What do you think?
Rate this book
Affair
THIS IS BRAND NEW BOOK.WE PROVIDE 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 1997
555 people are currently reading
1814 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Quick
93 books5,493 followersPseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, 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.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, 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.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
December 28, 2015
As always, another very satisfying read from this author. When I am in a reading funk I always turn to AQ for a story that will cheer me and get me back in the zone. Love her writing to pieces.
July 2, 2015
My feelings for Ms. Amanda Quick's Affair hovered dangerously close to dislike at certain points in the story, but somehow, something--my loyalty to the author, perhaps?--kept me from actually going to that "I-Could-Care-Less-About-This-Awful-Book" zone.
There were so many things wrong with the story that prevented me from liking it. There was no chemistry at all between Charlotte and Baxter. I could not, for the life of me, believe in their love. It felt forced and out of place, because whenever they were together, every interaction seemed mechanical and detached. That's certainly not how things should be between two people supposedly in love with each other. I understand that Ms. Quick deliberately did that to be consistent with Baxter's character, but I felt that it was done too much in the story to the point that the entire book lacked depth, substance--soul. In the end, it left me feeling... nothing. Nothing, damn it.
Charlotte started out as a strong heroine, but gradually transformed into a weaker image of herself by the end of the book. Baxter was so hard to like with his snarky remarks and sarcastic outbursts. Ugh. I kept asking myself, "What the hell did Charlotte see in the asshole?"
God.
The secondary characters were weak and flat, as well. And the rest of the story seemed like a collection of disjointed plot devices that were haphazardly thrown together--everything just felt messy. Despite all these, however, this was still a tolerable read. I mean, it didn't hurt that much to finish this book. I didn't really have to crawl my way to finishing the novel like when I read Eloisa James' The Duke is Mine... But on the other hand, I expected a whole lot more from Ms. Quick. I know the magic she's capable of, and this was certainly not it.
There were so many things wrong with the story that prevented me from liking it. There was no chemistry at all between Charlotte and Baxter. I could not, for the life of me, believe in their love. It felt forced and out of place, because whenever they were together, every interaction seemed mechanical and detached. That's certainly not how things should be between two people supposedly in love with each other. I understand that Ms. Quick deliberately did that to be consistent with Baxter's character, but I felt that it was done too much in the story to the point that the entire book lacked depth, substance--soul. In the end, it left me feeling... nothing. Nothing, damn it.
Charlotte started out as a strong heroine, but gradually transformed into a weaker image of herself by the end of the book. Baxter was so hard to like with his snarky remarks and sarcastic outbursts. Ugh. I kept asking myself, "What the hell did Charlotte see in the asshole?"
God.
The secondary characters were weak and flat, as well. And the rest of the story seemed like a collection of disjointed plot devices that were haphazardly thrown together--everything just felt messy. Despite all these, however, this was still a tolerable read. I mean, it didn't hurt that much to finish this book. I didn't really have to crawl my way to finishing the novel like when I read Eloisa James' The Duke is Mine... But on the other hand, I expected a whole lot more from Ms. Quick. I know the magic she's capable of, and this was certainly not it.
May 26, 2021
This is my favorite of all Jayne Ann Krentz's (aka Amanda Quick) books. Once again she has written a compelling female lead, but in this case, I find the hero - a geeky scientist! - equally fascinating!
Charlotte Arkendale is strong, intelligent and resourceful. She invented a career to support herself and her younger sister after their stepfather squandered their money. It is through her career that she meets Baxter.
Baxter is the illegitimate son of a earl; his father put him in charge of the family fortune until his younger half-brother, Hamilton, turns 25. Of course Hamilton resents this and Baxter has little contact with his family. At least, until he gets involved with Charlotte.
It's so much fun to watch the socially inept Baxter fall in love with Charlotte. It's also fun to see Charlotte change Baxter's life and reconcile him with his family.
The secondary romance between Charlotte's sister and Baxter's half-brother is a bonus.
One criticism: the chemistry terms used as sexual euphemisms are rather cheesy - all the references to fires and steel rods and warm crucibles. LOL! These do not hinder my enjoyment of the book, however; I just snicker and move on!
Charlotte Arkendale is strong, intelligent and resourceful. She invented a career to support herself and her younger sister after their stepfather squandered their money. It is through her career that she meets Baxter.
