D.C. paralegal Jezebel Stone's tardiness often gets her in trouble, but this time it leads to meeting her dream man. Her choice of metro seats places her on track for finding love again. But when their ride ends in a fiery crash, their separation sends her on a mission of reuniting with him and finishing their fateful trip. But instead, it entangles Jezebel in the twisted lives of those determined to destroy each other. This prickly path also holds the potential of leading Jezebel to an unlikely place of joy. Finding joy seems impossible when life is literally exploding all around her.
An intriguing story line about how a near death experience can shape events in your life. When Jezebel is involved in a train crash and pulled out of the wreckage by a mystery man her whole life is turned upside down and to fulfil her hearts desire she has to find him regardless of the outcome. The author takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions and along with it the trial and tribulations of love and the secrets that it holds.
The story is an easy one to follow with short chapters which I always prefer. The characters carry and display true human feelings which is a tribute to the wrirters style.
An enjoyable read which any mystery/suspense reader will enjoy.
Well written but the ending sucked. It just ended. Kirk goes from saying she means the world to him (and that he would sleep on concrete for her) to saying that the baby probably isn't even his? Kirk takes Nicole back? Jezebel might end up with Justin or Evan or the new guy on the plane? Which has mechanical trouble, goes back to the gate, then what? I think the ending was not very tidy. But then again, life isn't very tidy. This is just a very different book than Renaissance of the Heart, which I loved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“Late for Fate” by Lori M Jones tells the story of Jezebel Stone, a klutzy paralegal. She is rarely on time for anything and that includes work. This penchant for always being late led to her meeting a handsome stranger while travelling on the metro. They had a connection or so it seems but then fate stepped in and the train crashed and since then Jezebel’s life became the ultimate train wreck.
This story had everything to keep me entertained. It had drama, romance, and suspense. It reads like your typical soap opera which I know will please fans of nighttime drama. There was scandal, deceit, and blackmail. In the midst of all of this, there was a message that is pertinent to us as individuals.
This story is a strong reminder of the chaos that can disrupt our lives when we refuse to pay attention to red flags that serve as a warning of the dangers we face. We ignore them and hope that things will go the way that we want them to. Life is all about choices. Every event in our lives occurs as a result of choices made. Not all choices made will lead us down the right path, however, there is always hope. We may not be able to correct the mistakes as a result of those choices, but we can pull the emergency brake, stop and re-think our actions and take a different route. The new route will not be smooth, but in the end, it will work out.
Jezebel found herself caught up in similar circumstances. At first, I was peeved at her actions, but then it dawned on me that there were times when I was no different from her. It was then I realised I could not blame her for choosing to travel that road. I also realised that it was her desire to see the best in everyone that helped to shape most of her decisions. How could I be angry at her after that revelation? What I admired most about her is her willingness to accept responsibility for her actions. She knew she made poor choices, but she did not blame anyone but herself. She recognized that it was her choices that led her to the point where she was now at.
The secondary characters were a treat. I doubt the story would be what it was without them. There were those I liked, those that rubbed me the wrong way and those that I loved to hate. Kirk was a prime example of a character that rubbed me the wrong way. At first, I did like him, but as the story progressed that feeling of like slowly turned to dislike. I am sorry I have to say this, but he was a total jerk. Then there was his soon to be ex-wife. OMG! She was in a class of her own. Frankly, I thought she stole the story. She is a prime example of the character that I loved to hate. She was the greatest manipulator. Seriously, I thought the name Jezebel would have been more suited for her.
The story was well written. This is my second time reading this author’s work and I loved it on both occasions. My suggestion to you is, go and get a copy of this book. You need to read this book. You will not be disappointed.
Late for Fate is the first book I've read from Lori M Jones. I loved the premise of the book and thought the writing was great.
The absolute knowledge of the Washington, DC Metro helped with the book. I've been to DC twice recently and always use the Metro when in town. I do not like driving in cities, especially ones I am not familiar with, at all. I am almost to the point where I do not need to constantly look at a map to know where I'm going on the Metro but that has taken many concentrated trips using it as my transportation. I cringe every time I hear of an accident on the Metro as I think, "is that where I was on it?"
