Book Review: Six of Hearts by L. H. Cosway

From Goodreads

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.

But most of all, I put on a good show.

The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn't. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.

Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.

I want it for all six of us.

She doesn't remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this–if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.

So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.

You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.

I've only got one heart, and after I've pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.

So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride. 

My Review

The story is told almost entirely from the point of view of Matilda, the witty, intelligent, down to earth, and delightfully relatable protagonist. She's a twenty-something living in Ireland, and working for her father's small law firm. She lives with her her father, feeling an obligation to care and look out for him after loosing her mother very unexpectedly as a young child. 

She has a great best friend and a small but successful dress making business on the side, but her dating life has been stagnant. After unsuccessfully (and hilariously) trying online dating, she runs into one Jay Fields, a mysterious, successful and sexy illusionist, and sparks fly.

Jay is new to Ireland, and is in search of a place to stay. Coincidentally, Matilda's father has decided to rent out a room in their house from some supplemental income. Jay tours it, and decides it's perfect. From there things progress into a smoldering friendship and then a white hot romance. Secrets arise from Jay's past arise, and the couple is faced with some serious challenges. I can't say much without spoiling it!

"Never try to out-trick a trickster."

This was my first L.H. Cosway, and the one that made me such a huge fan. She's tied with Karina Halle for my favorite contemporary author, and that is saying something! Her stories are always beautifully crafted, full of sexual tension and hilarious banter, and she knows how to properly use angst without making you feel like a hormonal pre-teen. Six of Hearts was no exception!



From the second I started reading, I was thrust into a bustling Irish setting and the mind of a fantastic heroine. Everything was so vividly depicted, letting me picture somewhere I've never seen in such an easy way. I loved it!
Matilda was so easy to connect with; despite being a bit introverted, she'd think of these wiseass cracks that had me laughing out loud. She was very smart and level headed, especially for being 23 years old.


Jay....mmm, do I love that man! He was everything you could possibly want in a book boyfriend (or real boyfriend, whatever tickles your fancy): funny, smart, protective, sexy, quirky, ridiculously charismatic, and did I mention hilarious? His character arc was fantastic, too.


Holy shit, y'all, the way the illusionist shows are described made me feel like I was in the audience! Cosway painted an incredible picture with that, and I looked forward to every trickster scene I read. They left me with bated breath and a craving for more. I could feel his audience's excitement, and Matilda's fascination. That charisma I was talking about? Yeah, it jumps off the page in these scenes. It was more like a movie or a live show than a book!

"I might tell you that you're mine, but you need to understand that it goes both ways. I belong to you, too."

Jay and Matilda's connection, banter, and sexual tension were phenomenal. I loved them so much, and found myself laughing, crying, moaning and yelling with throughout the book simply because they gave me all the feels.

The sex scenes....oh my god. They're beyond hot in and of themselves, but Jay and Matilda's connection just makes it all the more delicious. They go from smutty to funny and back again on the same page. Like this little gem right here:

"I'm - I'm taking a bath, Jay. We can talk later." I manage, trying to sound normal, but my breathing is far too labored. I shouldn't be touching myself with him right behind the door, but I can't seem to help it. Reaching up, I mould my breast in my hand and pinch my nipple, sending tremors all throughout my body.

I realize that Jay has been quiet for far too long. I didn't make any noise, did I? No, I know I didn't. I'm not that reckless.

"How's your bath going?" He asked. His voice sounds different now, lower. 

"I said we'll talk later. Can you go now?" I croak, unable to help sliding my fingers inside myself, my walls clenching tight around them. 

There's a smile in his voice when he goes on. "What are you doing in there, baby?"

"Nothing," I answer, a little too quickly. 

"Okay, you keep on doing nothing. I'll just sit here while you're at it. This spot is surprisingly comfortable. "

Bastard. 

Cosway knows how to do angst, as I mentioned. It's not the all-consuming, over-the-top fiasco that's so prevalent in new adult, not even close. There's potential for angst; the characters have their own demons and are challenged as couples, but it never overtakes their lives or the story. It's acknowledged, and then you're moved on to the story. It's quite realistic, I think. We all have issues, but it doesn't need to overwhelm everything! 

"When I look at you, my head clears. Most of the time there's a storm up in this brain of mine, but then you walk into a room and I can focus."

The mystery and slight crime element of the story kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering where everything was going to go. It wasn't like anything I'd read before, and I loved how refreshing it was!

"Why not live with the magic? Be a kid again and believe in the fantastical. Life is more fun with a little smoke and mirrors."

Six of Hearts was well written, provocative, funny, mysterious, fast paced and realistic. The writing is engaging and sarcastic, the secondary characters strong and well rounded, and the illusionist scenes were some of the most enthralling things I've ever read. Matilda and Jay's relationship is beautiful, and it made me so happy to read them. A 5+ star read for me.

I love that cover. A deliciously built back does things to me...

STATS:

Rating: 5+ stars

Genre: Adult, contemporary romance

Point of view: 1st person, heroine

Steam/sexual content: Panty melting, explicit

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

Warning: Some yummy smut

Series: Hearts #1, standalone series

Length: 354 pages

- The Bibliophile Babe