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Ladies and Legends #2
The Adventurer
A Jayne Ann Krentz Classic Romance writer Sarah Fleetwood is obsessed with the Fleetwood Flowers, five pairs of gold earrings that constitute a long lost family treasure. According to the legend, shortly before her death, Emelina Fleetwood buried the earrings on her property and drew a map to the location. Now Sarah is determined to embark on a quest to find the flowers. Ex-adventurer Gideon Trace doesn’t want anything to do with Sarah and her quest for the Flowers, a fact he has repeatedly made clear ever since she first contacted him. Obviously his discouragement wasn’t strong enough because now Sarah is standing at his front door insisting that he is just the man to lead her treasure hunt. A woman who believes in happy endings is about to share a cozy cabin in the mountains with a man who is large, cold-eyed and dangerous. What could possibly go wrong?
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
755 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Ann Krentz
398 books7,181 followersThe author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 29, 2018
This is second in a series, but they're pretty loosely-connected and I don't think you'll miss anything reading it out of order.
This was light, but very entertaining. Sarah leans on her intuition a whole heckuva lot, but if you can give her that, the whole thing flows very nicely and I loved the character interactions. Gideon was exasperating and outright mean a couple of times, so I wasn't as into him. Krentz keeps his motivations obscured by his frustration and general male cluelessness (that was so popular in 1990 when this was written), that it took me a while to realize it was all negative*.
Anyway, the banter is outstanding and I absolutely loved watching Sarah manage rings around Gideon as she tries to figure him out. I particularly loved how open she was about "courting" him. She was a treat (though if you discount her intuition that probably doesn't work at all). That and the twist at the end that I only saw coming about a page in advance bumped this out of the ordinary (though Krentz had to cheat to make it work, see below). Gideon's motivation and making the exact same mistake three times running keep it from five stars, though.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes, and they're pretty short ones. So this is not quite to the middle of my steam tolerance. I really liked how insistent Sarah was about not masking the long-term by having sex too soon. That was marvelous.
A note about Cheating: This is a huge spoiler so don't go here if you ever plan on reading the book. I'm serious about this one.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
This was light, but very entertaining. Sarah leans on her intuition a whole heckuva lot, but if you can give her that, the whole thing flows very nicely and I loved the character interactions. Gideon was exasperating and outright mean a couple of times, so I wasn't as into him. Krentz keeps his motivations obscured by his frustration and general male cluelessness (that was so popular in 1990 when this was written), that it took me a while to realize it was all negative*.
Anyway, the banter is outstanding and I absolutely loved watching Sarah manage rings around Gideon as she tries to figure him out. I particularly loved how open she was about "courting" him. She was a treat (though if you discount her intuition that probably doesn't work at all). That and the twist at the end that I only saw coming about a page in advance bumped this out of the ordinary (though Krentz had to cheat to make it work, see below). Gideon's motivation and making the exact same mistake three times running keep it from five stars, though.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes, and they're pretty short ones. So this is not quite to the middle of my steam tolerance. I really liked how insistent Sarah was about not masking the long-term by having sex too soon. That was marvelous.
A note about Cheating: This is a huge spoiler so don't go here if you ever plan on reading the book. I'm serious about this one.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
February 21, 2019
The main character is a pushy woman who has no regard for feeling of others. It is one thing to be a strong female but she just tries to run over the Male character. She assumes a relationship with him without even meeting him. If a Male character did this, it would be harrassment, if not more. For a Male to show up unannounced, uninvited, when she didn't tell you where she lived is stalking. To just walk in her house, make yourself at home, and assume she is going to go out with you, and work for you is just wrong. I couldn't even finish the book. Very disappointed. Usually love her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
Not as good as The Pirate. I had a hard time liking the protagonists.
January 17, 2022
This older novel was a light, fun read with a cute heroine and likable hero. The best part was the mystery of the buried earrings - would they find them and get to keep them? On the downside, at times I felt her reactions to him were over the top for someone who said she knew they were meant to be together forever. And I definitely didn't see him as the tough guy she did. However, this really is the kind of light, fun book you pick up for reading in the hammock on a spring day, when half of your mind is enjoying listening to the birds singing and swaying in the breeze. It's not a story to be analyzed to death. :)
May 21, 2023
HOARDER CHALLENGE #23-WATER ON COVER
--(ocean)--
This is actually book #2 in a trilogy. I was so sure I'd read the series but as I started listening to the audiobook, I realized it didn't seem familiar.
