Book Review: What Janie Wants by Rhenna Morgan

ASIN: B00VO7Q2YQ

Publication date: June 22nd 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
Clothing optional…

Janie McAlister should have known better than to trust her quirky sister’s taste in resorts. Instead of thatched-roof huts and designer pools overlooking the ocean, she’s landed at the one seventies throwback in the Riviera Maya with an open door nudity policy. No way is she going au naturale in public. And she’s sure not entertaining the advances of the bold young man with the delicious body daring her to do exactly that…and so much more.

Well, hello, Ms. McAlister…

Zade Painel’s a man on a mission—grab some much needed R&R at Gypsy Cove, and figure out how to reclaim his boudoir photography business. He never thought the answer would come in the form of a curvy, forty-year-old redhead and an accidental knee to the ‘nads, but Janie proves to be a force of nature with a penchant for fixing things. She’s also sexy as hell. One way or another, he’s going to help her see just that. And if he plays his cards right, it’ll be a heavenly hands-on approach that lasts way past seven days in paradise.

Zade has gained a lot of knowledge in his 26 years, not to mention the maturity and mindset of someone much older. He’s nowhere near drab, and his zest for life makes him admirable, especially to Janie, whose husband traded her for someone much younger – even younger than Zade.

Morgan hit the mark with the dialogue. Zade’s bold and upfront attitude is a contradiction to the mother-of-two, whose offspring are a lot closer to Zade’s age than she is. The back and forth between the two was entertaining, and I couldn’t wait to see how Zade would finally win her over. I was glad it didn’t take half the book, as I would’ve grown tired of the hard-to-get after awhile, but there was enough of it there to keep me turning the pages. Janie shares her legitimate reasons for doubting the hook-up would be a good idea, but she was still presented as a woman with needs, making her completely relatable.

The climax isn’t overly dramatic. It fit right in with the light-heartedness of the story, creating just enough conflict to leave the readers waiting for a resolution. I was wondering how Janie’s kids would react when they found out about Zade, and I was pleased to see that Morgan, again, decided to stick to the lightness of the work, and didn’t create a dramatic scene with the revelation, which by the way, fit with what readers are told about the way Janie’s raised and relates to her kids.

In a mere 144 pages, Morgan shared enough background, and developed the characters and their relationship. The descriptions put the readers right in the middle of each scene. I practically felt the breeze. Kudos to Morgan!

The only thing I wished for was an epilogue. However, that’s not a bad thing, but more of a testament that I didn’t want the story to end!

Slip on something comfortable, mix-up a tropical drink, open a window, and join Janie and Zade on their adventure.

Rating system: Cups of coffee – the less the better

0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.

My rating: 0 cups of coffee