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Hollywood Knights #1
Smoke and Mirrors
After the devastating loss of her close friend and former lover, Jenny decides to trade her old life in northern Florida for a new one on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Even though she's been in L.A. a few months, she's still adjusting to city and her new cadre of misfit friends, including her new young and headstrong apprentice, Lori, and her longtime friend and new roommate, Seth Webber, who happens to be not only her high school crush but also the front man for Tangled Web, one of the hottest rock bands on the planet.
On top of everything else, Jenny lands her first case as a licensed California detective before she even has a chance to unpack. Despite what she thinks of as her metaphysical handicap—a talent for foresight that isn't all that useful in her line of work—Jenny is good at what she does. Still, the missing persons investigation she finds herself embroiled in presents some unique challenges...and eventually leads her down a path she'd once sworn to herself she'd never follow.
On top of everything else, Jenny lands her first case as a licensed California detective before she even has a chance to unpack. Despite what she thinks of as her metaphysical handicap—a talent for foresight that isn't all that useful in her line of work—Jenny is good at what she does. Still, the missing persons investigation she finds herself embroiled in presents some unique challenges...and eventually leads her down a path she'd once sworn to herself she'd never follow.
214 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
4 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Clark
21 books50 followersLB Clark is the author of the rock and roll inspired Jukebox Heroes paranormal romance series. She is also a college student in a small East Texas town who dreams of one day combining her three big loves - travel, music, and writing - into one awesome career.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 14, 2013
Blog/Page link : https://www.facebook.com/SLiTsReaD
3.5 or 4 stars? debatable.... It was good in a way I didn't know I was already at the end of the page, it sucks cause just when I am getting to like it, it ended.
I didn't know what exactly I was reading, went in blind... then I started to read about senses, psychic and all that... Jenny can sense the future or to quote:
"My foresight usually existed as a sort of low-level awareness of what likely happen in the next few seconds. It was almost like white-noise for the sixth sense; something I could sense but that wasn’t likely to distract me. When I wanted to, I could concentrate on a person or situation and get a clearer and longer-term picture of future possibilities."
Jenny is a private investigator who moved from Florida to L.A., and moved in with Seth, who is the lead singer of Tangle Web, a famous rock band.
Lots of characters in the story.... I kinda got lost as to who is who and what is what, lol...
There is definitely a promise of a story between Jenny and Seth.... is there a next book? I would definitely read if there is and I hope for more Seth and Jenny.
3.5 or 4 stars? debatable.... It was good in a way I didn't know I was already at the end of the page, it sucks cause just when I am getting to like it, it ended.
I didn't know what exactly I was reading, went in blind... then I started to read about senses, psychic and all that... Jenny can sense the future or to quote:
"My foresight usually existed as a sort of low-level awareness of what likely happen in the next few seconds. It was almost like white-noise for the sixth sense; something I could sense but that wasn’t likely to distract me. When I wanted to, I could concentrate on a person or situation and get a clearer and longer-term picture of future possibilities."
Jenny is a private investigator who moved from Florida to L.A., and moved in with Seth, who is the lead singer of Tangle Web, a famous rock band.
Lots of characters in the story.... I kinda got lost as to who is who and what is what, lol...
There is definitely a promise of a story between Jenny and Seth.... is there a next book? I would definitely read if there is and I hope for more Seth and Jenny.
November 26, 2013
What I liked most about Smoke and Mirrors falls into three main categories.
First, is the obvious genre assignment. My reading diet has always leaned heavily toward suspense, thriller, and mystery, and the private investigator story is a popular mystery subgenre. Whatever appeals to me in mysteries (primarily trying to figure out how the clues fit together) was here and well done.
Second, is the characters. I found it easy to get invested in what happened to them. (That some of them are musicians and that I’m a sucker for books that involve anyone in the music business was a bonus.)
Third, is the cross genre aspect. This book (the first in a new series) is using characters from Clark’s Jukebox Heroes series, which is contemporary fantasy. Some of them have magical powers which don’t figure heavily in the story here, but come into play just enough to spice things up, taking this beyond “just a mystery.” It’s a combination I like.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
First, is the obvious genre assignment. My reading diet has always leaned heavily toward suspense, thriller, and mystery, and the private investigator story is a popular mystery subgenre. Whatever appeals to me in mysteries (primarily trying to figure out how the clues fit together) was here and well done.
Second, is the characters. I found it easy to get invested in what happened to them. (That some of them are musicians and that I’m a sucker for books that involve anyone in the music business was a bonus.)