This is an older book by the writer so a few details here & there are a bit dated but the writer has written a captivating story.
Engaging characters, some humor, slowly developing romance/chemistry b/w the H/h, some suspense.
The difference in this story is that it's Sarah who is "in hot pursuit" of a relationship instead of Gideon.
--(ocean)--
This is actually book #2 in a trilogy. I was so sure I'd read the series but as I started listening to the audiobook, I realized it didn't seem familiar.
This is an older book by the writer so a few details here & there are a bit dated but the writer has written a captivating story.
Engaging characters, some humor, slowly developing romance/chemistry b/w the H/h, some suspense.
The difference in this story is that it's Sarah who is "in hot pursuit" of a relationship instead of Gideon.
July 4, 2012
This book was in a box of books that my son bought me at an auction so when I picked it I didn't realize it was the 2nd book in a trilogy, but luckily it did a great job as a stand-alone book so I wasn't lost with what was happening. Romance books aren’t really one of my favorite genres but I was entertained by this book even thought there were large parts of it that I thought were a bit silly.
I spent a lot of time wondering how the heroine managed to survive on her own as an adult because her naivetés is so over the top that it’s unbelievable but Gideon’s reaction really saved the story. I’m not a real fan of the love at first site or within a few days of meeting but Krentz did a good job with this one. I like the treasure hunting aspect of the story and wish it had brought more of that into the book but it was touched on briefly here and there but never a main focus of the book.
Overall, I thought it was a good book to pass time with on a rainy day, at the beach or if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in waiting rooms.
Summary of the book: The main characters are Sarah and Gideon. Sarah is a romance writer with an exaggerated case of “intuition” and Gideon is the author of a low budget magazine for adventurers and treasure hunters. Sarah and Gideon wrote letters for 4 months while she was researching treasure hunting for her new novel. Sarah’s intuition then tells her that Gideon is the man for her and it is somehow tied into the treasure map that is a family heirloom of hers that is supposed to lead the way to the Fleetwood jeweled earrings. She also has decided from the 4 months of letter writing that they are in love and he is her hero come to life. All of this comes as a complete surprise to Gideon when she shows up on his doorstep telling him he is going to help her hunt for treasure. Gideon is in reality an extremely private person who lives with two misfit cats, who add a nice touch to the story, and is completely baffled by Sarah. I love a baffled man as it tends to add a bit of humor to any story. Sarah then starts her campaign to convince Gideon that he is indeed the man for her and Gideon spends a lot of time trying to figure out what is going on, while trying to keep her with him so he can act on his attraction.
I spent a lot of time wondering how the heroine managed to survive on her own as an adult because her naivetés is so over the top that it’s unbelievable but Gideon’s reaction really saved the story. I’m not a real fan of the love at first site or within a few days of meeting but Krentz did a good job with this one. I like the treasure hunting aspect of the story and wish it had brought more of that into the book but it was touched on briefly here and there but never a main focus of the book.
Overall, I thought it was a good book to pass time with on a rainy day, at the beach or if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in waiting rooms.
Summary of the book: The main characters are Sarah and Gideon. Sarah is a romance writer with an exaggerated case of “intuition” and Gideon is the author of a low budget magazine for adventurers and treasure hunters. Sarah and Gideon wrote letters for 4 months while she was researching treasure hunting for her new novel. Sarah’s intuition then tells her that Gideon is the man for her and it is somehow tied into the treasure map that is a family heirloom of hers that is supposed to lead the way to the Fleetwood jeweled earrings. She also has decided from the 4 months of letter writing that they are in love and he is her hero come to life. All of this comes as a complete surprise to Gideon when she shows up on his doorstep telling him he is going to help her hunt for treasure. Gideon is in reality an extremely private person who lives with two misfit cats, who add a nice touch to the story, and is completely baffled by Sarah. I love a baffled man as it tends to add a bit of humor to any story. Sarah then starts her campaign to convince Gideon that he is indeed the man for her and Gideon spends a lot of time trying to figure out what is going on, while trying to keep her with him so he can act on his attraction.
May 4, 2020
I wish I could say I liked this one as much as the 1st book in the series, but although I found the first a cute fantasy story based on an author's fascination with pirates, this one was a tad too, well, almost stalker-ish to me. If it would have been a character a little less likeable than Sarah, I would have questioned her sanity and Gideon's as well.
