New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind

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Title: New Orleans Rush
Author: Kelly Siskind
Series: Showmen #1
Published by: EverAfter Romance
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Format: eARC
Pages: 285
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Source: NetGalley, Social Butterfly PR
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2019 Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

Treat yourself to the book Publisher's Weekly calls an endearing romance: "Like Huxley, readers won’t be able to resist falling under Bea’s spell."

Falling for your surly boss is a rotten idea.
Letting him saw you in half is even worse...

Beatrice Baker may be a struggling artist, but she believes all hardships have silver linings...until she follows her boyfriend to New Orleans and finds him with another woman. Instead of turning those lemons into lemonade, she drinks lemon drop martinis and keys the wrong man's car.

Now she works for Huxley Marlow of the Marvelous Marlow Boys, getting shoved in boxes as an on-stage magician's assistant. A cool job for some, but Bea's been coerced into the role to cover her debt. She also maybe fantasizes about her boss's adept hands and what else they can do.

She absolutely will not fall for him, or kiss him senseless. Until she does. The scarred, enigmatic Huxley has unwittingly become her muse, unlocking her artistic dry spell, but his vague nightly activities are highly suspect. The last time Beatrice trusted a man, her bank account got drained and she almost got arrested. Surely this can't end that badly...right?

My Review:

I received a free copy through NetGalley, Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4.5 stars — This is going to be one of those books that I struggle to review, because it’s so hard to convey all the things I loved about the book.  It was just so…REFRESHING.  From the characters, to the plot line, it just fit me so perfectly and surprised me in the best ways.

Beatrice is…she’s everything I want to be.  I saw so much of myself—or rather who I want to be—in her.  She was vibrant, and whimsical, and quirky, and her childlike sense of wonder had me smiling from ear to ear.  As someone who professes her favourite colour to be *rainbow*, I could totally vibe with Bea’s craving for colour in all aspects of her life.  She was also kind and aware of the people around her, from strangers to friends.  I was unsurprised to find she was a Hufflepuff (Puffs unite).  She wasn’t without her flaws.  She was definitely messed up from her odd childhood, and the roles that were thrust upon her at a young age.  But I really felt her grow throughout the book, and I was confident that she would continue to grow in her new family.

Huxley was his own unique brand of quirky.  He had all these seemingly contradictory traits, but they worked in him.  He had this kind of hard shell around him, coming across gruff and “surly smurf”.  But inside he was just this romantic marshmallow looking for a unique soul to understand and embrace all of him.  I LOVED his unconfirmed love of romance novels.  I love how he immediately saw the uniqueness of Bea and allowed her light into his life.  And again, just like Bea, he was flawed.  It took him forever to understand that going it alone was a mistake.  He was carrying around a stupendous amount of guilt, shouldering the burden of an almost fatherly role.  I loved seeing him grow as well, with some help from his family.

And Bea and Huxley together were delightful.  They made me laugh and smile and swoon.  I truly felt their connection and chemistry, and desperately wanted them to find their way together.

I LOVED Huxley’s brothers, Axel and Fox.  They were truly one of a kind characters.  I honestly thought we might get their books, but with the ending I’m less sure on that now.  I would love to see their own stories.

I LOVED the magic that this book showcased.  I loved the wonder of it.

I LOVED that this wasn’t a book about billionaires, but actually of two characters truly struggling financially.  I feel like we don’t see that enough.

I think the only thing I was so so on was the Oliphant stuff and the Big Eddie stuff.  I enjoyed it, but I don’t know if I feel like I got enough closure with the wrap up.  But in the end, I was here for the romance…I mean, let’s be real.  🙂

So yeah.  This was a Lenore book.  It’s making me want to put on my rainbow leggings, and dance around the house…and I think I just might.