Series: Speak Easy #1

Release Date: July 22, 2013

Genre: New Adult Historical

July, 1923. The ‘20s are roaring, and twenty-year-old Tiny O’Mara is desperate for a little anything-goes excitement. But when her father is kidnapped by a mobster in Detroit's exploding organized crime scene, she’s shocked to find herself caught up in the bootlegging wars of Prohibition—and torn between two gorgeous gangsters on opposite sides.

To save her father’s life, she’ll have to choose between them. But deciding whom to trust isn’t easy in a world where everyone wants something—be it booze, money, power, or sex—and no one cares what it takes to get it.

Temptation is everywhere.

Paperback Princess Review

Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow is the first in a series. This New Adult Historical Fiction did not disappoint with lots of heart pumping action, hate to love characters, sweet AND reckless love, and with the backdrop of the Roaring 20s, there's not much to not love. 

Tiny O'Mara is a hard working daughter and sister. She currently mothers her two younger sisters, and she also works in her Father's store and runs deliveries for his boot legging (alcohol) business. Tiny's main concern is saving for college and finally moving out of home and living her own life, but when her Father is kidnapped by local gangsters, she now must be the head of the family as she tries to make the ransom money to save her Father's life, keep her Sisters oblivious to the fact their Father is missing whilst keeping them safe, and trying to not fall in love with the very gangster that turned her family's life inside out!

Speak Easy was such a heart pumping, action-filled novel that had me turning the pages quite rapidly. It was nail biting to read how Tiny had to get such a large sum of money in such a short space of time, and whilst doing so the road got rockier with all the other challenges that came her way. What made Speak Easy more fun to read is the fact that such event could have happened in that time.

Tiny is a fantastic protagonist, she's strong and extremely brave, but at the same time she's not perfect, her physical attraction to Enzo, the kidnapper's son, had me gritting my teeth as I knew this could not end well. However, I was actually quite surprised with Enzo, he's far from being a gentleman, but I had thought he'd be worse than what he came through to be.

As if Tiny's life wasn't difficult enough with a kidnapped Father, falling for the kidnapper's son, enters Joey, a family friend of the O'Mara's, who's also contending for Tiny's heart. Whilst Joey was a better candidate for Tiny (in my point of view) and I enjoyed Joey's character more, I did understand the attractiveness to Enzo, he was rich, a ladies man and one that isn't easily obtained, so I truly understand the thought process going through Tiny's mind. I wouldn't necessarily describe this as a love triangle as there was no true winner, and the ending really portrayed that for it's readers, hence my need to get the next book in the series.

Melanie Harlow truly excelled in transporting me back to the 1920s and the eye for all the little details of that time was fantastic. Harlow had me gripped from the very few pages as there was no unnecessary introduction and I was put straight into the lives of the O'Mara family, right in the heart of their boot legging business, which from the start was apparent that this was where the drama would begin. I truly enjoyed Tiny, she was strong, but was imperfect, and temptation was a plenty. I loved that she was a main character that wasn't portrayed to be an angel, I enjoy realistic characters more. I also enjoyed Harlow's character creation, I mean I didn't even hate Enzo and his Father, her characters were very three dimensional, and this is what most people are, so her writing is very realistic in all aspects of the novel.

I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the Speak Easy series as I want to know what happens with the characters. The conclusion of this story was nicely wrapped up, no cliffhangers but Melanie had me invested in her characters and her world setting that I'm definitely picking up the following books in this series.

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