New Orleans Rush

Showmen #1

by Kelly Siskind

Treat yourself to the book Publisher's Weekly calls an endearing romance: "Like Huxley, readers won’t be able to resist falling under Bea’s spell."

Falling for your surly boss is a rotten idea.
Letting him saw you in half is even worse...

Beatrice Baker may be a struggling artist, but she believes all hardships have silver linings...until she follows her boyfriend to New Orleans and finds him with another woman. Instead of turning those lemons into lemonade, she drinks lemon drop martinis and keys the wrong man's car.

Now she works for Huxley Marlow of the Marvelous Marlow Boys, getting shoved in boxes as an on-stage magician's assistant. A cool job for some, but Bea's been coerced into the role to cover her debt. She also maybe fantasizes about her boss's adept hands and what else they can do.

She absolutely will not fall for him, or kiss him senseless. Until she does. The scarred, enigmatic Huxley has unwittingly become her muse, unlocking her artistic dry spell, but his vague nightly activities are highly suspect. The last time Beatrice trusted a man, her bank account got drained and she almost got arrested. Surely this can't end that badly...right?

Praise for NEW ORLEANS RUSH

“A fun mixture of magic, sensuality, and iconic pin-up girl style. The romance in New Orleans Rush will leave you smiling and filled with optimism.” ~ Helen Hoang, author of the smash hit The Kiss Quotient

“New Orleans Rush is full of humor, explosive chemistry, the fun backdrop of New Orleans, and a couple I truly rooted for. This is a must read!” ~ USA Today bestselling Author Jennifer Blackwood

“Kelly Siskind knocks it out of the park with her evocative voice in this story of family, fun, and falling in love—you don’t want to miss the magic of Beatrice and Huxley!” ~ USA Today bestselling author Ellis Leigh

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Adult, Audiobook

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

Kelly Siskind lives in the wilds of British Columbia. When she’s not out hiking or skiing, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. She loves singing while driving, looks awful in yellow, and is known for spilling wine at parties. Sign up for Kelly’s newsletter at www.kellysiskind.com and never miss a giveaway, a free bonus scene, or the latest news on her books. And connect with her on Twitter and Instagram (@kellysiskind) or on Facebook and TikTok (@authorkellysiskind).

Golden Heart® Finalist
Amazon Best Seller
Featured on the Apple Books Best Books of the Month list.


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Reviews

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold my first FIVE STAR read of 2019.

You guys.

THIS. BOOK.

I don't even know what I was expecting going into it. I think I knew it was going to be "different", but I didn't know that "different", in this case, meant quirky, and charming, and adorable, and heart bursting in all the very best ways.

GAH! It was heart bursting, you guys. My heart literally could not contain all the feels and my face ached from all the smiling and it was just so. good.

From the very beginning I was completely enchanted with this story, which featured one of the most unique, hilarious and adorable meet-cutes I have read in a long time. And that set the stage for the entire book. I can't decide who I was drawn to more. Beatrice with her broken heart and penchant for endearingly unorthodox insults? Or the mysterious, scarred, down-on-his-luck Huxley; the illusionist who can't seem to help being charmed by Beatrice's eccentricities.

Nah, y'all, forget Huxley. * I * was so thoroughly charmed by Beatrice's eccentricities and, really, this entire story. It's so original, and so smartly written, with a sort of affectionately humorous tone that made me smile so big and let loose the occasional out-loud giggle. The characters are so wonderfully offbeat and genuine, and I loved them so fiercely. Beatrice is the type of heroine I want to carry around in my pocket forever. I wholeheartedly adored her indomitable spirit, sassy personality, and heart as big as the world. And Huxley was her perfect opposite - serious, surly, and stiff. As a couple they were perfection, their chemistry evident from the very first meeting, and their sweet slow burn warmed my heart. No lie, my heart attached itself to them almost immediately and it never once let go.

I also adored the dynamic between the Marvelous Marlow Brothers. These men are all fascinating and compelling in their own right (and Lord, but I hope I'll get to see more of them in the future), but together? They completely stole my heart. The banter, the family dynamic, and the brotherhood added another rich layer to this lovely story, and was such a treat to read.

I don't even know how to convey how much I enjoyed New Orleans Rush. This is not your ordinary love story. It's extraordinary. It's delightful and so much fun, but it's also emotional and sweet. It sometimes zigged when I expected it to zag, but never in a way that made me feel frustrated, it's just that the story was as unconventional as the characters within it, and I loved every single second. I absolutely cannot recommend this book highly enough. READ IT!!! ~ Shelly, 5 "Honeybee" stars

[Resting Book Face · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most delightfully unique stories I've read in a long time. New Orleans Rush reminded me so much of Jennifer Crusie’s books, with bizarrely quirky characters that immediately make you wonder, “How am I possibly gonna fall in love with this weirdo?” but then you do. I adored Huxley and Bea, as well as Axel, Fox, and Della. I really, really hope this is the first in a series and we get to meet the two missing Marlow boys. I must admit that I was skeptical about how much I would like this one, which just feels silly in hindsight. In the oversaturated realm of romance novels, this one is a standout. I have no doubt that I will remember this story, and these lovable characters, in a week, a month, a year, two years--you get the picture.

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, EverAfter Romance, and the author for providing an ARC for review.

[Jacqueline Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What an adorable, sweet story. The hero is PERFECTION. A lovely mix of alpha and beta. Loveable characters all around and I can't wait to read about the other characters' love stories, too! I could not put this book down.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 5 magnificent stars to New Orleans Rush! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

He wasn’t sure how to define his feelings for Beatrice Baker, vandalizer, below-average assistant. All-around astounding girl.'

He wanted to stroke her cheek and erase the worry from her face, but he couldn’t touch her after handling the pyrofluid. He also wasn’t sure she wanted his touch. “You never have to do anything you don’t want to.” Her eyes went soft. “Then light me on fire.” Huxley wanted to light her on fire, from the inside out. Set her body ablaze and turn her world into sparks.'

