BECAUSE OF HER (Jack and Jill #5) by Jewel E Ann-review tour

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Sandy

BECAUSE OF HER (Jack and Jill #5) by Jewel E Ann

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 2, 2023

“If sin weren’t pretty, it wouldn’t be so tempting.”

I was an accomplished music professor.
Happily single.
Perfectly content.

Now, I’m unemployed.
Pining for a dark, brooding guy named Jack who lives in a garage with a piano.
And I’m plotting to seduce a married man because his daughter is responsible for my nephew committing suicide.

I don’t know why teenage girls are so mean.
I don’t know why rich men cheat on their wives.
And I don’t know why Jack has serial killer vibes, even though he leaves me speechless every time he speaks.

All I know for sure is that I feel safe in a stranger’s arms and understood by someone I don’t understand.

“You should be a little scared of everyone because humans are unpredictable.”

How far will I go for revenge? More than that …
How far will he go to save me?

*This book contains material involving sexual assault and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

•••••••••

REVIEW: BECAUSE OF HER is the fifth (and final?) instalment in Jewel E Ann’s contemporary, adult JACK AND JILL erotic, romantic suspense series. This is fifty-something Jackson Knight aka Jude Day, and forty-one year old, music professor Francesca ‘Frankie’ Holter’s story line. We were first introduced to Jackson Knight as one half of the twin brother / sister duo in books 1-3 of the Jack and Jill series, as well as his return in book five Out of Love. BECAUSE OF HER can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order. There is quite a bit of history that is relevant to Jackson’s current state of mind.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WIIL BE triggers for more sensitive readers. Although most of the graphic details are behind the scenes or fade to black, the triggers may be upsetting, none the less.

Told from first person perspective (Frankie) and third person (Jackson) BECAUSE OF HER follows in the aftermath of an horrific family tragedy in Boone Kansas, a tragedy that continues to spiral out of control. Francesca Holter has come to Boone to settle a number of family affairs but never expected to come face to face with her future in the guise of Jackson Knight, a man who keeps his secrets close to his heart. Frankie is determined to uncover the truth about what happened to her family but the deeper she digs, the more dangerous her life is about to become. With the unwanted assistance of Jackson Knight, Frankie finds herself falling down a rabbit hole from which there may be no return. Meanwhile, Jackson Knight’s business in Boone, Kansas is not far off from Francesca’s target. Jackson is determined to end a lifetime of tragedy but saving Frankie may be the last thing he every does. What ensues is the building relationship between Frankie and Jackson, and the fall-out when Frankie crosses a line from which she may never come back.

The world building is complex, heart breaking and emotional. As warned, the suicides are troubling and distressing but one in particular has been ripped from the headlines of hometown America. A seemingly normal family loses everything and everyone, and our heroine is left to pick up the pieces of the people she thought she knew but as Frankie continues to dig for answers, she too, will face the ultimate betrayal, a betrayal from which she struggles to heal.

The relationship between Frankie and Jackson begins acrimoniously. Jackson is a man with a particular skill set that he needs to focus on finishing the job. Vengeance is the only thing, in many years, that has mattered to our story line hero but meeting and falling for Francesca Holter meant Jackson had more to lose than he could have possibly imagined. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Archer and Corinne Sanford, and their seventeen year old daughter Molly, as well as the return of Jackson’s daughter Livy Knight, and her husband Slade Wylder (Out of Love 5), and Jackson’s twin sister Jessica Knight (Jack and Jill 1-3).

BECAUSE OF HER is a multi-layered, impassioned and thought-provoking story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, loss and grief, determination and acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is dramatic, edgy, and visceral; the romance is seductive and aggressive; the characters are broken, dynamic, desperate and single-minded.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
End of Day
Middle of Knight
Dawn of Foerever
Out of Love

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Dawn of Forever (Jack and Jill #3) by Jewel E. Ann-Review & Book Tour

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Sandy

DAWN OF FOREVER (Jack and Jill #3) by Jewel E Ann-Review & Book Tour

Dawn of Forever
Jack and Jill #3
by Jewel E Ann
Genre: adult, contemporary romantic, suspense
Release Date: February 18, 2016

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / ibooks

About the book: Release date February 18, 2016

**The conclusion to the Jack & Jill series. This is not a standalone novel.

’til death do us part.

Aric James Monaghan promised Jillian Knight Portland. With a heavy heart and a light bag, she travels to the West Coast for the man she loved. In a blink her worlds collide, holding her hostage to a past filled with lies, deceit, and revenge.

Four Caskets
Two Bodies
It all started with a boy and a girl—their tragic love story is shared through the eyes of the enemy.

Every word fades dreams and shatters memories as life slips away. Jillian needs a Knight, Jessica needs a miracle, and together they need a savior.

