Blast from the Past

by Mary Jane Owen

Anne Welsh is a typical single mom...until she stumbles into a bank robbery and is outed as missing CIA agent Trixie Bigotti.

After thirteen peaceful years in suburbia, Trixie finds herself on the run with her teenage daughter. Between dodging aging mobsters and bumbling assassins, she has to come clean about her identity with the people who matter most.

FBI Agent Jay Stowe was madly in love with Trixie before her suspicious death and has carried a torch for her all of these years. When the love of his life pops back up—with a daughter who has his eyes—Jay is ALL IN.

It’s time for this secret agent turned soccer mom to solve the mysteries of her past and protect her future from the dangers that surround her. Along the way she just may discover that she was never as alone as she thought she was.

Genres: Romance, Ebooks, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Contemporary, Crime

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Sabrinna Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okkaayyy I was NOT expecting for this book to suck me in! But it did. An it was within the first chapter! 🤯
I loved that it had a little bit of love, and tons of action. Trixie is tough, wise, and VERY independent! An the way she wanted more than what the “family business” was… LOVED IT! Trixie’s friends too? OMG LOVED how they CARED. Then you had the 13 year old sassy daughter of hers. 🤣
Loved it!

[Emilija · Rating 2 out of 5]

2024 52 Book Challenge - October Mini Challenge - 1) A Beverage On The Cover

This is one of those books that starts good and reels you in quickly, and then does a sharp decline in quality around the 20% mark, but you're stuck reading because you want to read the ending. This book did have something else going for it, and that was how quick paced it was, so at least it always felt like you were making progress.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, enjoyable cozy read, pacing felt a little off sometimes, but that might just be me

We love strong independent women in this house

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good wee book, very fast paced and kept me entertained. Would have enjoyed an epilogue.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to give this a 5* for entertainment value and that is was so much better than expected.
Love this book on Kindle. Super entertaining story with a lot of action, fun, suspense and hijinks. Kept my interest from beginning to end. A nice romantic spy story with mafia, danger and a mom that was a former CIA agent and has been assumed to be dead for 13 years. Her cover is blown when she and her teenage daughter stumble into a bank robbery and from there the chase begins. The local police and FBI all get in on the action. She is also discovered by a former co-worker who has pined for her as he thought she was dead all these years.
Characters were great, with good plot and lots of action.

[Sara-Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Blast from start to finish!

This book was not what I was expecting - it was SO much more! I’ve been reading a lot of romcoms lately, and I expected this one to be along those lines. However, this story is an action-packed, keep-you-guessing, hilarious adventure in a strong woman who is a mom, a bad@$$, a lover, and - dare I say it? - NOT in her twenties!? Owen has struck gold, and I am here for it!

[Zuzia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely expected something more like Good Girls show but got full Black Widow experience. But honestly I'm not mad about it.

[FS Meurinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story struck the right balance between suspenseful and light-hearted. It's a great read to take a break from heavier books. The relationships between the characters were adorable, and I found myself laughing out loud at several points. I listened to the audiobook, and Sara-Margaret Cates did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. The story idea was unique, with a former CIA agent navigating life undercover in suburbia due to a mafia family background. However, the story felt a bit incomplete, I needed more, perhaps an epilogue. It's a light, slightly humorous action comedy that reads more like a novella I think the author could have developed it more. While the premise was intriguing, I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters, and the ending felt chaotic. Overall, it had potential but fell short in some areas.

[Bethany Durow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read with an interesting plot. A former CIA agent turned suburn soccer mom has to grapple with the past not staying in the past, with the bounty on her head that had originally sent her running pipopping back up after a small fiasco, all while trying to protect her unaware teenage daughter and also navigating the return of her former love interest into her life.

You definitely do have to suspend some belief in this book, particularly towards the end with the involvement of civilians, but all in all, the community being shown amongst the characters is sweet.

A short, sweet, feel-good read with action, drama, romance, and sass.

[Tiffany Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m just not sure

This book really started off good and I was immediately swept into the story but the last quarter of the book made my decision. The book used a lot of teenagers to help and maybe it seem like they were ready to do it with no experience whatsoever. Almost like it seemed the kids were better than the authorities. Once that started happening, I didn’t take the book of seriously. Overall great storyline, but personally to me, it’s not one I’ll read again. By all means if you think you’re going to like the book, I definitely recommend reading it.

[Angela Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really nice! It was suspenseful, but not to suspenseful to the point where this is a great book to break up any heavy books that you want to read. The relationship between the characters was adorable, and there were several points when I laughed out loud I would recommend this for anybody who likes a lighthearted novel. I listen to an audiobook, and the voice actor did an amazing job portraying all the characters.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed this -- Trixie being all badass and competent through most of the book was so fun!

