Title: Dear Jane

Author: Marissa Clarke

Ebook

Pages: 109 (on my phone it says 137, Entangled website says, 147. There’s an excerpt for the next story in the series. The entire story was about 109 pages.)

Publisher: Entangled

ISBN: 9781633758599

Release Date: 1-9-17

Book Details: Ebook, customize your reading experience.

Where To Find It: I found this on the Entangled website and bought it from Barnes & Noble

Time that the story takes place? Current day (most likely in 2017)

POV? Third person 

What caught your eye? I had read Love Out Loud and loved it, saw the sample chapter and the price was very reasonable.

Did you enjoy it? I did.

Was it predictable? No, not really.

Was it sexy? Tame? In an odd way, I feel that this was tamer in the sex department than Love Out Loud. It has a very friends to lovers feeling, but it never felt forced or silly. It worked.

Did you find it funny? Entertaining? I found it amusing that a seemingly accomplished woman can’t seem to get a second date . . . I say that with a smile as Jane, for all her smarts and talent, things just happen. Sweet things, but she does seem to have some bad luck on first dates.

Would you read it again? I probably will.

Is this part of a series? This is the first book in the Animal Attraction series. The other two books are Love Out Loud (which I reviewed here) and Three Day Fiancée.

Dear Jane. First of all, it is adorable. Yes, it’s sexy and sweet and has some seriously hot moments, but at the core of this book it was adorable.

This was the second book I’ve read of Marissa Clarke and the thing that I’ve appreciated in both Love Out Loud and Dear Jane is the believability and naturalness of the characters and the relationship that’s developing. Nothing feels rushed, if anything, these two are taking their time . . . the reason for that is made clear in the first few pages of the story.

Jane Dixon works at her father’s law firm. She comes from a family of lawyers, her father, her brothers, are all lawyers. She’s good at what she does and always seems to need to prove herself to her father.

Eric Blackwell is up and coming lawyer also working at the Dixon law firm. He puts in long hours, gives up weekends, and is up for junior partner. Everything he’s ever wanted is months away: becoming junior partner.

Jane calls herself the One Date Wonder, she hasn’t had a second date since grad school. And it isn’t that she’s a bad date, things just happen: accidentally spilling ice water in her date’s lap, knocking over a candle and setting the table on fire, you know normal stuff. Or, she goes out with a man that can’t handle art and giggles at nude sculptures or the guy who played a video game on his phone during the entire date and didn’t even notice when Jane left to go to the bathroom . . . and had dinner at the place next door and only came back to her date to get her coat. You get the picture.

Eric is one of those gents that strives for security in life because he never had it as a kid. His father died young and the marriage between his mother and father was not awesome. Protecting and providing for his mother has been a huge part of why he does what he does and why he is the way he is. Also, tears are his undoing, he can’t cope with a crying woman, it breaks his heart.

If you read the sample chapter from Entangled, you’ll see that Eric is just trying to help out the frazzled receptionist at the beginning of the story and deliver an arrangement of flowers to Jane. And Eric is stoked, he’s had a crush on Jane for two years, however . . . the company has a strict no dating policy so he couldn’t make a move if he wanted to.

Jane is shocked and delighted by the sight of Eric coming in with flowers. Until he says that they’re not from him. Reading the card, Jane is pissed and hurt, another Dear Jane letter (or card if you will) and she’s had it, tears are forming, voice is choked and Eric can’t handle a woman breaking down.

This is when she tells him the disastrous track record she has with dating.

So he does what feels right, he gives her a hug to comfort her. Only he’s feeling those great curves and his noble brain is short circuiting. He tells Jane that he knows lots of guys that would love to date her.

“You’re on!”

Thus begins a series of dates that Eric sets up for Jane. However, on the first date, he receives a text from Jane “Mayday! Mayday!” The date was a disaster and the two talk, watch a movie, have popcorn and beer, whilst Eric bonds with her grumpy cat Gandalf. 

This goes on for weeks. Terrible date, Friday night movie at Jane’s.

Eric has fallen head over heels for Jane and can’t continue this platonic torment and sends her a text that he’ll have to miss their Friday movie, he’s got work to do.

From here the story takes the natural course of action. Sexy time. Cuddle time. It’s all good.

I won’t give the whole story away, but rest assured, it ends really well. While I saw certain aspects of the story coming, at the same time, I didn’t see them coming the way they did. A touch of whimsy, but overall, the story felt very organic and legit. I really felt like these two people were relatable and people either you know or would want to know.

It was a quick and easy read. I read this entirely on my phone and had no issue reading the screen. Never had to enlarge it or anything.

But absolutely give this one a go. I also got the third book in this series and I’ll be reviewing that just as soon as I finish a few other things.

Happy reading!