The Less You Know

by Jenny Ashley

Ambitious is not an unfamiliar word for Cecilia Parkinson. It may even be the main attribute that led her to choose a career as a bail bondswoman. Ambition may have led her to where she is, but when Cecilia finds herself on another continent in an attempt to re-apprehend her fugitive bond, Ryder Kelly, she is caught between two rival drug cartels and their target. To make things worse, a handsome but unwelcome acquaintance from back home, Robert Lewis, appears to her seeming rescue, but will Cecilia be able to keep the cool head she needs in order to survive or will his mysterious appearance put them in even greater danger?

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Jenny Ashley was born in Dallas, Texas. She began writing when she was in elementary school and read voraciously as a child. This love of literature and writing carried over into her college years. In 2004, Jenny attended the University of Texas at Brownsville on a volleyball scholarship. During her undergraduate degree, Jenny decided to major in English, and in 2008, she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in the field.

Soon after, she continued her education at UTB, completing a Master's degree in English in 2011.

She is the author of three romantic suspense novels in The Cecilia Parkinson Thrillers.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously this is my first to have read by this author and I look forward to reading more. I felt like it was a little bit more of a mild thriller. I was surprised how much action was packed into a shorter read, yet I did not feel like any of the story-line was missing. I was intrigued with the main character being a bail bondswoman, as I have encountered that before, she also presents herself as strong and independent. The book held my attention throughout, which is sometimes hard for me when reading third person.


*** Copy received in exchange for my honest review.
*** Reviewed for Kylie's Fiction Addiction.

[JenMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Less You Know was a fast paced novela with a lot of action.
You are following the main character as she hunts down a criminal out on bail. Her search takes her to London, England; to a fancy hotel and a questionable crowd. Only to find herself in a manhunt of a life time. After running into a mysterious aquantence, she and Robet try to survive, hide and look for her criminal on bail.
Now I am not going to break-down this novella since it was so short. But I have to say I was surprised with how much action is actually in this book. Every page something major happens. For a novela, there is a lot. There is however a small handful of flashbacks between the main character and Robert.
I enjoyed how this book bounced back and forth betwen England, L.A. and I think Scotland? However I was a bit confused when Robert spoke a foreign language. For one, it looked like french to me, and two, I was a a bit bumbed when I couldn't figure out what it said. Not knowing what language it was also through me off.
Clearly it's a common language, but foreign language isn't in my forte.
I felt as though that the main character wasn't strong enough as a character. She was tough and feminine, but it came across to me as a little on the wimpy side and a little bit of an annoyance. I hope that in book two she'll become a stronger character.
Due to how much the Jenny Ashley put into The Less You Know, I am actually looking towards book two.
I read this book in less than 24 hours. If you are looking for a quick read with a lot of action, The Less You Know is perfect for it.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast and satisfactory read - the story was fast-paced, with events happening one right after another, with very little "relief time" passages, which made the story breathless. That is a factor of the shortness of the book - only 172 pages. Even with the breathless nature of the plot, there was enough character development to make me care about these two characters, even though I prefer getting to know more about the characters over a longer period of time. This is the first publication by this author, and she shows an understanding of how to spin out a tale to keep readers interested. I hope to see more by this author and to see her story-telling craft evolve. She has a good sense of plot, suspense, and creating characters with likeability. With longer projects, I expect she'll be able to create more developed back stories for even more relatable and likeable characters. I expect wonderful things from this author.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecelia Parkinson is a bail bondswoman. When one of her clients disappears, she has to leave the country to re-apprehend him. She cannot fail or she’ll lost her home, since she mortgaged it for this guy.

She’s stunned when an unwelcome acquaintance from her past shows up to help in her search. Robert Lewis isn’t going away and sticks by Cecelia’s side against her wishes. Cecelia has to keep her head together around the sexy guy, but she ends up in the middle of her clients’ drug dealings and finds she needs all the help she can get.

This is a fast-paced adventure that I wish was longer. By the end of the book, I found myself wanting more (this is a good thing!) The characters were well-developed, interesting and the plot was a roller coaster of action, mystery and romance all jumbled together in one exciting story.

I’m looking forward to reading more stories by this new-to-me author.

[David Seller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Less You Know is a thriller novel by Jenny Ashley. The book follows Cecilia Parkinson, a bail bondswoman, who after arranging bail for her client, Ryder Kelly, a drug dealer, now has the unenviable task of reeling him back in after he skipped.
She suddenly finds the task less than straightforward as she discovers that there are people who want to prevent her from achieving this objective at any cost. She teams up with Robert Lewis, someone who she has known intermittently, and together they find themselves fleeing across the globe, hounded by ruthless killers.
The book moves at a frenetic pace, the drama unrelenting. The characters are well depicted, the emotions well balanced, and the dubious chemistry between Cecilia and Robert adds an intriguing ingredient to the mix. The book concludes with a cliffhanger, leaving you desperate for more….

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Less You Know is a suspenseful, fast-paced book with two very likable, interesting main characters. I read this book in a day because I just couldn't put it down. Part of the suspense came from wanting to get certain answers and the other part was wanting to see where each character was headed. The book is well-written, has a great plot, and I am eager to start the sequel. Although I loved that the female lead was a strong woman who didn't take BS, my favorite character was the leading man, Robert. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Loved it!

[Brenda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read a book, I want to feel as if I'm a part of the story. This book had no trouble doing that for me. I felt like I was with Cecilia and Robert throughout their journey. I literally could not stop reading. I loved the suspense and action, but I also loved how there was romance in the story. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel!

Because this book has a little bit of everything, I recommend it to anyone!

[Monica Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, adventurous read, and finished it in one day! The plot moved very quickly, and the characters were extremely likable and relatable, especially the heroine, Cecilia Parkinson. I didn't expect to enjoy an action-packed story so much, but the writing absolutely sucked me in! This was a very cleanly-written book with a heroine who was at once sardonically witty, and innocent. Looking forward to more from this same author!

[Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, my only complain is that it was too short!! It was suspenseful, well written, and it immediately pulls one in. I could not put it down!! I'm already recommending it to friends. Such a great quick read.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced, action filled story! I started reading just to get an idea of what the book was about but ended up so intrigued that I kept going. This is a great start to the series as it lays ground work for the characters but also leaves enough mystery to leave the reader wanting more.

The main character Cecelia seems to have a tough exterior but after going through the ordeals she has, that toughness starts to break. Robert, the other main character also goes through a change throughout the book. Both of these were good to see because it kept the characters real.

I am excited to read the next book in this series!