Author: M.J. O’Shea
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 200 Pages
At a Glance: This book was simply delightful
Blurb: Cary Talbot has found the perfect mark. Marigold Shelley is filthy rich, and her newly found grandson, Isaac Shelley, is poised to inherit her huge estate, complete with a priceless wine collection. Cary concocts a plan to con both of them into selling the crown jewel of that collection to him at a bargain price. Since Isaac is young, single, and gay, part of Cary’s scheme to get close to the Shelleys includes seduction.
But Isaac isn’t the sheep he appears to be. He isn’t even the grandson he appears to be. Isaac is, in fact, running quite the con of his own.
These two masters of the confidence game are pitted against each other, and both are after the ultimate prize—a chunk of the huge Shelley fortune. It’s only when a third cunning player comes in and is ready to outwit them both that they must band together and beat their opponent or see all they’ve worked for slip from their grasp one ruby-red drop at a time.
Review: This book was simply delightful. Think The Pink Panther or Ocean’s Eleven crossed with a sweet romance, and you will have some idea of what’s in store for you.
Isaac has been pushed into a job where he is going to become the missing heir to a fortune and try to con his way into a trust fund. His new home is a winery, and his step-Grandmother owns a stunning collection of valuable wines. Another con man is coming to try to scam away these wines, and a funny series of confusing circumstances play out in front of our eyes. What saves this from being a farce is the hearts of these two men, as the attraction between them grows and they start a physical relationship. Even when they figure out whom each of them really is, they can’t avoid each other and continue to fall in love.
M.J. O’Shea has a fine hand at drawing us into her stories, and each new page gives more depth to the development of the characters, not only the MCs but the secondary ones as well. Marigold Shelley, Isaac’s grandmother is so much fun, delighting in the new romance, and pushes the two men together very obviously. Several sub plots run through the book, creating a rich backdrop for the romance, and I can admit to falling for the red herring with absolutely no embarrassment.
Corkscrewed kept my attention riveted on its pages, I had to finish the book in one sitting. The flow of the story was smooth and all of the answers are revealed in the conclusion. I liked that Isaac was not angsty about his past, that he could be happy and that he grew into his new home, comfortable with the winery and the life he could lead there. I wouldn’t call the ending a HEA, but it was definitely a HFN with so much more possible. Truly a sweet, fun, quick read that put a smile on my face.
You can buy Corkscrewed here:
