A Shameless Little Con (Shameless, #1)

by Meli Raine

[Eve1972]

 
It feels like it's been AGES since I have read the HARMLESS series by this author. I loved that series so you can imagine my excitement when I learn we were getting a trilogy about Jane! And this author DID NOT disappoint. I loved every minute of this one. The writing. The characters. The twist and turns. Oy vey was it a fantastic read.


 

~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
I found this one to be fantastically well written. It was perfectly paced, and I never felt the need to skim. The plot was incredibly engaging and kept me turning the pages like a madwoman. I suppose technically this could be read as a standalone but "I" wouldn't recommend it. You really need to read the HARMLESS series to get the full set up and history of what takes place with these characters. As this is a trilogy it, of course, ends on a cliffhanger. A rather HUGE cliffhanger at that. 


~HERO~
Silas...I liked him. He was a bit of an a$$hole at times (especially in the beginning) but I warmed up to him over the course of the book. He was closed off. Stoic. Kind of judgy at times. But we also get glimpses of his more soft side (especially near the end). I'm looking forward to seeing how his character grows and (hopefully) opens up even more as the trilogy goes on. As for his past sex life, there isn't a SINGLE mention of it. 


~HEROINE~
Jane...whereas I liked Silas a lot I ADORED Jane. Man this poor woman and the way she is treated by just about EVERYONE made my heart break for her. Yes, yes, it looks like she betrayed everyone, but NO ONE gave her the benefit of the doubt? She was such a strong yet so super vulnerable heroine. The author did an excellent job capturing this characters shame, anger, and pain.


~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
Most of the secondary characters in this one consist of people from the HARMLESS series. Since this trilogy is basically a continuation of that one that was to be expected. I did like the addition of Alice and I hope we get to see more of her in upcoming books.


 


~HEAT LEVEL~
None. There was no sex in this one. We get some kissing and heavy groping near the end, but this was a SLOW BURN. Usually, I do not like slow burns, but in this instance, it worked well for the story. The couple had some good on page chemistry. 


~ANGST LEVEL~
Low to medium. I guess it depends on your definition of what angst is. "I" didn't find it particularly angsty. The main characters go from disgust (on his part) to attraction slowly. This leads to a lot of moments where the hero is a jerk. Of course, the heroine isn't liked or trusted by basically anyone for most of the book which again leads to angst. There wasn't any OW or OM drama. Neither's sexual past is brought up. 


~IN THE END~
It was FANTASTIC. I was sucked in from the first word and read it straight through to the end. The characters were intriguing and well developed. The plot was intriguing. It had twists and turns. Sweet moments. Sad moments Shocking moments. I really wish it were March already so I could dive right in to book two tout suite. This one gets two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.