➜ Grumpy/sunshine slow-burner
➜ Roomies with a promise
➜ A magician and his new assistant
➜ A magical heroine optimist
➜ A magic man in distress
➜ A starving artist hero/heroine pairing
➜ A theatre in need of major TLC
➜ So close but so far away vibes
➜ A marvellous illusionist brotherhood
➜ Family drama and chasing threats

New Orleans Rush swept me up, swept me silly and swept me right off the balls of my feet into sublimity. And I thus found myself being spun around not by the arms of a corporeal suitor, but by the figurative limbs (and sorcery) of this romance made of magic. This book finally gets my attention, undivided, excited and plush for the taking. And it didn't just fall to my liking, it became every preference I needed. This series starter was nothing short of wish fulfilment for my 2022 reading year. If you cherish, adore and frequent this genre like a home away from home, you've just found another humble abode In New Orleans Rush, one that outmatches and outperforms any imaginings. Kelly Siskind dreamed a dreamy dream when she thought this book into the world. What a magical maven she is. Enlightening, wistful, wonderful, charismatic, so comprehensively whimsy and real with such beautiful protagonists that it can't be called anything other than romance reading material of original shade. A heroine who brings beauty into the world with more than her art, a struggling magician disenchanted under the pressure of losing more than just his stage, wonderful writing that lifts it to life and a slow burn replete with a rewarding HEA, I felt like I was under a starburst rain. There's knowing your audience, and there's also delivering for your audience and I found myself the perfect seat-sitter for this brilliant contemporary romance. A 2022 dazzler that dazzled my 2022 reading year, and the author writes as if romanticist escapism is her pride and joy. To equalise the harmony, I read it as if it were mine.

In the expanse of contemporary romantic lit New Orleans Rush is a bedazzling performance, and the joy rages on in lasting, trickling tendrils. Divine and feel-good, it became the most celebratory part of my day. Feeling so momentarily estranged from a genre I live, love and breathe for, this book completely sanctified my reasons for staying the course. Not that I would have dared to jilt but my confidence was a crumbling state, the likes of the toppling marvellous Marlow theatre. Not just any book could have succeeded the charge of re-enchanting me, but this romance was a resplendent rainbow whose latter end rested upon my doorstep. It re-hydrated my dry spell, and all it took was a hopeless magic man, a hopeful creative and the faith that tests their growing devotion. This romance pulled me from my darkened cloud and gently thrust me through doors made of sunlight, walked me through star dusted halls, dazzled me with dancing capes, zigzagging energy, characters of their own making and finished up an unhurried master stroke by replacing my eye sockets with the glow of a star-lit twilight. It did this in no particular order and yet all at once, because first page read and done and I knew I'd found a book bestie full of originality and magnificence.

New Orleans Rush is romance rendezvous magic and I'm so in awe. I won't even consider myself a 'hype girl' because this book leaked spunk, radiance and alchemistic brilliance into my soul, one page at a time. My heart did weird and wonderful things each time I re-engaged and sat down for another sitting and it didn't take long at all before I was convinced that this must be magic in book form. There's no other way to reason why I always tuned in and (regretfully) tuned away feeling like a smiling silver lining. I love Huxley Marlow, and that love is only usurped by his quirky lady love who lives life like her inner child wants to play. This is the romance of my romance reading year, and my first five star! Huxley and Bea are the perfect couple of my reading year. Scratch that, a couple made for romance hall of fame, and I volunteer myself to reverently unroll that jazzy carpet.

Summary breakdown: this story opens up finding bubbly Beatrice Baker drinking barside in a proud city made just for her, but without a boyfriend who promised them a great minute-by-minute adventure. Bea's having a very unlucky day, and hell hath no very un-Bea-like fury like a woman dumped, ditched and homeless in New Orleans. This was supposed to be a beginning for Bea, a chance to start over in newer, eccentric pastures, outrunning loan shark threats, her father's addiction and a parent who can easily be blamed for her limited life choices. Bea usually lives a long-suffering life with longer smiles, but today? It's harder for Bea to break one. After meeting a magical man with a magical cape, a characteristically cheery-tempered, conflict-averse gal finds herself out of character, juiced on a belly full of margaritas and medicine as she follows in Carrie Underwood style and keys her ex's automobile. Who also owns a prized Mustang so similar to he ex? Her cape-clad stranger. What Bea doesn't know is that a cape and a top hat are hiding a magic man with real problems. A desperate Huxley Marlow is barely keeping afloat, the potential fall of the Marlow magic theater a weight on his father's name, and one on his oldest brother shoulders. What is an illusionist with a theater in a sorry state of major disrepair? A very unhappy illusionist. It's do or don't do, and Huxley can't magic his way out of this mess. When he catches an emotional and intoxicated Bea compromising his priceless classic, he blackmails her by demanding payment in the form of free labour. And that's to say a distressed magician has found himself a new assistant. One riddled with stage fright and not an ounce of stage-performing ability. To further complicate matters, the feels keep on feeling, especially when an overtaxed Huxley Marlow meets the most amazing woman at the height of life distress.

It may have taken me a long time to get through this, but wowza was I swept up like a starry-eyed heroine in a New Orleans rush. Did I love this book? Of course I did. But I didn't just love it, it became a part of my personality. Every day, it became a little more a part of me. I had so much love and warmth for the leading characters. So much. That even post-reading, that love and warmth grew wings and became fiction-free. From start to finish I lived and loved under a rainbow rainfall where the clouds were sunset pink, the air misted eccentric, the troubles kept a comin' and a magic-made heartthrob grump found himself a final act showstopper in a jazzy heroine. Make no mistake that I loved her growly magician, but Bea was something of a showstopper who stole the show. Pinpoint we shan't, but ever since I met Bea Baker drowning her sorrows with a lemon drop beverage, personality still intact, she made me smile. Every time she challenged Huxley and pulled a smile from his unsmiling face made me smile. Every time her oddball imagination shone, I smiled. Every time she made the best out of every bad situation I smiled. Every time her artsy fingers spilled forth and made canvas magic made me smile. When she persisted to make me smile from chapter to chapter, I had to admit that I was in love with her. Bea Baker's a bit of a life force, and no replacement could have satisfied. She's a heroine whose attitude is a concoction of smiles, pep, awe and more than a dash of the 80s. Smiles are magical, a mantra that'd surely belong to Bea, and if smiling through this entire read hadn't already happened to me, Bea would have remedied that in a nanosecond.

Kelly Siskind’s heroine is an optimistic tribute to those with softer, forgiving hearts who've never found their place or people in life but live it like it was made for them, footsteps made of sparkle. I know Huxley coined the term, but I hereby blazon myself a proud member of the Beatrice Baker Effect Fanclub. Like Huxley, I needed her brightness and lightness in my life more than I realised. I loved her arc development because, smiles aside, it's unlikely that all the optimism combined can set one free from accumulated pain, and Bea had a lesson to learn in confronting hers. I was happy to see her discover a side unsmiling, a side that had to voice and face boundary more than just enthusiasm. Bea was a buried pile of feelings, and it only seemed right that she found safety in Huxley to let some go. She needed that for herself. And as helpful as I'd be in lending Bea squatting company for squatter's rights during her nights as she took up a temporary home in Huxley's theatre, I also loved that this book's hero was a bit of a male unicorn himself. He may be disillusioned but he had the best hero qualities. True to the test of them both however, and as much as they both always wanted more, they were devoted to each other long before the sexual intimacy set in. That’s my type of love connection.