I understand the anxiety that Jezebel feels after she is in a Metro accident. I am not sure I could ever get back the Metro after an accident. I might even be comfortable with driving in the city to avoid public transportation. I also can put myself in her shoes as she tries to find or hopes to hear from two people from the accident. She wants to find the person who saved her but she has no idea at all who it was. She also wants to have contact again with the man she had a connection with during the ride.
Jones put quite a twist into the ending. I wish I knew what was going to happen next. I am waiting to find out. Pick up your own copy and see what you think.
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
A paralegal on a train that crashes falls for the man sitting next to her. The man next to her has ulterior motives to starting a relationship with her. Sounds like a twisted story right? Late for Fate is exactly that. The twists, the turns, and the story keeps going, taking turns that the reader can never see coming. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen or how someone was going to react Lori M. Jones throws a curve ball and sends the book in a different direction.
Jezebel is hurting. The crash, the lack of a man, and her job are all weighing on her. Then she meets Kirk on the train and her life looks up. I enjoyed getting to know Jezzie. I liked her from the very first page and liked her more and more as the story went on. Her reactions to the events in her life were real. She knew that her heart and her brain were not on the same wave length where Kirk was concerned yet as she struggled with what to do she became more and more real to me.
My favorite character is Nicole. Kirk’s crazy, yes insane crazy, wife had me cringing, giggling, and worrying through the entire story. She was a bomb waiting to explode. Her antics while trying to save herself and get her way showed the reader who the real Nicole was. My hope was that someone would stop her or expose her before she caused any damage to anyone else.
The writing style of alternating points of view really added to the story. It was interesting to hear the thoughts, the whys, and the what nexts of different characters. I liked that I could see into the minds of other characters and hear the story from characters other than Jezebel. The story moved at a fast pace with romance, mystery, suspense, and some humor.
The adventures of this book are marvelous. I recommend checking it out.
“Late for Fate” is a fast-paced, romantic, and wild ride! Lori M. Jones’ latest novel was a page-turner from the start full of plenty of action and twists and turns. Jezebel is hoping to meet a nice guy, and her Magic 8-Ball tells her that she will. As she boards the Metro on her way home from work, she meets the handsome Kirk and they immediately start into polite chit-chat. Suddenly the Metro crashes, everything is chaos, but she is saved by a mysterious stranger and luckily only has some minor injuries. A few weeks later she gets a call from Kirk wanting to get together and to make sure that she is o.k. Jezebel meets Kirk and although she is confused and hesitant about his marital status of being separated, she struggles to resist her attraction to him. In the mean time, the law firm where she works is in the middle of sexual discrimination and harassment suit involving a high profile attorney and his secretary. Jezebel has no idea how intertangled her professional and love life have become, and she has no idea the lies and the deceit that she has been exposed to.
So, I really enjoyed this novel and read it from beginning to end in one sitting. It’s suspenseful, well-written, and provides many surprises that you will never see coming. I liked Jezebel although at times I was frustrated by how clueless she was regarding Kirk. My feelings for Kirk flip-flopped back and forth between liking him, loving him, and hating him! Nicole was a horrible person but a very well-written character. After reading I sat and reflected on what a crappy person that she was and how much her and Kirk deserved to spend the rest of their lives being miserable for everything they did to each other and to other people. But I always see it as a tribute to the author’s writing when characters frustrate me this much
Meeting the perfect person for you is tricky. Out of the 10 bazillion people in the world, how are you sure to meet “The ONE”? Lori M Jones tells a story of one lady’s struggle to meet her perfect someone in Late for Fate.
When your name is Jezebel you get lots of looks and questions. But, does her name fit her? Is that why she hasn’t met her one and only? Jezebel is out looking for her perfect match, however, it just hasn’t happened yet. When she is in a terrible metro accident, she wonders if the handsome man she was seated next to, Kirk, was her one and only. And did he survive the horrific crash and subsequent fire?