*WARNING : This book contains explicit language, sexual content, and abusive scenarios that could be a trigger for certain individuals.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: DAWN OF FOREVER is the third and final installment in Jewel E Ann’s contemporary, adult JACK AND JILL romantic, suspense series focusing on twins Jillian and Jackson Knight (aka Jessica and Jude Day). Their continuing story, in witness protection, alternates between the past and the present using reflection, memories, flashbacks and stories that change power dynamics in too many ways. DAWN OF FOREVER is not a standalone novel and should be read in series order.

NOTE: DAWN OF FOREVER contains scenes of graphic violence and abuse, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person points of view DAWN OF FOREVER is an imaginative, intelligent and psychotic thrill ride of betrayal, revenge, and an all-consuming love that will never die. Throughout the series we have been up front and center in the lives of twin siblings Jillian and Jackson Knight-in witness protection-following the death of their parents to an unknown assailant. Jessica and Jude Day prepared for the day they would have to run, and leaving behind everyone they knew meant giving up on a happily ever after including a happily ever after for now. Jessica left behind a grieving fiancé who was all but destroyed by the knowledge that he was never enough. Fast forward one year and Jillian’s identity is blown, and the ensuing battle finds our heroine struggling to survive, and her brother on the hunt for a final show down.

DAWN OF FOREVER looks at a love that has survived beyond death; that was never truly buried along with one’s heart or one’s soul; a love that never diminished even when the reality of everything that went down was revealed in a raw, ugly torment of black and white. The battle of one man tortured by his past; his need for revenge; and his unwavering determination to enact punishment where it rightfully belongs. We are privy to the stolen moments between lovers whose future is like the seeds of a dandelion-too fragile to withstand what nature has in store; and the rise of two siblings who have fought for their right to survive and take back what is rightfully their own.

Jewel E Ann’s JACK AND JILL series is a passionate series of romance and love; betrayal and revenge; victimization and surviving against the odds. The imagery is graphic and violent; the torment and humiliation are heartbreaking and real. DAWN OF FOREVER is an impassioned story from a truly remarkable author. Jewel E Ann’s soul depth analogy of emotional and physical heartbreak is a remarkable testament to her writing talent. An amazing and intimate storyline that will evoke a myriad of emotions and feelings from anyone who has the chance to read Jewel E Ann’s JACK AND JILL series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
End of Day
Middle of Knight
Dawn of Forever

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt

Tugging off her shirt, she smiled. Gone were the compression bras; she didn’t burn them, but they were hauled off with the trash shortly after the infamous refrigerator sex. Lace, satin, and underwire took their place.
“What you’re doing right now feels more intimate than anything you’ve ever done to me with your mouth.”
“We’ll see about that.” He wet his lips, eyeing her white lace bra. Approval glimmered in his eyes.
She removed the rest of her clothes, eager to be in his arms. He took a step back as she moved toward him.
“Stop.”
She froze. Her hands searched for a place to be: hanging idle at her sides, covering her breasts, shielding her neatly-shaven pussy?
“Repeat after me.”
“What?” Her voice squeaked with disbelief.
He grinned as his ego gobbled up her confidence. “I’m beautiful.”
Ryn squinted.
“Say it.”
She sighed. “I’m beautiful.”
“I’m taking back every bit of confidence that bastard took from me.”
It would never happen like that, but someone who hadn’t been in her shoes could never understand. However, she loved the naked man standing before her for saying it.
“I’m taking back every bit of confidence that bastard took from me.”
“I’m worthy of happiness.”
That one hit harder than it should have. She’d never given happiness much thought.
“Say it.”
“I’m … I’m worthy of happiness.”
“I’m going to marry Jackson Knight and love him in spite of his multiple fucked-up personalities.”
“Jackson—”
“Say it.” His voice carried a rare pain and vulnerability.
“I’m going to marry Jackson Knight…” she stepped closer and rested her hands on his chest “…and I’m going to love Every. Single. One. Of his fucked-up personalities.”
“I’ve had a shit day,” he whispered, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “Until now.”
She nodded slowly, then looked up at him. “I’ve had a shit life … until now.”
“Touch me,” he said.
“Where?”
“Everywhere. Make me feel human again.”

About the author

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

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Middle of Knight (Jack and Jill #2) by Jewel E. Ann-a review

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Sandy

MIDDLE OF KNIGHT (Jack and Jill #2) by Jewel E. Ann-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: October 10, 2015

The living seek forgiveness. The dead seek revenge.

A first love.
A last breath.
A haunting past.

Armed with a sinful past and an equally sinful body, Jackson Knight absolves his vow of celibacy to pursue Sergeant Monaghan’s unsuspecting—older—housekeeper.