Huxley Marlow had an alpha-ness in that protective brother hen way that always put himself at the end of the line, was equally nerdy, a secret romance reader (because we don't want to say that too loud), was willing to play the slow walk of faith for Bea and stage-performed like he was made for it. He might have been a man who practiced magic but his own magic reserves were bleeding dry. Bea became an influencer of perspective that rubbed a different attitude and way of seeing into him, and he needed that in his life for the many layered hardships that kept him stuck. With deep money troubles, a theatre that might no longer belong to the Marlow legacy, a sly magician rival breathing a silent threat down his back, family grief that darkened his heart, parental bereavement and an offspring failure belief pattern, he was more sad than thriving. A lot that kept him wandering back to his theatre with late night disclosure on the mind. In so many ways, like Bea, Huxley was a starving creative. And dominated by his father's passing, he was father-pleasing his way to misery. As a second-generation magician he felt that he was making a mess of his father's name, with only a theatre in rack and ruin to show for it. In search of a gameplan, he only has a lucrative side avocation to re-route his way into fuller pockets, and even then, his life's work hasn't enabled a seat-filling business with healthy show goers. A man who learns the lesson of personal attention becomes of him. He learns to shed weight remembering his needs matter, and in equal proximity, that the Marlow brotherhood will always have his back. But even more, that he deserves a life free from his bindings, bound only by the important and beautiful things. The mundane gets twisted on its head and living gets easier with lightness in his heart. And Bea became the lantern in hand.

On the topic of Siskind's hero, I share that I most definitely wanted to embody Bea, steal and don Huxley's magic man getup and squeal as he made it mission to silently stalk me with the promise of more gruff to come. Isn't that a fantasy? The profiling of both leading man and leading lady was comfortably and believably idyllic, and that's not to say they were the perfect people with perfect problems. Their lives were imperfect, clogged with drawback and emotional hoarding. The understated prowess of this story is its always-grounding ability to illustrate the reality in the fiction, but built-in hope reflects what can be had with better lighting. All comes together in a beautiful balanced blend. Sparkling company in a book. Relationships are complicated and the story held hands with that. There were barriers between them, they had that 'so close but so out of reach' vibe but there were silent promises, inevitability and a fierce knowing that made me believe it would always end one way for them. The best way a romance reader can hope for. I was wholly frustration free with this romance, and the reason that's a point-addressing particular is that I rarely experience a romance without some quality that thwarts my reading fun, and it often comes in the form of heroes in the mode of resistance, not an ounce of charm to their name or just presented in ways both bothersome and thorn-in-my-side. And there's the difficulty of them not showing up as human beings. Huxley and his tender dreaming heart/gruff personage puts them to shame. As we travel back to Siskind's bounty of a heroine, kindness is a strength, and so is the adamancy of sourcing the gold in every person, and that's what makes Bea baker a sensitive but strong lead. She challenges the bad with a full-spectrum spirit made manifest by her even more colourful wardrobe. I really appreciated that the story didn't use optimism to one-dimensionalise her profile yet loved that her sunny disposing didn't undermine the other half of her humanity. Bea Baker became the wings beneath Huxley's cape, and she his trial and his challenge to see life differently.

If I had two micro suggestions to share, I (personally) wanted more inclusion of the New Orleans sights and surroundings. It's the vibrant of vibrant cultures, and I could imagine the adventures to be had. In addition? More magic scenes: magic tricks for Huxley to pull from his sleeve and wow Bea with. Even private magic tricks just for her. All surrounding characters that made up their little family were perfectly complementary. The main MCs may be oddball and different (to their own degrees, though this was mostly Bea) but never to the height of unbelievability or pseudo characterisation. They were different, so much fun and right up my alley. This story anchors itself by adopting an angle that uses the best to deal with the worst. And during the worst? To live life by your leverage. You don't need an open mind to love this book, just one amenable to being wowed by romance-rich individuality. Charm triumphant to its irresistible centre. Among the fun and lightness, New Orleans Rush may disguise itself as another simple romance, but it really gives way to a sense of connection, hope in the well, colours on the wall, finding and trusting in your crowd and shifting perspective for better life experience to happen. As such, it also becomes a study in perspective, optimism, family faith, redirection and belief - in all things life and your people. Hand to heart, I championed Bea and Huxley tenderly, fiercely, dramatically and thoroughly with my romance-loving heart. While it's un-frowned upon to love a love connection, I was also deep in the love zone for these two protagonists as separate people. Even as much as I loved their togetherness, I cherished their separateness.

Like Bea, I don't have many friends, but if I did, Bea Baker would be one of them. I also don't have many magicians in my life, but if I did, Huxley Marlow would be one of them. It also turns out (in Bea's case) that bad boyfriends come in handy when the man you really needed was a magnificent magician who lived in New Orleans, but Bea doesn't know that yet. And neither does the frowning magician in question. They've got to take their time, you see. Threats travel, as does real life, and Bea might find herself at the centre of the quaint Big Easy but she's a parched artist outpacing trouble. Unemployed and likely to make a home out of her little Beetle, creativity might've fled the building for Bea but she's found a building where her creativity no longer wants to flee. Her artistic soul blooms into the night in a rundown theatre. In the prop room, the paint gets a flowin'. The same theatre Huxley might lose if he doesn't get his magic act together. I'm not sure what inner sanctum Kelly Siskind writes from but I was smitten and love-bitten. Even as the story swayed from worry to worry, my heart only pranced from strength to strength. With messy family Baker/Marlow ties, big magician energy, a heroine who lives with hope and imagination in the land of the living, a struggling magician with a mighty mess on his trickster hands, characters who give each other the run-around, and a fun overlay of charm, charisma and whimsy, this book hides behind nothing but its own glow. You can't make this stuff up, but Kelly Siskind can, and in some ways, I'd wished I'd read this sooner just so I could have loved it sooner.