Kirk is a man in the middle of a divorce. Well, they are separated, living in the same home. His wife wants space, is in the middle of suing her employer and in love with her ex-boss. Kirk is in the dark about the being in love part. He is under the impression that she was suing for sexual harassment.
Jezebel is the paralegal working on a legal case where the plaintiff says she was removed from her job because of sexual harassment. The defendant, Jezebel’s client, claims the plaintiff was harassing him.
Enter a ride on a metro, sitting next to each other are Kirk and Jezebel. Kirk thinks that if he could get close to Jez than he will learn something to help his wife’s case. What a tangled web weaved!
Jezebel believes that Kirk is being honest with her and has no idea his wife is the plaintiff. He accidentally saw her records she was reading before the crash. Eventually, the truth comes out and the ensuing bomb explodes, leaving everyone single. Jezebel realizes that she really was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Will she find her true love? Only fate knows for sure…
Late for Fate by Lori M. Jones is a women’s fiction novel surrounding the eventful life of Jezebel Stone. Jezebel is working as a paralegal when she’s involved in a serious crash on the Metro, just after meeting who she considers to be the man of her dreams. Having told this mystery man where she works, he manages to meet up with her. Kirk is in the middle of a messy separation, but he finds Jezebel fascinating. Their relationship grows, but Kirk has a secret involving his soon-to-be ex-wife, Nicole, who seems to be in a mess of her own. Thrown into a tangle of political and social intrigue, will Jezebel manage to come out safe on the other side?
I would say Late for Fate by Lori M. Jones is more of a romantic suspense novel with a low heat level. I liked Jezebel’s character, but felt sometimes she was a bit careless. There were many elements to the plot and Miss Jones tied them all up neatly at the end. I knew there was something fishy about Kirk though, and didn’t find his character very likeable at all. I did very much like Jezebel’s mother, and wished she had more of an upfront role to the novel. I would be very curious to learn more about Jezebel, and I hope Miss Jones intends to write a sequel so we can find out what happens! What I would call a weekend read, Late for Fate has a great storyline, and kept my attention until the very last page.
Jezebel should have been names Calamity. She just could not seem to catch a break--first the Metro train she was on collided with another--luckily someone helped her escape death--and as luck would have it she also met the man of her dreams--but then lost him! He found her--but----his ulterior motive was not in her best interests. Her friends kept trying to tell her--but would she listen--NO. Plenty of red flags which she decided to ignore---listen to your intuition people!!! Like me--she was a KLUTZ--forever tripping etc etc etc. Well, she found her dream man and it turned out to be a nightmare in the making--one that put her on another collision course with death.
There is a bit of comedy and I found myself laughing--and the next moment holding my breath--hoping all would turn out all right. Her family and friends are delightful, as is she----now the bad people and there are a couple of those--well--I hope I never meet up with anyone like them! Late for Fate
If you love a fast-paced novel that is full of action, you'll want to get your hands on Late for Fate! With all of the chaos that ensues in the life of Jezebel, you'll quickly discover how perfect of a name it is for her. She is a klutzy paralegal who ends up beside a charming, handsome man - one whom ends up practically stalking her after they survive a crash together. She quickly falls for his charms but Mr. Wonderful isn't quite what he seems. I caught myself screaming at Jezebel for being so naive and hoped that fate would allow her to pull all of the pieces together before the situation became tremendously complicated. More toward the end of the book, I found myself laughing and shaking my head at all of the crazy antics that had fell into play because it's identical to our own fate tends to play out. Lessons learned - every trip we take can change our fate!
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
Jezebel is perpetually running late, and she's rushing onto the Metro on a typical day. Suddenly the train crashes and her life is changed forever. While Jezebel thinks she is finding love, she's being tossed into a massive marital fight, legal trouble and scandals.
Late for Fate is well written, and the story is heart breaking and fun all at the same time. I love the way that Ms. Jones changes who is telling the story for each chapter. Seeing the story through other character's eyes makes it so much more interesting.