Sarah, who we meet briefly in The Pirate, is a close friend and fellow author of Kate. While researching treasure seeking facts for her next book, Sarah spends 4 months corresponding with the owner of a magazine, Cache, who is a former treasure hunter himself. Based on her strong sense of "intuition", and the letters she's exchanged with Gideon, she decides that she will enlist his help in locating a lost treasure buried by a long ago ancestor. She believes that if she tracks him down, and asks him face to face, that his feelings for her will match her feelings for him. Sarah honestly believes that he and she have developed feelings for each other, she just needs to convince him of that.
Gideon thinks she's a smidge off her rocker and at first declines her request to go on the hunt for the Flowers, jewelry hidden away for decades. However, Sarah prevails and off he goes with the understanding that he'll get a finders fee, 1 of the 5 pairs of earrings. Things don't go quite as planned with the surface of another person seeking the Flowers.
As I said, Sarah is a sweet but naive character who does what we all warn our daughters against and that is going to a strange man's house thinking she's safe. Take it one step further with her believing she loves him and that he loves her too, without having met before. I think it is romantic, but also a little scary to place so much faith in someone you have never seen. Gideon is actually more believable as a recluse who tries to talk Sarah out of looking for the Flowers, and thinking of him in a romantic way.
A quick read, but admittedly, one of those where I was hoping for a little more of the easy romance of the first.
Sarah, who we meet briefly in The Pirate, is a close friend and fellow author of Kate. While researching treasure seeking facts for her next book, Sarah spends 4 months corresponding with the owner of a magazine, Cache, who is a former treasure hunter himself. Based on her strong sense of "intuition", and the letters she's exchanged with Gideon, she decides that she will enlist his help in locating a lost treasure buried by a long ago ancestor. She believes that if she tracks him down, and asks him face to face, that his feelings for her will match her feelings for him. Sarah honestly believes that he and she have developed feelings for each other, she just needs to convince him of that.
Gideon thinks she's a smidge off her rocker and at first declines her request to go on the hunt for the Flowers, jewelry hidden away for decades. However, Sarah prevails and off he goes with the understanding that he'll get a finders fee, 1 of the 5 pairs of earrings. Things don't go quite as planned with the surface of another person seeking the Flowers.
As I said, Sarah is a sweet but naive character who does what we all warn our daughters against and that is going to a strange man's house thinking she's safe. Take it one step further with her believing she loves him and that he loves her too, without having met before. I think it is romantic, but also a little scary to place so much faith in someone you have never seen. Gideon is actually more believable as a recluse who tries to talk Sarah out of looking for the Flowers, and thinking of him in a romantic way.
A quick read, but admittedly, one of those where I was hoping for a little more of the easy romance of the first.
April 28, 2013
My rating is more of a 2.5. This novel was an enjoyable follow up to The Pirate. While the first novel focussed on adventure and more plot driven, The Adventurer is more character driven. A good portion of the novel is spent between Gideon and Sarah bickering. There is action of course but it is a very nominal part of the story. Actually, I could have done without the part with Jake. Maybe if the story was longer, it would be fine but it just seemed like a contrived final misunderstanding/revelation moment that I found it jarring. Also, the final revelation about the Fleetwood Flowers was cute but again, just didn't mesh well with how the story developed in the beginning. Still, it was a fun quick read.
May 30, 2008
I have an extensive backlist collection of Jayne Ann Krentz's books. This is one I did not already have, to my surprise. The heroine is an adventurous romantic suspense author who relies on her intuition for most of her decisions, and now her intuition is telling her to go on a treasure hunt. She's been corresponding with the hero, who publishes a treasure hunting magazine, for research for a book, and heads off to wrangle him into helping her dig up her great-great aunt's buried jewelry--but the real treasure she's hunting is the hero. Typical Krentz, typically good.
March 29, 2019
Treasure hunting and intuition, too. what could be better
All the elements for a successful romance. she is slightly flaky while he has shut down all emotion. He publishes a treasure hunting magazine and writes some of its articles while she writes romance novels. She has a treasure map she inherited from her family and it is located near where he lives. What could be more convenient?
All the elements for a successful romance. she is slightly flaky while he has shut down all emotion. He publishes a treasure hunting magazine and writes some of its articles while she writes romance novels. She has a treasure map she inherited from her family and it is located near where he lives. What could be more convenient?
