Review: Shattering Dawn

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Shattering DawnShattering Dawn (The Lost Night Files Book 3) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: The Lost Night Files #3
Published by Berkley on January 7, 2025
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: A satisfying blend of paranormal suspense and romance that successfully concludes the Lost Night Files trilogy, though it leans more heavily on suspense than romance. While I would have enjoyed more romantic moments between Amelia and Gideon, the well-crafted mystery and fascinating paranormal elements make this a satisfying end to the Lost Night Files.

THE STORY: This book, the third and final in the series, follows Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, as she investigates a mysterious stalker who may be connected to her own haunting past. The story intertwines supernatural elements with romantic suspense, centered around a night of missing memories and unexplained phenomena.

Three years ago, Amelia Rivers and her two friends, Pallas Llewellyn, and Talia March, were lured to the Lucent Springs Hotel under the false premise of job opportunities related to its remodeling. That night changed their lives forever – they lost all memory of what transpired and emerged with paranormal abilities. This shared experience led them to form the Lost Night Files podcast, through which they discovered others with similar stories: some gained enhanced abilities, while others were driven to madness.

Amelia’s particular gift allows her to perceive the night world in a landscape of colors and auras, which she captures through vintage photography equipment. When she becomes aware of a stalker, she uses her ability to photograph their aura before seeking help from private investigator Gideon Sweetwater.

Though skeptical of Amelia’s claims and unsure whether she’s paranoid or running a con, Gideon accepts the case.

OPINION: This final installment of The Lost Night Files trilogy was enjoyable. The book leans heavily into the suspense elements, which might be a slight adjustment for readers who, like me, typically prefer a stronger focus on romance. However, the story is so well-crafted that this didn’t significantly impact my enjoyment.

What really works in this book is how the paranormal elements are woven into both the characters’ personal development and the overall mystery. Amelia’s supernatural abilities with auras and photography give her character interesting quirks, while Gideon’s struggles with his nightmarish dreamscapes add depth to his personality. Like in other books by Krentz featuring paranormal talents, these abilities create an engaging energy that elevates the story beyond a standard suspense novel.

The relationship between Amelia and Gideon develops at a faster pace than in the previous books, and while their chemistry is genuine, the romantic moments are somewhat sparse. They spend most of the book working together to solve the mystery of Amelia’s stalker, which gives their relationship a strong partnership feel. Their mutual acceptance of each other’s paranormal abilities helps build their connection, even if the romantic elements sometimes take a backseat to the action.

The suspense storyline is particularly strong in this installment. The twists and turns are well-plotted and make perfect sense within the story’s framework. Everything connects logically, with the foundation for each revelation carefully laid throughout the narrative. The return to Lucent Springs Hotel adds an extra layer of tension that keeps the pages turning.

As the conclusion to the trilogy, the book does an excellent job of bringing all the plot threads together while maintaining the high stakes established in the earlier books. While I would have enjoyed more romantic scenes between Amelia and Gideon, their relationship still feels authentic and satisfying. The paranormal aspects of the story continue to fascinate, giving both characters interesting challenges to overcome together.

WORTH MENTIONING: Plenty of Easter Eggs for longtime Krentz/Quick/Castle readers. It does not distract new readers, who probably will not even realize that there are references at all.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHATTERING DAWN is the third book in the Lost Night Files series. The romance is self-contained, and while there is an overarching storyline, a reader could easily catch up and enjoy this as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley so that I could prepare this review before the release date. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: The Night Island

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: The Night IslandThe Night Island (The Lost Night Files, #2) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: The Lost Night Files #2
Published by Berkley on January 9, 2024
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed the suspenseful narrative, gradual romance development, and interconnected world-building which harkens back to many Krentz/Quick/Castle books, but I was left with some loose ends.

THE STORY: The book continues the story of Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, who formed a bond after a night they can’t remember that gave them psychic abilities, prompting them to investigate what happened. In this book, when Talia follows up on a lead about a list of other test subjects, she finds the informant, Phoebe, missing and meets Luke Rand instead, who is also seeking the list. They realize they have a common goal and join forces, pretending to be a couple to investigate the remote “Unplugged Experience” retreat on Night Island. On the technologically isolated island, Talia and Luke encounter suspicious guests, strange plants, and deaths as they use their powers to uncover the secrets of the retreat and find the list, all while beginning to genuinely fall for one another even as danger lurks. Phoebe is not the first to disappear at the retreat, and Talia and Luke must rely on their psychic talents and blossoming romance to stay alive and solve the mystery.