I love Jezebel! She is so much like friends of mine that she makes me laugh. However, I really disliked most of the rest of the main characters. I know that it was the group of personalities that was necessary for the book, but I really really did not want certain characters to have a happy ending! Ms. Jones' ability to make characters that I disliked that much definitely shows what an amazing author she is.
Late For Fate takes a simple premise - is destiny behind the choices we make? - and explores it in a highly enjoyable, suspense thriller. The story, of paralegal Jez's near brush with death on the Washington Metro and her romance with the man who survives alongside her develops deftly into a tale of love and revenge with Jones' feisty female lead being carried along without a clue that she is a pawn in a game she knows nothing about.
The reader finds themselves wanting Jezebel to wake up and take control of her own destiny before her heart is broken.
There are plenty of strong characters and even some political intrigue - certainly enough to keep fans of many of the US TV dramas happy. Dodgy wannabe senators and drama queens rub shoulders with some memorable co-workers and then there's the handsome but rogueish Kirk.....
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This one has it all! LATE FOR FATE tells the story of a D.C. paralegal, Jezebel Stone, who is always late, but one fateful day, being late for the metro allows her to meet her dream man. Score! But is he her dream man? Her life is sent off track--literally--and in this "Sliding Door" type book, where fate plays a hand (or does it?), I was happy to take the ride along with her. Jez goes after her own happiness, but becomes entangled in the twisted lives behind a political scandal. Scene-stealing Nicole had me laughing out loud. From the opener, I was hooked. LATE FOR FATE is written in alternating points of view, which really draws you into the minds of the other characters and their motivations and I loved that. Just when you think you know them... I can't wait to read Ms. Jones' next book!
Jezebel is met with an unusual fate, when in running late to meet her friend and her metro crashes and she is separated to a dreamy man she was having a conversation with.
Since escaping death and being rescued by another stranger and fellow passenger, Jezebel has bot been able to ride the metro and is experiencing guilt not helping those around her. With the help of a professional and a surprise call from her metro stranger, Jezebel is a metro rider again.
You will be taken on a ride with Jezebel who experiences a roller coaster of events of budding love, family ups and downs, work relationships and trials, and feelings of rage and revenge. This is an entertaining read that speaks to how people always want signs of good things to come or that we are on the right path. Highlighting the signs that we miss, those that we ignore, and those that we create to fit the image we desire.
Jezebel loved her job as a paralegal. She liked to work on her cases while riding the metro train to work. One day she met Kirk and they shared a connection, but the train crashes before they can learn much about each other. Two weeks later, Kirk calls Jezebel and they start seeing each other. Even though there are red flags galore, Jezebel ignores them and falls in love with Kirk, and soon discovers the train wreck her life has become.
There was so much deceit going on that it made my head spin. I could relate to the klutzy side of Jezebel. She couldn’t help but be a train wreck, even before Kirk entered her life. I think my favorite character was Jezebel’s mother. She was so laid-back and gave a good balance to the rest of the characters.
Late for Fate starts out quick with the ‘action’ which I really liked. There is nothing worse than a drawn out story line.
But what you think is going to be a sweet story line of romance, really becomes a twisted scenario.
This is one of those reads where you can see what the lead cannot (or will not) see. You know in horror movies where you hear the music and know the bad guy is coming and you start screaming for the actors to hear you and turn around and get out of there? You may find yourself doing the same with Late for Fate. (Just be forewarned, she doesn’t hear you!)
I enjoyed reading Late for Fate. It kept my attention and every time I started to get content (forgetting this was a suspense book) I was taken by surprise by a slight twist that kept me turning pages.
Ms. Jones has perfectly captured how one moment in time can change a life for both good and bad. Excellent story with well written characters and a terrific (sometimes terrifying) theme. A great read. Highly recommended.
Late for Fate is a great mix of fun and seriousness. It has its light-hearted moments where you get lost in the joy of the story but is also thought out enough that there is a solid plot to pay attention to and follow. It is a great read that should be devoured.
So many great characters in this beautifully written story, you find yourself rooting for Jez, but if I'm going to honest Nicole was my favorite! Her crazy had me laughing out loud!!