Kris‘ review of Jinx (Bigtime Book 3) by Jennifer Estep.
Bella Bulluci’s big passion is the arts. Her big pain is being born into a family of superheroes. Of course, Bella might feel differently if her own superpower was one she could control –– supercharged telekinesis. In other words, static electricity. Bella knows that’s not a power – just a jinx. or at least get some use out of.
Instead, her power is one of capricious luck
During a gala fundraiser for the local art museum, Bella comes upon two things no Bigtime supergirl should be without: an ubervillain of her very own who plans to steal a priceless gem; and a dashing – if slightly shady – stranger named Debonair. He may have a reputation as a notorious playboy, but the real sparks are going to come from Bella, who’s finally going to learn just how well love and danger can go together …
This was really cute (some of it in that cheesy superhero movie kind of way). This was my first Bigtime book, I have not read the other two (Karma Girl and Hot Mama). There were references to things that happened in the other books but nothing so like I felt I was lost or confused.
Bigtime is like Batman’s Gotham or The Incredibles movie, a city with lots of superheroes and ubervilleins. This book has action and some of the cheesiness of superhero worlds and that was a lot of fun. Complete with cheesy names and powers. My favorite hero that was mentioned but did not see in the book was Halitosis Hal (I love that name, cracks me up), makes me wonder what his power is.
But it also has a good storyline and a nice romance in it. Bella has had enough of being involved with superheroes, it is too hard on the heart. She has the same problem as cop/firefighter/soldier’s wives and families, wondering, will your loved one come home tonight. She patched her father up over and over when he came home and one night he did not come home. So the last person she was to feel attracted to is a superhero, so of course, who does she fall for… a superhero.
It was interesting watching her character and what her “power” put her through. She has already passed that frustration with it and just coped. Living with having uncertain luck where things could go awesome, like the perfect parking spot, or horrible, like tripping over a nothing to spill your drink on a priceless rug. I think I would have cried more often in frustration. But that is just me and I do not have to live with that. Debonair was a nice character, he was very sweet and strong at the same time. I love that. I really liked the ending and how they worked things out.
Nice light read, if you are looking for a different lighter paranormal. I would give it a:
4 out of 5
This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-book.
Read more from Kris at The Reading Spot.
Thanks for the review! I can’t believe I missed the second in this series – I really enjoyed the first one, Karma Girl. I think Estep has a great voice.