This fictionista must, in great all-seeing faith, stand to her fullest height, widen her shoulders, swagger with all the hero ego her romancing gal self can muster and challenge this community that loves fictional love to read without relishing. Romance readers should definitely part space for what I deem to be a prime selection for their romance reading lists. Not just great for a slump, not just great to get that reading fire re-ignited but to make one believe in the magic, might and superpower of this genre. Whatever the seedling was when this romance was born, the vision was bought to life handsomely, heroinely and without a hitch. A dream book with dreamy protagonists that wand-flicked a dream into my heart. I'm not sure what psychedelic brew the author pottered together, but this book just brought exciting life into a familiar genre. I'm also not sure what kind of creative kitchen sink Kelly Siskind washes her hands in but Kelly Siskind just wrote my favourite Kelly Siskind book and I'm sure the fun has just begun. To those eager for the flux of magical messes, magical mayhem and magical love in their lives, this series starter offering is a charming carousing of the genre and a book that gave me stars in my eyes for the most inconsequential reasons. Stands heads, shoulders, tops hats and headpieces above many romances, and you'll want to feel the rush of this star-standard piece of make believe that I already call a classic.

Content Listing: Parent with gambling/drinking addiction. Death of a parent. Past drunken violence. Parental abandonment. A smut scene. Male MC with facial deformity.

[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: New Orleans Rush
AUTHOR: Kelly Siskind
RELEASE DATE: April 23rd 2019
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RATING: 4 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG






I love this trend of illustrated covers, especially when they represent the mood of a book so perfectly as the one for New Orleans Rush does. In this sweet novel we meet Beatrice, an artist who moved to NOLA with her boyfriend only to be left by him a couple of days later. Alone, broke and sad and after drinking a little too much she keys a car she thought belonged to her ex.

Huxley Marlow is a magician, owns a theater with his two brothers in which they perform almost daily. His assistant just quit his job and when he sees this beautiful girl keying insults into the paint of his vintage car, a car he inherited along with the theater from his father, he blackmails her into becoming his new assistant.

Huxley doesn't get mad (although he was a little irritated), and I really loved that, he even feels bad for forcing Bea to work for him without payment, not knowing that she doesn't have any money. And he doesn't even know half of it. Bea's father, an alcoholic with a lethal gaming addiction cleaned her of her savings and because his daughter isn't the only person he "borrowed" money from, a loan shark is now after her. So can you imagine how bad he is going to feel after learning that little treasure?

Huxley is a broody one. He's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Additionally to his guilt for their father's death, their theater is in such a state that it needs urgent repair. The visitor numbers are low and those who visit his show are uninspired and unenthused so he plays poker frequently to polish up his income. He has taken it upon himself to care for not only the theater but also his brothers, never letting them into the fact how deep their theater is in trouble.

Huxley is selfless, caring, protective, a real gentleman with an old-fashioned chivalry that you can't help but swoon over. He is so open about his feelings for his Honeybee that it was hard not to fall in love with him. I didn't even try. The moment he met her his whole attitude changed. And I dare you not to grin like a lunatic when Huxley crunches on Bea's breakfast eggs.

Huxley’s sour expression was any indication, he’d also chewed eggshell pieces. She managed to swallow, then moved her plate away and waited for him to crack a joke or get annoyed with her awful breakfast. He did neither of those things. Huxley scooped up another bite and crunched his way further into her heart.

Bea is the sparkle, the rainbow that Huxley needed. Her quirky, sweet composition, the way she faces life with sass and optimism, is the salt in the Marlow brothers' soup and I think every brother fell a little in love with her.

He was learning there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to earn a Beatrice Baker smile.

The only thing that annoyed me a tiny bit was that she kept repeating in her mind that she didn't like that Huxley was playing poker, that she didn't trust he would stop after that last game. I know the author did it to remind us how much Bea hated gamblers but after the third time I think everyone knew the extent of her disgust for them.

I loved Huxley's brothers so I hope that they'll get a story. Especially Fox, the silent type, intrigues me.

NEW ORLEANS RUSH is on the lighter side of the spectrum and was a complete delight to read. It's sparkly, romantic, cute, with endearing characters and a lot of laugh-out-loud and sweet moments that will have you smile from ear to ear.

"I hope you know how stupendously magical you are.”
“Stupendously magical?”
“The most stupendous.”

[J. R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE HIGH FLYING STARS!!! This book is unique, quirky, lovely, and oh so swoony. It made my heart soar like The Greatest Showman but with some sizzling chemistry and humor between the characters like in The Hating Game. If you're looking for something fresh in romance, THIS IS THE BOOK!

The setting is so cool, being set in New Orleans. The characters' jobs are unique, I mean when is the last time you read a romance between a magician and his assistant? It's got the cool vibe of the magic heist movie NOW YOU SEE ME and the heart of The Kiss Quotient. The romance world NEEDS THIS BOOK.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Never Taupe Stars

Twenty-eight years with her parents, and she’d always felt more castaway than crewmate: friend to her mother and mother to her father, forced to fight for her survival. Three weeks after being thrust into the Marvelous Marlow Boys’ world, and she belonged.

I’ve loved every book I’ve read from Kelly Siskind but truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started New Orleans Rush. In all honesty, magicians and “magic” in general have never really been my jam, but I consider myself an open minded kinda gal and I knew if anyone could make it work for me, Ms. Siskind could. Little did I know the Marlow Brothers and their new hastily acquired magician’s assistant, Bea, would prove to be so entertaining.

Beatrice “Bea” Baker is having what most would deem a craptastic kind of day. Her boyfriend deciding he’d like to date other people makes him a jerk. Kicking her out of the apartment they share after only 4 (count ‘em 4) days in a new city makes him a complete and total douchebag. Especially considering her prince of a father cleaned out her bank account and gambled away her future. Needless to say, our girl Bea is down on her luck and alone. Enter a New Orleans bar, a vat of lemon drop martinis and an intriguing cape worn by an even more intriguing magician and things may be looking up. Of course, nothing ever seems to run smoothly for Bea and soon a case of mistaken car identity has her dealing with one pissed off magician.

Huxley Marlow’s life seems to have lost its magic. Yeah yeah, I know the cheese factor is strong with that statement, considering Huxley’s professional magician, but it just so happens to be true. Family problems, money problems and a magic act that brings in less and less paying customers every day means Huxley has a lot on his plate. When he encounters the brightest, shiniest (albeit drunk off her ass) woman he’s ever met, he thinks his luck’s about to change. When he catches that same woman keying his car a short time later, he’s pretty sure his life still sucks. Little does he know the always smiling Bea is about to rock his entire world.



