Review: A Brother's Honor

Reviewed by Shelly

My favorite Brenda Jackson story is Delaney’s Desert Sheikh from The Westmoreland Series. Yes, I’m dating myself, but I remember reading that story and thought the story line was great and fresh and I fell a lot in-like with the author’s writing. Over the last five – seven years, I’ve noticed that the majority of the stories that I’ve read from her have the same theme – the hero (usually a millionaire or billionaire) comes from a privileged background and the heroine is involved in the family’s business and some other predictable things that if you’ve read her you’ll know what I’m talking about here – and unfortunately this story is no different. I can’t tell you the predictable things because I will not do a spoiler. Anywho, after a lengthy absence, the Granger brothers have returned to Virginia at the request of their dying grandfather. Coming home means they’ll have a lot on their hands - a failing family business and their imprisoned father.

The first in the series is Jace Granger’s story. Jace works as an attorney for his local California government with a scheming and devious ex-wife to boot. She provides her own entertainment but that wasn’t too surprising. You know what would have pleasantly surprised me – if she was nice. Moving on, even though he’s the oldest of the brothers, Jace seems to take a very laid back approach as the head of the family, considering their father is in jail for killing his wife (their mother) and their grandfather is dead. After taking over the family business, Jace decides to hire Shana’s consulting firm to help his brothers and him find out why the business is failing.

A majority of this story is about Jace and his family; the heroine Shana doesn’t even get an introduction until about twenty percent in, which for me is too long. Shana is a nice enough character, not too soft and not too rough, but I can’t say that I rooted for her because I just couldn’t click with her --or Jace for that matter. I don’t know what was missing, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between these two – just a convenience of storyline. I was hoping for something more once the plot picked up and things started happening, but then the predictable stuff started coming at me left and right.

To a certain degree, the multiple storylines in the story for me was distracting, mainly because I wanted to know about Jace and Shana, not everyone else. There’s a subplot with Dalton the youngest and playboy extraordinaire of the brothers. After Dalton was denied his trust fund at 25 like his brothers, he decided to spite everyone and through a series of calculated investments became a self-made billionaire. Seems to me, he wouldn’t have worked (if investments are considered work) at all if his money was handed to him. But aside from that, Dalton is a complete brat whose ‘my daddy didn’t love me' complex has driven every decision and choice he’s made, including the type of women he associates himself with. I really didn’t like him at all. Maybe I’ll come around when his story is told more. Caden, the middle brother is a musician and came off more of a jerk than anything else to me. His past relationship with his ex-best friend who happens to be a girl seems to be his motivation.

Of the Grangers, Sheppard, the father of these three, has the more interesting story. He’s in prison for murdering his wife and there’s a whole back story there that’s full of secrets and intrigue. I think that’s going to be a good one once it’s panned out. Shana’s father, a retired cop, had his own story line. His new love interest sounds like she’s not going to fall easily and it sounds like the way he’s going to have to woo her might make an interesting read. It would be nice to read a romance where the hero doesn’t have six-pack abs.

Overall, this is a good story. If you like Jackson’s previous work I’m sure you’ll like this one also.

Happy reading folks!

Rating: C-

*ARC Provided by Harlequin MIRA

Click to purchase: Amazon

A Brother's Honor

by Brenda Jackson

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: MIRA