For those of you who know me (or have read
my bio on the blog) you know that Jayne Ann Krentz (and her alter-egos Jayne
Castle, Amanda Quick, & Stephanie James) is my absolute favorite author. All-time.
Forever. The best. Her novel Absolutely
Positively was the first romance novel I ever plucked off the shelf and was
the start of my love of romance novels.
So when I was digging through the advanced
reader copies in the back of the bookstore where I work I was absolutely
astounded to find the name Amanda Quick
staring back at me. Super popular
authors don’t tend to send out ARCs because they don’t need to. They’ve already developed their hoard of
devoted followers. But here it was.
Amanda Quick usually writes regency romance,
but with her new novel The Girl Who Knew
Too Much she has decided to give 1930s California a chance. Irena Glasson is on the run. From what?
She’s not sure. But she only
knows that she has to keep herself, and the secret journal left to her by her
murdered former employer, safe. She’s
just made a new life for herself when she finds herself, yet again, discovering
a dead body. Irene doesn’t plan on
running this time. Instead, with the
help of Oliver Ward, washed up magician and current owner of California’s most
exclusive hotel, she plans to uncover the truth of what’s happening in Burning
Cove. But when the bodies start piling
up Irene realizes that she might be in very real danger and she might have to
do something she promised herself she’d never do… trust a man with her life.
This story had everything an Amanda Quick
novel is known for: unique characters, a steamy romance, and a mystery you’re
dying to solve. I was enamored from
start to finish with the fabulous story-telling. I can never guess what I, as the reader, am
going to uncover next in her enigmatic tale of murder, mayhem, and somehow…
romance. It just all blends together so
well to create a book you can’t put down.
Ms. Quick’s characters cannot be beat in
terms of realism. You won’t find model
looks and flawless personalities here.
You’ll find characters with creative pasts, but very real traits. They’re smart, but make mistakes. Strong, but with very real weaknesses. Confident, but insecure in the ways that we,
as the readers, are also insecure. I
pass her characters on the street every day, or so it seems. They’re that wonderfully believable without
being boring.
And this story. Woosh.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I simply cannot guess where an Amanda Quick
story is going to end up. Every time I
think I know the ending, that I’ve solved the mystery, she throws another twist
into the plotline and I find myself scrambling to catch back up. It’s exhausting and thrilling and
unforgettable.
If you’ve never read an Amanda Quick novel,
you should. If historical novels aren’t
where you interests lie then have no fear:
For paranormal romance, check out Jayne
Castle. These are some of the most exceptional
paranormal romances I’ve ever read. The
imagination of Ms. Castle is utterly phenomenal. And the men aren’t bad either, if you know what I’m saying (they’re
hotter than the depths of hell).
For contemporary romance, check out Jayne
Ann Krentz (the real name of the author responsible for all these works). Some of her series are mind-blowing.
And hey, fun bonus. Ms. Krentz’s Arcane Series crosses over between all three worlds (paranormal,
contemporary, and historical). AND THEY
ARE FABULOUS.