He wasn’t sure how to define his feelings for Beatrice Baker, vandalizer, below-average assistant. All-around astounding girl.

New Orleans Rush was more than just an entertaining read for me. With its offbeat characters and untraditional setting, it took me back to a time when I was first discovering authors like Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie and I simply loved it. If you’ve read my reviews before, you might’ve picked up on the fact that I’m a wee bit snarky and NOT the biggest fan of saccharine-sweet characters. Bea, with her relatable flaws and hint of snark, made it work for her. Her quirky personality and positive attitude had me loving her from the beginning. Huxley, his brothers and the world they inhabited all managed to add to the charm quotient.

I love the world Kelly Siskind created in this book and I was sad to see it end. I can only cross my fingers and hope all of the Marlow Boys, including the ones we haven’t met yet, get their own awesome stories told.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for a voluntary review

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm abandoning this at about 25%. I like lots of the parts of this, but the background is kind of killing it for me. Or maybe it's the worldbuilding? Sigh. I like the characters, mostly. Bea's caring and upbeat personality really appeal and her courage in facing setbacks is engaging. Huxley is pretty cool, too, as a (actually, physically) damaged guy with lots of responsibility based on his desire to take care of those he cares about and to be good at the legacy of his father that he is shepherding.

But I hate every time Bea's stupid "loan" taken on behalf of her father comes up. It's with a cartoon loanshark imported from really bad detective fiction from the 60s with his "now it's going to cost a finger" threats. I mean, I hate that she derived the "obligation" from her irresponsible father in the first place—the father who already stole the money she was saving for her education. That she took on the debt to save her father is stupid. That the loanshark is so oozing is ridiculous. Combined they break my engagement with Bea's sense of urgency and fear.

And I hate every time Hux considers his situation, too. The obligation he feels to support his father's legacy in exactly the same way his father operated is similarly dumb. Being attached to the outdated music breaks any kind of sense, for example. This isn't a museum (or, if it is, it should be handled completely differently). And if your building is falling down around your ears and you're already losing money on your shows and you don't already have a stash of capital to apply to the problem, then your dream is essentially done. There is literally no way in this reality to pull off the "save the theater!" plot at the heart of his story arc. And that's breaking my engagement with Huxley.

It's a shame, really. I like New Orleans and the story of a stage magician working things out in the Big Easy sounds like something that should have lots of intriguing details to sink my teeth into. But Siskind created such paper-thin backgrounds for these characters that it sucked all of that interest right out of me. Which makes me sad.

I'm going to add a pity-star to this and justify it based on liking both characters and having a background that might have worked with a little more care. I'm sad it didn't work out, but will be willing to give the author another try in the hopes that the weaknesses of this story aren't present in other works.

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: New Orleans Rush
Author: Kelly Siskind
Release date: April 23, 2019
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: Romance



This book has laugh out loud, grab your butterfly filled chest, feel-good romance stamped all over it! I clicked request on this book because of the adorable illustrated cover, the magician hero, and the setting of New Orleans but I had no idea how much I'd end up enjoying it. You know when you spot a book and every single part of the outer packaging looks PERFECT for you? Then your intuition makes an appearance and whispers in your ear that you need to read it now. You try not to get your hopes up because, well...expectations. They ruin you. But guess what? New Orleans Rush exceeded all of my hopes and delivered a sexy, sassy rom-com that made me happy with every page I turned. Beatrice "Bea" charmed the pants off of me with her infectious joy and zest for life. Huxley tries to fool people into believing he's a stern stick-in-the-mud, but he's nothing but a pile of goo in her very capable hands.

From their first inauspicious meet, Bea begins making his life better. Okay, so she keyed his late father's vintage car and doesn't have the funds to pay for it. She also shakes up his gloomy, orderly life that has been filled with worry for too long. She revitalizes his stale magic show and helps him fill the empty seats again so he can hang on to his father's legacy. The dilapidated theater he inherited is falling down all around him and there's nothing he can do about it. With two brothers holding their hands out for money constantly, and an uncle constantly plotting his downfall, he has little time for fun anymore. But he sacrifices and works his fingers to the bone in order to hold onto it all. One disastrous day at a time. Huxley is the kind of person who would give a stranger the shirt off of his back or his last dollar to someone in need. Someone like Bea.

Bea is down on her luck as well. Her loser father drained her bank account and now has a loan shark threatening her bodily harm on his behalf. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, and has nowhere to live. But her eternal optimism doesn't let her wallow or give up. She steps into a scene with her quirky 50s pinup girl style, her bright colors, and artistic flair, and you can't help but smile right along with her. And lord, does this girl have sass. She handles Huxley's "lie detector" face and his brothers' shameless teasing like she was born to it. And that's one of the things I loved the most. How she not only paired as a perfect compliment to the hero, but she fit flawlessly into his family and finally had a feeling of being home. One thing they had in common was the fact that they didn't have a stable home life with their parents. As different as they were, they could relate on that very elemental level. And for the first time she knew what it was like for people to have her back. Just as she was set on having his back and easing the stress that was overwhelming him.

What would it be like to wake up to her brightness every morning? To have that unbridled joy in his life. To slip his fingers through her red hair whenever he wanted, claim her lips in a bruising kiss. Every muscle in his body flexed at the fantasy.

Bea and Huxley had chemistry in spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. She could have easily made him her rebound guy, but they both enter into a relationship with extreme caution. And how do they do that, you ask? By becoming roommates, with the strict rule that they won't get physical or go on a date. Two adults with sizzling attraction brushing up against each other at breakfast, giving secretive hot glances, teasing banter, and lots of bottled up pheromones. There was one scene where I chuckled so hard, I had to stop read it from the beginning. Yep. Just as funny the second time. They're texting back and forth, somehow the conversation starts getting more flirty than she intended. So she tries to back off and retreat. Hilarity ensues.

She’d planned to end their flirtatious repartee with the non-sexy text: I’m menstruating. Buy me whipped cream. Because whipped cream tasted best when menstruating, and menstruating was non-sexy. Instead autocorrect betrayed her and sent: I’m masturbating. Buy me whipped cream. Crap. Huxley’s answering dots bounced. She held her breath. Then her phone died.

