Mr. Jones & Me (Jones, #2)

Three years have passed since Finley O’Connell found love and heartbreak in the form of alluring, yet secretive psychology professor, Cabel Jones. Now a twenty-two-year-old graduate student, Finley hardly has time to fulfill her role as Cabel’s young new wife.

But when a voluptuous blonde bombshell from Cabel’s past arrives to fill a teaching position on campus, Finley feels immediately threatened. Jane Adams wants Cabel Jones back and will stop at nothing to rekindle romance with her former flame. Jealous and betrayed, Finley falls into a perilous trap that may cost Cabel his life.

*Contains Spoilers*

Well this sequel definitely had some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Mr. Jones & Me is the sequel to Me & Mr. Jones, that I reviewed a while back, by Lindsay Marie Miller. This novel takes place after Finley has graduated from college and married Mr. Jones, her undergrad professor. In the first novel, Finley and Cabel's lives were threatened when Cabel's Uncle wanted to run for office and needed Cabel and his twin brother, Seth, to stay quiet ... in a permanent way. Now, three years later, they thought they were safe, but sadly, they were wrong. 

Readers already have relationships with Finley and Cabel from the first book and this sequel builds upon those connections a little bit more. Finley is attending graduate school and working full time which has put a strain on her new marriage. Readers can relate to this because complications always arise in relationships. This makes Finley seem more down to earth. However, Cabel's relationship with readers becomes a little rocky when a woman from his past shows up... a woman he was engaged to. 

Meet Jane: beautiful, intelligent, and completely psychotic. She believes that she and Cabel still have a chance and will stop at nothing to win him back. She even teams up with her father to kill Cabel and Finley for more political reasons. But instead of killing Cabel (here's where the spoilers begin) she kills her father and physically attacks Finley, forcing her to miscarry. Now this woman is totally insane, but she does force certain truths into light. Truths that Cabel had been hiding from Finley since the moment they met. This doesn't work in Cabel's favor when it comes to garnering trust from the readers. Especially since, big spoiler here, Cabel is dead. The man that Finley is married to is Seth, Cabel's twin. Now this really complicates everything the readers thought they knew. Suddenly, there's a huge trust issue with Cabel and I don't know if the rest of the book rebuilds it. Though it was a brilliant twist by the author, I don't know if I could forgive my husband for lying to me since the day we met so I'm not sure how Finley could forgive Cabel. 

However, the biggest emotional connection with readers in this book comes from the blossoming hope of a baby. Finley's pregnancy is a complete surprise to the couple and it creates a larger problem in terms of danger and Jane. When Jane causes Finley to miscarry it is a severe blow to the emotional level of this novel. It goes from happy and full of hope to complete despair. It becomes another battle that Finely and Cabel have to overcome. It's hard and it's hard to read about, but Miller does a good job in bringing the novel out of darkness. 

Mr. Jones & Me does certainly focus on Cabel a little more than Finley, as the title suggests and I think readers who enjoyed the first book would enjoy this one. However, it tackles some bigger issues than the first book and doesn't have the same 'feel.' 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Read the Review of Me & Mr. Jones:

Me & Mr. Jones

Finley O'Connell is a shy, reserved college student, who has no intention of ever trusting another man. At nineteen, Finley spends her Friday nights alone, studying clinical psychology to ease her mind of the abusive childhood she has yet to overcome. Her new professor, the young, charismatic Cabel Jones, begins to take an interest in Finley, whose first instinct is to run. But when an ordinary experiment turns to bloodshed, Finley must rely on Cabel, as the two hide away in a rustic, secluded cabin in the wilderness. Plagued by deception and fear, Finley soon finds herself in the arms of the one man on campus who can never truly be hers.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Me & Mr. Jones by Lindsay Marie Miller was not what I expected... at all. The synopsis does explain what the book is about, but there's so much more. This psychological thriller turns into a search for closure followed by a happily ever after that is immediately threatened. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down.

 

Finley has finally declared a Psychology major in her second semester of college. Nineteen years old with a past that's bruised by an alcoholic father and a murdered mother, Finely definitely has the sympathy of readers. Her dream of helping others like her will likely gain their respect as well. For everything that happens to Finley, it's impressive that she has the will to continue fighting. She's a strong character with an extraordinary amount of determination.

 

Cabel Jones is a professor at Finley's college. At only 25 years old, his academic work is commendable. It's clear that he's intelligent and a hard worker. Readers might giggle at his 'golden boy' label, awarded by Finely, but they surely won't laugh when he rescues her from a mortal threat. Readers will enjoy the back and forth between him and Finley. Though I was unsure of their blooming relationship because of his professor status, I did start to like Cabel. However, he's not the easiest character to trust because he tends to be secretive.

 

The plot of Me & Mr. Jones begins with Finley's crush on her Psych professor. During a class experiment, the campus building is attacked by 'terrorists'. Cabel rescues Finely and they escape to a cabin in the woods. They lay low for a while, but are still found. Turns out that Cabel knows a little bit too much about a certain political candidate. Throughout this attempt at survival, Finley continues to have nightmares about her father. Each of them know that they're falling for the other, but Cabel knows that if he can ever have Finley in his life, then he must wait until she's no longer a student. Their love story plays out with heartache and fear and eventually, relief. Though the novel ends with a large cliffhanger that promises a sequel.

 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (193)

To play along just answer these three questions:

[x] What are you currently reading?

[x] What have you recently finished?

[x] What are you reading next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
About to start Me & Mr. Jones by Lindsay Marie Miller. A student is thrown together with her professor after an experiment gone wrong. Not sure how I'll feel about this dynamic but am interested to see what exactly the experiment is and how it plays out.

02. Recently Finished:
Trina Bell's Humming Summer by Silke Stein. The story of one young girl's adventurous summer and how she helps the hummingbird community solve a mystery of disappearing birds.

03. Reading Next:
Record by Moro. A woman, a musician, and a story of desire. Interested to see where this story of love, set in Italy, takes both parties.