Big Pickle
by J.J. Knight
My review:
“Big Pickle” by J. J. Knight is a rom-com that has been hiding in my kindle for just over a year. It just kind of got lost in the shuffle of other books I needed to read for various reasons, and then as it will further down the line on the screen I eventually forgot it was there. Scrolling through and looking for something I needed to re-read for a quote, I spotted the cover of this book and clicked into it.
Jason is the eldest of the three brothers in the “Pickle Delicatessen Dynasty.” He appreciates the money that the family business provides, but really doesn’t involve himself the way he should. He shamelessly takes it all for granted. When a family competition makes him take a good hard look at his personal franchise location, he suddenly has to grow up quickly. Nova is a very strong young woman in more ways than one. While she’s driving to save money to continue her college education, she’s also responsible for her flighty mother and her much younger half-sister. Circumstances landed Nova in the unofficial role of store manager and her work ethic is pushing her to get to the bottom of shady dealings caused by the official manager of the store. Jason ends up going ‘undercover’ at the location, never even imagining how dramatically his life is about to change. For part of the story you feel his worry and tension about revealing his true identity. Even though you understand his trepidation, you know it’s somehow going to blow up in his face.
This book was well-written, with an interesting story and wonderful characters. It contains a lot of funny moments, but there’s also a good amount of more serious content and situations to balance it out nicely. I thought it was good entertainment with a nice ending, and I just ordered the next two books in the series. Now I’m totally in the mood for a turkey sandwich with Russian dressing, and some pickles on the side. Maybe this book should come with a trigger warning – “prepare to get hungry and eat while you read.”