OPINION: From the opening disappearance, a tone of tension and mystery permeates the narrative that immediately hooked me. I enjoy getting to know Talia and Luke, who both possess psychic gifts. Krentz does a great job establishing initial chemistry between them. Krentz makes great use of the pretend relationship combined with — “we can’t be together because of our cover story.”

As the book reveals the background stories of Luke and Talia, they have a shared bond that builds a strong connection between them that works both for the investigation and also for the romance. I’m always left wanting more romance in Krentz’s current romantic suspense format, but what is here worked for me.

While the ending feels rushed to me, leaving key questions frustratingly unresolved (probably awaiting the third book in the series), I really enjoyed the well-paced suspense narrative.

As a longtime Jayne Ann Krentz fan, I enjoyed connecting the dots across her elaborate interconnected worlds. I especially enjoyed the connections to her historical Arcane series books. I’m happy that Krentz has apparently decided to keep going forward with these stories even thought I don’t expect a final resolution of any of these bits and pieces. It is fun being reminded of books I read years ago and know that Krentz hasn’t forgotten them either.

But it is Luke and Talia and their somewhat sweet romance that kept me hooked even when the central island mysteries ultimately end up lacking full resolution.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has strong paranormal elements.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE NIGHT ISLAND is the second book in the Lost Night Files series. The romance here is self-contained and this book can be read as a standalone although there is an overarching storyline…but a reader can quickly catch up.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: Sleep No More

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Sleep No MoreSleep No More (Lost Night Files, #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Lost Night Files #1
Published by Berkley on January 3, 2023
Genres: Paranormal, Romantic Suspense
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: The story is much more suspense than romance, although I really enjoyed that Pallas and Ambrose spent most of the book together doing their investigation. I wish there were more relationship development, but I don’t expect as much of that in Krentz’s books now as I used to enjoy. The story was really good and kept me engaged until the end. Warning that this book leaves the big overarching story open for the rest of the series (what happened to the characters during the Lost Night), but the primary plot of the book is resolved.

THE STORY: Pallas Llewellyn’s life was turned upside down when she awoke at a hotel with no memory of what happened. Two other women had the same experience. The three have bonded in trying to determine what happened to them. The three have the “Lost Night Files” podcast where they investigate unusual happenings in hopes of discovering what happened to them. Ambrose Drake has had a similar experience as the three women at the Carnelian Sleep Clinic. His experience was magnified because he believes that he saw a murder during his “lost night”. Ambrose connects with Pallas t get her help in discovering what happened. The two join forces to investigate what happened to them — especially because each had a significant paranormal talent arise after the missing night.

OPINION: This book has a similar theme to Krentz’s last series, Fogg Lake, but I feel that she has improved just about everything in the series. This book has more tension and drama, and suspense. My only complaint is that there really isn’t any drama between Ambrose and Pallas, so their relationship is not compelling at all. Instead, it seems obvious from their first meeting that a relationship is inevitable.

The suspense story here is well crafted as there were plenty of twists, but the twists make sense, and the foundation for them is developed throughout the story.

My favorite part of this book, however, is that Ambrose and Pallas spend almost the entire book together. It feels like a buddy book (with sex and romance, certainly). That might be what bothered me about their relationship. It feels like a book that is part of the series where the main characters already have an ongoing relationship that turns romantic. (Because I am primarily a romance reader, I prefer romance to suspense, but this book definitely leans on the suspense part). There definitely is equality between the characters and their importance in solving the mystery of the book.

Both Pallas and Ambrose are suffering from the events of their lost night and dealing with their enhanced paranormal abilities. Some of my favorite Krentz books are her paranormal ones because they have a different energy, and the book feels more engaging. The paranormal abilities give the characters quirks that they have to deal with so the characters are changing as the story develops. Pallas and Ambrose find acceptance in one another which helps their relationship during the book.

We don’t get much about the other characters who will be the focus of the other books in the series, so I’m looking forward to their stories.

WORTH MENTIONING: I loved the Easter Eggs for fans of Krentz’s universe, including Arcane and Burning Cove.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SLEEP NO MORE is the first book in the Lost Night Files.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley to permit me to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: Lightning in a Mirror

Review: Lightning in a MirrorLightning in a Mirror (Fogg Lake #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Fogg Lake #3
Published by Berkley on January 18, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-half-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable conclusion to the Fogg Lake trilogy. There is plenty of romance and light suspense in this one. Olivia and Harlan had some nice chemistry and made good partners in this one. As a longtime Krentz reader, I’m glad to see the return of connections to the Arcane Society.

