Wrong Place, Right Time

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review* 

Wrong Place, Right Time by Elle Casey is the second novel in the Bourbon Street Boys trilogy (or series). I’ve had the first on my wish list for a while, and when I saw this as a possible request I had to jump on the opportunity. I got approved, and promptly bought the first book Wrong Number, Right Guy. They are companion novels so you can definitely read them as standalones, but I prefer seeing the character growth throughout the series.

This instalment of the series features Jenny, a single mother of three (pretty great) kids, and her budding friendship with one of the guys from the Bourbon Street Boys private security firm. They had instant attraction, but the actual romance was really slow-build, which felt realistic for two single parents, so I didn’t mind it at all. At first I was slightly disappointed in the less funny inner monologue of Jenny (May’s in the first book was full-on hilarious), but in hindsight I really appreciate how the author just didn’t do the same thing as in the previous one. Jenny’s less muted and PG lifestyle fit the book’s tone perfectly. She has kids, and in a lot of ways she’s more mature than May was when dealing with her work and family life. Paradoxically, she has very immature ideas and notions about some aspects of her life that didn’t ring true. Then again they were addressed later on in the book so I really love how the author handled all the “loose ends”, so to speak.

My favourite part of the novel was how strong the main character was. I know it’s a testament to what’s wrong with chick lit nowadays that I had to point this out as a special feature, but the main character was really kickass, and not in the physical sense. She handled her ex-husband’s shenanigans with poise, she raised her kids to be great and compassionate people, and she fought her own battles. Elle Casey’s heroines sure aren’t pushovers. Sure, the job offer Jenny got was very convenient (same with May in the first book), but they proved themselves to be worthy of it.

What is more, whereas the first book introduced most of the cast, this one delved a lot deeper to everyone’s backstories, and had a more serious undertone. Jenny is a responsible single parent, so it would make sense that her views on life and the ways she acts with other people are less flighty and breezy.

One of my problems with both books was that a lot of the inner monologue, and sometimes the dialogue, came off as very info-dumpy. There were instances of clear telling, not showing, which was a little grating. Another thing I found off was how the 32-year-old (!) woman was depicted as a “den mother” to all the college-aged kids in the software engineering world. In which world is it uncommon for people in their 30s to work in that field? I mean sure, she was probably seen as a mother figure in a way, but I’d say a 32-year-old person would easily be seen as equal by guys in their early 20s.  I did appreciate the company being depicted as a man’s world, however, and the references to the glass ceiling probably ring true. My last little nitpick would be that I noticed some incongruities when you read the two books in close succession. May insinuated Jenny was a party girl before her marriage, and a yoga enthusiast, but this wasn’t really evident in Wrong Place, Right Time; in fact, the opposite was implied. Maybe I missed something.

All in all, the characters were likeable, funny, and endearing, so the book was a solid 4 stars. The few issues I had didn’t take much away from the general enjoyment of the novel. I’d recommend it to romance fans and newbies alike. I can’t wait to continue on with the third book when it’s released.