Location, location, location.

That's the rule in real estate, of course, but it also works magnificently in Jenn Reese's debut novel Jade Tiger.

Over the course of this kung-fu romance adventure, featuring a hunt for the lost Jade Circle statues from protagonist Shan's past, we get to tour the world. Starting in the Hunan Province of China and moving to upstate New York, then on to the Alps, England, LA, and then Hong Kong, Shan and her acheologist soulmate Ian put the travels of Indiana Jones to shame.

And on the course of their quest, the action never stops. I'm not a kung-fu expert or pracititioner (not by a long shot -- I so much as think about doing a roundhouse kick and I pull a hammy), but that didn't stop me from enjoying the fight scenes and paging faster and faster through the book to get to the epic battle at the end.

Jenn's writing is sharp, detailed, and at times quite funny (I love the awkwardness Shan and Ian both express at times as their burgeoning love grows -- quite realistic and believable!). She'll take you around the world but you'll never feel lost.

I recommend Jade Tiger to anyone looking for a good read -- think Indiana Jones meets a female Bruce Lee, and you're only part-way there. The book is completely original and most of all: FUN. A good Christmas gift, I'd suggest.

UPDATE! Jenn just got a smashing review over in Publishers Weekly, the top place to get your book reviewed -- it's read by thousands of booksellers. YAY JENN!!! Later!