Ryn Middleton, on the cusp of turning forty with a snarky daughter, a killer dog, and an abusive ex-husband, finds Jackson’s advances humorous and unbelievable. After intense negotiations including Vera Wang, Ed Sheeran, and sex four times a day, Ryn accepts Jackson’s marriage proposal on their first date.

What could possibly go wrong?

While struggling to lay claim to the woman of the dreams he never had, Jackson is forced to deal with a grief-stricken Jillian trying to hold on to her past without letting go of her future—the doctor who took her heart and the Sergeant who gave her a new one.

Beyond the hope for light, lies the middle of darkness, the illusion of truth, and a haunting past.

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: MIDDLE OF KNIGHT is the second installment in Jewel E.Ann’s contemporary adult JACK AND JILL romantic, suspense series focusing on thirty year old twins Jillian and Jack Knight (aka Jessica and Jude Day). Their continuing story finds hero and heroine looking towards a future that doesn’t include their past. But the past has a habit of breaking free and threatening any chance of future happiness when Jack (Jude) finds himself falling in love with an older woman whose own past continues to haunt her present; and memories of the past continue to haunt Jillian(Jessica Day) Knight. MIDDLE OF KNIGHT should not be read as a stand alone as each installment builds upon the previous storyline.

Told from alternating timelines-past and present- as well as alternating between dual third person perspectives (Jack and Jill), MIDDLE OF KNIGHT follows three intersecting paths: Jill’s past and history with the love of her life Dr.Luke Jones: Jack’s relationship with an older divorcee-Ryn Middleton- whose abusive ex still has some semblance of control over his former wife and daughter; and Jill who has found herself falling in love with a man who does not have long to live.

MIDDLE OF KNIGHT is an emotional storyline about two siblings who are hiding in plain sight; a witness protection program of sorts where Jessica and Jude Day are now living as Jack and Jill Knight in a new town, a new state with new identities and new pasts. But our siblings want a future that does not involve lies, secrets or threats against their lives, and MIDDLE OF KNIGHT finds Jack Knight looking towards a happily ever after with the woman that he loves; and Jill Knight pining for the man she left behind. While Jill’s present focuses on the few remaining days and hours of her relationship with AJ Monaghan, the reader is pulled into an emotional free fall where there will be no happily ever after for AJ and Jill. This particular part of the story is heartbreaking, impassioned and real; the ‘in your face’ agonizing pain and tumultuous journey of two people whose love was never meant to last is intense and full of anguish.

Jewel E. Ann’s JACK AND JILL series takes a passionate look at love and loss; life and death; falling in love and letting go. The premise is powerful and visceral in its presentation; the characters are animated and fierce; the romance(s) is emotional, intimate and anxious.

I have been a big fan of Jewel E Ann since the release of her first novel HOLDING YOU. I am not much of a fangirl; I don’t kiss author a$$, and I don’t lie about the books I have read and reviewed, but if you are looking for a new author, a new book or series that will rip out your heart and leave you emotionally spent, then pick up one of Jewel E Ann’s novels-you won’t be sorry.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

End of Day
Jack and Jill #1
by Jewel E Ann
Genre: adult, contemporary, humor, romantic suspense
Release Date: August 17, 2015

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of END OF DAY

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2015

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.

Four caskets. Two bodies.

Jessica and Jude Day witness their funeral and that of their parents a few yards away from mourning family and friends. Stripped of the only life they’ve ever known, the Days say goodbye to San Francisco forever.

Six months later, two thirty-year-old misfits with elite self-defense skills and penchants for alcohol, sex, and trouble arrive like an earthquake to Peaceful Woods, a retirement community in Omaha, Nebraska, that thrives on rules and gossip. Welcome home, Jackson and Jillian Knight.

Jackson celebrates his new beginning by embracing his job and wiping his cavalier past clean with a temporary oath of celibacy. But Jillian’s past is branded into her soul—the deaths, the insanity, Dr. Luke Jones, and the need to make her lovers bleed. Her chance for redemption comes in the form of a next door neighbor, one Senior Master Sergeant Monaghan. He’s sexy, dangerously alluring, and riddled with emotional issues from years of service. He’s also … So. Damn. Grumpy.

Their mission is simple: Let go, start over, don’t kill anyone, and pray that nobody wakes the dead.

End of Day (Jack and Jill #1) by Jewel E Ann-Review and Book Tour

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Sandy

END OF DAY (Jack and Jill #1) by Jewel E. Ann-Review and Book Tour

End of Day
Jack and Jill #1
by Jewel E Ann
Genre: adult, contemporary, humor, romantic suspense
Release Date: August 17, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2015

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.

Four caskets. Two bodies.

