ARC Review: Fish on a Bicycle (Fish Out of Water, #5) by Amy Lane

Blurb:

Jackson Rivers has always bucked the rules—and bucking the rules of recovery is no exception. Now that he and Ellery are starting their own law firm, there’s no reason he can’t rush into trouble and take the same risks as always, right?

Maybe not. Their first case is a doozy, involving porn stars, drug empires, and daddy issues, and their client, Henry Worrall, wants to be an active participant in his own defense. As Henry and Jackson fight the bad guys and each other to find out who dumped the porn star in the trash can, Jackson must reexamine his assumptions that four months of rest and a few good conversations have made him all better inside.

Jackson keeps crashing his bicycle of self-care and a successful relationship, and Ellery wonders what’s going to give out first—Jackson’s health or Ellery’s patience. Jackson’s body hasn’t forgiven him for past crimes. Can Ellery forgive him for his current sins? And can they keep Henry from going to jail for sleeping with the wrong guy at the wrong time?

Being a fish out of water is tough—but if you give a fish a bicycle, how’s he going to swim?

Jewel's rating:

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. Jackson and Ellery are awesomely entertaining and their chemistry is still off the charts.

Fish on a Bicycle takes place a few months after the events of Hiding the Moon and Ellery and Jackson are in the process of opening their own practice after Ellery's previous law firm decided that Ellery brought too much danger to the table, and Jackson and Jade spectacularly and impressively told the firm what they thought about that.

In this installment, we have a bit of a series crossover! If you've read this author's Johnnies series, then you'll be happy to know that the Johnnies guys play a role in this story. Henry, the guy that Jackson and Ellery are helping, is the brother of Dex from the Johnnies series, so we get to visit with some old friends, here!

I think we first meet Henry, Dex's brother, in Dex in Blue, and to be honest, I thought he was kind of a jerk, if I'm remembering correctly. He starts Fish on a Bicycle with a fair size chip on his shoulder, but it becomes clear, fairly quickly, that Henry is really a good guy, with a huge heart. He's angry, and it's kind of justified. He loved the military, before he was railroaded out and he needs to have a purpose. Ellery, and especially Jackson, are just what Henry needs, not just to get him out of a murder charge, but also to help him figure out his purpose and his future.


Jackson...man, he has some issues. He's spent a lot of time trying to work through them, and has a bit of a relapse about his relationship with Ellery is concerned. Is he committed to the relationship? Definitely, yes, but he has doubts when it comes to how committed he thinks Ellery should be. Ellery is solid in his commitment, though, and has zero issues calling Jackson out on his BS. And just like previous books, Jackson's cat, Billy Bob, steals the show anytime he gets page time.

Fish on a Bicycle is a worthy installment of this series and I do hope Amy Lane continues it. I want to see Henry find his man, and see Jackson finally figure out that he's not alone in this world. I feel hopeful.

Also, the main story ends at 85%, at which point we get some bonus content featuring none other than Lucy Satan (along with a dose of Burton and Ernie from Hiding the Moon). I kinda want to be Lucy when I grow up. She's fearless.

Recommended.

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ARC of Fish on a Bicycle was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

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