Jinn and Juice

by Nicole Peeler

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Yes, I did mainly read this book because of the title. And the cover is pretty. But Jinn and Juice wound up being super fun! That awesome title totally fits the story, and not just because Layla is a djinni. It's just great! Trust me! So, Layla has been a djinni for 999 years after being cursed by her family's djinni. She only has about a week left in her curse, as long as she can stay unbound. Of course this means that a Maji has to show up, bind her, and ruin everything. At least, that's how it seems at first, but Layla's new master just needs her help finding someone and swears he'll set her free before the deadline.

While Jinn and Juice is mostly about the djinn, it's actually chock full of all of the supernaturals! You've got fae, vampires, kitsune, werewolves, trolls, will o' the wisps, psychics, oracles, magi, succubi, and I don't even know what else! Well, there's this weird thing called a bugbear, but there's so much! I really liked the way magic and the different species were explained. There's a lot going on, but I never felt confused.

Okay, so there was one thing I was a bit confused about in Jinn and Juice. It's a kind of major detail, but I didn't rate down for it, since I noticed that it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. It just nagged at me briefly when certain things were mentioned. Layla was cursed to become a djinni when she was 14 years old, since her father was trying to sell her into marriage. Since she's now a djinni, she doesn't age, so is she still 14? I wasn't under the impression that Layla still had her 14 year old body, since she's a burlesque dancer and her new master is attracted to her and doesn't come across as a pervert. I just wanted to know if she had an adult body or her original body! Did she age up to womanhood? Or did 14 year old girls look like adult women back in those days? I don't know.

As for the plot, Jinn and Juice always keep me engaged and entertained! Layla is trying to help Oz find his friend as soon as possible so that she can be free, but there's also a bunch of weirdness happening in the city which she needs to take care of. Since she's bound, Layla has access to more magic, so she's currently the most powerful being around, so of course these things fall to her. But then, there's a twist! And it seems like Layla remaining bound is the only way to make sure she remains unbound to break the curse! I'm sure that seems weird, but it was fun and exciting!

I really enjoyed Jinn and Juice! It's funny and action packed. It actually had humor that I could get! Layla was great! Just because she has to entertain her master's every whim doesn't mean she gives them exactly what they want! Djinn and are like fae that way, and I loved learning of Layla's past tricks. Things happen at the very end which have me dying for the next book! I need to know what happens!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.