Deja New

This review was written by Marie for Ever After Book Reviews blog: I love a good romantic mystery. MaryJanice Davidson is no stranger to this, and flawlessly delivers a wonderful paranormal story with great characters and plenty of light-hearted humor. I truly enjoyed this story. I was a little sad that Leah took a back seat to the secondary character’s story arc, but I loved her interaction with Archer. They are just the cutest! The thing that I love the most about this series, and this book, is that it’s so unique. It’s unlike other books that I’ve read, and that keeps the whole thing new, exciting, and never boring. Full of mystery, excitement, and the kind of humor I enjoy, the second installment of the Insights series is a fantastic read that you’ll be happy you picked up. ***I voluntarily read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own***

So, I’ve had this book in the pile since June – hoping to find the time to get the first in the series read before starting this. All good plans and all that, and the time never opened up- and fortunately there wasn’t a real need for me to read the first to understand this one. And believe me, there is plenty happening in this story, and it does start a bit strangely with plenty of historic information provided for people whose lives will impact the characters here. The start of this story feels very chaotic, a chaos often reflected in the interactions in the Drake family – the stars of the show – with Leah (from the first book) becoming more of a secondary character and bringer of sense (and some of her own concerns) into this story. But I digress This is essentially the story of Angela Drake, de facto mother and father figure of her household full of brothers and cousins, each with their own quirks and approach to life. She’s been the parent figure for years – since her uncle’s death, father’s imprisonment, and her mother’s retreat into her own grief, and she’s also working hard to make up for the mistakes in her past lives. Yes, Angela is an insighter, but one who would prefer not to see past lives or deal with that, at least not until she’s managed to solve her father’s murder and get her uncle out of jail. When her cousin Archer and his fiancé Leah Nazir arrive, Angela is a bit in awe of Leah, but hopes that she can provide more information that will bring them closer to the truth. When the second detective interested in the case, Jason Carpenter, with his sock collection, general dysthymia and an attraction to Angela that he can’t deny no matter how hard he tries, the story starts to turn a bit, as no new information is forthcoming, her father is pushing them away and refusing to allow visits, and Angela can’t let go – even faced with all the dead ends. When you add in her obsession with Jason, Leah’s pregnancy, Jack’s mood swings and a mother who is so disengaged as to be ghostly, the story brings in excerpts from diaries, thoughts, references to oddness galore. Oh there is so much information to process, information that just seems to add to a miasma of strange and disconnected until the threads start to work together into a story that is both darkly humorous and compelling. If, as Angela believes, her father did not kill his brother despite confessing, who was responsible and why. And just how many roadblocks will she have to face in her quest, or will she ever be able to ‘make up” for her own past lives shortcomings. And what about her sock fetish – yes, she’s intrigued and can’t wait to glimpse Jason’s ankles every time they meet. Honestly, I was confused as all get out in the beginning of the story, and never quite sure just how all of the seemingly random insets would come together in any meaningful way – but I persevered specifically because my curiosity wouldn’t let go. With insets of humor that mixed outright laughs to clever placement that reveals itself gradually, the story picked up in pace and understanding about 30% in, and I had to know what happened. Why was Jack so moody, why couldn’t Leah sleep, were the Drakes ALWAYS so loud and irreverent, and would Angela and Jason ever overcome her own issues about her life and past lives? So much goodness – including mouthwatering culinary creations from Jack, love and understanding that was offered unconditionally, quiet advice and hope for the future. I may have found this world and the people within in a bit confusing at first but they are not forgettable, and I’m left wanting to know what’s next. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.