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Lover In Pursuit
PASSION IN PARADISE…
The light in his amber eyes lit embers that hadn't died. But Reyna MacKenzie vowed she'd never again succumb to Trevor Langdon's promise of love. He'd come to Hawaii to reclaim her. But six months in the tropics had changed Reyna from a cool career woman to a tawny tigress who had come to her senses at last. She was ready for a blazing affair—until the fire she started flared out of control…
The light in his amber eyes lit embers that hadn't died. But Reyna MacKenzie vowed she'd never again succumb to Trevor Langdon's promise of love. He'd come to Hawaii to reclaim her. But six months in the tropics had changed Reyna from a cool career woman to a tawny tigress who had come to her senses at last. She was ready for a blazing affair—until the fire she started flared out of control…
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1982
2 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie James
48 books150 followersJayne Ann Castle was born on 28 March 1948 in Borrego Springs, California. Her mother, Alberta Castle, raised her with her two brothers, Stephen and James. In 1970, she obtained a B.A in History at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and later she obtained a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University, where she met Frank Krentz, an engineer. After her graduation, they married and moved to the Virgin Islands. She worked in the Duke University library system, where she began to write her first romance novels. The marriage moved to Seattle, Washington, where they continue living.
Now, Jayne Ann Castle Krentz with her seven pennames is considered a pillar in the contemporary romance genre. For some years, she only uses three pennames for each of three different periods from time: "Jayne Ann Krentz" (her married name) from the present, "Jayne Castle" (her birth name) from the future and her most famous penname: "Amanda Quick" from the past. She is famous for her work ethic, beginning her writing by 7 am six days a week. Her heroins never are damsels in hardships, they are often heroes. Her novels also contain mystery or paranormal elements.
Enthusiastic of the romantic genre, she has always defended its importance. To help educate the public about the romantic genre she became the editor and a contributor to Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance, a non-fiction essay collection that won the prestigious Susan Koppelman Award for Feminist Studies. She established the Castle Humanities Fund at UCSC's University Library to allow the library to purchase additional books and has given money to 15 Seattle-area elementary schools to enhance their library budgets. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Writers Programs at the University of Washington extension program.
Psuedonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Jayne Castle
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
Now, Jayne Ann Castle Krentz with her seven pennames is considered a pillar in the contemporary romance genre. For some years, she only uses three pennames for each of three different periods from time: "Jayne Ann Krentz" (her married name) from the present, "Jayne Castle" (her birth name) from the future and her most famous penname: "Amanda Quick" from the past. She is famous for her work ethic, beginning her writing by 7 am six days a week. Her heroins never are damsels in hardships, they are often heroes. Her novels also contain mystery or paranormal elements.
Enthusiastic of the romantic genre, she has always defended its importance. To help educate the public about the romantic genre she became the editor and a contributor to Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance, a non-fiction essay collection that won the prestigious Susan Koppelman Award for Feminist Studies. She established the Castle Humanities Fund at UCSC's University Library to allow the library to purchase additional books and has given money to 15 Seattle-area elementary schools to enhance their library budgets. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Writers Programs at the University of Washington extension program.
Psuedonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Jayne Castle
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 25, 2024
ANNOUNCER: You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin. The people are not real. They are fictional characters of a Harlequin romance, namely, Lover in Pursuit by Stephanie James. The rulings however are real and they are very final. This is her courtroom. This is Judge Judy.
BYRD THE BAILIFF: Order, all rise.
ANNOUNCER: Heroine Reyna Mackenzie is suing Hero Trevor Langdon for intentional infliction of emotional distress for pumping and then dumping her in a cold, emotionless business scheme. The Hero's Defense is that he is not responsible for Heroine's Treacherous Body Decisions and is countersuing for legal costs, lost wages and interest.
BYRD: Be seated! Your Honor, this is case number 163. Mackenzie vs. Langdon. All parties have been sworn in.
JUDGE JUDY: Okay Sir, let's get this show on the road. I haven't got all day and I am due for a taping of The View this afternoon. So. When did you two knuckleheads first meet?
HERO: Six months ago, your honor.
HEROINE: Yes, six months.
JUDGE JUDY violently slams her desk: SHUSH! SHUSH! SHUSH! Ma'am, look at me! Do you see me? Look at me!
HEROINE: I...I am looking at me...I mean, you...I am looking at you Ma'am...I mean Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: Okay, while you are looking at me, Ma'am, read my lips. My lips are telling you to SHUSH. That's spelled S-H-U-S-H. And you keep on SHUSHING until I call on YOU to speak. Got it?
HEROINE: Yes, Your Honor...
JUDGE JUDY beams at her bailiff and claps over-excitedly: Good! Wheeeeewww. Well, we're off to a great start, aren't we Byrd?
BYRD: *Nod*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay knucklehead, let's keep this momentum going. So, as you were saying, you met the young lady standing here six months ago, correct?
HERO: Correct, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: And how long did you...*snort*...date?
HERO: Two weeks, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: And I suppose now you're going to pee on my leg and tell me it's raining?
HERO: Ermm...I'm sorry, Your Honor?
BYRD: *chuckle*
JUDGE JUDY, rolling her eyes: You're going to tell me you fell madly in love after two weeks?
HERO: N...No, I didn't. At least... At least, I didn't think so at the time. I just wasn't sure what my feeling was. You see, I had never fallen in love before so I didn't know what it was.
JUDGE JUDY: Tinkle, tinkle.
HERO: Pardon me?
JUDGE JUDY: OH nothing. Byrd, I feel something damp on my leg, do you feel something damp?
BYRD: *chuckle and nod*
JUDGE JUDY: Never mind, okay, moving on, Sir. If you didn't recognize that feeling as love at that time, what feeling DID you recognize?
HERO: Well Your Honor, the truth is, I used the complainant to save my weak, dumb brother-in-law's business from a take-over by her company. I did this by wining and dining, then bedding her. She threw over her career for love of me and I coldly dumped her the next morning.
JUDGE JUDY: So it was all just a game to you?