Huxley wears his heart on his sleeve for Bea. I mean...his nickname for her (Honeybee *swoon*) his constant chivalrous efforts, his willingness to wait for her until she's able to trust in his promises. I couldn't get enough of them and the anticipation for them to finally exit the friend zone ratcheted up to sky high levels. This book is low on drama, high on effervescent humor, and filled to the brim with heartwarming romance. I'm not kidding when I say that I didn't want it to end!! Kelly Siskind waved her wand and sprinkled magic on this delightful story. I rarely gush over books anymore, but in this case all I want to do is share how bright this book sparkles. Read this! One-click, READ THIS, and savor it just like I did.

“I’m in love with you, Beatrice Baker. The rest is a backdrop. Window dressing. You’re the main event I can’t live without.”

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 ⭐'s

“I’ll always catch you.”

I'm always drawn to books about NOLA and this one was no exception, however, I was a little disappointed and I had a hard time at first engaging with the story and characters.

Huxley is a magician and comes from a magic family. They even have their own theater and all that is fine. What I had a hard time with is that he walks around with his cape and top hat on and Bea was entranced by that! Well, different strokes and all that.

Huxley and Bea meet in a bar...she's had the worse luck so she's getting a bit drunk. When she leaves the bar, she sees her ex on a date and then sees his prized possession which is his car. She decides to key it only it's not her ex's car, it's Huxley's. He decides to have her work off the damages by being his assistant.

Bea is as different as Huxley is so they really are a good match. She's a painter and quite "expressive" in her actions and clothing. Huxley doesn't know she's homeless and sneaking into the theater after closing.

Things evolve between the two of them but then something comes to light that Bea just cannot deal with so they remain friends...and roommates. 😉

There's some drama on both sides...her with her father and him with trying to keep the theater afloat.

I quite enjoyed Huxley's two brothers that we got to know, Fox and Axel. Unfortunately, the author does not have any plans for writing books for them at this time.

I was happy with the way things ended and if you want even more, sign up for the author's newsletter and you will get an epilogue. (I never understand why they don't just include one...seems like a must have nowadays!)

[destiny ♡ howling libraries]

DNF @ 20%

I've been trying to read this for almost two months, when the typical romance novel of this length would only take me a day or two, once I get into it. That's the problem, though, or one of many: I just can't get into it. No matter how intriguing the plot sounded, nothing about these characters or their situations has been able to drag me into the storyline.

On top of that, I just don't like Bea at all — maybe she improves later on, but at this point, she's entitled and rude. The conflict between her and Huxley literally begins with her getting so smashed that she keys swear words into his car (when he has no money at all to fix it, and his car is sentimentally valuable to him), and then acting offended at the thought of having to work for him to pay it off, when he could easily and justifiably report her to the police and be done with it. Even at this point, while I'm seeing tiny moments of progress in her development, she's still acting bratty and is taking advantage of Huxley's mercy, and it's just... gross.

If I could power through enough of this book to justify giving it a star rating, it'd probably be 1 or 2 stars. As it is, I'm cutting myself enough slack to drop this one now.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Maranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT READ FULL OF MAGIC! Craving something a bit different in a romance novel? Give this FUN Romance set in NOLA a place on your shelf or on your Kindle. Bright COVER ART along with amazing characters will not disappoint. Beatrice Baker puts the Buzz in Huxley Marlow's CAPE. Marlow has brothers and I can see them being spot lighted in future works. "A copy of this book was provided by EverAfter Romance via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ILLUSION HUMOR!

[Micheline Ryckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read contemporary romances much, but I needed a change of pace. This book was lively and sweet with a twist of magic.

[Sara Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I knew about this book when I went into it was that it was set in New Orleans (which has been a success for me so far with books) and that I loved the cover.

This was such a fun story, I had no idea i was going into a magician love interest, I don't think I've ever read anything with a magician as a main character and it made this story all the more fun for it. Beatrice was a really fun character to follow and I'm glad she got her happy ending, she honestly deserved it.

The Marlow brothers really are something, I loved all of them and how we get a clear picture of their personalities. We really do get the sunshine x grumpy interactions we all know and love and I think Bea and Huxley were the perfect couple for it.

Was this life changing? No. But not every book has to be, this was the perfect entertaining romance that I needed for summer. I don't enjoy miscommunication, and we all know it's coming when reading this story, I think that's the one thing that annoyed me, and how Hux dealt with the one thing he knew Bea wouldn't like, but overall still a good read.

[janel]

Maybe the premise of this book doomed me from the start. I hate magic shows, magic tricks, men in capes and top hats. I don't actually HATE it, but I really don't care to be involved. I've put off reading The Night Circus for a long time because I just really dislike the atmosphere involved in circuses or magic shows. I hoped maybe I would like this despite my usual aversion. I was wrong.

New Orleans Rush is about a woman named Bea (who hates being compared to a bee, she's allergic pls stop!!!!), and a man named Huxley who collide when she accidentally keys his car, thinking its her ex's. What follows is a whole load of nonsense as he blackmails her into being his magician's assistant (because he's too poor to pay one) and they fall for each other.

I must say, I really hate when books half-ass talking about a serious topic. Bea's father is an alcoholic, something she calls an addiction, but when she brings up his compulsive gambling, she acts like it's a choice he makes and consistently demonizes the man for the situation he puts her in because of his gambling, as if it's not as excused as the alcoholism.

Research to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. Just as substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive gamblers pursue ever riskier ventures. Likewise, both drug addicts and problem gamblers endure symptoms of withdrawal when separated from the chemical or thrill they desire. And a few studies suggest that some people are especially vulnerable to both drug addiction and compulsive gambling because their reward circuitry is inherently underactive—which may partially explain why they seek big thrills in the first place. -Scientific American

Of course, I'm the wrong bitch to read this book, honestly. My family deals with the repercussions of a gambling addiction every day - my father-in-law is the treasurer for his Gambler's Anonymous group and goes three times a week, seven years in. The subplot about Bea's father and his gambling, as well as the way it frames him as selling her out constantly to save her skin, was really gross for me to read. There are some parts that ring true - the idea that her father would beg for a second chance with a linked bank account, the very real likelihood of getting so far in debt that he'd resort to illegal means of getting money. But the closure of this, the fact that all we get is "oh her dad will be okay" while using a very real addiction as a prop for d r a m a and then for a JOKE at the end, I just can't. Bea and Huxley's relationship hinges on how vehemently against gambling she is, and with how important it becomes to their plot together, the lack of correct depiction of an actual addiction or any closure there is just... not for me, thanks.

