Running HotAuthor: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: An Arcane Society Novel
ISBN: 978-0-399-25521-5
YYYYY
Book Description:
Ex-cop Luther Malone, lifelong member of the secretive paranormal organization known as the Arcane Society, is waiting to meet Grace Renquist. Hired as an aura-reading consultant in the quest for a murder suspect, she's got zero field experience. She's from tiny Eclipse Bay, Oregon. She's a librarian, for heaven's sake.
As for Grace, she's not expecting much either from Malone, who walks with a cane and isn't so good with a gun. Nice resume for a bodyguard...
But even before they reach their hotel in Maui—where they'll be posing as honeymooners—Grace and Luther feel the electric charge between them. Problem is, they need to remain vigilant day and night, because it soon becomes clear there's more going on here. Rogue sensitives—operatives from the underground group Nightshade—are pouring into the luxury resort like there's a convention. Grace recognizes those dark spikes in their auras. She saw the same pattern in someone else in another life—a life she hasn't revealed to Luther or anyone else. And she understands how dangerous these people can be...especially with those para-hunters at their sides.
While the pair's employers at Jones and Jones scramble to get them backup, Luther and Grace have to think on their feet. The criminals in their midst aren't just high-level sensitives: They've enhanced their talents with a potent—and unpredictable—drug. And as grace knows all too well, if you don't control your powers, your powers will control you.
My View:
I'll admit I'm a Jayne Ann Krentz fan from way back. Over the years I've collected just about everything that Jayne has written under this name and her pseudonyms Jayne Castle and Stephanie James. I've read a few of the Amanda Quick series, but I'm not a real fan of historical romances, so I haven't been as diligent to read those. That said, when the new book came out I had to rush out to the bookstore and pick up my copy of her newest Arcane series and I wasn't disappointed.
To be honest I was a little worried about this one because I read the last Jayne Castle book Dark Light and it took me a little to get into it. Although, once I got past the repetitive first few chapters, it turned out to be a pretty good book. I didn't have the same problem with Running Hot. It was a fast read and action packed all the way through. I loved the characters and felt they worked well together.
Although Jayne pretty much explains the whole Arcane Society theme in Running Hot, I would recommend that those who haven't read the previous books in the series try them. It would be good to become familiar with the plot of the stories and some of the characters mentioned in this book. For example, Zack Jones is talked about several times in this book. He had his own story in the previous Arcane book Sizzle and Burn.
One other note: For those who are Jayne fans and read her Eclipse Bay series you might remember not all together there character Arizona Snow. Jayne reintroduces readers to Arizona Snow in Running Hot giving readers a completely new explanation on why Arizona acts the way she does. Bringing Arizona in was just a fun side note to this book. It's all just part of the charm that can be found in Jayne's books.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good love story with sweet love scenes. The paranormal angle takes the reader away from any sort of reality, but the ideas are original and the story line is clever.
It'll be interesting to see if Fallon Jones get the next Arcane Society book. The more we see Fallon in the series the more interesting his character becomes.