THE STORY: Olivia LeClair’s experience with speed dating hasn’t gone well. First, a serial killer attempted to make her his latest victim. Then, her icebreaker question is not exactly attracting good attention from her “dates” until a mysterious man sits down at her table. Harlan Rancourt has an extremely strong psychic talent and despite questions about his true motives, he insists that Olivia help him as they search for secrets about a lost lab that may hold the answers to questions about who has been committing murders in town.

OPINION: One thing I really like about Krentz’s romantic suspense books is that they are not too dark. Instead, the book is light and infused with humor. That makes it a fun read (but not comedy or slapstick). I liked the characters, especially Harlan, who is a classic Krentz hero.

There is plenty of action and Krentz has been best in recent years by using her psychic storylines which she clearly has had an affinity for through the years. The stories have a more compelling suspense element and it appears to me that Krentz really likes these “enhanced” characters better.

This book nicely wraps up the trilogy and answers the questions that have lingered through the two prior books. I enjoyed seeing the characters meet up in the end for a satisfying ending to the series.

But my favorite part of these books is always the romance and here the romance works (although I wish there was more about the relationship than there is). There is little internal romance. Instead, Olivia and Harlan seemed matched from the start and only need to deal with the external issues for them to have a happily ever after. However, I’ve come to expect this in Krentz’s more recent stories and this one is good although at times I still yearn for her more emotional and character-centered books from earlier in her career.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book also has allusions to the Arcane books which are not necessary to enjoy this book but are recognizable for fans of that series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LIGHTNING IN A MIRROR is the third book, and the conclusion, of the Fogg Lake trilogy. While the romance here is self-contained, this book ends the overarching storyline of the series and thus is better read in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

 

four-half-stars

Review: All the Colors of Night

Review: All the Colors of NightAll the Colors of Night (Fogg Lake #2) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Fogg Lake #2
Published by Berkley on January 5, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable contemporary suspense with a lot of paranormal talent dropped in. Krentz is always at her best when she incorporates paranormal into her works. I’m glad she is back to this mode.

THE STORY: Sierra Raines, an antique expert, has had some employment problems after a false accusation. She uses her psychic talent in her professional and has taken on being a go-between in the dealing of paranormal objects. North Chastain is referred to Sierra as he needs help to track down an object to help save his father. North works for the secretive Foundation, using his psychic abilities. The two end up in Fogg Lake as the area is connected with the Chastain family’s past.

OPINION: My favorite part of this book was the paranormal mystery. I liked the characters, but the focus of the story is clearly on the “suspense” aspect. I wanted more time and concentration on the characters, but it is clear that Krentz has decided to move away from her earlier “romance” focused books. That is a shame because those books are amazing both as romance and as suspense. In this book, the characters always seem shallower and as a result, I’m less interested in their story. Their love seems based primarily on being involved in this case.

Now that I’ve gotten that complaint, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. Krentz always has a good combination of suspense and humor. The story remains quickly moving and on the lighter side of suspense books. I really liked that Krentz has brought her paranormal storylines back into her contemporaries.

So while I liked this book, it lacks the depth and memorable characters that I loved in Krentz’s book from the 1990s and early 2000s.

WORTH MENTIONING: The end of this book sets up the next book in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ALL THE COLORS ON NIGHT is the second book in the Fogg Lake series. While the romance here is self-contained, there are characters and a mystery that continues from the first book, so it is better to read that one first. The book also has references to Krentz’s Arcane series. It is not necessary to read those book, but plenty of Easter Eggs for fans.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

 

four-stars

Review: The Vanishing

Review: The VanishingThe Vanishing (Fogg Lake #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Fogg Lake #1
Published by Berkley on January 7, 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 294
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Most of my favorite Krentz books have paranormal elements. This book is a return for Krentz to romantic suspense with paranormal elements and this book has an energy that reminds me of some of my favorite books.

THE STORY: Due to an incident years ago, some Fogg Lake residents have paranormal abilities. Catalina Lark, who uses her abilities in her job as a private investigator, is trying to discover what has happened to her best friend who has disappeared. Catalina ends up joining forces with scientist Slate Trevelyan. Catalina and Slate discover that her friend’s disappearance is connected with a murder she and Catalina believe they saw as teens — the murder that no one else believes occurs.

OPINION: I really enjoyed this one. Catalina and Slate were a good match and I really liked that the romance was serious in this one rather than only a small portion of the story. The book does have an overarching mystery and there is still more to be discovered in future books which is the structure of Krentz’s recent series.

I liked the interaction between Catalina and Slate. They definitely had a northwest character vibe to them which was cute. I really liked these two. Krenty definitely knows how to write idiosyncratic characters and I liked the quirks of these two. There was plenty of danger and suspense to keep the plot moving.