Baxter is the illegitimate son of a earl; his father put him in charge of the family fortune until his younger half-brother, Hamilton, turns 25. Of course Hamilton resents this and Baxter has little contact with his family. At least, until he gets involved with Charlotte.
It's so much fun to watch the socially inept Baxter fall in love with Charlotte. It's also fun to see Charlotte change Baxter's life and reconcile him with his family.
The secondary romance between Charlotte's sister and Baxter's half-brother is a bonus.
One criticism: the chemistry terms used as sexual euphemisms are rather cheesy - all the references to fires and steel rods and warm crucibles. LOL! These do not hinder my enjoyment of the book, however; I just snicker and move on!
March 31, 2022
I've read some of the other books by the author and thought they were very good, however with this one, I thought the characters were likeable. I did not get a feel for this book as the last that I've read and thought it could have been a bit better although enjoyable. Not sure if I chalked it up to the narrator, Barbara Rosenblat's performance...normally her narrations are nice for me.
February 1, 2023
* Afacerea
Charlotte rămâne și orfană de mamă, având-o în grijă și pe surioara sa. Tatăl vitreg care ar fi trebuit să le ocrotească nu face altceva decât să le toace moștenirile și când ajunge la fundul sacului apelează la decizii groaznice, dovedind lipsa de morală ce-l caracterizează.
Cu o stăpânire de sine demnă de toată lauda, Charlotte își protejează surioara și reușește să-și croiască un drum mai puțin bătătorit însă suficient de sigur. Deschide o afacere ingenioasă atât că asta îl va aduce în cele din urmă pe Baxter în viața lor.
El este un pasionat om de știință, un conte mult prea ciudat pentru gustul societății și un bărbat original care se ascunde după o înfățișare șleampătâ. Singura ce nu se lasă păcălită de toată șarada este Charlotte și normal că vor ajunge să trăiască happily ever after.
Avem o poveste tare simpatică, alertă și pasională, replicile sunt savuroase și personajele originale, care forțează crunt tiparele vremurilor. Mi-a plăcut la nebunie!
Charlotte rămâne și orfană de mamă, având-o în grijă și pe surioara sa. Tatăl vitreg care ar fi trebuit să le ocrotească nu face altceva decât să le toace moștenirile și când ajunge la fundul sacului apelează la decizii groaznice, dovedind lipsa de morală ce-l caracterizează.
Cu o stăpânire de sine demnă de toată lauda, Charlotte își protejează surioara și reușește să-și croiască un drum mai puțin bătătorit însă suficient de sigur. Deschide o afacere ingenioasă atât că asta îl va aduce în cele din urmă pe Baxter în viața lor.
El este un pasionat om de știință, un conte mult prea ciudat pentru gustul societății și un bărbat original care se ascunde după o înfățișare șleampătâ. Singura ce nu se lasă păcălită de toată șarada este Charlotte și normal că vor ajunge să trăiască happily ever after.
Avem o poveste tare simpatică, alertă și pasională, replicile sunt savuroase și personajele originale, care forțează crunt tiparele vremurilor. Mi-a plăcut la nebunie!
January 23, 2012
Ahh. Of all the pseudonyms of Jayne Ann Krentz, I enjoy the Amanda Quick novels the most. Her characters are so well developed that they just about walk off the page. Her depiction of early London and the Ton, and how impolite and hypocritical Polite Society actually was, rings true. I also enjoy the tidbits of information she passes along: i.e., "direction" was the term for address.
And I thoroughly enjoy the romantic liaisons: The heroine is most often inexperienced but she puts on a good show, the hero always misunderstands something about the woman as he is falling in love with her. The situations are laced with fun and inuendo, dialogue is witty and sexy and never, ever falls flat.
I heartily recommend Amanda Quick. The title makes little difference. Just pick up Amanda Quick and settle down for a delightful read.
And I thoroughly enjoy the romantic liaisons: The heroine is most often inexperienced but she puts on a good show, the hero always misunderstands something about the woman as he is falling in love with her. The situations are laced with fun and inuendo, dialogue is witty and sexy and never, ever falls flat.
I heartily recommend Amanda Quick. The title makes little difference. Just pick up Amanda Quick and settle down for a delightful read.
April 14, 2015
3.5
La historia me ha gustado y, creo que de los tres que he leído de esta autora, la trama es la que más me ha mantenido en suspense... sabía por donde iban a ir los tiros, pero no los motivos y al final todo queda bastante aclarado.
