Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

If Diana Gabaldon blurbed a book about plankton, I’d probably read it. When she blurbs an urban fantasy about shapeshifters and vikings and calls it “A fast-paced, sexy romp with characters as original as its intriguing premise!” I know I’m in for something unbelievable.

How to describe IN A FIX? Imagine a shapeshifting Stephanie Plum mixed with Burn Notice. Ciel isn’t as hapless or helpless as Stephanie, but she does attract trouble and is caught between two gorgeous and overprotective guys. As an Adapter, she can assume the appearance of anyone she has come into contact with. The two men in her life are adaptors too. There are several fantastic scenes involving mistaken identity that kept a grin on my face a mile wide.

What also kept me grinning was the romantic tension. Ciel loves Mark, Mark views Ciel as a sister. Billy is an incorrigible flirt who is like a cousin to Ciel. When assuming the identity of others, sometimes this trio has to get closer than they normally would, which causes all three to begin looking at each other in a new light. Billy had to be my favorite. He was playful one minute and than he would slip into something decidedly unplayful. It was just enough to keep Ciel’s head spinning. And Mark, while the more serious and guarded of the two guys, definitely seemed to be fighting himself in one or two scenes with Ciel. It wasn’t easy for him to maintain the kid sister view of Ciel when they kept getting thrown together.

IN A FIX is a great book to lure new readers to the urban fantasy genre as it’s light on worldbuilding and heavy on action. We don’t really learn about the origin of Adapters or the possible presence of other supernatural abilities in this world. Ciel, and a few others, have this rare ability that she uses to run a business and they use for the CIA. It’s pretty straightforward. What makes IN A FIX so special is the sizzling chemistry between the main characters, the try-and-catch-your-breath pace, the intense but fun–and sometimes silly–action, and mix of espionage with the supernatural. I had a blast reading this book and will be first in line to buy QUICK FIX when it hits shelves in 2013.

Sexual Content: Kissing. Scenes of sensuality.