Review: New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind

New Orleans Rush
by Kelly Siskind
Publisher: Everafter Romance
Publication date: April 23, 2019
Genre: Romance
Rating:

Falling for your surly boss is a rotten idea.
Letting him saw you in half is even worse…

Beatrice Baker may be a struggling artist, but she believes all hardships have silver linings…until she follows her boyfriend to New Orleans and finds him with another woman. Instead of turning those lemons into lemonade, she drinks lemon drop martinis and keys the wrong man’s car.

Now she works for Huxley Marlow of the Marvelous Marlow Boys, getting shoved in boxes as an on-stage magician’s assistant. A cool job for some, but Bea’s been coerced into the role to cover her debt. She also maybe fantasizes about her boss’s adept hands and what else they can do.

She absolutely will not fall for him, or kiss him senseless. Until she does. The scarred, enigmatic Huxley has unwittingly become her muse, unlocking her artistic dry spell, but his vague nightly activities are highly suspect. The last time Beatrice trusted a man, her bank account got drained and she almost got arrested. Surely this can’t end that badly…right?

Bea is on the run from a loan shark. She stupidly took on her father’s debt, which was a price too high for her to pay off. So, when her boyfriend proposes that she move to New Orleans with him, she takes off with him in order to start a new life. However, four days into their new life, he decides that their relationship isn’t working out and he breaks up with her. Homeless, friendless, and nowhere to turn, she ends up in a bar where she hears the infamous Carrie Underwood song. Drunk and highly intoxicated from her cold medicine and alcohol combo, she decides that keying his car is a wise decision. Except, she keys the wrong person’s car and end up in a bind. Unable to pay for the repairs, she becomes Huxley’s assistant in order to work off her debt. Oh yeah, Huxley is a illusionist. So, Bea becomes a magician’s assistant in order to pay off her debt.

I can honestly say that I’ve never read a romance that dealt with a magician before. I loved that not only is Huxley a magician, but he takes his job very seriously. His father left the theater and legacy to him, and he has been struggling to keep it afloat every since. The music is dated, the acts are stale, and Huxley and his brother’s have lost their passion. However, when Bea enters the scene, she brings life back into the place. Pretty soon she is altering her stuffy costume, proposing music changes, and even recommending that they add new acts to the mix. One of which is more Magic Mike than Houdini, but still entertaining to read about nonetheless. Watching Huxley’s family legacy get new life was probably one of the best parts of this entire story.

Between the magic tricks, Bea’s and Huxley’s inner turmoil, the potential loss of the theater, and the loan shark that is undoubtedly hunting for Bea, there was always something going on in this story. If you’re looking for a cute and quick romance that deals with magicians, than you should really pick up this book.