Sparkle: A Love, California Series Novel, Book 6

This book contained all of things I love in a book: great characters, a little historical mystery, and a little romance. Plus, it taught me a little about a new subject, colored diamonds. Elena is hard-working and driven by principles that allowed generations of her family to survive. Jake is driven also but lets his ego get in the way of lasting love. “I know now it’s not about the money, or even catching the bad guys. It’s about trusting those you love.” My favorite character is Jake’s mother, Barbara. Her wisdom and joy for life put the real sparkle in this book. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: When jeweler-to-the-stars Elena Eaton is ensnared in a daring jewelry heist on the night of the Academy Awards, she discovers that nothing in La La Land is as it seems. As her sterling reputation and private life suddenly turn into tabloid fodder, a family emergency draws her back to her hometown of Sydney, Australia.With her family's rare blue diamonds from India missing and her career in jeopardy, her problems mount when an infuriatingly handsome insurance investigator, Jake Greyson, follows her to Sydney, suspecting her of involvement in the robbery. Yet Elena’s grandparents see more in Jake than she does. After a night at the opera and a walk on the beach, Elena and Jake soon find themselves more attracted to each other than either of them planned. But can she trust him with an old family secret regarding the rare diamonds?

Another fun read by Jan Moran.Elena Eaton has invested everything into a high risk move. She designed a necklace, bracelet, and earrings for her friend Penelope to wear at an Academy Awards after-party. It was a calculated plan that orders would pour in after the visibility her jewels would receive this one evening. What was to be an evening of excitement and anticipation turned horribly wrong when shortly after Penelope entered the VIP room robbers relieved the celebrities of all their jewels. Insurance investigator Jake Greyson is at the party and immediately takes charge. He advises Penelope and Elena is what to do in order to recoup the value of the jewelry from their insurers. However Elena has family secrets that prevent her from explaining where the rare jewels came from. Without this information the value of the jewels cannot be ascertained. Jake follows Elena to Australia in his attempt to determine whether she was involved in the heist or she was a victim. Enter the world of the rich-and-famous. I love how the women in her stories are always intelligent and strong business women. I especially love the strong female friendships in all her books. If you are ready for some escapism, read her books.