End of Day (Jack and Jill #1) by Jewel E. Ann

ABOUT THE BOOK

After finding the love of her life, Jessica is forced to fake her death and assume a new identity with her twin brother. They’re relocated to a conservative community in Omaha, Nebraska, where no one knows they are trained assassins. While her brother finds a new job to fit in, Jessica can’t stop thinking about the man she left behind.

When AJ, her grumpy, career Air Force neighbor, accuses her of breaking into his house (which she did), Jessica focuses on ruffling his feathers.

He’s sexy, dangerously alluring, and riddled with emotional issues from years of service. She never imagined finding another man who could handle her strong personality and elite skills—until now.

But she’s headed for danger. Her brother reminds her of their simple mission: Let go, start over, don’t kill anyone, and pray that no one resurrects their past.

Will Jessica accept her second chance at love or risk everyone’s life to get back the man she left behind?

MY REVIEW

Dear god, what did I just read?! Jewel E. Ann has delivered a story that demands to be felt, and it left a lasting impression on this reader! Please bear with me; this story is deep, and my words will not do the book justice.

Four graves. Four caskets. Two bodies.

Jackson and Jillian Knight have secrets that will really shock you. As teenagers, they were taught not to show emotions, and now they seem to be in witness protection in Omaha, Nebraska. They have new names, new jobs, and new worries. Their real names are Jude and Jessica Day, and back in San Francisco, everyone—including Jillian’s true love, Luke—believes they died along with their parents.

Jillian is a survivor marked by the past. She’s reckless, uncensored, and mourns the life she lost. Jillian’s spiraling made my stomach hurt. It was so raw; so frightening. My anxiety grew as I got closer to understanding why Jillian was so messed up. She fought so hard with the monster inside, leaving devastation in her wake.

AJ Monoghan is a tough nut to crack. He’s a Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force and keeps his life together, at least on the surface, until Jillian Knight moves in next door. At first, he comes off as totally unlikable—angry and disapproving of Jillian’s actions. But when she starts breaking down his barriers one piece of clothing at a time, his pain comes to light in such a heart-wrenching way. It’s all just so intense and tragic, like watching a slow-motion train wreck.

Then there’s Jackson, Jillian’s identical twin and protector. He’s charming and sarcastic, and he misses the sister she used to be before everything changed. Their sibling banter is genuinely funny, and their drunken sparring helps them deal with all the chaos. The Sesame Street chick moment had me laughing out loud. Still, behind all the jokes, Jackson’s main job is to keep Jillian safe, and with the way she’s spiraling, that won’t be easy.

Dr. Luke Jones is both Jillian’s psychiatrist and the man she left behind. He’s calm and reserved, but he also has his own secrets. He does his best to keep things professional, but it’s tough with Jillian’s determination and pain. Their love story is beautiful, but it feels out of reach.

The book is told in multiple points of view in past and present, which works well as everything slowly comes to light. But here’s the kicker: the book ended with a cliffhanger! My mind is reeling with questions. Why did Jillian and Jackson have to start over? What made her leave Luke? And what on earth happened to give AJ PTSD? Ugh, the suspense is killing me, and I have to hold off on jumping into book 2 until I tackle a few scheduled reviews.

Ms. Ann’s prose is stunning. She breathes life into her characters, making them courageous and broken, all while masking their deeper issues with sarcasm and humor. Seriously, I have to hand it to her for keeping us readers on our toes, knowing it’s going to get messy, but not quite sure when the shitstorm is going to hit.

If you crave dark romantic suspense with plenty of angst, tragedy, steamy scenes, and a bit of humor, you’ll enjoy this book. I’m really glad I read it. It’ll stick with me for a while, and I’m excited to see what happens next.

Jack & Jill Series

1 End of Day (2015)
2 Middle of Knight (2015)
3 Dawn of Forever (2016)
Out of Love (2020)
Because of Her (2023)

BUY THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jewel E. Ann is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to write mind-bending love stories. She’s living her best life in Iowa with her husband, three boys, and a Goldendoodle.