Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Thief in the Light

AUTHOR: Jaime Samms

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 360 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2020

BLURB:

Lucky Denver has wandering feet, sticky fingers and an unreliable moral compass-he’s never had a home and he’s not so sure he cares about what he’s missing.

Albert Kreed who runs a small-town B&B knows what a home should be. So does his home, The Oaks-aka Mildred-and she has some very definite opinions on who should stay and who should go.Mildred wants Lucky to stay-and while Kreed is surprised, he can’t really blame the old girl. He’s getting sort of attached himself. Lucky might be fine with the house’s eccentricities, but he’s not so sure Kreed will be fine with the man attached to Lucky’s real name. When Kreed falls ill, Lucky needs to make a decision-wander away like he’s always done or stay and be his better self. Kreed’s hoping he’ll stay-and so is The Oaks, and Mildred has a way of getting what she wants.

REVIEW:

Thief in the Light is a fun story largely because of Mildred, a seemingly sentient bed and breakfast, The Oaks, owned by Kreed. The other protagonist, Lucky, is homeless, broke, and generally down on his, um, luck. He lands on Mildred’s doorstep after tripping while hitchhiking and falling face first into a roadside ditch. He is picked up by Kreed’s pseudo sister, Madeline, who even though she thinks poorly of Lucky, drives him to The Oaks for a place to lay his head for the night. Lucky is presented with a couple of opportunities to revert to his thieving ways, and when Kreed extends kindness repeatedly, Lucky has difficult decisions to make. Throughout the book, Mildred makes her opinion known on whether Lucky should stay, on Kreed and Lucky as a couple, and on some bad guys that arrive and expose Lucky’s unsavory past. This leads to a heavier second half. 

Kreed and Lucky’s relationship develops slowly. Lucky is skittish but Kreed is always patient and caring. Lucky shows his fondness for Kreed more through actions than words. If you’re looking for steam, this is not the book for you, however, I expect it might increase in book two. 

I’ve never lived in a small town so I can’t speak from experience, but they’re often portrayed as insular and fiercely protective of their own. The obvious course for this story would be for the townsfolk to arrive at The Oaks, pitchforks in hand, once Lucky’s past is revealed. Which is why it’s so delightfully unexpected when the opposite occurs. 

Thief in the Light has great characters, beginning with Jake, a winsome young man with autism spectrum disorder who helps out at the B&B, and his siblings Steph and Steven, who own the bookstore across the street. Then there’s the barber next door and the bakery owners down the street. And of course, Madeline, who comes around and becomes one of Lucky’s biggest supporters. At the end of the novel, a handful of new characters from Lucky’s past descend on the town. They will likely figure into book two of the Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond series. 

Even though the story is concluded a bit loosely, I was still satisfied, particularly knowing there are subsequent books on the way. Author Jaime Samms left the door wide open for a further deepening of Kreed and Lucky’s relationship and a whole new plot setup, complete with another meddling house that seems to also be conversant in English. 

With an intriguing plot, lively characters – including Mildred – and the men’s burgeoning relationship, I found this to be an enjoyable book that I recommend. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon