 | Title: Under Wraps
 Kissing. Lots of sexual innuendo.
My Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
Description
Sick of wrongful-death lawsuits every time a full moon comes around?
Call the Underworld Detection Agency.
As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny. . .
Until a rash of gruesome murders has demons and mortals running for cover, and Sophie finds herself playing sidekick to detective Parker Hayes. Dodging raging bloodsuckers, bad-tempered fairies, and love-struck trolls is one thing. But when Sophie discovers Parker isn't what he seems, she's got only one chance to figure out whom to trust. Because an evil hiding in plain sight is closing in. . .and about to make one wisecracking human its means to ultimate power. . .
"Hannah Jayne has created an imaginative world that I look forward to visiting again and again!" --Alexandra Ivy, New York Times bestselling author
Review
The cover art for UNDER WRAPS is completely gorgeous. It’s also completely wrong for this story. Just by looking at it, you would expect a dark, gritty urban fantasy featuring a tough and sexy protagonist, right? Wrong. UNDER WRAPS has a decidedly more playful, chick lit tone with a hapless heroine who is almost the polar opposite of the fierce looking model on the cover. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does give the wrong impression.
Now that we’ve set the record straight, UNDER WRAPS is a fun book. There’s a wide and wacky cast of creatures in this story ranging from a two foot tall troll who reminded me of Joe Jr. in While You Where Sleeping, a 100+ year old vampire who is stuck with the maturity—and body—of a sixteen year old boy: surly and hormonal forever, and an assortment of centaurs, zombies, pixies, werewolves, and just about every supernatural creature you can imagine.
Sophie is a likeable lead as well. She’s working a desk job at the Underworld Detection Agency (which is a lot like the DMV) when she gets paired up with a dreamy detective to solve a supernatural crime in the unsuspecting ‘normal’ world. She ends up battling her hormones as much as any actual foes, and while she gets a kick out of ‘playing CSI,’ she’s in way over her head most of the time and squeaks by on dumb luck more often than not. Still, she’s an endearing, if overly guy crazy character who injected every scene with levity and kept the plot from ever dragging.
Overall, UNDER WRAPS reminded me of a supernatural Janet Evanovich novel: a light and funny mystery with zany characters, a couple of gorgeous guys, and a heroine with heart but severely lacking in the skills department. If you always wondered what a Stephanie Plum novel would be like if Ranger was a werewolf and the population was largely paranormal, you’ll probably love this book. Just don’t expect it to be the next Rachel Morgan series. The next installment in the Underworld Detection Agency will be published on November 1st 2011 by Kensington
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Thanks for the review. I ordered it from Borders but haven't gotten it yet.
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit disappointed I was indeed expecting "a dark, gritty urban fantasy featuring a tough and sexy protagonist." It sounds fun, but it's definitely moved down on my purchasing list.
ReplyDeleteStacy - I'll be watching for your review.
ReplyDeleteShera - Yeah, I expect that will be the general consensus based on the cover. It's not marked to the target audience. UF will be confused, and the Paranormal chick lit fans probably won't pick it up.
I hate it when the cover doesn't match the story, but I'm glad it was still a good novel. Looking forward to reading this one....
ReplyDeleteJustpeachy36 - It's a shame when the cover doesn't rightly represent a book. I hope this one finds its audience though.
ReplyDeleteWell, since I love Janet Evanovich, I adored this book. While the cover is gorgeous, I never remember the picture on the book...it's the picture in my head that counts. All these characters are alive and well in my imagination and I cannot wait for the 2nd book in the series. Dark and gritty has it's place, but laughing out loud at a book is priceless!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I just bought it and finished it and you were dead on, it was Stephanie Plum in the underworld, only better. Thanks for turning me on to a new series. She will definitely be added to the MUST BUY author list.
ReplyDeleteKelly & Missy - I hope more Evanovich fans pick this series up. The tone is very similar.
ReplyDelete