This was an easy read and while the immediate mystery was resolved, there is more left open to set up the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: Lark and Trevelyan are familiar names to readers of Krentz. While it is completely unnecessary to read other books of closely or distantly related people, it is clear that all these books take place in the same universe.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE VANISHING is the first book in the Fogg Lake series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Untouchable

Review: UntouchableUntouchable (Cutler, Sutter & Salinas, #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: ,
Published by Berkley on January 8, 2019
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: A nice read, but not particularly memorable. I wanted something more between the main characters who seemed to have no obstacles in their relationship beyond external. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first half. I wanted to like this story more than I actually did. A good read, but I won’t be thinking about it as a re-read.

THE STORY: Jack Lancaster has turned his investigative talents to solving cold cases. Because of his past, he is especially intrigued by cases involving fire. But his unique methods for solving these cases have taken their toll on him — until he meets meditation expert Winter Meadows. The one cold case that especially haunts Jack is the one involving Quinton Zane — the con man who killed Jack and his brother’s mothers in a blazing fire when the boys were teenagers. Believed dead by law enforcement, Zane is alive and determined to eliminate the threat of Jack and his brothers — beginning with Jack.

OPINION: This book was okay, but ultimately I found nothing particularly memorable about the book or story. I’ve been reading Krentz books since the 1980s and some books I really, really love and some are just so-so. This ended up being a good read, but nothing particularly memorable. I did notice that the “woo-woo” stuff is creeping into her stories again. I am among her readers who were really disappointed when she abandoned her Arcane stories which I found unique and almost all of them are highly memorable.

Her more recent plain romantic suspense don’t have the same energy for me. This book has a hypnotism and a lucid dreaming angle that didn’t work as well for me as the Arcane books, but I did feel that it added something unique about the characters. The characters here pretty much didn’t have any obstacles other than external. That can work, but here it felt like they were already a couple before the book began in all the emotional ways that count. That left me feeling that there wasn’t really an emotional connection between the characters.

The second half of the book which switches to focus on the suspense as the action heats up felt much better and I felt the book ended on a high note. I did like that we got to see other characters from the series and some familiar places and people from Krentz’s overall world are mentioned as well which rewards fans.

This book just didn’t rise of the level of the best of Krentz’s work, so I felt disappointed even as the book itself was a good read.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book takes place in Eclipse Bay with a familiar secondary character for those who have followed Krentz’s work.

CONNECTED BOOKS: UNTOUCHABLE is the third book in the Culter, Sutter & Salinas series. While there are some appearances by overlapping characters, these books can be read as standalones.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Promise Not to Tell

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Promise Not to TellPromise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: ,
Published by Berkley on January 2nd 2018
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: A solid suspense story but I enjoyed most the relationship between these two damaged and vulnerable people.

THE STORY: Virginia Troy has struggled with the after effects of her childhood in a cult where the members deaths were orchestrated by the cult leader (who is presumed dead, but might not be). When a former cult member ends up dead under mysterious circumstances, Virginia turns to a private investigator to help learn the truth. Cabot Sutter also was a child in the cult and he also is still haunted by the events. When the investigation draws them closer together, Virginia and Cabot need to figure out who is murdering people and also whether they can overcome their pasts to build a relationship together.

OPINION: I liked this book because there was a renewed focus on the characters over the suspense plot. Not that there isn’t an interesting plot, but I read these books for the relationship and so I enjoyed seeing these characters maneuver around one another.

Cabot and Virginia are both haunted by their past and in one another they find acceptance and understanding. I liked that their relationship is based upon their mutual problems that have separated them from other lovers in the past. However, that is really the only tension between them. Besides the suspense story, there is little drama in the relationship.

I liked the focus on the created family and how these survivors have dealt with a past that could have destroyed them all.

The suspense story has many twists and turns and just when it seems that the story is resolved, things go off in a different direction. Things fit together but there are many layers which was enjoyable.

I was especially excited by the ending of the book which previews the drama that is going to be present in the next book.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book also sets up the scenario for the next book in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: PROMISE NOT TO TELL is the second book in an apparent trilogy about three brothers. I say apparent because the publisher has chosen to not promote the fact that these books are connected (probably to not turn off casual readers who don’t want to start with book 2). Goodreads has indicated these books as being the Cutler, Sutter and Salinas series so I will go with that. This book can be read as a standalone, but there are definite continuing storylines and overlapping characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Review: When All The Girls Have Gone

Review: When All The Girls Have GoneWhen All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: ,
Published by Berkley on November 29th 2016
Genres: Commentary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 304
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: This is a nice romantic suspense but not spectacular.  I liked the characters and there was good action but I probably wouldn’t pick it up again.

