Fish Out of Water #3) by Amy Lane

This book just wasn't for me.. The first chapter started with a different couple as a sort of "introduction" and I just hated it. In the next chapter we got back to Jackson and Ellery I wasn't pleased either. I think that's the exact moment I realized just HOW damaged Jackson is. There IS such a thing as too damaged. It doesn't make the character more appealing, it just makes you realize why therapy was invented and why there are times when it's a good thing to have and there are other times when it's CRUCIAL for a man's future, if he wants to have one that is.. Which is why after just these two chapters I had to take a three week break before I could continue reading the book right to the end.

There's a lot of action in this one though there are also a bit of time of Jackson and Ellery trying to make the best they can from their time together. Ellery is truly doing his best to take care of Jackson but as I've just said, sometimes therapy is needed.. Sadly this book didn't promote it, it promoted religious help which is nice and all for believers but it doesn't change one's reality or perspective about THEMSELVES. If there is, or isn't a higher power - I'll leave this debate for others. What I WILL say is believing doesn't change your reality, your fears and insecurities. "Dumping" your emotions on a rabi or a priest is similar to therapy in the exact same way it helps to talk to a friend - it won't HEAL you, it won't make a CHANGE in you but it will make you feel better probably... Which is why it's USELESS for HEALING.



So as I've said, we start this book with Lee Burton and Ernie Caulfield. Ernie is suppose to be a psychic, I'm sorry, he sounds a mix of bat-shit-crazy and mentally retarded - yeah a bit like the other half of the couple we also revisit - Ace and Sonny (from "Racing for the Sun"). I"m not bashing people with disabilities here.. but see, my problem is almost the issue of "consent", for someone to be diagnosed with mental retardation he needs not only to have a low IQ but also to be unable to take care of himself (on his own). Think of a child who can never grow up. So how would you feel about reading a book about one of the heroes being an adult (let's say older than 18) and the other less than 10. Would that feel right to you? to me it doesn't. We all want to be loved and deserved to be loved but these kind of relationships feels iffy to me.

I think for sure Ellery and Jackson made a progress in their relationship and Jackson does realize there are things he needs to work on. His "family" grows with more people who care for him, but for him I can hope he first works on fixing himself before he continues to his and Ellery's next adventure. The issues they dealt with in the previous books were somewhat resolved but there are now people in even higher power who might be gunning for them.. and there is also a bigger change for them personally and professionally they need to work on. I know Amy wants to keep on writing about these two and I hope when we meet them again they are at a better place..

Next book in the series "Hiding the Moon" is Lee and Ernie's book, a sort of "spin off" novel before we return back to Jackson and Ellery. Since I'm not going to read it I hope it will give me time to put aside my emotions of this one and  be able to enjoy it as I did the first two in the series.

Rating: ★★

E-Book Edition

290 pages

Read on: 2-4,24 Sep 2018

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)