Third, is the cross genre aspect. This book (the first in a new series) is using characters from Clark’s Jukebox Heroes series, which is contemporary fantasy. Some of them have magical powers which don’t figure heavily in the story here, but come into play just enough to spice things up, taking this beyond “just a mystery.” It’s a combination I like.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
August 25, 2017
Sooo... this was ... odd
I didn't realise until I had finished the book and got to the after blurb that, although this was the first in a series it followed on from a previous series - that certainly explained the enormous amounts of backstory.
This seemed to be an uneasy mixture of urban fantasy/NA/rock romance and I really struggled to understand what the author was thinking.
Jenny Marshall decides to trade her old life in northern Florida for a new one on the outskirts of Los Angeles. She is a licensed detective, staying with Seth Webber, who happens to be not only her high school crush but also the front man for one of the hottest rock bands on the planet. And did I mention that Jenny and her friends each has a special magical talent?
So, not having read the previous series I didn't understand the convoluted relationships - suffice to say that everyone seemed to be lusting after someone they were allegedly friends with, including Jenny who seems to lust after a fair few guys even though she is allegedly getting over the death of her former lover. Seeing my problem yet?
It was nice that Jenny was a thirty-something woman with her own business, although she seemed to degenerate into twenty-something angst about boys.
The detective story was a bit perfunctory and pretty much got solved off screen - I'm not sure whether that was the author's intent or it was meant to be a teaser for the reader.
Overall, I'm not sure where this series is going. I might get the next one if the price is right,
I didn't realise until I had finished the book and got to the after blurb that, although this was the first in a series it followed on from a previous series - that certainly explained the enormous amounts of backstory.
This seemed to be an uneasy mixture of urban fantasy/NA/rock romance and I really struggled to understand what the author was thinking.
Jenny Marshall decides to trade her old life in northern Florida for a new one on the outskirts of Los Angeles. She is a licensed detective, staying with Seth Webber, who happens to be not only her high school crush but also the front man for one of the hottest rock bands on the planet. And did I mention that Jenny and her friends each has a special magical talent?
So, not having read the previous series I didn't understand the convoluted relationships - suffice to say that everyone seemed to be lusting after someone they were allegedly friends with, including Jenny who seems to lust after a fair few guys even though she is allegedly getting over the death of her former lover. Seeing my problem yet?
It was nice that Jenny was a thirty-something woman with her own business, although she seemed to degenerate into twenty-something angst about boys.
The detective story was a bit perfunctory and pretty much got solved off screen - I'm not sure whether that was the author's intent or it was meant to be a teaser for the reader.
Overall, I'm not sure where this series is going. I might get the next one if the price is right,
September 14, 2013
I just didn't get this book, I think it's a spin off from the authors other books and I haven't read them, nor will I. Just seemed mixed up.
The main character had magical powers that are never explained and as it doesn't show that it's a spin off I had no idea until I was confused while reading it. Despite being confused I continued to read on hoping things would be explained, they never were. I read a lot and this book just didn't do it for me. The main character seem to be read and willing to sleep with all the males at are apart of the main friendship group. She would get hot for one of them and then tell her self how wrong it was or be called out by one of the other guys, then feel bad and the next thing she would do would be to start thinking about another one of the guys.
I hate rating a book low but this book just didn't do it for me .
The main character had magical powers that are never explained and as it doesn't show that it's a spin off I had no idea until I was confused while reading it. Despite being confused I continued to read on hoping things would be explained, they never were. I read a lot and this book just didn't do it for me. The main character seem to be read and willing to sleep with all the males at are apart of the main friendship group. She would get hot for one of them and then tell her self how wrong it was or be called out by one of the other guys, then feel bad and the next thing she would do would be to start thinking about another one of the guys.
I hate rating a book low but this book just didn't do it for me .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2013
Excellent first novel in a new series by L.B. Clark. I hadn't read the previous series that the main character sprang from, but the skillful way this book is written eased a reader into her world without a speck of worry. Good characterization, dialogue and an interesting story make this a great read! Recommended!
August 11, 2016
This book was filled with characters of different magical talents, a mystery, insightful relationships, new beginnings and as an introduction to Jenny Marshall's LA based adventures a nice start.
The story was paced okay with a few glitches here and there but interesting enough for me to finish, not engrossing enough to take reading about Jenny and her friends any further though.
The story was paced okay with a few glitches here and there but interesting enough for me to finish, not engrossing enough to take reading about Jenny and her friends any further though.
October 20, 2013
I don't know where the series is going.The most complicated relationship among friends that I have encountered and also frustrating.
Want to read
January 17, 2014Amazon Freebie 1/17/14
January 27, 2014
I'm a little confused.. this story could be great. When it got interesting it was finished. Hmph.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews