Sleight of Hand Series Tour Stop! ~ Crystal's Many Reviewers

Ellaine Greene has simple desires. She just wants to do her best as the event coordinator for the local aquarium, to support environmental conservation efforts, and to keep immature man-children out of her life.

So when a major donor to the aquarium demands Ellaine find a magician for her granddaughter's birthday party, all she can imagine is a long line of card chuckers and coin flippers wearing cheesy sequined vests.

Instead, she gets Xander Hollatz, a sophisticated, powerful man in a crisp suit, with nimble fingers and a warm smile.

He's the man for the job, no doubt. And, to her surprise, she realizes he might be the man for her, too. Will she let her doubts get in the way of their feelings for each other?

And when everything goes wrong at the birthday party, will he be able to perform a miracle to save the day?

Sleight of Hand #1: Private Performance is a 17,000-word novella, introducing readers to Ellaine and Xander's passionate and tender romance, to the fascinating wildlife inhabiting the aquarium, and to the mysterious world of professional magicians.

Mega hot magician? Well, that’s a nice change of pace for a contemporary romance!

Ellaine finds herself in a positon to greatly benefit her life’s work at an aquarium, if she can make a large donor very happy. Namely, find a magician to perform at the donor’s granddaughter’s birthday party. Ellaine has no clue where to start, and is imagining old men pulling rabbits out of hats. What she doesn’t expect is Xander Hollatz. A talented and world-renowned performer, she has no clue why he’s interested in performing for her. She also doesn’t expect the chemistry between them, and the fact that after meeting, she can’t get him out of her mind. Is it possible that Xander is interested in more than his performance?

Well, well, well…hellllooooooo Xander. My goodness. Not only is he hot and talented, but smart too. I thought it was very cool to see behind the scenes of the world of magic a bit. And with Xander as the tour guide, I’ve no complaints. Rawr. I also really liked the chemistry between Ellaine and Xander. For me, this is a must for any romance I am going to enjoy. I want the butterflies of the initial attraction just as much as the characters do!

This is my first book by this author and I have to say, even though it’s a short story, I was pleased. I thought it was a well-told and interesting book with characters that were relatable and fun. I can’t wait to see where the story takes us in the next book, which is over 200 pages. Bring it! 4 stars.

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Ellaine Greene has a new man in her life, the famous magician Xander Hollatz. He's ripped, kind, and mysterious -- nothing like her ex-husband. He has even volunteered to perform at her aquarium's annual fundraising gala. But she's still having trouble leaving the past behind, especially when her ex shows up to beg for money.

Before the new couple knows it, someone's trying to break into Xander's mansion to steal the secrets of his many famous illusions. Ellaine's ex becomes their prime suspect. But maybe it's actually the up-and-coming street magician they've befriended. Or maybe it's even someone from Xander's mysterious past.

Whoever the thief is, if he uncovers and reveals the secret of Xander's newest illusion for the fundraiser, the event will be a disaster. Ellaine may lose her job.

And there's a still greater question: Is this feeling they share together just lust -- or is it something more?

Find out in this 74,000-word book, the second volume in the Sleight of Hand series.

This is the second book in this series, so make sure you read the first before reading this one! And believe me, Xander alone is enough reason to continue reading these books!

This book picks up where Private Performance leaves off. Ellaine and Xander are together, but can they stay that way? Ellaine deals with a lot of issues from her past and tries to combine her past and present in this story, and it’s understandably difficult for her. She is at risk of losing almost everything that means anything to her, including Xander. Can they make it work? Can the past be forgotten, or at least put to rest, so Ellaine can move forward in her life?

The first half of this book had me as entranced as the first book, but somewhere in the middle something changed for me. What I liked about the first book was a bit lost in this one. Namely, the connection between the characters that I thought so fueled the first book. But, as I’ve thought about it more, I really think that maybe this is how it was supposed to be. Ellaine is losing her way a bit in this book and as the reader; I think we’re losing our way right along with her.

One thing that I have enjoyed about this series is the realness of the characters. I actually thought they were very believable, including the circumstances in which they find themselves. I felt for Ellaine and her struggles. And Xander…Xander is a grade A book boyfriend. I’d like it if he could magically make himself appear in my house…in the bedroom…late at night after the kids are in bed…you get the idea.

Overall, even with some of the changes in chemistry in this book I still really liked it, and thought it was a great compliment to book one! 4 stars.