HERO: No, Your Honor. It wasn't. I thought it was. I told myself it was. But...I think I was too scared of owning up to my feelings. Even then, I think I knew, deep down...deep, deep, deep, deep down that I loved her. So I decided to hurt her because love is scary and...it makes you hurt the person you love but it also...it actually hurts you even more than the person you hurt.
JUDGE JUDY: HA!!!! BALONEY! In twenty years, I don't think I've ever been served such a grossly thick slice of cold cut. Oh my god, do you believe this guy, Byrd?
BYRD: *head shake*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay, I am going to...
HERO: No, please no, Your Honor, you gotta hear me out...Pl...
JUDGE JUDY flings her gavel at hero's head, knocking him out: I'M SPEAKING. I. AM. SPEAKING. NOW. I. NOT YOU. I. I. I. I. I. Do I make myself clear? If you ever interrupt me again, I'm going to have Byrd here reach in and pull your heart out of your chest cavity while you are mid-sentence and then feed your carcass to the fish at the bottom of the East River, like I did to Wapner back in the day. You understand me you pathetic excuse for a homo sapiens?
HERO: *unconscious guttural sounds*
BYRD: *chuckle*
JUDGE JUDY, turning to the heroine: Okay Ma'am, your turn now. You've been very good and very quiet, just how I like my victims to be. So now you get a reward. Come on, it's your time to shine. So this bozo ruined your life and left you high and dry for six months?
HEROINE whispers: yyy...yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: WHAT? Speak up, lady, I can't hear you. You couldn't shut up before, now I can't get you to open your big, fat mouth? Come on, let's go already.
HEROINE, teary-eyed: I'm sorry, Your Honor. I'm...That is... It's a little scary to be here...
JUDGE JUDY: Where did you think you were invited to, a tea party? Maybe I oughta have Byrd here throw a pot of scalding hot tea on your face, d'ya think that'll wake you up?
BYRD: *chuckle and nod*
HEROINE: No, no, no, oh no, Your Honor, that won't be necessary. I'll answer all your questions, I swear!
JUDGE JUDY: Good, okay. So what did you do when this bozo waltzed back into your life after 6 months? Did you swoon at his feet?
HEROINE: Oh no, I told him I didn't love him anymore.
JUDGE JUDY: You WHAT? I don't believe I'm hearing this. You mean you hadn't been pining mopily for him for 6 months like a good Harlequin heroine?
HEROINE: No way! I was too busy putting my life back together, getting a new place, a new job, a new boyfriend...
JUDGE JUDY: You're kidding me right? I'm stunned. Byrd, I'm stunned. You wouldn't be feeding me baloney or peeing on my leg right now, would you?
HEROINE: Definitely not, Your Honor, I wouldn't dare. I am telling the truth. I did stop pining for him and I moved on with my life.
JUDGE JUDY: Good girl! Wow, I am excited. You might be the first litigant I have seen in my court that I didn't send home with a copy of my New York Times Bestseller Beauty fades, Dumb is forever. What did you tell him when he told you he loved you and wanted you back in his life?
HEROINE: He never said he loved me. He did say he wanted me back but his reason was that he wanted ME to love HIM. He said he missed the feeling that it gave him to have someone worshipping at his feet and that he wanted me back so I could make him feel good like that again.
JUDGE JUDY: Byrd, go pick up my gavel that's lying next to the knucklehead... you got it? Yeah, the one with blood and hair sticking to it from when I threw it at his head...Now I want you to hold it real high...good, good...now ready, Byrd? I want you to SLAM IT BACK DOWN ON HIS TESTICLES. That's right! Real hard like that.
HERO: AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHAAAAAAAAA [loses consciousness again].
BYRD: *chuckle and head shake*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay Ma'am, I think I get the picture. This guy was a total waste of oxygen and you shut him down like he deserved. The audacity!
HEROINE: Yes, that's right, Your Honor. I even made him grovel.
JUDGE JUDY: Grovel! Oh but that's magnificent! That makes my day. Grovel is the best. Hehe, how long did you make him do it?
HEROINE, proudly: For a whole day!
JUDGE JUDY: A...a whole...day? Like, 24 hours?
HEROINE: Hmmmm... Yes, I suppose. 24 hours, yes. Because it was exactly the next night that I went out on a dinner date with him.
JUDGE JUDY: You went on a date with him 24 hours after he showed up and told you he wanted you to love him again because it felt good...That is the story you're going with?
HEROINE: Errrmmmm...Yes, but it was only because I wanted my message to him to be loud and clear.
JUDGE JUDY: Ooookay. Not sure I buy that but fine, let's continue. And what did you tell him on your date?
HEROINE: I told him again how I wasn't in love with him anymore and that he had no hope of ever winning me back.
JUDGE JUDY: Oh pheeeeww, for a minute there, you had me going. I thought you were going to go back on your word and tell me you did end up swooning at his worthless feet. So after the date, did he finally get the message that you weren't interested?
HEROINE: I think so.
JUDGE JUDY: Then what happened? Did you say goodbye and he returned where he came from?
HEROINE: No. He wasn't convinced so I decided, to make my message clearer, to invite him for a moonlit ocean swim in my orange and green bikini.
JUDGE JUDY: Uh...you...no .. what?...WHAT??!!! And the. What???
HEROINE: And then I had sex with him. You know, just to make it even more clear.
JUDGE JUDY: Byrd, bring me that bloody gavel back, there's something I need to do...
ANNOUNCER: Judge Judy will be right back, after these messages!
BYRD THE BAILIFF: Order, all rise.
ANNOUNCER: Heroine Reyna Mackenzie is suing Hero Trevor Langdon for intentional infliction of emotional distress for pumping and then dumping her in a cold, emotionless business scheme. The Hero's Defense is that he is not responsible for Heroine's Treacherous Body Decisions and is countersuing for legal costs, lost wages and interest.
BYRD: Be seated! Your Honor, this is case number 163. Mackenzie vs. Langdon. All parties have been sworn in.
JUDGE JUDY: Okay Sir, let's get this show on the road. I haven't got all day and I am due for a taping of The View this afternoon. So. When did you two knuckleheads first meet?
HERO: Six months ago, your honor.
HEROINE: Yes, six months.
JUDGE JUDY violently slams her desk: SHUSH! SHUSH! SHUSH! Ma'am, look at me! Do you see me? Look at me!
HEROINE: I...I am looking at me...I mean, you...I am looking at you Ma'am...I mean Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: Okay, while you are looking at me, Ma'am, read my lips. My lips are telling you to SHUSH. That's spelled S-H-U-S-H. And you keep on SHUSHING until I call on YOU to speak. Got it?
HEROINE: Yes, Your Honor...
JUDGE JUDY beams at her bailiff and claps over-excitedly: Good! Wheeeeewww. Well, we're off to a great start, aren't we Byrd?
BYRD: *Nod*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay knucklehead, let's keep this momentum going. So, as you were saying, you met the young lady standing here six months ago, correct?
HERO: Correct, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: And how long did you...*snort*...date?
HERO: Two weeks, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: And I suppose now you're going to pee on my leg and tell me it's raining?
HERO: Ermm...I'm sorry, Your Honor?
BYRD: *chuckle*
JUDGE JUDY, rolling her eyes: You're going to tell me you fell madly in love after two weeks?
HERO: N...No, I didn't. At least... At least, I didn't think so at the time. I just wasn't sure what my feeling was. You see, I had never fallen in love before so I didn't know what it was.
JUDGE JUDY: Tinkle, tinkle.
HERO: Pardon me?
JUDGE JUDY: OH nothing. Byrd, I feel something damp on my leg, do you feel something damp?
BYRD: *chuckle and nod*
JUDGE JUDY: Never mind, okay, moving on, Sir. If you didn't recognize that feeling as love at that time, what feeling DID you recognize?
HERO: Well Your Honor, the truth is, I used the complainant to save my weak, dumb brother-in-law's business from a take-over by her company. I did this by wining and dining, then bedding her. She threw over her career for love of me and I coldly dumped her the next morning.
JUDGE JUDY: So it was all just a game to you?
HERO: No, Your Honor. It wasn't. I thought it was. I told myself it was. But...I think I was too scared of owning up to my feelings. Even then, I think I knew, deep down...deep, deep, deep, deep down that I loved her. So I decided to hurt her because love is scary and...it makes you hurt the person you love but it also...it actually hurts you even more than the person you hurt.
JUDGE JUDY: HA!!!! BALONEY! In twenty years, I don't think I've ever been served such a grossly thick slice of cold cut. Oh my god, do you believe this guy, Byrd?
BYRD: *head shake*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay, I am going to...
HERO: No, please no, Your Honor, you gotta hear me out...Pl...
JUDGE JUDY flings her gavel at hero's head, knocking him out: I'M SPEAKING. I. AM. SPEAKING. NOW. I. NOT YOU. I. I. I. I. I. Do I make myself clear? If you ever interrupt me again, I'm going to have Byrd here reach in and pull your heart out of your chest cavity while you are mid-sentence and then feed your carcass to the fish at the bottom of the East River, like I did to Wapner back in the day. You understand me you pathetic excuse for a homo sapiens?
HERO: *unconscious guttural sounds*
BYRD: *chuckle*
JUDGE JUDY, turning to the heroine: Okay Ma'am, your turn now. You've been very good and very quiet, just how I like my victims to be. So now you get a reward. Come on, it's your time to shine. So this bozo ruined your life and left you high and dry for six months?
HEROINE whispers: yyy...yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE JUDY: WHAT? Speak up, lady, I can't hear you. You couldn't shut up before, now I can't get you to open your big, fat mouth? Come on, let's go already.
HEROINE, teary-eyed: I'm sorry, Your Honor. I'm...That is... It's a little scary to be here...
JUDGE JUDY: Where did you think you were invited to, a tea party? Maybe I oughta have Byrd here throw a pot of scalding hot tea on your face, d'ya think that'll wake you up?
BYRD: *chuckle and nod*
HEROINE: No, no, no, oh no, Your Honor, that won't be necessary. I'll answer all your questions, I swear!
JUDGE JUDY: Good, okay. So what did you do when this bozo waltzed back into your life after 6 months? Did you swoon at his feet?
HEROINE: Oh no, I told him I didn't love him anymore.
JUDGE JUDY: You WHAT? I don't believe I'm hearing this. You mean you hadn't been pining mopily for him for 6 months like a good Harlequin heroine?
HEROINE: No way! I was too busy putting my life back together, getting a new place, a new job, a new boyfriend...
JUDGE JUDY: You're kidding me right? I'm stunned. Byrd, I'm stunned. You wouldn't be feeding me baloney or peeing on my leg right now, would you?
HEROINE: Definitely not, Your Honor, I wouldn't dare. I am telling the truth. I did stop pining for him and I moved on with my life.
JUDGE JUDY: Good girl! Wow, I am excited. You might be the first litigant I have seen in my court that I didn't send home with a copy of my New York Times Bestseller Beauty fades, Dumb is forever. What did you tell him when he told you he loved you and wanted you back in his life?
HEROINE: He never said he loved me. He did say he wanted me back but his reason was that he wanted ME to love HIM. He said he missed the feeling that it gave him to have someone worshipping at his feet and that he wanted me back so I could make him feel good like that again.
JUDGE JUDY: Byrd, go pick up my gavel that's lying next to the knucklehead... you got it? Yeah, the one with blood and hair sticking to it from when I threw it at his head...Now I want you to hold it real high...good, good...now ready, Byrd? I want you to SLAM IT BACK DOWN ON HIS TESTICLES. That's right! Real hard like that.
HERO: AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHAAAAAAAAA [loses consciousness again].
BYRD: *chuckle and head shake*
JUDGE JUDY: Okay Ma'am, I think I get the picture. This guy was a total waste of oxygen and you shut him down like he deserved. The audacity!
HEROINE: Yes, that's right, Your Honor. I even made him grovel.
JUDGE JUDY: Grovel! Oh but that's magnificent! That makes my day. Grovel is the best. Hehe, how long did you make him do it?
HEROINE, proudly: For a whole day!
JUDGE JUDY: A...a whole...day? Like, 24 hours?
HEROINE: Hmmmm... Yes, I suppose. 24 hours, yes. Because it was exactly the next night that I went out on a dinner date with him.
JUDGE JUDY: You went on a date with him 24 hours after he showed up and told you he wanted you to love him again because it felt good...That is the story you're going with?
HEROINE: Errrmmmm...Yes, but it was only because I wanted my message to him to be loud and clear.
JUDGE JUDY: Ooookay. Not sure I buy that but fine, let's continue. And what did you tell him on your date?
HEROINE: I told him again how I wasn't in love with him anymore and that he had no hope of ever winning me back.
JUDGE JUDY: Oh pheeeeww, for a minute there, you had me going. I thought you were going to go back on your word and tell me you did end up swooning at his worthless feet. So after the date, did he finally get the message that you weren't interested?
HEROINE: I think so.
JUDGE JUDY: Then what happened? Did you say goodbye and he returned where he came from?
HEROINE: No. He wasn't convinced so I decided, to make my message clearer, to invite him for a moonlit ocean swim in my orange and green bikini.
JUDGE JUDY: Uh...you...no .. what?...WHAT??!!! And the. What???
HEROINE: And then I had sex with him. You know, just to make it even more clear.
JUDGE JUDY: Byrd, bring me that bloody gavel back, there's something I need to do...
ANNOUNCER: Judge Judy will be right back, after these messages!
February 18, 2018
Wooho I loved this book! The heroine having had her heart broken by hero six months before is not the usual heroine as in she isn't pining or wallowing instead she is happy, has changed her life, casually dating and LIVING! So when the hero comes back thinking he is gonna rescue a poor princess who is so heart-broken that she left her life, she sets him straight! I loved how she told him straight up that he did her a favour which led her to change her cut-throat corporate life and told him point blank she didn't love him. The hero's reaction was hilarious when she told him that she slept with him again because he was good in bed, not because she loved him. I loved how he had to chase her and negotiate to spend time with her. All in all I was convinced by his grovelling and felt they deserved their HEA.
January 3, 2022
I absolutely loved this h! Now *this* is how you get back at the H who took your for granted. Date other men, use H for sex only, make him wait and feel insecure, etc…. Lol😂😂.
- h is not beautiful but attractive. She fell in love first, and got dumped by the H. He came running back 6 months later to get her back…but it’s too late. 😂🤷🏻♀️
Safe
Both celibate during separation.
- h is not beautiful but attractive. She fell in love first, and got dumped by the H. He came running back 6 months later to get her back…but it’s too late. 😂🤷🏻♀️
Safe
Both celibate during separation.
September 14, 2020
This story spawned some great reviews and discussions. So I’m glad I read it. I share Judge Judy’s impatience with the characters (from Naksed’s review).
In the end, though, I just didn’t like the story.
*I resented not having the betrayal scene in real time.
*I thought the heroine was ridiculous for giving up her job for “love.” This “love” consisted of a two-week sexual affair.
*I thought the hero was ridiculous for flubbing his “win.” What did he expect to happen?
*I thought the jokes about the hero’s clothes were immature and jarring.
*The heroine's inability to secure a bank loan? Business 101 fail.
*As for the hero? I knew more about the price of his dress pants and shoes than what he was really like.
In the end, though, I just didn’t like the story.
*I resented not having the betrayal scene in real time.
*I thought the heroine was ridiculous for giving up her job for “love.” This “love” consisted of a two-week sexual affair.
*I thought the hero was ridiculous for flubbing his “win.” What did he expect to happen?
*I thought the jokes about the hero’s clothes were immature and jarring.
*The heroine's inability to secure a bank loan? Business 101 fail.
*As for the hero? I knew more about the price of his dress pants and shoes than what he was really like.
January 23, 2020
My teenage self was not a stickler for details. Here's what she remembered about this book:
The Betrayal: Six months before the story begins, the heroine was working in mergers & acquisitions at a Seattle corporation and had targeted the hero's brother-in-law's mismanaged computer company for a takeover. The hero sweeps in, seduces her, she drops the takeover bid because she loves him, then he coldly dumps her.
The Consequence: She resigns from her job and moves to Hawaii where she takes a job as a desk clerk at a hotel. (One of the perks of the new job appears to be living in one of the hotel's beachfront condos. #unrealistic)
The Payback: I would call this "the grovel," but the hero never actually apologizes. In fact, the heroine agrees that he did the only thing he could to save his b-i-l's firm from her. So there is no verbal admission of douchebaggery. Instead, he finds the heroine on her beach and tells her he wants her love back in his life. To which she responds she obviously doesn't love him any more but she's grateful for the push out of the old corporate rat race and into this fabulous new relaxed Hawaiian lifestyle. He's convinced she's just bitter and will return to Seattle with him in 8 days. She makes fun of him for wearing a tie in the islands. She unnerves him by pursuing plans to open a gourmet take-out deli on the island. She outrages him by having sex with the hero while continuing to deny she loves him. (Two-thirds of the sex in this book flips traditional gender roles in vintage romance.) The heroine outwardly retains her indifference for three days while the hero pursues, attacks, and regroups.
The Resolution:
I've always enjoyed the extended payback/grovel section, but this book has never been one of my favorites because of the
However, now that I'm super-old, I see other things that didn't make an impression before.
1. Even though the heroine resigned willingly from her job, the loss of her career is supposed to be part of the damage sustained when the hero rejected her. But beyond the fact that she has fallen into a better living situation, she deserved to lose her job and should have resigned even if the hero hadn't dumped her. She betrayed her employer by dropping the takeover bid for personal reasons. I can't help but notice that the hero isn't extending a job offer to her, even though he promises to "put the pieces back together" and "make everything right." Who would want to employ a woman who can't be trusted to act in her employer's best interests?
2. The hero is a douchebag gigolo. At their first meeting, he realized the heroine was attracted to him and immediately decided to use that leverage to save his brother-in-law's firm. There's no indication he considered any legitimate business strategies to thwart the takeover à la the protagonists from Corporate Affair. Nor are we given any information on the sister and her husband to make them sympathetic characters worthy of such a tacky maneuver (like their business went down the drain because they were spending 24/7 at the bedside of their leukemia-stricken child or something).
3. The past is recapped without dialogue or flashbacks. We're told rather than shown how the heroine was captivated by the hero's charm (seriously, there is no charm in sight) and surrendered everything for love. We're told that the heroine went to the hero's office to reveal the takeover bid had been cancelled and he immediately dumped her, but we're not shown that conversation. Not only does this deny the reader an emotional scene, it also hampers my ability to determine if the hero is redeemable. Was he cruel in victory or merely condescending?
4. The explanation for why the hero treated her so coldly is that he didn't recognize love. *eyeroll* In addition to not offering any apologies when he locates the heroine, he is not offering protestations of love, just demanding hers. (Seriously, where do these arrogant JAK heroes get their nerve?) His dual character trajectory is to loosen up and learn how to love. The former is accomplished via bird watching and body surfing; I guess the latter is accomplished through those gender-reversed sexual encounters.
So there are a lot more flaws here than I saw in my youth, but this book is still worth a read if you enjoy seeing your heroes repeatedly thwarted by a heroine whose backbone doesn't dissolve until the end of the book.
JAK checklist
Pacific Northwest setting: The protagonists abandon Seattle for Hawaii. Lots of island food, activities, and some light Maui tourism.
Familiar professions: The hero is a venture capitalist, which becomes a fairly popular career choice for JAK's longer contemporary romances (see: Double Dealing, Twist of Fate, and Hidden Talents). She went from corporate shark to hotel clerk with entrepreneurial plans for the food and hospitality industry.
What's in a name?: Reyna wasn't a particularly popular name for girls when this was published in 1982, so I have no idea what Mr and Mrs Mackenzie were thinking when they named their baby girl in 1952. His name, Trevor, is shortened to "Trev" throughout...I think it's supposed to sound more manly, but somehow it just seems easier to dismiss ("whatever, Trev").
Marital status: As far as I can tell, both are single, never married.
Age: She's 30; he's 37.
Heroine's eye exam: Gray-green
Hero's eye exam: Amber
Hair color: Hers is a sunstreaked brown, thanks to her time on the beach; his is raven-black (with touches of silver).
Pets: None.
Vehicles spell success: He drives an unspecified rental during their whirlwind reconciliation. By the time they're married and living on Oahu, the hero owns a BMW.
Metaphors are for flogging: I think JAK's early Silhouette editors tamped down her tendency to literalize metaphors.
Hero threatens to spank heroine: One idle threat in the face of her taunting indifference.
The Family Man Forecast: This heroine's plans for a gourmet take-out deli catering to tourists reminds me a lot of the heroine's plans for Pesto Presto in Family Man.
The Betrayal: Six months before the story begins, the heroine was working in mergers & acquisitions at a Seattle corporation and had targeted the hero's brother-in-law's mismanaged computer company for a takeover. The hero sweeps in, seduces her, she drops the takeover bid because she loves him, then he coldly dumps her.
The Consequence: She resigns from her job and moves to Hawaii where she takes a job as a desk clerk at a hotel. (One of the perks of the new job appears to be living in one of the hotel's beachfront condos. #unrealistic)
The Payback: I would call this "the grovel," but the hero never actually apologizes. In fact, the heroine agrees that he did the only thing he could to save his b-i-l's firm from her. So there is no verbal admission of douchebaggery. Instead, he finds the heroine on her beach and tells her he wants her love back in his life. To which she responds she obviously doesn't love him any more but she's grateful for the push out of the old corporate rat race and into this fabulous new relaxed Hawaiian lifestyle. He's convinced she's just bitter and will return to Seattle with him in 8 days. She makes fun of him for wearing a tie in the islands. She unnerves him by pursuing plans to open a gourmet take-out deli on the island. She outrages him by having sex with the hero while continuing to deny she loves him. (Two-thirds of the sex in this book flips traditional gender roles in vintage romance.) The heroine outwardly retains her indifference for three days while the hero pursues, attacks, and regroups.
The Resolution:
I've always enjoyed the extended payback/grovel section, but this book has never been one of my favorites because of the
However, now that I'm super-old, I see other things that didn't make an impression before.
1. Even though the heroine resigned willingly from her job, the loss of her career is supposed to be part of the damage sustained when the hero rejected her. But beyond the fact that she has fallen into a better living situation, she deserved to lose her job and should have resigned even if the hero hadn't dumped her. She betrayed her employer by dropping the takeover bid for personal reasons. I can't help but notice that the hero isn't extending a job offer to her, even though he promises to "put the pieces back together" and "make everything right." Who would want to employ a woman who can't be trusted to act in her employer's best interests?
2. The hero is a douchebag gigolo. At their first meeting, he realized the heroine was attracted to him and immediately decided to use that leverage to save his brother-in-law's firm. There's no indication he considered any legitimate business strategies to thwart the takeover à la the protagonists from Corporate Affair. Nor are we given any information on the sister and her husband to make them sympathetic characters worthy of such a tacky maneuver (like their business went down the drain because they were spending 24/7 at the bedside of their leukemia-stricken child or something).
3. The past is recapped without dialogue or flashbacks. We're told rather than shown how the heroine was captivated by the hero's charm (seriously, there is no charm in sight) and surrendered everything for love. We're told that the heroine went to the hero's office to reveal the takeover bid had been cancelled and he immediately dumped her, but we're not shown that conversation. Not only does this deny the reader an emotional scene, it also hampers my ability to determine if the hero is redeemable. Was he cruel in victory or merely condescending?
4. The explanation for why the hero treated her so coldly is that he didn't recognize love. *eyeroll* In addition to not offering any apologies when he locates the heroine, he is not offering protestations of love, just demanding hers. (Seriously, where do these arrogant JAK heroes get their nerve?) His dual character trajectory is to loosen up and learn how to love. The former is accomplished via bird watching and body surfing; I guess the latter is accomplished through those gender-reversed sexual encounters.
So there are a lot more flaws here than I saw in my youth, but this book is still worth a read if you enjoy seeing your heroes repeatedly thwarted by a heroine whose backbone doesn't dissolve until the end of the book.
JAK checklist
Pacific Northwest setting: The protagonists abandon Seattle for Hawaii. Lots of island food, activities, and some light Maui tourism.
Familiar professions: The hero is a venture capitalist, which becomes a fairly popular career choice for JAK's longer contemporary romances (see: Double Dealing, Twist of Fate, and Hidden Talents). She went from corporate shark to hotel clerk with entrepreneurial plans for the food and hospitality industry.
What's in a name?: Reyna wasn't a particularly popular name for girls when this was published in 1982, so I have no idea what Mr and Mrs Mackenzie were thinking when they named their baby girl in 1952. His name, Trevor, is shortened to "Trev" throughout...I think it's supposed to sound more manly, but somehow it just seems easier to dismiss ("whatever, Trev").
Marital status: As far as I can tell, both are single, never married.
Age: She's 30; he's 37.
Heroine's eye exam: Gray-green
Hero's eye exam: Amber
Hair color: Hers is a sunstreaked brown, thanks to her time on the beach; his is raven-black (with touches of silver).
Pets: None.
Vehicles spell success: He drives an unspecified rental during their whirlwind reconciliation. By the time they're married and living on Oahu, the hero owns a BMW.
Metaphors are for flogging: I think JAK's early Silhouette editors tamped down her tendency to literalize metaphors.
Hero threatens to spank heroine: One idle threat in the face of her taunting indifference.
The Family Man Forecast: This heroine's plans for a gourmet take-out deli catering to tourists reminds me a lot of the heroine's plans for Pesto Presto in Family Man.
January 19, 2020
"Lover In Pursuit" is the story of Reyna and Trevor.
OMG YAAAS!
In this amazing tale of grovel and forgiveness, our H returns to the h's life after shattering her heart.
Six months ago, the H had made the h fall madly in love with him and make a business move, after which she realized that it was all a game to the H and he did not want her love. Utterly heartbroken but strangely motivated, the h walked out of his life. Having lost her professional integrity due to her decision, she leaves her job and moves to Hawaii, becoming a new woman in the process.
Now, the h comes back asking for her love and wanting to get back together. Thus begins a passionate tale in which the H pursues the h relentlessly, while she pushes him away, explaining that she has moved on and fallen out of love. Unable to take the refusal, the H stalks her only to realize that she is now a changed belle. Will he let her go?
So sizzling and hot, yet angst filled at the same time. Strong h, stubborn H, yummy chemistry, heartbreak, realizations and a nice HEA.
Absolutely loved it!
Safe
4.5/5
OMG YAAAS!
In this amazing tale of grovel and forgiveness, our H returns to the h's life after shattering her heart.
Six months ago, the H had made the h fall madly in love with him and make a business move, after which she realized that it was all a game to the H and he did not want her love. Utterly heartbroken but strangely motivated, the h walked out of his life. Having lost her professional integrity due to her decision, she leaves her job and moves to Hawaii, becoming a new woman in the process.
Now, the h comes back asking for her love and wanting to get back together. Thus begins a passionate tale in which the H pursues the h relentlessly, while she pushes him away, explaining that she has moved on and fallen out of love. Unable to take the refusal, the H stalks her only to realize that she is now a changed belle. Will he let her go?
So sizzling and hot, yet angst filled at the same time. Strong h, stubborn H, yummy chemistry, heartbreak, realizations and a nice HEA.
Absolutely loved it!
Safe
4.5/5
January 24, 2022
Steel boned h & groveling H!
March 19, 2018
"Lover in Pursuit" is a really Class of its own.I could not put i down.
The hero, Trev Langdon are hot in pursuit of the heroine Reyna,whose heart he broke six months ago.Realizing that he can`t live without her he tracks her down to Hawaii-full intent on meeting a bitter and heart-broken woman,but are shocked to see that she is now a happy and confident woman who doesn`t love him anymore.
Muhahah how Trev had to grovel,loved it!Every heroine in hplandia should be like Reyna,confident and strong in the sense that she doesn`t fall apart if the man you love breaks you apart-oh no Reyna moves to Hawaii builds herself a satisfying life where she is happy and carefree.I have to say,she has to be the one heroine in hplandia who has the greatest backbone ever!The way she confused and angered the arrogant hero was so hilarious..!
Overall this is a Wonderful Love-Story where we watch the hero prove himself to his heroine.Their chemistry are powerful and passionate and the sex-scenes between them was VERY HOT!I loved the scnes where they surfed,dined and bird-watched together.Their love was truly Blossomly Beautiful!This book is a perfect read for all Romance-Lovers,the hero and heroine are incredible and Perfect together.I love this book so m.u.c.h.!
The hero, Trev Langdon are hot in pursuit of the heroine Reyna,whose heart he broke six months ago.Realizing that he can`t live without her he tracks her down to Hawaii-full intent on meeting a bitter and heart-broken woman,but are shocked to see that she is now a happy and confident woman who doesn`t love him anymore.
Muhahah how Trev had to grovel,loved it!Every heroine in hplandia should be like Reyna,confident and strong in the sense that she doesn`t fall apart if the man you love breaks you apart-oh no Reyna moves to Hawaii builds herself a satisfying life where she is happy and carefree.I have to say,she has to be the one heroine in hplandia who has the greatest backbone ever!The way she confused and angered the arrogant hero was so hilarious..!
Overall this is a Wonderful Love-Story where we watch the hero prove himself to his heroine.Their chemistry are powerful and passionate and the sex-scenes between them was VERY HOT!I loved the scnes where they surfed,dined and bird-watched together.Their love was truly Blossomly Beautiful!This book is a perfect read for all Romance-Lovers,the hero and heroine are incredible and Perfect together.I love this book so m.u.c.h.!
February 3, 2018
Stephanie James aka Jayne Ann Krentz.
The h and H had a brief affair when she tried to take over his brother in law's company. He seduced her to stop her and she gave in and wrecked her career, after which he promptly dumped her.
She moved to Hawaii and six months later he realizes he really loves her and comes after her willing to give her back all she lost.
