The Cuneiform Caper

Jewell, R. (2014). The Cuneiform Caper. Self-published.

Adult / Romance / Mystery / Novella

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars

  

Reese Walker, a professor at Stanford, has found not only the archeological discovery of a life time, but also a relationship that just might take her out of the dating circuit for good.  She hopes that her good fortunes in her career and personal life can take away the pain of the past, but just as everything seems to be coming together, it all falls apart. The artifact is stolen, and a long buried secret threatens to destroy her relationship and her grasp of her past. Reese must choose whether or not she has the strength or will to fight for her future and reclaim her out of control life. 

By the title of the book and the start to the story, readers will think that The Cuneiform Caper is going to be an archeological mystery.  Though the artifact does play a background part in the story, the book is really a romance, with the artifact playing an important role in how that romance ultimately develops.  Readers seeking a mystery will find only a minor one with a predictable solution. The romance is clean -- maybe a bit too much so -- as there are only hints at any real passion between the characters, and some of the behaviors didn't seem natural for the situations. The premise behind the romance is sweet and satisfying, though, and readers will enjoy its development.

Author Roselyn Jewell does a good job of fleshing out the two main characters, Reese and Caleb, so that readers will understand their personalities. Reese is a mess, and at times, it was hard to believe that she had managed to be so successful given how she deals with adversity; it was as if she didn't have the ability to focus on more than one thing at a time, instead neatly compartmentalizing and forgetting anything that wasn't right in front of her. Several of the secondary characters will elicit definite responses from the readers, as just enough is revealed and described for definite opinions to form -- and some of those characters are downright despicable.
 
There is a definite plot line, though it is sometimes mired down with too much, often unnecessary detail that distracts and detracts from the story, making it a bit tedious to read.  Additionally, there are several times when the story takes a turn that seems like it will reveal something new, but these turns ultimately go nowhere, leaving questions and not moving the story forward in any way.  The resolution of the story works fine and gives readers enough information to see how things will settle without spelling it out. 

 

The Cuneiform Caper is a light, quick, and interesting story, but it needs extensive professional editing to fix grammar, punctuation, and plot errors. As such, readers for whom this is a deal-breaker be warned.  Thank you to the author for providing me an eBook copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

Roselyn Jewell is the author of 7 books currently on the market. All are romance, some have mystery/thriller elements as well. Ratings go from PG-XXX. 

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