October 28, 2018
This is a novel from Ms Krentz' backlist, that I hadn't read before. Some of the attitudes are a little dated, but I have to say I enjoyed the book. There are apparently three books in the "Ladies and Legends" group, and I will read them all. This book is not as compelling as some of Ms Krentz' more recent books, but it was a fun read with a satisfying ending. Recommended light romance.
January 3, 2015
3.75 stars for sarah & gideon
April 5, 2020
Fun
Fun read with great characters. Also loved the cats. Great twist at the end. Hurray for determined women that don't give up.
Fun read with great characters. Also loved the cats. Great twist at the end. Hurray for determined women that don't give up.
February 5, 2020
Sarah writes romantic suspense. She has created stories which include her perfect hero. After she has correspondence over a period of 4 months with a stranger, she determines that stranger, Gideon, is her perfect hero.
She drives to Gideon's home to tell him she needs him to help her find a treasure which is a part of her family history. That took a lot of courage and a little insanity.
Gideon is surprised, amused, annoyed and intrigued when Sarah flies into his life like a tornado.
This is a quick read.
Gideon has secrets which are slowly revealed to Sarah. Sarah on the other hand, feels the need to bare her soul at the drop of a hat.
There is a back story about Sarah's family treasure. Although Gideon tries to discourage Sarah from expectations, he agrees to help her find the treasure. Things do not go the way either of them expects.
I liked Sarah, but got tired of her changing moods. She felt that he was taking advantage of her, then she didn't. When she inserted herself into his life, it was by her choice. At times it was annoying dealing with her ups and downs. But, she is a loyal friend, and she has a forgiving heart.
I liked Gideon. He was a man of honor. He was humorous and smart and had a strong sense of responsibility. And he had two wonderful cats who loved him, so he must be a good guy.
This book was written early in Ms Krentz's career. It is a reminder of why she became such a successful author.
She drives to Gideon's home to tell him she needs him to help her find a treasure which is a part of her family history. That took a lot of courage and a little insanity.
Gideon is surprised, amused, annoyed and intrigued when Sarah flies into his life like a tornado.
This is a quick read.
Gideon has secrets which are slowly revealed to Sarah. Sarah on the other hand, feels the need to bare her soul at the drop of a hat.
There is a back story about Sarah's family treasure. Although Gideon tries to discourage Sarah from expectations, he agrees to help her find the treasure. Things do not go the way either of them expects.
I liked Sarah, but got tired of her changing moods. She felt that he was taking advantage of her, then she didn't. When she inserted herself into his life, it was by her choice. At times it was annoying dealing with her ups and downs. But, she is a loyal friend, and she has a forgiving heart.
I liked Gideon. He was a man of honor. He was humorous and smart and had a strong sense of responsibility. And he had two wonderful cats who loved him, so he must be a good guy.
This book was written early in Ms Krentz's career. It is a reminder of why she became such a successful author.
July 11, 2019
Sarah is a romance novelist and she has been writing back and forth to Gideon the editor of a magazine about treasure hunting. Sarah wants to find her aunts earrings. Her aunt left her a map with some clues. Sarah relies on her intuition a lot. Besides wanting the earrings, she has decided Gideon is meant to be hers. Just as they are close to the earrings and getting closer to each other, Gideon's old and presumed dead partner shows up. He wants the earrings and will do anything to get them for himself.
March 26, 2025
I really didn't expect to like this series. I prefer historical romance, but thought I'd give this series a try, & I truly ended up enjoying these stories. In this book I found Sarah's optimism amazing, but poor Gideon found it rather confusing, & didn't quite no how to handle it. He was so guarded that he struck out at her trying to keep her at arms length emotionally. This was my favorite book of this series. I liked the way it story moved along & didn't constantly repeat itself like SO many authors seem to do. I would recommend this book & this series
July 28, 2019
The book is better than the rating...
This is a 4.5* book with 2* editing. So unlike any of the other books I have read by Jayne in any of her pen names. It seems like every other dialogue ended with a ? - even when the sentence isn’t a question. Really very odd. Other than that, the story was well written and the characters well developed. I LOVED the ending, caught me by surprise...well done indeed.