He de decir que la culpa la tiene la autora,hace poco terminé uno de ella y como todos siguen el mismo esquema, conocer al asesino no resulta demasiado complicado.
La pega que les pongo siempre a estas novelas es que el amor se relega a un segundo plano y yo, ante todo, disfruto de una buena novela romántica jajaja
He disfrutado de esta? Sí, y me han gustado ambos personajes y todos los secundarios. He de remarcar que están todos bastante bien definidos. He disfrutado incluso de la frialdad del protagonistas y, también, me he reído con algunas de sus frases.
Recomendable
La historia me ha gustado y, creo que de los tres que he leído de esta autora, la trama es la que más me ha mantenido en suspense... sabía por donde iban a ir los tiros, pero no los motivos y al final todo queda bastante aclarado.
He de decir que la culpa la tiene la autora,hace poco terminé uno de ella y como todos siguen el mismo esquema, conocer al asesino no resulta demasiado complicado.
La pega que les pongo siempre a estas novelas es que el amor se relega a un segundo plano y yo, ante todo, disfruto de una buena novela romántica jajaja
He disfrutado de esta? Sí, y me han gustado ambos personajes y todos los secundarios. He de remarcar que están todos bastante bien definidos. He disfrutado incluso de la frialdad del protagonistas y, también, me he reído con algunas de sus frases.
Recomendable
December 4, 2025
I saw this book was on discount and since I adore Amanda Quick and my last reads have been a disappointment, I didn't even hesitate.
This review is biased. I can never not like one of her books.
Our Hero, world's best potato pudding
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
This review is biased. I can never not like one of her books.
Our Hero, world's best potato pudding
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
July 23, 2021
Not as good as Ms. Quick's other books but enjoyable enough. The banters weren't witty enough.
July 20, 2018
2.5 stars, but rounding up for entertainment value. The problem is that I have somehow managed to read two sets of pairs of AQ novels that have essentially the same plot. I mean, there are minor differences, but seriously, bastard son of the nobility steps in to help woman who has built a life/career for herself after a difficult event in a world with few careers open to women solve a murder is one hell of a plot similarity. I am just saying that the similarities were really noticeable reading them one after the other, and I thought the other was better.
Baxter being a chemist was fun, and I enjoyed when his half-brother the earl suddenly became awesome. Also really enjoyed Charlotte's method of earning a living, and her dynamic with Baxter. It's readable, it's just not amazing.
Baxter being a chemist was fun, and I enjoyed when his half-brother the earl suddenly became awesome. Also really enjoyed Charlotte's method of earning a living, and her dynamic with Baxter. It's readable, it's just not amazing.
December 21, 2019
The h is great fun, and unusual in that she's a private investigator. She falls for the H straight away, and happily embarks on an affair with him. He's taciturn, science fanatic and together they try to find out who killed one of her clients. Their investigation intersects with his half brother's activities, and as they are not on good terms, it made for another intrigue. It was good, the evil OM was obvious but I enjoyed it.
April 29, 2013
Read this one for the romance rather than the mystery cuz it took me two minutes to figure it out and even if I had not figured to out it wasn't that fun. The romance on the other-hand was a lot of fun. He's a nerdy chemist who's blunt and has no time or need to pay attention to society rules and decorum. She's a tough investigator who just wants to solve the murder of her client and hire a bodyguard. She's also the only one in the world, it seems, that sees the man behind the glasses.. Even when HE doesn't see himself that way.
The h&h are a lot of fun here. There's a lot of push and pull but nothing over dramatic and they solve their misunderstandings nicely because the heroine is very reasonable. For once we've got a heroine who uses her head- her investigatory head- and she doesn't back out from any situation.. Much to the annoyance of the hero lol. There is one factor here that I really loved... Their affair. In historical romances, when I read a non-committed couple cross the line and have sex I almost never understand their reasoning. Even if they have no prospects or they are in love with the hero, I never understand how they live their whole life knowing that that is a line that shouldn't be crossed and then giving in so quickly. This is one of the very few HRs where I can completely understand and can actually cheer on an affair.. And not because I know they'll have a HEA. Trust plays a vitals role here and it was a really sweet process watching them fall for each other without the melodrama.
