The Bride Wore White

 The Bride Wore White (Burning Cove Series)- Amanda Quick

Berkley

Release Date: May 2, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Being Madame Ariadne, Psychic Dream Consultant, wasn’t Prudence Ryland’s ideal gig, but it paid well which was reason enough to do the work—until she realizes that her latest client intends to kill her. But Prudence, a master at reinvention, finds a new job and home as far away as possible and is finally able to relax—which turns out to be a big mistake. Letting her guard down means being kidnapped and drugged and waking up in a bloodstained wedding dress in the honeymoon suite next to a dead man. With the press outside the hotel, waiting with their cameras and police sirens in the distance, it’s obvious she’s being framed for the man’s murder. Prudence knows who is responsible, but will anyone believe her?

It doesn’t seem likely that rumored crime boss Luther Pell or his associate, Jack Wingate, believe her seemingly outrageous claims of being a target of a ruthless vendetta. In fact, Prudence is convinced that the mysterious Mr. Wingate believes her to be a fraud at best, and at worst: a murderer. And Jack Wingate does seem to be someone intimately familiar with violence, if going by his scarred face and grim expression. So no one is more shocked than Prudence when Jack says he’ll help her. Of course, his ideas for helping her involve using her as the bait for a killer, but Prudence feels oddly safe with Jack protecting her. But who will protect Prudence from her growing fascination with this enigma of a man?

________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right career. Usually, those tries don't involve attempted murder or being framed for murder, but that's the sort of time Prudence Ryland has been having. Fed up with the attempts to have her murdered/arrested for murder, she calls Luther Pell to find out who has it in for her. Luther assigns Jack Wingate to her case. The two don't exactly hit it off but Prudence doesn't have many options. Now if only they can keep from killing each other long enough to solve the case.

I loved Prudence. She's a great character. Doesn't put up with anything from the men around her, has her goals strictly in mind, and doesn't apologize for who and what she is. Her end goal is to open a bookstore focused on paranormal publications and things like dream reading just pay the bills- until they almost get her killed. Unlike many other main heroines, she doesn't intend to solve the case herself. She's happy to give it to the professionals and expects that to be that. Instead, the professionals keep her involved. Jack wants to use her as bait and while Pru isn't thrilled, she sees the logic. Jack is fascinated by Prudence for a number of reasons and it is a lot of fun watching him deal with it all. He wants to keep things professional and detached, but with every fight they have he gets drawn a little closer to Prudence.

There was something very old Hollywood movie feel about this one. Not just the location, because obviously that's the glitz and glamour of Burning Cove at its finest. The pacing, the characters, the fighting, the dialogue, all felt like an especially fun movie-maybe an old Katherine Hepburn movie. While the mystery itself was pretty predictable as it played out, that wasn't really the point for me. The point was watching Jack and Prudence working together, overcoming their initial reactions to each other, and becoming both an excellent team and couple. Watching both as individuals also sort themselves out and settle into perhaps more of who they were supposed to be as well. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this newest installment of the Burning Cove Series. Fun, fast paced, and enjoyable characters made it a great book to read!   

The Lady Has A Past

 

The Lady Has A Past (Burning Cove 5)- Amanda Quick

Berkley/Penguin Group

Release Date: May 5, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly disappears. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and tracks down her last known appearance at an exclusive hotel and health spa. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. What Lyra lacks in investigative experience she makes up for in gut instinct, and her gut isn’t happy that she’s saddled with a partner by Luther Pell, Raina’s dangerous lover, who wants to bring in someone with more experience to help.  

Instead of the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected, though, Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and a cool, remote gaze. Lyra suspects that Simon is much more than what he seems, and her instincts are confirmed when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina. 

The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn't the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.

____________________________________________________________________

Lyra Brazier is barely a week into her new job as an investigative apprentice when her boss, Raina Kirk, leaves her in charge and disappears. Lyra and Raina's lover, Luther Pell, know instantly something is wrong and they aren't going to stop looking until they find her. When Luther calls in a specialist, Lyra finds herself working with Simon Cage to track down Raina. The trail leads them to Labyrinth Springs Hotel and Spa where they discover Raina isn't the only woman who has gone missing. Secrets, attempted murder, accomplished murder, blackmail, and more mean that Lyra's first big case may end up becoming her last.