The only problem is she is happy in her new life and doesn't want her old one back. She decides to have an affair with him and pays him back for his callousness earlier.
They eventually figure out they do love each other and stay in Hawaii for a big HEA.
Good story and this H was not as arrogantly bullying as some of the other Jayne Ann Krentz H's of that time in her writing.
The h and H had a brief affair when she tried to take over his brother in law's company. He seduced her to stop her and she gave in and wrecked her career, after which he promptly dumped her.
She moved to Hawaii and six months later he realizes he really loves her and comes after her willing to give her back all she lost.
The only problem is she is happy in her new life and doesn't want her old one back. She decides to have an affair with him and pays him back for his callousness earlier.
They eventually figure out they do love each other and stay in Hawaii for a big HEA.
Good story and this H was not as arrogantly bullying as some of the other Jayne Ann Krentz H's of that time in her writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2023
This comes across as very outdated because the lead characters are both high-powered business people who live for the deal. It reeks of 80s mentality. Also, they agonize over this relationship that is essentially extremely uncomplicated. As a result, this short novella appears to be half filler.
On the plus side, I enjoy that the female main character had gotten her life pretty much the way she wanted it after being done dirty by the male main character.
On the plus side, I enjoy that the female main character had gotten her life pretty much the way she wanted it after being done dirty by the male main character.
September 19, 2020
Wow, one stong heroine, Ioved her!
Six months previously, she fell in love with the Hero, but he used her and dumped her. Consequently, she not only loses her man, but her high powered career as well.
She moves to Hawaii to recover and finds peace and a change of lifestyle. Finally she is happy when the Hero walks back into her life.
It had everything I wanted.
I needed a heroine who stood up to the Hero. She did.
I needed him to grovel and regret. He did.
I wanted a heroine who could give in to her passions and not be a doormat. She was.
Very satisfying.
Six months previously, she fell in love with the Hero, but he used her and dumped her. Consequently, she not only loses her man, but her high powered career as well.
She moves to Hawaii to recover and finds peace and a change of lifestyle. Finally she is happy when the Hero walks back into her life.
It had everything I wanted.
I needed a heroine who stood up to the Hero. She did.
I needed him to grovel and regret. He did.
I wanted a heroine who could give in to her passions and not be a doormat. She was.
Very satisfying.
November 14, 2023
This book is awesome and should be a must read to all authors who wish to create a h with a backbone!
Trev didn't deserve her!
I don't need to say anything else as there are other witty reviews on here check out Nakseds in particular it will make you laugh!
All hail the h!
Trev didn't deserve her!
I don't need to say anything else as there are other witty reviews on here check out Nakseds in particular it will make you laugh!
All hail the h!
April 5, 2017
Lover In Pursuit was surprisingly refreshing from the very beginning.
December 27, 2015
3.5 stars
This was a different one than the other books published around this time(This was published in 1982).
The h in this was indifferent at the start (the H had used her to save his brother-in-laws company and broken her heart). The h has made a new start in life and is pursued by the H.
The whole story is about the H convincing the h of his love and how they find their HEA. The ending is sweet.
I liked how the h kept a cool head in most parts and let the H work for her.
This was a different one than the other books published around this time(This was published in 1982).
The h in this was indifferent at the start (the H had used her to save his brother-in-laws company and broken her heart). The h has made a new start in life and is pursued by the H.
The whole story is about the H convincing the h of his love and how they find their HEA. The ending is sweet.
I liked how the h kept a cool head in most parts and let the H work for her.
September 30, 2021
it would've been better if he'd blackmailed her instead of wooing her 🤪
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September 12, 2019
Stephanie James is one of JAK's many pseudonyms, and I'd heard that the Stephanie James novels can be wall bangers even for fans of the author's other books. I've read a boatload of Jayne Anne Krentz novels, and a couple of Jayne Castle and Amanda Quicks, but this was my first Stephanie James. I was pleasantly surprised, since I've read Jayne Anne Krentz novels where the hero was much more of a cad.
JAK's heroes are always successful businessmen of one sort or another who are out of touch with their feelings. Her heroines are generally vibrant and kind, but to my mind vary a lot more than the heroes. Some of her heroines are complete pushovers, and others are only pushovers when it comes to the hero. This heroine manages to be both! Prior to the start of the books, she had been a businesswoman about as ruthless and driven as the hero, then she falls in love with the hero and tanks her career for the sake of her love for him.
Her love is not returned in kind -- which she suspects when she sacrifices for it -- and when he tells her "I got what I wanted from you; I won," she walks away. She'll sacrifice for him, but she won't crawl for him. Instead she goes off and establishes a new life for herself. After she's gone, and as the hero strengthens the business she nearly took from his brother-in-law, he figures out that she offered him something he'd never had before, and that he wants it, so six months later he goes after her. The book begins when he shows up.
At which point she has established a satisfactory -- although very different -- life for herself, and is not interested in dealing with him again. "Break my heart once, shame on you. Break my heart twice, shame on me." But while she keeps telling herself she is no longer in love with him, the attraction is still there. She doesn't set out to deliberately upend a lot of his ideas (and a lot of cliches of the time), but that's what she ends up doing.
This book has some of the strengths of later JAK books -- you can watch the heroine systematically break down some of the hero's emotional barriers, thus opening him up to a new reality, while you can also see the hero struggling to learn how to reciprocate within a loving relationship -- but not all of them. The secondary characters in this book have little personality; the writing isn't as good; it's got some pacing issues; and it has too many trite phrases and ideas, particularly in the sex scenes (of which there are many) I don't remember her other novels using phrases like 'budding nipples' and 'she scored his back with her nails' in the midst of passion -- or if she uses those sort of phrases in her later books, she doesn't repeat them often enough the tired phrases start to jump out at you.
Still, on the whole I liked it. Better than I expected from a Silhouette Desire printed in 1982.
JAK's heroes are always successful businessmen of one sort or another who are out of touch with their feelings. Her heroines are generally vibrant and kind, but to my mind vary a lot more than the heroes. Some of her heroines are complete pushovers, and others are only pushovers when it comes to the hero. This heroine manages to be both! Prior to the start of the books, she had been a businesswoman about as ruthless and driven as the hero, then she falls in love with the hero and tanks her career for the sake of her love for him.