The h&h are a lot of fun here. There's a lot of push and pull but nothing over dramatic and they solve their misunderstandings nicely because the heroine is very reasonable. For once we've got a heroine who uses her head- her investigatory head- and she doesn't back out from any situation.. Much to the annoyance of the hero lol. There is one factor here that I really loved... Their affair. In historical romances, when I read a non-committed couple cross the line and have sex I almost never understand their reasoning. Even if they have no prospects or they are in love with the hero, I never understand how they live their whole life knowing that that is a line that shouldn't be crossed and then giving in so quickly. This is one of the very few HRs where I can completely understand and can actually cheer on an affair.. And not because I know they'll have a HEA. Trust plays a vitals role here and it was a really sweet process watching them fall for each other without the melodrama.
April 4, 2020
Not Quick's best, but still and enjoyable read. Baxter, the wealthy bastard oldest son of an Earl, and Charlotte, an independent spinster who investigates men for women considering marriage, come together to investigate the murder of one of the women who hired Charlotte. The mystery is OK with a heavy reliance on believing hypnotism works, and the romance while pretty good lacked a spark so familiar in much of Quick's work. The secondary characters are richly detailed and the one is filled with the usually great banter/dialog Quick is known for. This was a fun book to read from Quick's backlist, but it isn't one I'd recommend reading if unfamiliar with her work. Start with Ravished.
February 5, 2021
Baxter St Ives memang bernasib kurang mujur, terlahir sbg anak haram, kena luka bakar dari laboratorium, dan menyamar mjd asisten Charlotte Arkendale yg keras kepala dan tangguh.
Belakangan Baxter membongkar rahasianya sendiri dan bekerjasama dgn Charlotte utk menyelidiki kematian Drusilla Heskett yg juga klien Charlotte. Penyelidikan mrk berbuntut pd percintaan yg panas dan melibatkan org di masa lalu Baxter yg dikira Baxter sudah mati.
Baiklah, spt biasa author datar aja menceritakan karakter² tokoh utamanya. Karakter Charlotte awalnya sptnya menjanjikan, tapi entah knp saya merasa makin dibaca makin kurang greget. Plot cerita jg kurang menggugah. Baxter jd lebih mirip asisten/pembantu Charlotte. Lagipula persoalan anak haram gak ngefek jg. Misterinya juga biasa aja saat terkuak. Jadi menurut saya, lumayan ajalah buku ini.
Belakangan Baxter membongkar rahasianya sendiri dan bekerjasama dgn Charlotte utk menyelidiki kematian Drusilla Heskett yg juga klien Charlotte. Penyelidikan mrk berbuntut pd percintaan yg panas dan melibatkan org di masa lalu Baxter yg dikira Baxter sudah mati.
Baiklah, spt biasa author datar aja menceritakan karakter² tokoh utamanya. Karakter Charlotte awalnya sptnya menjanjikan, tapi entah knp saya merasa makin dibaca makin kurang greget. Plot cerita jg kurang menggugah. Baxter jd lebih mirip asisten/pembantu Charlotte. Lagipula persoalan anak haram gak ngefek jg. Misterinya juga biasa aja saat terkuak. Jadi menurut saya, lumayan ajalah buku ini.
January 16, 2020
Affair
3 Stars
Amanda Quick's writing and plotting are as engaging as always. Unfortunately, Baxter and Charlotte's romance simply did not resonate with me. This may be due to their lack of unique characteristics as they are very similar to many of Quick's other hero/heroine pairings.
The identity of the villain is also obvious from the start, and the tension and suspension in the eventual showdown are lackluster.
Overall, an entertaining enough read but not one of Quick's best.
3 Stars
Amanda Quick's writing and plotting are as engaging as always. Unfortunately, Baxter and Charlotte's romance simply did not resonate with me. This may be due to their lack of unique characteristics as they are very similar to many of Quick's other hero/heroine pairings.
The identity of the villain is also obvious from the start, and the tension and suspension in the eventual showdown are lackluster.
Overall, an entertaining enough read but not one of Quick's best.
September 24, 2014
Nothing out of the ordinary for Amanda Quick. Certainly not bad, especially in comparison to her other books, but all-in-all, sort of "meh" for me.
I'm normally a fan of the nerdy hero trope, but in this case, Baxter came off as more uninteresting than he should have. The guy was a bastard (by birth, not by personality) of an earl and had to contend with a younger half-brother who inherited what should have been his birthright and the brother's step-mother, not to mention a bunch of very interesting scars. And yet, he just came off sort of... cardboard. I wish Amanda Quick had done more with what should have been his adorable awkwardness and inability to relate to people. It could have made him into a really sweet outcast, but instead, because it wasn't taken to its full extent, made him seem wooden and maybe a bit self-important.
Charlotte went back and forth for me. The glimpse we got of her in the prologue was brilliant. And I have to admire a woman who was born to the gentry who is willing to work because there is simply no other feasible option to keep her and her sister from far less appealing circumstances. But she didn't lead Baxter around the way the other Quick heroines seem to. Oh, certainly, Charlotte was headstrong and several times pointed out to Baxter that he had no right to boss her around as he was not her husband and for part of the book, was her employee. But I never got that feeling of delicious frustration from Baxter I get from so many of Quick's heroes.
For the record, I've read many Amanda Quick novels over the last few months and I've noticed that her stories don't really change much. It bothered me at first, but with the exception of the books I've run across dealing with Zamar (ugh, the boredom that creeps in when hearing about "Ancient Zamar" -- even the quick references to it I see in this book make me cringe), I sort of like the fact that I know Quick's formula and that it can be relied upon for a good time. This one didn't change from the formula, it just sort of presented a more muted case, like looking at a photo of a painting, only the photo is tinted in sepia; you only see brief glimpses of the brilliance.
I can see myself re-reading several of Quick's other novels, but I don't see this being one of them. If you haven't read much by this author, I'd suggest skipping this one and going to "Rendezvous" or "Surrender" instead.
I'm normally a fan of the nerdy hero trope, but in this case, Baxter came off as more uninteresting than he should have. The guy was a bastard (by birth, not by personality) of an earl and had to contend with a younger half-brother who inherited what should have been his birthright and the brother's step-mother, not to mention a bunch of very interesting scars. And yet, he just came off sort of... cardboard. I wish Amanda Quick had done more with what should have been his adorable awkwardness and inability to relate to people. It could have made him into a really sweet outcast, but instead, because it wasn't taken to its full extent, made him seem wooden and maybe a bit self-important.
Charlotte went back and forth for me. The glimpse we got of her in the prologue was brilliant. And I have to admire a woman who was born to the gentry who is willing to work because there is simply no other feasible option to keep her and her sister from far less appealing circumstances. But she didn't lead Baxter around the way the other Quick heroines seem to. Oh, certainly, Charlotte was headstrong and several times pointed out to Baxter that he had no right to boss her around as he was not her husband and for part of the book, was her employee. But I never got that feeling of delicious frustration from Baxter I get from so many of Quick's heroes.
For the record, I've read many Amanda Quick novels over the last few months and I've noticed that her stories don't really change much. It bothered me at first, but with the exception of the books I've run across dealing with Zamar (ugh, the boredom that creeps in when hearing about "Ancient Zamar" -- even the quick references to it I see in this book make me cringe), I sort of like the fact that I know Quick's formula and that it can be relied upon for a good time. This one didn't change from the formula, it just sort of presented a more muted case, like looking at a photo of a painting, only the photo is tinted in sepia; you only see brief glimpses of the brilliance.
I can see myself re-reading several of Quick's other novels, but I don't see this being one of them. If you haven't read much by this author, I'd suggest skipping this one and going to "Rendezvous" or "Surrender" instead.
August 12, 2020
Affair is a very typical Amanda Quick historical novel. The male protagonist is growly and tries to be authoritarian, and the female protagonist is independent and often obtusely clueless. In this book, as in most other Amanda Quick books, I keep trying to figure out what draws the two together. The mystery plot in this one was pretty good.
I thought I remembered reading Amanda Quick books that had more character development and didn't dwell on the ancient and the paranormal, but perhaps I'm mistaken.
I'm also tired of "bluestocking" heroines that are "firmly" on the shelf at 25. The average age of marriage for women in Regency times was between 23-27. So a woman of 25 could easily expect to still get married if they desired. In Victorian times the average age of marriage was 26 years old for women.
I thought I remembered reading Amanda Quick books that had more character development and didn't dwell on the ancient and the paranormal, but perhaps I'm mistaken.
I'm also tired of "bluestocking" heroines that are "firmly" on the shelf at 25. The average age of marriage for women in Regency times was between 23-27. So a woman of 25 could easily expect to still get married if they desired. In Victorian times the average age of marriage was 26 years old for women.
August 27, 2018
Meh. Quick has employed her formula to much better effect. This was a pleasant enough read but it impacted neither my emotions nor my amusement. Still, her tepid is still better than many.
December 8, 2025
Kooky, fun. Lots of repetition of phrases that kind of grated, but it was as delightful as a Quick normally is. And it isn’t that they don’t have chemistry, they are just both dorks!! I would have read a romance of Baxter and Charlotte without the occult mystery. It was like a Balogh romance inserted into a Johanna Lindsey “okay! that is happening now!” plot.
November 26, 2024
I enjoyed this book and would probably give it a little less than 4 stars. Characters and scenario were interesting. The male main character had a verbal twitch of saying "bloody hell" nearly every page --so much so that it dropped me out of the story.
Fortunately, I was able to overcome my irritation with this phrase and the story did have some fun quirks.
Probably a 3.7 on the scale. You can see this author's interest in metaphysics developing here. That interest is quite successful in later books, if formulaic.
Fortunately, I was able to overcome my irritation with this phrase and the story did have some fun quirks.
Probably a 3.7 on the scale. You can see this author's interest in metaphysics developing here. That interest is quite successful in later books, if formulaic.
November 27, 2020
#183 - 2020
Genre: Historical Romance
Genre: Historical Romance
June 13, 2022
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
Overall: 3.5-stars
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
Overall: 3.5-stars
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
March 22, 2014
I am a fan of Amanda Quick's writing. She writes of strong women who know their own minds and have a plan for life. Her heroes are patient men who learn to deal with those women and enjoy every minute. And along with the mystery and the romance there is always humor. This reader loves her humor.
Charlotte has developed a business that will support herself and her younger sister. She does background checks on future husbands of wealthy women. She has found a niche and learned to make the most of things. The necessity for supporting her sister and herself is the result of her widowed mother marrying a man who wasted all their money in gambling and then he had the bad taste to die leaving the girls nearly destitute.
Baxter is a chemist who has written chemistry books, and developed new products. He has lived his life very carefully because he is the illegitimate son of an Earl. He has a younger half brother, a sort of step-mother and a very flamboyant aunt who all expect him to be dependable, stodgy and respectable.
Charlotte and Baxter meet and begin an investigation together to find who murdered a woman they both knew. It leads them into a mystery that is much more complicated than either one of them had expected.
At the same time, the sense of fascination between the two of them develops into a very strong attraction. They overcome difficulties and develop a relationship that is passed off as an engagement but in reality is just a way to disguise the desire that is so strong between them.
This is a terrific adventure and a lovely romance. Both Charlotte and Baxter are strong and attractive characters. The secondary characters are able to help move the plot along. If you like a romance with adventure and mystery, this is a book you will enjoy.
Charlotte has developed a business that will support herself and her younger sister. She does background checks on future husbands of wealthy women. She has found a niche and learned to make the most of things. The necessity for supporting her sister and herself is the result of her widowed mother marrying a man who wasted all their money in gambling and then he had the bad taste to die leaving the girls nearly destitute.
Baxter is a chemist who has written chemistry books, and developed new products. He has lived his life very carefully because he is the illegitimate son of an Earl. He has a younger half brother, a sort of step-mother and a very flamboyant aunt who all expect him to be dependable, stodgy and respectable.
Charlotte and Baxter meet and begin an investigation together to find who murdered a woman they both knew. It leads them into a mystery that is much more complicated than either one of them had expected.
At the same time, the sense of fascination between the two of them develops into a very strong attraction. They overcome difficulties and develop a relationship that is passed off as an engagement but in reality is just a way to disguise the desire that is so strong between them.
This is a terrific adventure and a lovely romance. Both Charlotte and Baxter are strong and attractive characters. The secondary characters are able to help move the plot along. If you like a romance with adventure and mystery, this is a book you will enjoy.
June 14, 2023
I enjoyed this novel of romance and suspense. A classic Amanda Quick: a fast pace, a feisty heroine, a stoic, slightly gloomy hero with a heart of gold, and of course a HEA in the end.
July 18, 2014
I so love anything that Jayne Ann Krentz writes. I don't normally read historical romance but Quick has a way of writing it and I just couldn't put it down. Her writing is always so beautiful and it flows elegantly.
Charlotte and her sister, Ariel is left with nothing once their mother dies and their stepfather spends all of their inheritance. On one fateful night a stranger is brought into her home so that her sister can pay off the debt that her stepfather incurs from gambling. Charlotte uses her brain and bravery to save her sister from the monster. The next day their stepfather gets what was coming to him and Charlotte must find a way to support herself and her sister.
She creates a position that is very prosperous and allows them to live very comfortably. A client turns up dead and all fingers point to Charlotte. Charlotte is determined to find the killer because of guilt but can she do this venture on her own? She is soon to find the help that she needs even if she doesn't want to admit it.
Beautiful book and even if the historical romances are not your cup of tea allow Amanda Quick to change your mind.
Charlotte and her sister, Ariel is left with nothing once their mother dies and their stepfather spends all of their inheritance. On one fateful night a stranger is brought into her home so that her sister can pay off the debt that her stepfather incurs from gambling. Charlotte uses her brain and bravery to save her sister from the monster. The next day their stepfather gets what was coming to him and Charlotte must find a way to support herself and her sister.
She creates a position that is very prosperous and allows them to live very comfortably. A client turns up dead and all fingers point to Charlotte. Charlotte is determined to find the killer because of guilt but can she do this venture on her own? She is soon to find the help that she needs even if she doesn't want to admit it.
Beautiful book and even if the historical romances are not your cup of tea allow Amanda Quick to change your mind.
February 24, 2025
Having read Amanda Quick's books before, I have certain expectations whenever I open one of her books. I know that her writing is exquisite and fits the time period and so my expectations are always met in that aspect. She also follows the same pattern in her books which is why I don't binge read them, otherwise I'd quickly get tired of them. There is always a good balance of romance and mystery, no matter how predictable the plot is. Her heroines are smart and her heroes are broody. The heroes are often left speechless because of their respective heroines and I love that. Keeping all of this in mind, Affair met all of my expectations.
That being said, I have to confess that Baxter was kind of annoying at times. Charlotte also suggested inane things despite her practicality and brains. But they were good together. Although, I most certainly would have preferred that Baxter used an expression other than "Bloody hell" to vent his frustration lol.
That being said, I have to confess that Baxter was kind of annoying at times. Charlotte also suggested inane things despite her practicality and brains. But they were good together. Although, I most certainly would have preferred that Baxter used an expression other than "Bloody hell" to vent his frustration lol.
August 30, 2023
Charlotte Arkendale is an early private investigator who works solely for women. Baxter St. Ives is a chemist, somewhat rumpled and uncivil but very focused. They join forces to solve a murder, which catapults them into some wonderful escapades. The misdirection and misunderstandings between the two are delightful as they learn to work together and more. This one occurs in Regency England (I think, mainly because of the references to Byron, but that could happen later, too) but captures more of a Victorian air than a Regency one. I love Baxter's self-recognition of his social inadequacies and Charlotte's ability to look beyond the exterior and see the true quality of men, in spite of her cynical view of men in general.
February 11, 2010
I love Amanda Quicks stories. Quick is really good at weaving actual traits of real people in to her characters. The plots and mysteries are easly solved, but the real joy is seeing how her characters choose to involve themselves in the farcas. The love stories always compell me because of the real life misunderstandings between males and females come into play. This type of confusion and misunderstanding can happen even for a married couple when both parties don't communicate well. All in all it makes for a good book.
February 2, 2013
Another fav author... love all her stuff in all her incarnations. This is a great story. Imagine being a woman in a time where your rights, privileges, and even movements are proscribed by society. Then consider making your own way in the world while caring for a younger sibling by forming a business to investigate men for other women contemplating marriage. There is alchemy, a mystery, odd coincidence, and the chemistry of romance... sigh
February 12, 2013
*happy sigh* These vintage AQs make me so happy. For me, they're full of good memories of reading and rereading them. I love their tone…Regency-ish, fun, happy, light, snappy, and heartwarming… with intelligent, independent heroines and strong, staid-ish heroes who can't resist them. *warm fuzzies*
(Please note, because the memories are so much a part of my reading experience, I don't know if I'd enjoy them as much if I read them for the first time today.)
(Please note, because the memories are so much a part of my reading experience, I don't know if I'd enjoy them as much if I read them for the first time today.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews