Every Jack Needs His Jil

Every Jack Needs His Jil brings us into the quirky and sometimes eccentric small town of Star, Texas. Like most towns, its citizens are a fantastically woven group of small town nuttiness, never ending gossip and excitement that anyone from a big city would find daunting to say the least. It also takes us into an anything but normal family by the name of Jones.

With seven children in the house growing up was never easy…especially for Jack. Adopted into the fold at the age of seven, he quickly became the older brother and was protector of all…especially his younger siblings. But it was the little wild cat Jil that wove her way into his heart and quickly became the best friend a lonely boy could ask for. Inseparable almost from day one the two were more like brothers. But as they grew into young adults, both of them began to have some non sibling thoughts about the other. With their young hormones raging, they tried to do the right thing and stay apart.

But when the heat became too much for Jack, he fled the homely Jones kitchen for the wilds of the world. Over the next 20 years he did everything in his power to forget those non brotherly thoughts he’d had as a teen for his sister and move on with his life. It’s only as the man that raised him lay dying that he bravely returned to the family fold…

Only to discover that his younger sister had grown into quite the woman and maybe his non-brotherly thoughts weren’t as disastrous as he might have imagined.

Jileana Jones has spent the last 20 years pining away for her older brother, something she knows is wrong, but she can not deny her heart no matter how hard she tries. She tramples the feelings though beneath a Mona Lisa smile, a cool exterior and a heart that’s as shriveled and dry as the West Texas town of Star. She’s floated through the years waiting and watching her younger siblings build a life, never knowing how much she’s missed. She’s happy and content with her small shop of antiquities and never questions there might be more to the world than the dusty streets of Star.

At least not until Jack comes back into her life. In two short days he manages to awaken a fire she didn’t know could exist. But faced with her father’s death, her mother’s quirky psychosis and her younger siblings crowding in on her again(,) she has no choice but to face the fact that maybe those feelings aren’t as wrong as she thought. Mimi Riser’s talent for the written word is outstanding. Her ability to bring these characters to life and into your heart will leave you laughing, crying and cheering for the underdog. She shows us just a glimpse of life in a small town with its eccentric and quirky citizens, West Texas dust and a life on the farm attitude that will leave you wishing for such a simple, forthright existence in your own world.

Her undeniable comedic timing will have you leaning back in your chair and wiping the tears of mirth from your eyes as you enter the world of her creation. From the first page she drew me into the story and kept me turning to the very end. The interaction she brings to the family of the Jones’ will leave you craving to pick up the phone and call your own siblings just to hear their voice.

This is a contemporary romance that will bring joy to your heart, a smile to your face and a longing for a cozy round at the dinner table with your family. Whether you’re a fan of the Contemporary Romance or not, I would highly recommend Every Jack Needs His Jil to any and all. I am more than pleased to stamp this with an FAR Recommended Read and urge anyone with brothers or sisters to delve into the world of Mimi Riser’s wonderful talent, imagination and voice.

Reviewed by: Mary