#jayneannkrentz – Avonna Loves Genres

Feature Post and Book Review: The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz

Book Description

Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night none of them can remember, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that amplified innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list of others who took that same test. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.

Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list.

The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest, where the Unplugged Experience promises to rejuvenate guests. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover they are quite literally cut off from the outside world when none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs. . . .

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127463465-the-night-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FxoWXuxCAm&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE NIGHT ISLAND (The Lost Night Files Book #2) by Jayne Ann Krentz is an exciting second book in The Lost Files paranormal trilogy featuring three heroines bonded by a night none of them can remember. This book has a complete romance plot HEA, but the trilogy’s overarching suspense plotline is carried over from Sleep No More, the first book in the trilogy. I feel these books are best read in order.

Talia March has always had a knack for finding things, but since her lost night, it is like her power has been super charged, but also now includes the ability to find dead bodies. She follows a lead from the women’s podcast to find a woman who claims to have a list of all the test subjects and discovers she has vanished.

Luke Rand also shows up at the missing woman’s house. Luke is a history professor on the run for the last three months after waking up after his own lost night. While suspicious of each other, they agree to work together to find the missing woman and the list they are both after.

Talia and Luke follow the clues to the remote private Night Island, one of the San Juan islands off the Washington coast. It is a private retreat with strange vegetation covering the island and secrets below the surface. As they search for clues, their chemistry builds even though both feel they are not being completely honest with each other and neither feels they are made for lasting relationships. They discover a dead body of one of the island’s staff and soon they are caught up in a dangerous mysterious garden that may lead them to the missing woman they are searching for and answers to questions regarding their lost nights.

I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy and this one was even more engrossing. Knowing what we know about the lost nights from the first book allowed me to focus more on the overarching mystery and romance. Besides the suspense/mystery of the lost nights, I enjoyed Talia and Luke’s romance. Talia is endearing as she tries to convince Luke he has control over his powers and his fears are not true. There are sex scenes in this book, but they are neither overly graphic nor gratuitous. I loved and laughed at Talia’s ability to always put good food above all else. More is revealed regarding the antagonists and their motives in this book, which makes me want the next book sooner rather than later.

I highly recommend this addition in The Lost Night Files trilogy.

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About the Author

Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers. She has written contemporary romantic suspense novels under that name and futuristic and historical romance novels under the pseudonyms Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick, respectively. Jayne currently lives in Seattle, WA.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jayneannkrentz.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JayneAnnKrentz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayneAnnKrentz/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2387.Jayne_Ann_Krentz

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jayne-ann-krentz

Book Review: Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

PROMISE NOT TO TELL (Sons of Anson Salinas Book #2) by Jayne Ann Krentz is the engaging and fast-paced second book in the Sons of Anson Selinas trilogy. This trilogy features the now three adult men Anson Salinas rescued as children from a cult compound when the leader of the cult set it all aflame. This book can easily be read as a standalone romantic suspense, but there is an overarching crime mystery plotline connecting all the main characters in this trilogy and I feel have enjoyed the stories better by reading them in order.

Art gallery owner Virginia Troy has been battling anxiety attacks ever since the night her mother died, and she was rescued from a burning barn on a cult compound. One of the artists Virginia represents was a surviving member of the cult until she commits suicide. Virginia has doubts about the suicide after receiving a photo of the artist’s last work in her a series of paintings and hires the P.I. firm run by Anson Selinas and his sons to investigate.

P.I Cabot Sutter was raised by Anson after he rescued him from the cult compound fire. Cabot is determined to help Virginia not only with her case, but to discover if the man who is the main cause of their nightmares has returned. As Cabot and Virginia follow the clues, both find their lives endangered even as they discover an emotional connection that neither has ever had with anyone else.

I love this trilogy so far. The overarching mystery plotline of the trilogy is interesting on its own, but the way it has shaped the lives of the main characters is compelling. The romantic suspense plot has plenty of surprises and twists, and it kept me guessing all the way to the conclusion. Both Virginia and Cabot still have emotional difficulties or quirks that not everyone can understand from their childhood trauma, and it was so wonderful reading how they dealt with each other physically and emotionally and then came together romantically. There are a few sex scenes, but they are not gratuitous, and the care Cabot takes with Virginia makes them very sweet. The ending has me now anxiously waiting for the last book in the trilogy; I will finally get to meet Jack and hopefully see the demise of cult leader, Quinton Zane.

I recommend this exciting second romantic suspense in this trilogy from an author who never disappoints.

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About the Author

The author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jayneannkrentz.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JayneAnnKrentz

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jayne-ann-krentz

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

SLEEP NO MORE

(The Lost Night Files Book #1)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley

Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 3, 2023

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Print length ‏ : ‎ 332 pages

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SLEEP NO MORE (The Lost Night Files Book #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz on this Berkley Blog Tour.

Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz returns with the first novel of the Lost Night Files, an exciting new romantic suspense trilogy about a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember.

Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers were strangers, until their fateful stay at the Lucent Springs Hotel. An earthquake and a fire partially destroyed the hotel, but the women have no memory of their time there. Now close friends, the three women co-host a podcast called the Lost Night Files, where they investigate cold cases and hope to connect with others who may have had a similar experience to theirs—an experience that has somehow enhanced the psychic abilities already present in each woman.

After receiving a tip for their podcast, Pallas travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California, to explore an abandoned asylum. Shaken by the dark energy she feels in the building, she is rushing out when she’s stopped by a dark figure—who turns out to be the women’s mysterious tipster.

Ambrose Drake is certain he’s a witness to a murder, but without a body, everyone thinks he’s having delusions caused by extreme sleep deprivation. But Ambrose is positive something terrible happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute the night he was there. Unable to find proof on his own, he approaches Pallas for help, only for her to realize that Ambrose, too, has a lost night that he can’t remember—one that may be connected to Pallas. Pallas and Ambrose conduct their investigation using the podcast as a cover, and while the townsfolk are eager to share what they know, it turns out there are others who are not so happy about their questions—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60753741-sleep-no-more?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cJHstmK0n0&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SLEEP NO MORE (The Lost Night Files Book #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz is the first book in a new paranormal romantic suspense trilogy. I always enjoy books by this author whether under Jayne Ann Krentz or Jayne Castle and this book is a good mash-up of her JAK romantic suspense and JC paranormal romantic suspense. This book did start out a little disjointed to me, but once the characters are sorted and the mystery investigation begins, I was engrossed and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This trilogy features three diverse women, Pallas, Talia, and Amelia, who jointly experience an amnesiac day which greatly heightens their slight and varied paranormal abilities. They stick together to discover what happened to them and start a co-hosted podcast titled The Lost Night Files which is for the investigation of cold cases.

Thriller writer Ambrose Drake believes he witnessed a murder during his overnight at the Carnelian Sleep Institute for severe insomnia, but he has been having delusions since his lost night due to amnesia in San Diego. He messages The Lost Night Files for help after his personal investigation gets nowhere.

Pallas Llewellyn believes Ambrose about his lost night and is willing to help him investigate. Using the podcast as a cover, they interview the inhabitants of Carnelian, but not everyone is happy with the publicity. Feeling a sinister sensation of being watched, discovering a drug ring, and more bodies, Ambrose and Pallas work together with their enhanced abilities as the suspense ramps up to discover what is really happening in Carnelian and how it ties to them personally before they end up dead.

I enjoyed this introduction to The Lost Night Files crew and the slow burn romance between Ambrose and Pallas. The characters are all interesting with their differing abilities. This book is a complete romance and mystery which fits perfectly into the overall suspense arc of the trilogy. I am looking forward to reading Talia and Amelia’s stories and discovering answers to the overall story arc.

I recommend this paranormal romantic suspense and I am looking forward to reading the remaining two stories in this trilogy.

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About the Author

Social Media Links

Website: https://jayneannkrentz.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JayneAnnKrentz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayneAnnKrentz/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2387.Jayne_Ann_Krentz

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jayne-ann-krentz

Book Review: When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

When I want to curl up on the couch with a comfy blanket and tea to read without interruption, there are a few authors that I know I can sit down with their books and always be satisfied. Jayne Ann Krentz is one of those authors. WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE is one of those books.

Charlotte Sawyer is the average, steady, and some say naïve, director of activities at a senior retirement home. Her step-sister, Jocelyn is beautiful, adventurous and reckless. When Charlotte hears that Jocelyn’s best friend from her investment club has been found dead, she tries to contact Jocelyn at the retreat she is on. Jocelyn has disappeared and Charlotte is desperate to find her.

Max Cutler is starting his own P.I. firm after complete burnout from his criminal profiling job and his divorce that followed. He knows the job of finding out what really happened to Jocelyn’s friend won’t pay, but he is convinced to look into it. Charlotte is trying to find out what happened also and to find her sister so the two join forces.

There are two plotlines intertwined in this story. The investment club’s members are being targeted and disappearing and you have Jocelyn’s 16 year old rape case that was purposely derailed. Power, privilege, an escalating serial rapist and a friend that may not really be a friend all are fighting to silence Charlotte and Max.

Charlotte and Max were perfect together. Charlotte is very much the steady, optimistic character that isn’t boring, even though she believes she is, but you would want to have in your corner. Max is down and considers himself boring, but Charlotte sees him as steadfast and talented in his profession. The banter between these two had me smiling several times and the sex was well written. I liked that these characters weren’t looking for a relationship, but they fit.

I enjoyed this story and these characters as much as I knew I would. Sometimes in my romantic suspense reads, I don’t want super testosterone alpha males and either their matches in female form or the little woman that they rescue. Sometimes in my romantic suspense, I want normal, everyday characters that come together to become something more and when that happens it is great. Max has two ‘brothers’, so I expect this to be a trilogy.

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