THE STORY:  Charlotte Sawyer is a social director for a retirement community.  Charlotte is careful, caution and risk adverse. She was just ditched by her “perfect” fiance. She receives a key and a note from a friend of her stepsister and finds out that her stepsister’s friend just died under somewhat strange circumstances.  Her own stepsister is unreachable at a “tech-less” retreat and when Charlotte comes to see what the note and key are for, she meets Max Cutler.  Max is a private investigator and former-profiler who has come to Seattle after his divorce to build a new life. Max is looking into the death. He and Charlotte partner up to investigate what is going on. The two find themselves in danger.

OPINION:  I enjoyed this book while reading it, but I didn’t feel that it had the power and memorability of many of Krentz’s books.  The romance was good and the suspense aspect was interesting with lots of twists, but I didn’t walk away thinking I would want to read this book again.

I liked the characters of Max and Charlotte.  They are grounded people who are both rebuilding their lives.  I thought that they had a good rapport.  I did feel the relationship between them grew naturally out of their interactions. I also enjoyed that they are both flawed and there isn’t any big drama between them.

The suspense story was twisty and although much of the story was revealed during the book, there were still surprises.  Things were not what they seemed to be. As I mentioned, I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t a story that I loved so much I would return to it again.

WORTH MENTIONING:  I think this book appears to be the beginning of a series.  UPDATE: this book is the first of the Cutler, Sutter and Salinas series although it is not advertised as such.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  WHERE ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE is a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2015

This list of ten books is not necessarily my best reviewed books of 2015.  Rather, these are ten books which stuck with me for one reason or another.

10. Pia Does Hollywood by Thea Harrison — This novella does exactly what I love.  It revisits characters from the series and moves their story forward.  This novella has a tight story line and reminds me how much I love Dragos and Pia as a couple.

9. The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean — A classic road story, this first book in MacLean’s new series ticks all the classic romantic tropes — two protagonists who start out hating and fighting one another but soon cannot help being attracted to one another, a highwayman, illicit nights spent on the road together, and a rake brought to his knees.

8. Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz — Perfect balance between romance and suspense in this story of the past that comes back to haunt the heroine. I loved the twists and turns of the suspense story and also the connection between the hero and heroine.

7. The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward — A book I was inclined to dislike merely because of its description which sounds like a 1980s Dynasty or Dallas description, I found the story of this rich family that is falling apart on all sides to be compelling.  These are not always likable characters but their development makes great drama. The story is a  sweeping and epic family drama with a lot of romance.

6. Luck be a Lady by Meredith Duran — I love these cross-class romances.  Here, the hero is a criminal mastermind and the heroine is a woman who wants nothing more than to be a strong business woman.  Challenging all her assumptions Catherine has about herself, Nick is clever, daring, rough and sexy.  Their interactions are what I remember most from this book.

5. Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh — Nassir, Nassir, Nassir.  Cuddly as a cat and as dangerous as a viper, Nassir is such unique character.  His search for his mate is as singular as Nassir’s own nature.  I loved that we get to know so much about Nassir and yet he becomes more mysterious and compelling.  Mee-yow!

4. Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh — The only author with two books on my list, Nalini Singh has two diverse genres.  Rock Redemption is her contemporary series about the members of a rock band.  When Noah and Kit were introduced earlier in the series, readers discovered that Noah purposely destroyed any potential relationship between them by having Kit catch him having sex with a groupie.  How these two find a path together is my most heartbreaking and angst filled read of the year.

3. Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase — This book has a quirky relationship between a barrister and an aristocrat.  The two of them have a very bantering relationship with lots of arguments and discussions which draw them together.  I always love the sense of place that Chase novels have with many historical details.  Chase makes a stuffy lawyer very sexy.

2. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt — Hot, hot, hot. This story between a sensualist and a woman who fears even being alone with a man is romantic and sexy while also being sweet and gentle.  Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series is one of my all time favorites and this book’s story is big and bold and sexy — and so is Asa Makepeace.

1. The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long — My favorite book of the year did something that is almost impossible — exceeded high expectations. The final book of the Pennyroyal Green series, this book tells the star-crossed lovers story of Lyon and Olivia whose families rival the Capulets and Montagues. Lyon and Olivia’s story has been a catalyst throughout the series and thus readers had high expectations for their story. This book was beautiful, emotional and one of the best closures of a series I have ever read.