The magic plot just felt like a randomly picked job in order to make the book unique. Not much time is given to the performances (which I was fine with), and apart from backstory, I didn't really feel there was a point to them working as magicians. There are three brother's involved at the theater, and they have different personalities that all felt like "okay well they can't be the same person so this one is sassy! And this one is quiet!" without giving them more layers. Between the three of them living in a big city with a huge piece of property, I don't know how they didn't think about renting the space out to other performers or even offering a variety of shows. It just seemed so pigeonholed into "this is a magic show theater!!!" when... it's a space, my dudes, let a dance group rent it or something.

The rest of the book was unoffensive, if corny. The quirkiness of Bea's phone never working, of her first piece of posted art getting her a 5k commission, to the ease with which these people all become financially dependent on each other - it all grated on me more given the parts of the plot that had angered me. In the end, Bea's quirky bug references and "cherry bomb" lipstick were all too much for me, and I found all parts of this book to just irritate me, and I probably would have dropped it if I wasn't doing a reading challenge.

1/5

[Scharize · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute

Different and refreshing! What I liked is that it's funny and the end it's not some non real nonsense. Recommend for a fast, light read.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love!

Although Chasing Crazy will probably always be my favorite book of Kelly Siskind’s, New Orleans Rush came *this close* to knocking it out of the top spot. Bea and Huxley’s story was so charming, quirky, heartfelt, refreshing, and fun.
I loved that neither Bea nor Huxley quite had their acts together, pun not intended! It’s a nice change of pace to read a book about 2 characters who aren’t perfect, who have flaws, who don’t know what’s going to happen day to day, who take what life throws at them and do their best to survive. And somehow, some way, even manage to thrive.
I really adored these characters and their love story. The romance was sweet and swoony and did all kinds of things to my heart.
Ms. Siskind balanced the more emotional aspects of New Orleans Rush with funny, light-hearted moments, and it made for such an engaging, entertaining read.

I'm really hoping we'll get to see more of the other Marlow boys in the future!

[Marivi Sanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 magical stars under a magician's cape.

Before I write anything, seriously, go pre-order this book, like now.

This was my first Kelly Siskind book, and she was kind enough to let me read an advanced copy, even if I didn't know what to expect. And I'm so glad she did. I had been in some kind of reading slump lately, and I didn't really like any of the books I've been reading (with a couple of exceptions), but this book...

This book trapped me since the first pages. New Orleans, Bea's misfortunes, Huxley's cozy cape, an unfortunate incident with the wrong Mustang, friendship, polka dots, family, off-the-charts-sexual tension, bad guys, vampires?, good guys, guilt, naughty guys, scars, promises, a magical show, bees, a beetle, ANGST!, a badly drawn unicorn, a phone that never works, and lots of love. SO. MANY. FEELS. I. DON'T KNOW. WHAT. TO. DO. WITH. THEM.

This book is sweet, and funny, and angsty, and sad, and happy. I smiled, I laughed, I felt for them, I cried, my heart shrinked a couple of sizes at some point but, unilke other stories, the main characters actually talk when they recognize the danger of reacting rushly.

I've fallen in love with Bea and Huxley, but also with Fox, Axel and Della. I'd love to read more about them!

As soon as my physical copy arrives, it'll go directly to the pile of my favourite books, and I'll re-read it more than once. I also hope they can turn it into an audiobook because I need it. Seriously.

[Caryn - iam.caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve found a new favourite contemporary romance author!

This is my first time reading Kelly Siskind, and it definitely won’t be my last. It always makes me overjoyed when I find incredibly talented Canadian authors.

New Orleans Rush was everything I never knew I needed in a book. Eccentric and quirky artist girl keys the wrong car. Surly and yet dashing magician guy gets his car keyed... high-jinx ensue. It’s really all I can say without spoiling much. What I will say is that I was basically smiling and swooning non-stop for 300+ pages. And I don’t mean swooning over the romance (though there was plenty of that). I found myself falling head-over-heels for Bea and Huxley, and the other Marvelous Marlow Boys. I swooned over my own love for these outstanding characters.

I always love a story when people think they have flaws or have been made fun of over their personality, but then they find that right person who loves them because of what they themselves consider a fault. It’s rather beautiful really.

Plus, my absolute favourite aspect of the story, was Bea’s complex vocabulary. I love when characters love words.

This story however wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There was one sub-plot that left me Stressed™. Full on sweating and heart palpitations. It was kind of fantastic.

I completely and wholeheartedly recommend this to all contemporary romance readers. It’s a great story with a lovely message, and characters that capture your heart.

[Cait · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a disappointment. I love New Orleans and I was so excited to read a fun romance set there but that's not at all what I got. Instead I got a book that quite honestly could have been set anywhere, with characters that had no charisma and very little chemistry, and a plot that was way too complicated and had too many moving pieces (the romance + the loan shark + the threat of losing the theater are the three big ones, but there are at least three b plots under each of those).

[madandelion · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 40%

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

there is something so charming about books set in New Orleans..
loooved the meet-cute.. a delightful read..

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A cute rom-com filled with magic tricks, painting, and gambling.

[Teresa (Reads_Romance) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started reading NEW ORLEANS RUSH. It was my first book by Kelly Siskind, but the cute cover and synopsis were irresistible. For the most part, this book charmed me with its zany humor, quirky characters, and snappy dialogue. I definitely think you have to be in the right kind of mood when you start this book. Don’t take things too seriously and you’ll enjoy the story and Ms. Siskind’s writing a lot more.

The positives: Let’s start with the setting. I loveeee New Orleans and I liked that the book had NOLA vibes without shoving the city down the reader’s throat. I also enjoyed the concept of magical brothers! What a fun and interesting career for the three Marlow guys. I thought the behind-the-scenes magic information was fun without bogging the story down. The secondary characters (the brothers and Della) were fun and fleshed out enough to make the story three-dimensional.

Bea was an entertaining character. She’s one of my favorite types of heroines: fun, flighty, with a heart of gold. I have friends like her and I loved the endless positivity, even if she was a bit naive sometimes. Huxley was a great character as well. There is something so endearing about a hero who is completely enamored with the heroine. His nicknames and complete faith in her abilities made me a little swoony. Plus the Elderwand references absolutely cracked me up.

The cons: It seems like the story got away from the author a little bit. Instead of diving deep on Bea and Huxley’s relationship and the central problems in the story, extra plot elements were thrown in. I lost interest in the story towards the middle when Huxley and Bea were just friends. In fact, it took me almost a week to finish this book (that’s super slow for me). I appreciated the tension and time for Huxley and Bea to get to know one another, but it just felt like wasted time as a reader. I even forgot that Bea was Huxley’s assistant by the end of the book because it was lost under the weight of too many subplots and weird details.