Lyra is definitely not someone you would imagine as a private investigator. She's vibrant, optimistic, interested in everyone, and willing to listen to them talk. And everyone talks to her, sooner or later. But while she's easy to underestimate, the more cynical Simon, Luther, and Raina all learn that she has the instincts for the job, and the tenacity to see it through. She may be a glass-half-full optimist, but she is willing to face potentially unpleasant truths in order to get answers. She's a force of her own, and I loved how people would underestimate her one minute and then she'd stand up to them the next. She never thought twice about standing up to even Luther when it was required. Lyra also accepts people as they are, not judging them for actions they may have needed to take in the past or things they found hard to accept about themselves. Simon is a quieter presence, but a force in his own right. He accepted that Lyra was going to work the case even though he didn't want her to, and learned to acknowledge her contributions to the search. Lyra's acceptance of him and his unusual talent for reading hot energy allowed him to slowly begin accepting that part of himself in a way he hadn't before. The two are opposites, but complement each other instead of clash and develop an excellent partnership- both personally and professionally. 

Book 5 in the Burning Cove series (Close Up, TightRope), Lady both stands alone and as part of the series. Cameos from past characters delight series readers without throwing off new readers.  Series readers will enjoy Luther and Raina getting plenty of time as the main secondary characters while new readers won't feel like they are missing anything in the build up of Luther and Raina's development. 

The glamorous and dangerous 1930s era is described brilliantly, plunging readers into the glitz and wonder of the Los Angeles get-away small town of Burning Cove. The seedier Labyrinth Springs is as much a character as any of the people and readers will delight in this mystery and romance. And, as always in this series, the Art Deco cover is amazing and deserves its own 5 star review.

Close Up

Close Up (Burning Cove Series)- Amanda Quick
Berkley Publishing
Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills. 
 
After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.
 
Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.

_________________________________________________________________

While trying to make it as an art photographer, Vivian Brazier pays the bills with crime-and-fire shots she sells to local newspapers.  When her artistic eye sees details at the crime scene of a serial killer, she accidentally puts herself in his crosshairs.  Then Nick Sundridge, private investigator, shows up at her door to tell her she's being stalked by a killer and he's supposed to protect her.  It's enough to send  even as strong and pragmatic a woman as Vivian running for the hills- or at least Burning Cove.  In this little seaside town Nick and Vivian work together with mobster (and Bureau code breaker) Luther Pell to unravel the secrets behind the assassin for hire stalking Vivian- and must try to discover not only who is out to kill Vivian, but why?

 

Amanda Quick (Tightrope) returns to the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood in her fourth Burning Cove book. This time the town is a safe haven for PI Nick Sundridge and photographer Vivian Brazier,  as they try to prevent Vivian's murder.  Nick is extremely laid back, pragmatic, and a perfect example of still waters running deep.  He and his faithful dog Rex make a delightful team, and Rex quite stole the show for me (that happens a lot with me and dogs who are obviously written with love. Also dust bunnies).  Vivian is a wonderful heroine- a modern woman trying to make a living with her photography while working on her art.  She's willing to roll with the punches life throws at her, and her rather personal interest in discovering who would want to hire someone to kill her gives her the believable investment in the mystery that some authors miss with amateur sleuths.  

The mystery is like the relationship between Nick and Vivian: an instant flash followed by a slow burn that builds up a solid foundation and a very satisfying conclusion.  It's an Amanda Quick mystery, so readers familiar with her books will know to expect plenty of twists, turns, and a few red herrings- plus the solution that you never quite see coming but makes perfect sense and ties up those last pesky loose ends after the big reveal. Readers new to the Burning Cove series or Quick's other books will enjoy a delightful, fresh story, while long time readers will also enjoy cameos by Luther Pell, Raina Kirk, Oliver and Irene Ward (The Girl Who Knew Too Much) as well as Caleb Jones!  The psychic twist for the characters here is not as much a part of the plot as in Quick's Arcane series, so mystery readers who don't like too much paranormal with their suspense should still enjoy the story.  Arcane fans (like myself) may be a bit disappointed the psychical aspect isn't pushed more, but I'm personally holding out hope for more in future book- perhaps Caleb Jones' diary can now fall into the hands of the 1930s Jones & Jones agency?

A fun and fast read, with plenty of satisfying plot twists set to the backdrop of glittering nightclubs and art galleries.  Also, huge shout out to the designer of the amazing Art Deco cover!  I love it!

   

Tightrope

Tightrope- Amanda Quick
Berkley Publishing
Release Date: May 7, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn moved to Burning Cove to reinvent herself, but things are not going well. After spending her entire inheritance on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, she learns too late that the villa is said to be cursed. When the first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention during a sold-out demonstration, rumors circulate that the curse is real. 

In the chaotic aftermath of the spectacle, Amalie watches as a stranger from the audience disappears behind the curtain. When Matthias Jones reappears, he is slipping a gun into a concealed holster. It looks like the gossip that is swirling around him is true—Matthias evidently does have connections to the criminal underworld. 

Matthias is on the trail of a groundbreaking prototype cipher machine. He suspects that Pickwell stole the device and planned to sell it. But now Pickwell is dead and the machine has vanished. When Matthias’s investigation leads him to Amalie’s front door, the attraction between them is intense, but she knows it is also dangerous. Amalie and Matthias must decide if they can trust each other and the passion that binds them, because time is running out.

_________________________________________________________________

Tightrope is the third book in Amanda Quick's new 1930s historical series (The Other Lady Vanishes, The Girl Who Knew Too Much), set in the glamorous small town of Burning Cove. Like many of Burning Cove's residents, Amalie is trying to reinvent herself.  She survived attempted murder by a serial killer and is ready for the quiet life of an innkeeper.  All she has to work with is her aunt Hazel and the steely determination to make her new venture successful.  When possible mobster Matthias Jones shows up to investigate the murder of her first (and only) guest, Amalie sees nothing but trouble unless the case gets solved quickly, so she makes sure to be part of the investigation.  Matthias (long-time readers of Quick will cheer to see a return of the Jones family) may be trained as an engineer but his particular talent is in knowing the truth when he hears it- making him ideal in discovering the truth behind the murder.  Sadly, being a human lie detector can make romantic relationships awkward to say the least.  He's shocked when Amalie doesn't seem bothered by his talent, and knows he needs to see where the attraction between them can lead.

Matthias is a great addition to the Jones family tree, and Quick's heroes in general.  He's intelligent, cynical, conspiracy-minded, a great liar, and knows a good thing when he sees one.  I thought it was sweet that he also shows a bit more vulnerability than others, or maybe Amalie just sees that vulnerability more.  Amalie is a quietly strong and brave woman willing to start over as many times as she needs to and to fight for what is hers.  She and Matthias are a great fit, even if it takes them a little while to figure it out.  I also enjoyed seeing more of reputed mob boss Luther Pell in Tightrope. As a secondary character he's been growing throughout the series and gets to have some truly shining moments here- as well as turning some of the reader's preconceived ideas on their heads!

The plot is a complicated mix of spies, government secrets, revenge, and greed that Quick weaves together into a seamless and intricate whole with even more than her usual storytelling talent.  Snappy dialogue, sharp wits, and quirky characters may be Quick's stock in trade, but Tightrope felt to me like  Quick is becoming even more comfortable in her new era of 1930s golden-age glamor. Tightly written and delightfully complex, Tightrope will thrill Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz fans and the beautiful art deco cover will hopefully entice a new group of readers to the wonderful world of Burning Cove. 

Other Lady Vanishes

The Other Lady Vanishes- Amanda Quick
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: May 8, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Synopsis: After escaping from a private sanitarium, Adelaide Blake arrives in Burning Cove, California, desperate to start over.

Working at an herbal tea shop puts her on the radar of those who frequent the seaside resort town: Hollywood movers and shakers always in need of hangover cures and tonics. One such customer is Jake Truett, a recently widowed businessman in town for a therapeutic rest. But unbeknownst to Adelaide, his exhaustion is just a cover.

