Review: Quick Fix by Linda Grimes

Title: Quick Fix
Author: Linda Grimes
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: In a Fix #2

Trade Paperback, 345 pages
Publication: August 20, 2013 by Tor Books

Source: Publicist 

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Ciel Halligan, an aura adaptor with a chameleon-like ability to step into the lives of her clients and fix their problems for them — as them — is working a job at the National Zoo with her boyfriend, Billy, and his ten-year-old sister, Molly. It's supposed to be a quick fix, giving her time to decide if it's wise to pursue the romantic relationship her charming scoundrel of a best friend wants, or if she should give Mark, the CIA spook she's crushed on since hormones first rattled her pubescent brain, a chance to step up to the plate.

Molly has already begun to show signs of being an adaptor herself. She's young for it, but she's always been precocious, so it's not impossible. What is impossible is her taking on the form of the baby orangutan she touches — adaptors can only project human auras. Until now, apparently. Worse, Molly is stuck in ape form. She can't change herself back.

Escaping from the zoo with their new baby orang, Ciel and Billy head for NYC and the only person they know can help: Ciel's brother James, a non-adaptor scientist who's determined to crack the aura adaptor genetic code. But when Billy winds up in jail, accused of attempted murder, Ciel begins to suspect Molly's unusual adapting ability is more than just a fluke. Who's been experimenting on Molly, and what do they hope to gain? And will Ciel survive to find out?

Quick Fix was another fun and whacky installment in the In A Fix series featuring Ciel Halligan, an aura adapter. Ciel is able to adapt to any person she comes into contact with down to a point in appearance and voice. At the start of Quick Fix, readers find Ciel, Billy and Billy’s 10-year old sister Molly at the zoo. Ciel is on assignment hoping that that it’d be a ‘quick fix’ unlike her previous cases, getting her client a position on the board of directors. Unfortunately the situation gets more complicated when Molly, who is just barely coming into her adapter abilities, turns into a baby orangutan.  Ciel’s only hope in figuring out how to turn Molly back into a little girl is her brother James, a non-adapter. Juggling a baby orangutan, finding the assailant who tried to shoot Laura and mistaken identities and figuring out her relationship s with mark and Billy are all part of the to-do list in Ciel Halligan’s oh-so-Not-normal life.     

This time around readers get to see more of Ciel’s wonderful and quirky family members. They are quite a bunch. We learn more about Thomas and his connection to Mark’s partner Laura, James the non-adapter and we meet the not-often-talked about youngest brother of Ciel, Brian. For most of the story, James is trying to figure out a cure to turn Molly back to normal, and this is where we learn more about the aura adapter abilities. Well, the scientific aspect of it…how one becomes an adapter versus a non-adapter.  I thought Molly’s situation was really interesting and how she came to adapt an animal’s aura. The entire time Molly was a baby orangutan, she was still herself. Imagine a baby orangutan binging on ice cream and playing Wii vigorously nonstop!  Or the time when everyone had to ‘adapt’ Molly so that Auntie Ro didn’t find out, it was hilarious to see all the different-crazy situations Ciel and the gang found themselves in. 

In the previous book, In A Fix, Ciel was fighting her attraction between two long time friends Mark and Billy. In the sequel, Ciel made the final decision on who she wants to be with and I’m so glad it was Billy. In this book we see them both navigate their new relationship from being best friends to a romantic relationship. Their intense chemistry continues to grow from the first book, and I love seeing their interaction together…it’s just so darn sweet and cute!  Mark made an appearance here and there throughout the book and passively let Ciel know he was/or is interested in her but it is nothing compared to when Billy is actively pursuing Ciel.  I like Mark but Billy is definitely the guy for her. 

Quick Fix was an excellent sequel to last year’s In a Fix, there is never a dull moment when Ciel and the gang are involved.  The world-building is unique and easy-to-understand, something you won’t find in other urban fantasies. Add in likeable characters and a charming romance and you got yourself a winner! I highly recommend this series to all UF,PNR, and fantasy fans looking for a light-fun read…you won’t regret it!