I got thrown out of the story a little towards the end, when things stopped making sense. Mallory being willing to bring her own child and other teenagers into a place where the willing-to-shoot-people hitman was coming, and then also the mob house, is INSANE. Also, was the explanation for Uncle Cal's actions seriously just that he's crazy?!

[Theld · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first page this book is filled with action, whether it's car chases, gun fights or resurrections. There is not a moment to rest for Annie or her daughter as they run from an army of Rambo's who are determined to deliver Annie to her Uncle. It's such a nice change of pace to see a mom with all her stuff together being a kick-ass ex-CIA assassin with so many plans in place to protect her daughter. This is the feel-good book we all need.

[MzAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved It!

It basically had everything I like in a story: humor, drama/excitement, and romance...although this was a little light on the romance. All we really get is that they had a thing a long time ago which resulted in their daughter, Kit; and they still had feelings for each other. Now, I don't need--or want--overly descriptive "steamy stuff," but is there a middle ground between that and this?

I really liked all of these characters and I would read more in this series.

[Catherine G Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Placed and Hooked Me In

This story was action packed right from the start and it really hooked me in. The thrills just kept coming and coming, making me want to know what was happening next. There were also a few turns along the one, a couple of them unexpected but made sense given Trixie's past.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beginning scenes of the bank robbery were the best, and the flashback sequences helped support the reader through the rest of book. However, the plot holes were so large and deep that it was a struggle to make it through the book. That combined with the unbelievable acceptance of Trixie's choices by those close to her make this a single read for me.

[CG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. It sucked me in at first but then it got more and more unrealistic and ugh. I really struggled to read it and considered DNFing it a couple of times. I liked the concept but some of the things that happened were so unrealistic in my opinion that it put me off. Short and fast paced were pros for this book though, although sometimes the pacing did feel off.

[Kathy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long lost love with a surprise.

Beautiful story for the most part. But ot of things didn't add up either. The author did a great job and I would like to read from this author again.

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this fast paced, suspence, romantic comedy. Some great laugh out loud moments and I loved the badass heroine. It's lighthearted and fun and a great appetite cleanser when you've been reading heavier books. Loved it. Will be looking for others by this author.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blast from the Past was an action packed, superb read. I couldn't put it down and read the entire book in one sitting. It was an easy read packed with suspense, some laughs, and some great awwww moments with a backup crew sure to outwit any villain.

[KayLove · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off pretty good, definitely hooked me in the first chapter or so.. but then the pacing was off and little details were glossed over.
But overall, it was a decent quick read. An action/adventure with like the tiniest sprinkle of romance.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller

I enjoyed reading this clean romance and suspenseful thriller. As Trixie, Kit, and eventually Jay survive one murder attempt after another. I recommend this book for the adventurous young adult reader who doesn't mind violence.

[Barbie Bumpus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free book during Stuff Your Kindle day. It was a cute little read. It was enjoyable and fun! Trixie is one bad mutha!! There’s definitely plenty of action! If you’re looking for a light read, check this one out.

[Rhanway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterically funny!

Laughter filled, spot on teenagers and more! Mix in mafia, three letter government agencies as well as quirky fun filled neighbors....well you'll have to just read it and ENJOY;)

[butterandbookmarks & · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super easy, fun story to read in a slump. There’s not a heap of depth, just the right amount of predictable suspense and entertainment to keep you going. I agree with another comment that I would have enjoyed a little prologue!

[Teri Easterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story line takes so many twists and turns with lots of action that keeping up takes some concentration. Toss in a snarky teenager and her mom who has a past in law enforcement and the plot thickens. Neighbors and friends who care are an important part of the story. I enjoyed the story.

[SylviaV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blast from the Past by Mary Jane Owen. (The Adventures of Trixie Bigotti Book 1).

My suggestion to readers is to put your mind into neutral, suspend belief, go with the flow and let this story take you along for a wild ride. This is a fun read that had me hooked from the first chapter.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book had me captured from the first page. I downloaded this from the Freebooksy site and like so many others I expected to be bored outta my gourd. But this? Full of energy and the story was a thrilling ride. Can't wait to discover more about Trixie and her adventures.

[Karen greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful!

This is a new author for me and I will be reading more of her work. This book was so entertaining. I loved the main characters, the fast paced action, the humor and romance thrown . This was a very fast read. I loved it!

[Quincy McIlvaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Digital book.
This was a ride! I was immediately interested in the story and the quick moving plot was great. Also the narrator throwing in those “insufferable child” jabs absolutely killed me. Perfect blend of action, romance, mystery, comedy.