In Burning Cove, no one is who they seem. Behind facades of glamour and power hide drug dealers, gangsters, and grifters. Into this make-believe world comes psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. Adelaide and Jake know better than to fall for her kind of con. But when the medium becomes a victim of her own dire prediction and is killed, they'll be drawn into a murky world of duplicity and misdirection.

Neither Adelaide or Jake can predict that in the shadowy underground they'll find connections to the woman Adelaide used to be--and uncover the specter of a killer who's been real all along...

_________________________________________________________

What would you do if you were locked up in an asylum by your husband so he could spend your inheritance and you could be used as a test subject by doctors?  If you're Adelaide Blake, you escape and head to the small town of Burning Cove to recreate your life.  Adelaide spends two months getting comfortable, making friends, and helping the small tea shop where she works do a booming business in herbal tea remedies for the Hollywood stars who come to Burning Cove to get away from it all.  Then things start getting complicated.  Adelaide's new neighbor, Jake Truett, shows an unusual interest in her, as does psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. It's hard for Adelaide to know who she can trust, especially when people start dying at a suspiciously fast pace.  Adelaide and Jake must uncover the secret behind her time in the asylum, lies, deceit, and blackmail to stop a deadly drug ring- before they number among its victims.

Adelaide is a deceptively sweet and trusting character, with a delightful strength and real world experience that should appeal to readers from the beginning.  She may not think of herself as strong, but she saves herself from the asylum, creates a new life for herself, and doesn't allow past betrayals to keep her from developing new friendships.  Jake is more of a mysterious figure than Quick's usual hero, and while we know from the beginning that he's one of the good guys, it takes longer than usual to peel back his layers.  We discover him at the same time that Adelaide does, we raise the same questions and get the same surprises.  I enjoyed how, each time you thought you'd learned all there was about Jake, he sheepishly admits to one more surprise.  I especially loved the one about the fountain pen!

The Other Lady is a mystery full of surprises, from first to last.  The drug ring, the murders, betrayal and surprise assistance- Lady has them all.  Then just when you think you've got it all sorted out, you realize there is one final mystery: the mystery of the Other Lady. I enjoyed guessing, thinking I had it figured out, then discovering what the red herrings were and what small clues were bigger than they seemed.  Quick is at her best here, keeping the reader on their toes and immersed in the shadows and silvery glamor that is 1930s Burning Cove.

  

In Amanda Quick's first foray into the world of the 1930s, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Quick introduces us to the small town of Burning Cove, California. The Other Lady Vanishes expands our familiarity of the town, introduces new and colorful characters, and brings back some favorites from Girl.  You don't have to have read Girl to dive into Lady, but it does help you further enjoy some of the returning characters.  The Other Lady Vanishes is a great mystery, full of tricky twists and turns that keep you guessing until the last page.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Girl Who Knew Too Much

The Girl Who Knew Too Much- Amanda Quick
Berkley
Release Date: May 9, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Synopsis:  When Hollywood moguls and stars want privacy, they head to an idyllic small town on the coast, where the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel caters to their every need. It’s where reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool…  The dead woman had a red-hot secret about up-and-coming leading man Nick Tremayne, a scoop that Irene couldn’t resist—especially since she’s just a rookie at a third-rate gossip rag. But now Irene’s investigation into the drowning threatens to tear down the wall of illusion that is so deftly built around the famous actor, and there are powerful men willing to do anything to protect their investment. 
 
Seeking the truth, Irene finds herself drawn to a master of deception. Oliver Ward was once a world-famous magician—until he was mysteriously injured during his last performance. Now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, he can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago… With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past—always just out of sight—could drag them both under…

__________________________________

Dead tipsters are not something a reporter on the gossip beat generally expects, so when Irene Glasson finds the woman who was going to give her a lead on a hot new actor dead, she naturally suspects foul play.   Oliver Ward, a former magician whose last act almost killed him, now owns the Burning Cove Hotel.  He's not thrilled to have a dead body in his pool, but he's even less happy that one of his guests has murdered another and assumes Oliver will cover it up.  Teaming up with a reporter may go against all his own rules but working with Irene feels very right.  As additional bodies pile up, the chances of coincidence lessen and patterns emerge.  But along with threats from crazed fans and movie studio execs,  Irene begins to worry that she's dealing with more than one killer.  Because she has a few secrets in her past that she hasn't shared with Oliver, and it looks like they may be catching up with her.  