I’m going to put this out there: The climax of the story was ridiculous. I like when an author goes for humor, but that whole scene felt contrived.

Overall, if this was the start of a series (and I really hope it is because I enjoyed the world Ms. Siskind created), I think it built a strong foundation. I would absolutely read another book. I promise you will only appreciate this story if you let yourself get a little whimsical and absurd.

Side Note: I feel DEPRIVED of a certain brother’s story. Deprived.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

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[Jaye Berry]

This was so dumb, for real. I'm running on zero sleep but I'm just going to go off.

New Orleans Rush is about a woman named Bea who got dumped right after she moved to New Orleans. In a drunken rage she keys her ex's car only to find she keyed a stranger's car. Huxley is a magician who is trying to keep his father's legacy going. The theater he inherited needs a lot of work and not enough time or money to fix it. Huxley is also out of an assistant so he blackmails Bea to work for him.

Even the set up has me side-eying this book because it was so weak and dumb?? The whole plot hinges on this stupid theater needing help and I just want to scream because it doesn't make sense. It's a big theater in a very popular, crowded tourist city. Literally rent it out you stupid idiots why is this so hard!!

As for their magician stuff, who? It was so irrelevant and their profession could have easily changed, no big deal. I happen to like magician stuff, depending but there was barely any here besides to be like, haha we're doing this yay and then moving on. It's already a nerdy thing sure but this book really just made it feel even more dorky and cringy when they actually were talking and doing stuff with it.

All of these characters are so obnoxious and extra quirky. Huxley has two brothers that are LITERALLY described as "the cocky one" and "the sneaky one" repeatedly. It felt like the author thought we couldn't keep track of 2 more dudes so she had to keep mentioning their personalities (which were still weak and they were the same person anyway.)

The events that happened in this book, especially the ending were just so ridiculous??? The blackmail was unbelievable enough but go fully wild I guess. The odds of any of it happening let alone that chain of events lol bye. I'm just going to say dumb again because I really thought it was. DUMB. There is no way any of that would have happened that way!

This book also went out of its way to demonized people with addictions and then never correcting it and that was just gross. Addicts are addicts yes and they'll do bad or questionable things to get their next high but to act like they are the devil incarnate and willingly choosing to be addicted is a bad take.

Romance?? How was I supposed to focus on the romance when all this other idiocy kept happening? It was SO cringy and all the bee jokes made me gag. It wasn't even cute; they were boring and yet still annoying.

This was just so dumb, good night everyone.

[Haley | ReadMyLips · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: An ARC was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.*

This book was unexpected in many ways. Immediately, I was refreshed by how much of a weirdo Beatrice was. I thought she was very well planned out and could definitely see her quirks right away. If I'm being honest, I was surprised that Huxley was going to be the main love interest upon meeting him. I first cast him off as just another borderline creep at the bar, but wow yes I was shocked when I realized this was going to be a love story about a down in the dumps magician and his on the run free-spirited assistant. Talk about a unique and creative storyline. I could see the chemistry the two main characters had, and I really liked Huxley's brothers and the whole "found family" aspect of this book, but there was something missing from the romance like I just couldn't believe it 100%. I genuinely did enjoy this story, but after the halfway mark I felt it dragging on and kind of just adding more plot points that ended up feeling a little muddy. I could have done without the entire loan shark plot, to be honest.

Along with a lot of cringey dialogue, the steamy scenes left more to the imagination than I would have liked and something was missing. I also think for this book being titled New Orleans Rush, there should have been more emphasis and detail in the setting. Aside from a few destinations and observations, this story really could have taken place anywhere and I struggled to picture the setting because of this.

Overall, I think this was a solid romance from an author I haven't read before and that's always fun. This was cute and quirky!

[Addie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have loved this book 10 years ago. Not that necessarily age has something to do with it, but I have read A LOT of romance books in the last 10 years, and this did not do it for me. It sparked no interest.

It was at times cute and charming, but also too silly and implausible.

While Huxley was quite intriguing, Bea’s border-like Mary Sue behaviour was annoying, and how the three brothers turned their magic show around was just not believable.

And I guess there lies the root of the problem.



I can’t stand magic. I never have, I never will. It's the least sexy a man can do - I actually consider it a major turn off.

Sorry.



2.5 stars.

[Peggy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘New Orleans rush’ is a sweet, magical, fun story.

The main characters Beatrice and Huxley balanced each other very well, Beatrice had this happy, bubbly personality and Huxley was more serious, more stiff but that made them just the perfect match. Although you could feel the attraction between the two from the beginning, the story felt more like a slow burn story and I loved that. This story had me laughing out loud a few times. The writing style was fluent and I enjoyed how every problem (small and big) was solved on the right time and with an easy flow. The story is told from both POV’s and is a light read.

This story isn’t only about Beatrice and Huxley but also about Huxley and his 2 brothers Fox and Axel. I love the interaction between the brothers too. And let’s not forget the magic!

If you love the books of Lucy Parker, than you have to try this book too.

[Jody Holford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is 5 star magic. As a reader, it’s the kind of book you’ll think back on and smile about. It makes you smile the whole way through. As a writer, it’s the kind of book you wish you’d written because the whole point of writing is to make people feel the way you’ll feel reading this book.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookworms
*I received a free copy of [title] from [publisher] via Author. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *New Orleans Rush is a story about magic, trust, love, and perseverance. I enjoyed getting to know Huxley and Beatrice, as well as Huxley's brothers Fox and Axel...


Story and Characters:
New Orleans Rush is about new beginnings. Letting go of the past. Through magic, art, and love. I enjoyed my first read by Siskind very much, and am very happy I got the chance to read an ARC of this story! Beatrice had been down on her luck for quite a while, but she never let go of her bubbly, happy personality. Huxley had also been down on his luck, but he rather closed himself off, dealt with is problems alone, and acted rather surly.

When the happy girl meets the surly magician, magic truly happens! New Orleans Rush included family relationships, friendship, and trying to live life to its fullest. Between the theater, magic, finding their way, and love, the characters carried the story, and the plot worked well, too.
Writing style :
New Orleans Rush is written in third person point of view, following Beatrice and Huxley rather closely. The pace is slow, but it suited the story very well.
Feels :
A slow burn, with some uncertainties and heartache, New Orleans Rush was not a rush, but a good story that gave me feelings of happiness and want.