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.

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.

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.

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.