When Irene Glasson discovers two murder victims in the space of the first four chapters of The Girl Who Knew Too Much, readers can be excused for thinking Irene has seriously bad luck. The truth is that, like any good reporter, Irene has a sense for secrets and the tenacity to want to follow a story no matter where it leads.  Quick does an excellent job of filling in Irene's past with a few deft strokes, not bogging down the story but giving us enough to know why Irene is a strong and independent woman, and why she is, unlike many of Quick's other heroines, not especially naive or trusting of others. However, Irene isn't yet jaded by life, and is still learning to navigate the rocky road of Hollywood gossip and the movie studios that practically run L.A.  

Oliver Ward is a bit jaded, and a lot cynical, but retains a magician's sense of curiosity and need to know why things work- including Irene.  He often seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders (as a hotel owner who employs a large number of people right after the Depression, that is slightly true) but fortunately he follows his instincts (and curiosity) when it comes to Irene.  The two make a good team, with a quiet connection that turns into love without either of them quite knowing it's happened.

Readers will mostly associate Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle) with her novels set in Regency England (Ravished) and late Victorian England ('Til Death Do Us Part).  The Girl Who Knew Too Much is her first foray into 1930s America. As a huge fan of Regency and Victorian England historicals, I was disappointed to learn that Quick's newest book was moving to a different era.  But as a devotee of Jayne Ann Krentz under all her names, there was no question about not giving Girl a fair chance.  The murder mystery in Girl is perhaps one of Quick's best so far.  Nothing is quite what it seems and as the reader puts the puzzle together with Irene and Oliver to create one solution, like one of Oliver's magic tricks suddenly seeing it from another angle shows us an entirely new answer. I do have to admit to some disappointment at the end with the new time period.  The Hollywood glitz and glamor, and art deco brilliance advertised don't really live up to the promise.  While in Quick's other historical romances the era is as much a character as the people, the 1930s doesn't feel all that different from the 'modern' world.  Some typewriters, phone booths, and cigars are thrown in to set the stage, but otherwise the book could have been any of Jayne Ann Krentz's modern day titles.  I don't know enough about the 1930s to know if that was part of Quick's point: the more things change the more they don't.  However, clues in Girl suggest we may return to Burning Cove to learn more about Oliver's friend Luther.  As a nightclub owner with possible shady connections, Luther may be able to show us the time period glamour and grittiness that struck me as situation normal for Hollywood.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much combines Quick's trademark dry wit, fast-paced plotting, and snappy dialogue with brilliant, multi-layered mystery. The twists, turns and multiple threats blend seamlessly into one brilliant whole, with plenty of surprises along the way even when you are sure everything is solved.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ravished

Ravished- Amanda Quick
















Ravished- Amanda Quick
Bantam
Release Date: June 1, 1992 Reissued: December 23, 2009

Rating (Our of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis:From the cozy confines of a tiny seaside village to the glittering crush of the a fashionable London soiree comes an enthralling tale of a thoroughly mismatched couple . . . poised to discover the rapture of love.

There was no doubt about it. What Miss Harriet Pomeroy needed was a man. Someone powerful and clever who could help her rout the unscrupulous thieves who were using her beloved caves to hide their loot. But when Harriet summoned Gideon Westbrook, Viscount St. Justin, to her aid, she could not know that she was summoning the devil himself. . . . 

Dubbed the Beast of Blackthorne Hall for his scarred face and lecherous past, Gideon was strong and fierce and notoriously menacing. Yet Harriet could not find it in her heart to fear him. For in his tawny gaze she sensed a savage pain she longed to soothe . . . and a searing passion she yearned to answer. Now, caught up in the Beast’s clutches, Harriet must find a way to win his heart–and evade the deadly trap of a scheming villain who would see them parted for all time.

____________________

One of Quick's older books, Ravished was reissued a few years ago and is still very much worth the read- despite the rather dramatic synopsis it's been given. It's the story of Harrier Pomeroy, an avid fossil collector who discovers that the caves she's been fossil hunting in are being used to store stolen goods.  Deciding it's the landholder's job to clear up the problem she summons Gideon Westbrook, Viscount St. Justin, to deal with it.  Gideon hasn't been back to his lands in Upper Biddleton in six years- not since his fiancé killed herself and he was blamed for it.  Harriet, new to the area, hasn't heard the story and after meeting Gideon, doesn't believe it.  Gideon is as surprised in her trust as he is that she isn't trying to trick him for money or his title.  But discovering that Harriet is exactly who she says she is doesn't help when the two of them are trapped in a compromising position and marriage is the only way out. Now the question is- can they get to the alter before the thieves (and Gideon's own enemies) kill them?

Ravished contains the classic wry humor of all Amanda Quick's books. Gideon especially, a man who no-one would expect to have a sense of humor, often gets some of the best lines- like the first time he sees Harriet's workroom with fossilized bones everywhere and thinks of it as "the cheerful little ante-room of hell".  He is a man who is beyond jaded.  Everyone, including his own parents, believe he raped and then abandoned his fiancé six years ago and since no one was interested in listening to his side of things, he stopped explaining.  Over time he stopped explaining anything and helped others to believe the absolute worst of him.  He cut himself off from family, Society, and as much of life as he could get away with and still manage his estates.  Harriet comes as a complete surprise to him: she isn't overawed by his rank, appalled by his facial scars, or afraid of his reputation.  She sees a man with a sense of honor, who can be trusted to do the right thing by people and his lands, and Gideon finds himself trying not to disappoint her.

Harriet is a wonderful, strong, and intelligent woman who is sure of herself and not afraid to assert her independence.  While at first she and Gideon seem like polar opposites, the more we get to know them the easier it is to see that they are perfect for each other.  They almost instantly respect each other and (usually) treat each other as equals.  The only real times that changes are when they are trying to protect each other- whether from thieves and smugglers or Society's harsh criticism. 

At its center, Ravished is a story about how sometimes finding out that another person believes the best in us allows us to see it in ourselves.  But it's also a story of how everyone, no matter how independent, needs other people.  And that other people- friends, and family, not just lovers, can make us stronger, and happier, than by standing alone.

Illusion Town

Illusion Town (Harmony #13) -Jayne Castle
Penguin Group
Release Date: July 26, 2016

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Hannah West isn’t the first woman to wake up in Illusion Town married to a man she barely knows, but she has no memory of the ceremony at all. For that matter, neither does Elias Coppersmith, her new husband. All either can remember is that they were on the run…
With Hannah’s dubious background and shaky para-psych profile, she could have done much worse. The cooly competent mining heir arouses her curiosity—as well as other parts of her mind and body. And even her dust bunny likes him.
But a honeymoon spent retracing their footsteps leads Hannah and Elias into the twisting underground catacombs, where secrets from both their pasts will come to light—and where the energy of their clashing auras will grow hot enough to burn…

                 ___________________________________________________________________

The newest addition to Jayne Castle's Harmony series introduces us to Illusion Town- Harmony's version of Las Vegas.  A desert town full of casinos, it's an easy place to get a quick marriage.  Problem is, Hannah West and Elias Coppersmith don't remember getting married.  They remember going on a first date and then . . .  ? Their problems quickly become less about regaining their memories and more about trying to figure out who's trying to kill them- and why!

Hannah and Elias travel through mysterious Alien catacombs, the Rainforest, and Illusion Town in search of answers, accompanied by Hannah's delightful dust bunny companion Virgil.  Long time Harmony readers will not be disappointed by Virgil, who steals every scene simply by being himself (and having a fondness for cupcakes and Arizona Snow). Hannah and Elias are both great, strong characters who work well together.  I especially liked Elias.  His dry humor, understated strength and talents, and engineer's views of life (like always bring a toolkit on a date and make sure your car can take care of itself) made him a lot of fun to read and another great Castle hero. Elias never makes the mistake of treating Hannah as anything less than an equal.  Despite a rough start to life, Hannah is a confident woman who doesn't let "expert" opinions of her para-psych profile and unusual dream light talent question how she views herself or affect her confidence   It was fun watching Hannah evade thinking about the marriage and brushing it off as temporary while Elias was confident almost from the beginning that he quite liked being married to Hannah and plotting how to make it permanent.  

Castle fans will enjoy Illusion Town's referrals to previous Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz books: the Midnight Carnival's way of keeping Arcane Society history alive, Mrs. Bridewell's mysterious clockwork toys/weapons, and Arizona Snow.  We get to explore new areas of the underground tunnels and new paranormal talents.  Readers new to the Harmony or Arcane Society series won't feel left out, or like they are entering a world they can't keep up with, but hopefully by the end of the book they'll be hooked and go on to read at least the rest of the Harmony series, if not all Amanda Quick's and Jayne Ann Krentz's books as well.  

Full of passion, suspense, and dust bunnies, Illusion Town is a great read for Jayne Castle fans and a great introduction to those only now discovering the world of Harmony.  I hope we'll continue exploring this new aspect of Harmony in future books.

Welcome to Illusion Town, the thrills are real. 

'Til Death Do Us Part- Amanda Quick

'Til Death Do Us Part- Amanda Quick

Berkley Publishing Group

Advanced Reader Copy: Release Date April 19, 2016 

Synopsis:  In this all new novel of deadly obsession Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—each engraved with her initials.  Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels.  But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...

Amanda Quick begins this book with a note to readers that “things have changed in my Amanda Quick world”. Like her recent Secret Sisters (written as Jayne Ann Krentz), Til Death Do Us Part is edgier, more suspenseful than earlier books.  However, long-time readers shouldn’t worry that this means drastic or unwelcome changes to one who is, for me, a go-to author under all of her pen names. 

Til Death is a fast paced mystery featuring one of Victorian England’s more unnerving trends: memento mori items.  Mourning jewelry is made even creepier by being sent to the dearly departed before they die.  When Calista Langley finds a mourning ring with her initials on it in her bedroom, not the first “gift” of its kind, she’s disturbed enough to look for help.  Mystery writer Trent Hastings figures with his research in creating his popular detective Clive Stone, he can help.  And, much like Richard Castle in ABC’s Castle, his ability to look at situations from a slightly different point of view leads to figuring out the way the story should be told. 

Like most of Quick’s mysteries, we are given a large enough suspect pool that, while we are sure all of them are “bad guys”, figuring out THE “bad guy” keeps us guessing until the very end.  I always find it very satisfying trying to figure out why certain characters can or can’t be the main villain.  As with her other books, peeling back the layers of motives and dangerous obsessions kept me glued to the book until the last page.

Quick’s strong characters are once again engaging, enjoyable, and realistic.  Calista is a woman both willing and able to chart her own path and create a career when society still disapproved of women having careers.  Trent has come to accept that “everyone’s a critic” and while his name opens doors to getting vital information in the guise of “research”, everyone he talks to feels free to share their thoughts on his latest book.  Which would be more annoying to an author: today’s readers who have to wait until they’ve read the entire book to critique it but then have an endless web platform to discuss the book (the irony is not lost on me here!) or the Victorian author who serialized his book- meaning people could critique new chapters every week and worry about the direction a book may be going? 

Personally, I don’t think a look at Til Death  is complete without a nod to Quick’s wonderful sense of humor, often in some of the most unexpected places.  The business of funerals, funeral items, and mourning items included so-called “safety bells”- designed so that the person in the coffin could ring them if they were accidentally buried when not quite dead yet.  A truly disturbing gift for a murderous stalker to send someone- especially when it has your initials already on it! But you have to see the humor in the proprietor only guaranteeing the bell will work with the specially designed coffin it is intended to be sold with.  Personally, I thought the bell was even creepier than the mourning ring that was actually left on Calista’s bed, but the bell redeemed itself in a particularly satisfying way at the end, possibly also making it my favorite piece.

Another excellent book by Amanda Quick: a must read for her long time followers and an excellent introduction to newer readers.

Warning: As with All Krentz/Quick/Castle books, do not start this book at night if you have to get up early in the morning. You will find yourself unable to put it down!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.