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Lisa Kleypas - Betina Krahn - Jayne Ann Krentz




Bookbug Review

Kleypas, Lisa - SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME  (Avon - 5/99) (4+)
Bow Street Runner extraordinaire, Grant Morgan, is summoned when a body is fished out of the Thames River. To his amazement the woman is still alive, and even more amazing, he knows the identity of the woman. She's the beautiful and famous courtesan, Vivien Duvall. The same woman he'd once been smitten with on sight, then rejected after a few minutes of conversation as being too shallow and self-absorbed. The same woman who then spread rumors among the demimonde that she had rejected him.

Grant carries Vivien back to his elegant townhouse, and soon realizes she had been attacked and thrown into the river to drown. Also, Vivian has amnesia and remembers nothing of her previous life, including the assault made on her. Grant again feels the strong sexual magnetism between them, and determines to take advantage of the courtesan's amnesia and enjoy a physical relationship with her while she's under his roof. The only obstacle is he becomes attracted to this new, shy, and innocent Vivian; and in turn, she is attracted to the strong and handsome Grant. He must discover who, among Vivian's many titled lovers, wants her dead...before he falls more deeply in love with her.

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME is a wonderfully rich and detailed Regency historical with a to-die-for hero, a provocative heroine, lots of suspense, and breathtaking, sensually explicit love scenes. If you've been craving a Regency that explores more than the world of the aristocracy, SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME is for you. Ms. Kleypas takes a standard romance plot, gives it a twist, and stamps it with her own inimitable magic. ~Debora Hosey for Bookbug on the Web



Bookbug Review

Kleypas, Lisa - STRANGER IN MY ARMS  (Avon - 1998) (4)
Lara's husband, Hunter Cameron, the Earl of Hawksworth, miraculously reappears three years after being lost at sea and he is a changed man. Although there is a physical resemblance and he has all the identifying body marks, there is a dramatic difference in his personality. He is no longer the self-centered, uncaring husband that Lara remembered from their brief, unhappy marriage—a tender, attentive man has taken his place. Hunter is determined to make up for past wrongs, too. But Lara is never sure if he is an imposter or not, although she finds herself wanting to believe in him. Whether he is or not remains to be proven, but he is every woman's fantasy and Lara falls in love with her husband for the first time.

If you enjoyed the movie SOMMERSBY, no doubt you'll find this book to be equally captivating. Aside from the strong sensual nature and the excellent prose, for me the strength of this book was the hero and the pervading mystery: "Is he or isn't he Hunter Cameron?"  After the big buildup, however, I was somewhat disappointed by the turn of events in the last few chapters. All in all, I enjoy this author's writing and I liked the premise of STRANGER IN MY ARMS, but it left me feeling mildly unsatisfied in the end. ~June Folk for Bookbug on the Web



Krahn, Betina - MERMAID, THE  (Bantam - 1997) (Very Highly Recommended)
The story centers around a woman dubbed "the mermaid," who has published her observations on marine life and her adventures with dolphins. The hero, considered an expert at debunking seemingly ridiculous happenings, scoffs at her published work. She issues a challenge: spend two weeks at her home, watching her interact with the dolphins. He agrees, and you can imagine what happens along the way. This a wonderful book with some truly funny scenes. ~Beth C. (elizabeth_coogan@brown.edu)



Krentz, Jayne Ann - FAMILY MAN  (4)
Another good book, with strong characters. I'm often fascinated at how Krentz succeeds at getting us to look through the surface of her characters to see the goodness inside. She minimizes the drama and always arranges the plot to avoid hurting any of the characters, even if we think they deserve it. ~Sylvie (s_pepos@videotron.ca)



Krentz, Jayne Ann - FLASH  (Pocket - 4/99) (4)
Glow, Inc. designs and builds high-tech industrial lighting fixtures. The CEO, Roland G. Chantry, employs predominately family members. When he dies in a hot air balloon accident, the family is shocked to learn that 51 percent of the stock has been left to an outsider, venture capitalist Jasper Sloan. Roland's niece Olivia, owner of the remaining 49 percent of the company, is very upset with the developments.

She offers Jasper a sweet deal in an effort to buy him out, but he rejects it because he feels that his new position will give him the means of getting out of his current ennui. In spite of their differences, Olivia and Jasper agree that the family scandals caused by his deceased sibling and her spouse are safely buried. That opinion changes when an unknown assailant tries to blackmail the pair based on specific knowledge of what occurred. Working as a team, they try to ferret out the blackmailer while gaining back the files that contain the damaging information from the culprit. This forced camaraderie leads to a realization that they share a lot more in common than mere business.

Jayne Ann Krentz can always be depended upon to provide her readers with what they want in a novel. In FLASH, this talented author allows her fans to escape reality via a complex and oftentimes convoluted story line. The quirky characters and their explosive romance will remind readers of Taylor-Burton (the CLEOPATRA days). FLASH is another winner added to the illustrious award-winning resume of Ms. Krentz. ~Harriet Klausner



Krentz, Jayne Ann - PRIVATE EYE, THE  (Harl. Tempt. 377) (3)
Maggie offered room and board for a month to the private eye who came to her manor to find out why so many mysterious things were happening. ~Marilyn H. (mlyn@jps.net)




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