Her love is not returned in kind -- which she suspects when she sacrifices for it -- and when he tells her "I got what I wanted from you; I won," she walks away. She'll sacrifice for him, but she won't crawl for him. Instead she goes off and establishes a new life for herself. After she's gone, and as the hero strengthens the business she nearly took from his brother-in-law, he figures out that she offered him something he'd never had before, and that he wants it, so six months later he goes after her. The book begins when he shows up.
At which point she has established a satisfactory -- although very different -- life for herself, and is not interested in dealing with him again. "Break my heart once, shame on you. Break my heart twice, shame on me." But while she keeps telling herself she is no longer in love with him, the attraction is still there. She doesn't set out to deliberately upend a lot of his ideas (and a lot of cliches of the time), but that's what she ends up doing.
This book has some of the strengths of later JAK books -- you can watch the heroine systematically break down some of the hero's emotional barriers, thus opening him up to a new reality, while you can also see the hero struggling to learn how to reciprocate within a loving relationship -- but not all of them. The secondary characters in this book have little personality; the writing isn't as good; it's got some pacing issues; and it has too many trite phrases and ideas, particularly in the sex scenes (of which there are many) I don't remember her other novels using phrases like 'budding nipples' and 'she scored his back with her nails' in the midst of passion -- or if she uses those sort of phrases in her later books, she doesn't repeat them often enough the tired phrases start to jump out at you.
Still, on the whole I liked it. Better than I expected from a Silhouette Desire printed in 1982.
April 29, 2015
I own a ton of Stephanie James/Jayne Ann Krentz books, but I haven't read any of them. I thought I'd start with this one since I enjoy old school series romances from when I was a little kid or even before I was born.
The author is huge in the romance genre, but I think her newer stuff is probably better. Some authors peak early in their career, but this author must have gotten better with time.
This book was incredibly boring with bland characters and repetitive dialogue and inner monologue. There was almost no plot and I had to force myself to finish it (while hoping it'd get better).
This doesn't mean I won't try out the author's other books because I'm sure she has some really good ones.
The author is huge in the romance genre, but I think her newer stuff is probably better. Some authors peak early in their career, but this author must have gotten better with time.
This book was incredibly boring with bland characters and repetitive dialogue and inner monologue. There was almost no plot and I had to force myself to finish it (while hoping it'd get better).
This doesn't mean I won't try out the author's other books because I'm sure she has some really good ones.
February 21, 2013
Published in 1982, this book is repetitive, the plot is weak, and the characters not well drawn. Compare it to The Family Way which Jayne Ann Krentz published in 1987 and which started with the same premise (an affair gone awry where the woman leaves and the man follows to try to get her back) and you can see how far she progressed in a mere five years.
May 12, 2020
3 stars. Meh, started better than it ended. All the internal monologuing got real old real fast.
August 9, 2019
Reyna Mackenzie was a Seattle corporate shark who gave it all up when she fell in love with Trevor Langdon and willingly destroyed a deal on his brother's company. She moved to Hawaii and started a new, much nicer life. Now six months later, Trevor's in Hawaii trying to talk her into coming back.
Reyna really has changed and she won't go back, but the flame is still there.
Eventually, she convinces Trevor and decides Hawaii's a nice place to live too. Several sex scenes, but well done.
Pen name for Jayne Ann Krentz.
Reyna really has changed and she won't go back, but the flame is still there.
Eventually, she convinces Trevor and decides Hawaii's a nice place to live too. Several sex scenes, but well done.
Pen name for Jayne Ann Krentz.
August 4, 2024
Me esta gustando mucho esta escritora...
Sin duda fue una lectura muy emocionante donde no pude despegar la vista ni un momento hasta terminarlo.
Me encanto mucho la historia de amor y segunda oportunidad de la pareja; la angustia y el sufrimiento de Trevor por reconquistar a la protagonista fue algo magico.
Indudablemente el momento mas lindo fue el final cuando se comunican entre ellos y logran resolver todos los conflictos.
MI FAVORITO ❤️🤍
Calificacion Final: infinito 💫
Sin duda fue una lectura muy emocionante donde no pude despegar la vista ni un momento hasta terminarlo.
Me encanto mucho la historia de amor y segunda oportunidad de la pareja; la angustia y el sufrimiento de Trevor por reconquistar a la protagonista fue algo magico.
Indudablemente el momento mas lindo fue el final cuando se comunican entre ellos y logran resolver todos los conflictos.
MI FAVORITO ❤️🤍
Calificacion Final: infinito 💫
Read
January 8, 2022This is first a romance between the author and Hawaii and then at a distant second a romance between our two main characters
May 10, 2024
This one isn’t bad, but a bit repetitive. You root for these crazy kids to make it work and they do. I say read it.
June 29, 2025
Too much talking.
September 20, 2019
1.5
Nothing to talk about
Nothing to talk about
April 16, 2015
A bit dated (which is only to be expected) this was a very refreshing change from the usual formula. Here the heroine, Rayna, has left the ruins of her old life in Seattle and started a new one in Hawaii. Trevor, the hero and cause of her life's ruination turns up after six months wanting her back. Typically in the genre the heroine will swoon and off the pair of them will go into the sunset. Here however she quite politely tells him she's fine, no longer in love with him, and her life now is marvellous so pretty much 'bye and don't let the door hit you on the way out!' And that's where the story really starts! It's a great turn around and left me with a really good feeling. Hugely enjoyable.
May 16, 2015
This book was incredibly boring with bland characters and repetitive dialogue and inner monologue. Read the review at Alpha Fangirl.
http://www.alphafangirl.com/contempor...
September 14, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. Her characters are always different than expected. I enjoyed all of her 80's books and took them for the era they were in and what was selling. I do wish they were all in Kindle Format!
October 14, 2010
Old Jayne Ann Krentz, where the betrayal happens at the first and you start the story six months later as the hero tries to regain what he had thrown away.
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