This is a 4.5* book with 2* editing. So unlike any of the other books I have read by Jayne in any of her pen names. It seems like every other dialogue ended with a ? - even when the sentence isn’t a question. Really very odd. Other than that, the story was well written and the characters well developed. I LOVED the ending, caught me by surprise...well done indeed.
January 14, 2023
This was a cute book about a ditzy romance novelist who decides a man who helped her with research for a book about treasure hunting is meant to be her 'hero.' She literally shows up on his doorstep with no warning and informs him that she wants to hire him to help her find her family's hidden treasure. Gideon does not know what to make of Sarah but agrees to help her. He grows to have affection for her even though he has trust issues.
March 9, 2024
This is definitely an 80s or 90s style romance. With an over the top masculine lead who is strong and pretty much always right. To counterbalance the hero the heroine is intelligent and tries to keep the male lead in line while regularly succumbing to sexual attraction.
This was a fun listen even though I rolled my eyes at Sarah and Gideon from time to time.
Sarah is a romance writer with intuition. Gideon is a treasure hunter. The ending was a little bit of a surprise.
This was a fun listen even though I rolled my eyes at Sarah and Gideon from time to time.
Sarah is a romance writer with intuition. Gideon is a treasure hunter. The ending was a little bit of a surprise.
March 2, 2020
Good read
Bought this book because it is a Jayne Ann Krentz book and it was on sale, but it must be one of her earlier works because it doesn't have the same intensity as her current books. But, still, it was entertaining, funny, and relatively quick paced. Not a lot of mystery, very minimal danger, some sex, humor, and a surprise ending. Highly recommend.
Bought this book because it is a Jayne Ann Krentz book and it was on sale, but it must be one of her earlier works because it doesn't have the same intensity as her current books. But, still, it was entertaining, funny, and relatively quick paced. Not a lot of mystery, very minimal danger, some sex, humor, and a surprise ending. Highly recommend.
September 24, 2018
Where Do I Begin
Jayne Anne Krentz her stories are always amazing.I kept putting it down and coming back,I didn't want it to end.Now that I have finished it I'm mad because I don't have another one to read.
Jayne Anne Krentz her stories are always amazing.I kept putting it down and coming back,I didn't want it to end.Now that I have finished it I'm mad because I don't have another one to read.
October 29, 2018
Reminiscent of Amanda Quick characters - joyous but intelligent heroine and stoic hero with hard of gold. But while the heroine's attributes match the, I don't see the *heart* of the hero and thus am not convinced.
June 20, 2020
Sweet
It was cute, funny, sexy, daring,foggy..romantic
Good characters. One bad man telling lies.
A mystery surrounding Emiline Fleetwoods earrings
Happy ending
It was cute, funny, sexy, daring,foggy..romantic
Good characters. One bad man telling lies.
A mystery surrounding Emiline Fleetwoods earrings
Happy ending
June 26, 2020
This book got off to a good start. Sarah was spunky and the cats were great. But the rest of the book made no sense to me. There was no chemistry between Sarah and Gideon and they acted so weird all the time. And the ending was just off.
April 2, 2024
2 1/2 stars rounded up. First book was better. Sarah really grated on my nerves with all her bossiness about their relationship. She constantly nagged Gideon and psycho analyzed him. It was very annoying and detracted from the story. The 2 cats were cute.
November 9, 2025
good read
Jane Anne Krentz has been one of my favorite authors for a long time in whatever venture she writes. Her stories always have something special to them that I can’t describe. You can’t go wrong with any of her books. Enjoy 👍👍👍💜
Jane Anne Krentz has been one of my favorite authors for a long time in whatever venture she writes. Her stories always have something special to them that I can’t describe. You can’t go wrong with any of her books. Enjoy 👍👍👍💜
September 1, 2017
Харесвам авторката, но това е една от най-слабите й книги по мое мнение. Героинята беше доста странна личност, дори глуповата а самата история доста посредствена.
October 13, 2018
Quirky and romantic
This book was non-stop. Action, romance, fun. Plot twists added to the overall good feels with this book. Hurry up book 3.
This book was non-stop. Action, romance, fun. Plot twists added to the overall good feels with this book. Hurry up book 3.
April 13, 2019
Audible
April 27, 2019
Just ok
Very predictable but the tension between main characters was interesting but a little tedious. Finding the treasure was interesting and would be better if more detailed
Very predictable but the tension between main characters was interesting but a little tedious. Finding the treasure was interesting and would be better if more detailed
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews