Lynn
Written on Mar 10, 2016
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." A painful realisation for Vincent Moretti. He's missed his partner during her three months absence from work, not that he'd made much effort to keep in contact whilst she was away. Now Jill's back, eating the doughnut he bought for her with her left hand adorned with a sparkling diamond engagement ring!
Jill Henley's leave of absence in Florida turned out to be much more than just time spent helping her mother recuperate from a nasty fall. She began a whirlwind relationship with Tom and accepted his unexpected proposal of marriage. Now back in NY, she's happy to be amongst all that's familiar, the Moretti gang, Vincent. Especially her partner Vincent Moretti because she missed him. Something she hadn't realised until now.
Jill and Vincent's first day back at working together is an eventful one. The crime victim was once famous...a Hollywood star from another era. Something is wrong, very wrong! Vincent's instinctive detective skills are off and Jill's are rusty. All Vincent can truly decipher and be 100% sure about; Jill can't fool him she's as happy as she claims!
Vincent is a complex character. He's viewed differently by many people; To strangers, he comes across as unsociable and gruff. His work colleagues… "Robot. Machine. Automaton." Those that see him as "Quiet, Reserved. Broody." Yet he's confident and intuitive but shyness has crippled him emotionally, when is comes to matters of the heart. Something his mother can see in her second son, prompting her to say some appropriate words to the right person.
Jill is the sunshine to Vincent's darkness but his social awkwardness hasn't been a barrier until now. She's getting married when the one she's always wanted is Vincent. Only he can't give her what she wants because he's incapable of showing his feelings. I sympathised with Jill and her desire to want what other women have in their lives...romance. To feel included and instead of excluded on Valentine's Day...chocolates, red roses and candlelit dinners. To come to the realisation that a random gesture of buying you your favourite doughnut is his way of telling you he cares. It's random. It's spontaneous. It's a sign to take fate into her own hands.
One of the high points in this humorous series has been the banter and witty dialogue between the characters. Ms Layne doesn't disappoint. Nonna is as inappropriate as ever! Brothers Luc and Anth, are now settled in their own domestic bliss offer unwelcome advice when they see fit. We also get to meet Marco, the laid back brother who followed his wannabe-actress girlfriend to California and works for LAPD. Oh, not forgetting the parental interference.
Every once in a while, a book overwhelms me simply because the protagonists are so relatable. Their actions trigger memories and similarities in my own life, it's unsettling, but in a good way.
Cuff Me is a standalone novel so if you haven't read Steal Me and Frisk Me then I recommend you do because why settle for just one Moretti brother?
***arc generously received courtesy of Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley***
