In Which I Review You Don't Know Jack

This book took me longer to finish than it really should have given it’s length, infinite readability and the amount of time I actually do have in life (ha). But One Day came in the mail. And Community came from Amazon. And two weeks later, here we are.

While I liked You Don’t Know Jack, I’m glad I read it at exactly the pace I did; it would not have been a good use of my time to prioritize it in front of any of the above. The story of Jamie and Jack was a good one, but only the part that was their story. The rest was... meh.

I like books that deal with Fate and the Universe, and I liked that this one opened with a fortune-telling, cross-dressing ex-con named Beckwith telling Jamie that she was going to meet her soulmate over a food-related disaster. When she essentially throws pasta sauce all over Jack’s $300 shirt on the subway, it must be love. Unfortunately the other part of Beckwith’s prophecy, the part about the relationship being shrouded in lies, is true too.

Jack has been pretty much stalking Jamie since he’s realized that someone is embezzling from her place of work (she’s a social worker) and he wants to make sure she’s not involved (he has a crush) before he makes his move against the perp. Jack’s a multi-millionaire, by the way. I’m just saying.

So this is all well and good(-ish). They have great chemistry and great sex and I don’t doubt their being together for one single moment, and though the jump from lusty infatuation to lusty love is a little far and wide, I’m happy to go along with it. Hell, I’ll even be excited about the fortune teller and the intricacies of prophecy, because I’m down with that shizznit. But the rest of the story... yikes.

Something about her dad re-appearing after having abandoned her to avoid the FBI. Seriously. Something about Beckwith having another prophecy regarding Jack’s sister (who’s also Jamie’s roommate)’s marriage. That's never resolved. Unlike the embezzlement plot that is resolved all-too-easily. Sigh. Something about her having “trust issues” that are not really explored except when it's convenient. Something about his family being completely snobby and horrible, and then none of it meaning anything in the end. What. A. Mess.

But I liked it anyway. Once I sat down to read it (over roasted duck... yum), it was a quick, light, engaging read, and I was glad to read a book that bridged the gap between the Erin McCarthy books that I heart, and the ones that I can’t even freaking finish. It was restorative in the hopeful direction. And I’m all kinds of ready for more.