Their mission is simple: Let go, start over, don’t kill anyone, and pray that nobody wakes the dead.

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: Wow…just wow.

END OF DAY is the first installment in Jewel E Ann’s adult, contemporary END OF DAY romantic/comedy suspense series focusing on twins Jillian and Jackson Knight (aka Jessica and Jude Day).

Told from third person, dual time line perspectives, using present day and past memories, END OF DAY is a storyline that is unlike anything else I have ever read.

As per the blurb, thirty year old twins Jessica and Jude Day, now known as Jillian and Jack Knight, are no longer the people they were born to be. A new life, a new identity along with a new location and state find our siblings trying to co-exist in a community of nosy but well meaning elderly citizens along with one grumpy neighbor (and his twenty year old son) who may or may not have an interest in Jillian Knight.

Jillian is an emotionally damaged and broken heroine who hides behind a façade of one liners, twisted humor, sexy clothing and seductive foreplay. She is a force unto herself; a woman whose life has been shattered, destroyed and put back together but no longer functions at its’ peak performance. Her previous life with Dr. Luke Jones is revealed through memories, flashbacks and ‘DAY’ points of view, while her current life in the retirement community in Omaha Nebraska finds our heroine falling in love with a man-Senior Master Sergeant Monoghan- who quite possibly, is more damaged than our heroine-herself.

Jackson is the overprotective brother who keeps our heroine on her toes ensuring that Jillian’s sense of self-preservation does not go unforgotten or falls to the side. The sibling’s relationship is fraught with typical brother/sister antics that are taken to the next level of guardianship, babysitting and love. Jack and Jill have tumbled down the proverbial hill and are trying to climb back up to regain some sense of normality. Their verbal and physical sparring matches leave a trail of sweat, blood and water (along with a few fish) in the wake.

END OF DAY is a storyline that allows the reader small glimpses and clues into the events that culminated in the person now known as Jillian Knight. Readers who tend to skim or skip will, in all likelihood, miss some important information regarding Jillian/Jessica’s past but for all intents and purposes, the bigger picture has yet to be revealed. Small flashes of their previous life reveal more heartbreak and pain than anyone could possible imagine. But…saying that….END OF DAY is awash in humor, funny comebacks, and comedic one-liners that will have you giggling and chuckling throughout the story-a bit of comic relief among the painful memories. The storyline ends on a cliff hanger but the author gives the reader the option of a sneak peak into the first chapter of book two where your heart will break once again.

Jewel E Ann’s END OF DAY is unique among the current crop of romantic suspense storylines. The premise is amazingly detailed; awash in clues, memories, hints at the potential for further fall out and heartbreaking reality. The back and forth between timelines add a mix of anxiety, suspense and humorous situations that reveal a young woman not unlike our current timeline Jill but one whose life has not yet completely spiraled out of control.

END OF DAY is a seductive storyline that will take hold and never let go. The intense drama and traumatic scenarios are balanced with humor and the amazing banter between our heroine and the people in her life. END OF DAY will astonish the reader with its’ one of a kind premise; the phenomenal build up of clues that barely hint at the truth; and the addictive nature of a story that leaves the reader wanting more-NOW !

Copy supplied the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

“Have you ever killed anyone?”
Jessica’s smile slipped. “If I told you then I’d have to kill you.”
“So you’re a secret agent?”
She flipped onto her stomach, resting her chin on her crossed arms. “If I said yes then it would no longer be a secret. Come on, Jones, you’re losing your focus. Don’t let me feel smarter than you or our time together will be over and I rather like hanging out here.”
“Luke,” he corrected.
“Lucas.”
“Luke.”
“Lukey.”
“LUKE!”
“Lulu.”
“I mean it!” Luke showed another rare moment of teetering emotion.
Jessica chuckled. “What are the chances of us having sex? I’ve never done it missionary, but you could possibly counsel me through it.”
He refocused on his crossword puzzle, filling in a word in pen. “Less than zero percent.”
“So, not in my favor, eh?
“Why not missionary?”
Jessica smiled in delight that Luke continued with the topic of conversation. “I’m sure you already know, but if you want me to say I need control, then sure, I need control. But the truth is I’d control any sex position you want to put me in.” Jessica winked as Luke gave her a fleeting glance. “I just don’t want you thinking you have control, even if I know it’s not the case. Pisses me off to see the smirk on a guy’s face when he thinks he has control.”
“Tell me why you need control.” Luke continued with his crossword.
“In bed?”
“Yes.”
“Someone has to have it.”
“Why?”
“Because someone initiates it.”
“So if I initiate sex with you will I have control?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Jessica wiggled her eyebrows at an ill-humored Luke.

about the author

JJewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

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BECAUSE OF HER (Jack and Jill #5) by Jewel E Ann-review tour