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St. Helens #1
Amaryllis
Listening length: 9 hours, 51 minutes
Amaryllis Lark is undeniably beautiful. She's also one of the best psychic detectives on St. Helen's, the earth colony recently cut off from the mother planet, yet not very different from home - a place where love still defies the most incredible odds. Lucas Trent, the rugged head of Lodestar Exploration, isn't keen on the prim and proper type - and, from her neatly buttoned up business suit to her cool evaluation of his request to bust a corporate thief, Amaryllis is EXCRUCIATINGLY proper!
Amaryllis may have psychic powers, but she can't read minds - least of all her own. When a bold hunch leads them from a wild murder investigation to a red-hot love affair, Amaryllis is shocked, Lucas is delighted, - and no power on heaven, earth, or St. Helen's can keep them apart!
Amaryllis Lark is undeniably beautiful. She's also one of the best psychic detectives on St. Helen's, the earth colony recently cut off from the mother planet, yet not very different from home - a place where love still defies the most incredible odds. Lucas Trent, the rugged head of Lodestar Exploration, isn't keen on the prim and proper type - and, from her neatly buttoned up business suit to her cool evaluation of his request to bust a corporate thief, Amaryllis is EXCRUCIATINGLY proper!
Amaryllis may have psychic powers, but she can't read minds - least of all her own. When a bold hunch leads them from a wild murder investigation to a red-hot love affair, Amaryllis is shocked, Lucas is delighted, - and no power on heaven, earth, or St. Helen's can keep them apart!
Audible Audio
First published October 1, 1996
500 people are currently reading
2696 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Castle
54 books2,159 followersThe 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.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
February 14, 2012
I was annoyed with this book in so many ways. It was a book I had to force myself to finish, and, in fact, I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't left it at school to read while my students read their books.
First of all - Amaryllis?? Amaryllis?? Really?? What a lame name. Though I suppose a character with a dumb name should be equally dumb and she was. Amaryllis was naive and grating. "Oh, no! Someone did something bad! I can't believe people aren't perfect like me!" "Oh no! People don't tell the absolute truth all the time??"
I had a hard time figuring out what Lucas saw in her. He was annoyed by her "Founder values" and lack of common sense. He put her down constantly for her desire to do what was right, which (to me) was her only (slightly) redeeming quality. The only thing he seemed to appreciate was how well they were suited in bed. I also couldn't figure out what Amaryllis saw in Lucas. She seemed to think he was unprincipled and arrogant and, like Lucas, only seemed to appreciate how good they were in the sack.
And speaking of their sexual chemistry - where was it?? I didn't think their encounters were "hot." In fact, I frequently rolled my eyes at Castle's descriptions of their bed sport (I've been reading too many historical romances ... and I love the phrase "bed sport").
I thought for a while that the mystery would keep me interested in the book, but it didn't. It was poorly done and lacked a reason for the reader to care. The murdered man was, by all accounts (except for Amaryllis's) an unfriendly, unreasonable man. The only person who seemed to care that he died was Amaryllis, which made me wonder why I should care. And the reveal? Blah, blah, blah!
The world that Castle created should have been interesting, but she relied to much on Earth for her inspiration. Coff-tea, straw-peach pie, and turk-chick?? *sigh* It took me half the book to figure out what a psychic vampire was. At first, I thought it was a vampire that was psychic (the word "psychic" is modifying the noun "vampire" afterall). Even after reading the book I'm still not sure I fully "get it," but I do know it's not a blood-sucking vampire.
I don't think I'd read anything else by this pseudonym of Jayne Anne Krentz. I am an occasional fan of her Amanda Quick books but as Jayne Castle is definitely lacking.
First of all - Amaryllis?? Amaryllis?? Really?? What a lame name. Though I suppose a character with a dumb name should be equally dumb and she was. Amaryllis was naive and grating. "Oh, no! Someone did something bad! I can't believe people aren't perfect like me!" "Oh no! People don't tell the absolute truth all the time??"
I had a hard time figuring out what Lucas saw in her. He was annoyed by her "Founder values" and lack of common sense. He put her down constantly for her desire to do what was right, which (to me) was her only (slightly) redeeming quality. The only thing he seemed to appreciate was how well they were suited in bed. I also couldn't figure out what Amaryllis saw in Lucas. She seemed to think he was unprincipled and arrogant and, like Lucas, only seemed to appreciate how good they were in the sack.
And speaking of their sexual chemistry - where was it?? I didn't think their encounters were "hot." In fact, I frequently rolled my eyes at Castle's descriptions of their bed sport (I've been reading too many historical romances ... and I love the phrase "bed sport").
I thought for a while that the mystery would keep me interested in the book, but it didn't. It was poorly done and lacked a reason for the reader to care. The murdered man was, by all accounts (except for Amaryllis's) an unfriendly, unreasonable man. The only person who seemed to care that he died was Amaryllis, which made me wonder why I should care. And the reveal? Blah, blah, blah!
The world that Castle created should have been interesting, but she relied to much on Earth for her inspiration. Coff-tea, straw-peach pie, and turk-chick?? *sigh* It took me half the book to figure out what a psychic vampire was. At first, I thought it was a vampire that was psychic (the word "psychic" is modifying the noun "vampire" afterall). Even after reading the book I'm still not sure I fully "get it," but I do know it's not a blood-sucking vampire.
I don't think I'd read anything else by this pseudonym of Jayne Anne Krentz. I am an occasional fan of her Amanda Quick books but as Jayne Castle is definitely lacking.
January 3, 2011
This was a great story with a wonderful mix of paranormal, sci-fi, and suspense elements with a little wink at historical romance with the whole “society-approved marriage” theme.
Loved the hero, loved the premise, adored the psychic angle (very early Arcane Society with the added need of a focus link between two individuals), especially alongside the fact the entire population “suffers” from it. Though it’s set on a far-away (not-yet-discovered or forgotten) planet it had a very contemporary romance feel, if it weren’t for several mentions of the planet’s flora, fauna, history, and two moons the reader could’ve easily forgot it wasn’t set on Earth…
The only problem I had with it (a minor one, mind you), was the heroine. She was a bit too “amandaquickish” for me. You know, those heroines from her Victorian era that love playing detectives, though they have no idea what they’re doing, thinking oh-how clever they are, attempting at “protecting” the hero and his “fragile” sensibilities…Amaryllis was one of those. Not TSTL (thankfully), but still very naïve and sometimes rather silly and stupid.
Still, an amazing story and I can’t wait for more.
Loved the hero, loved the premise, adored the psychic angle (very early Arcane Society with the added need of a focus link between two individuals), especially alongside the fact the entire population “suffers” from it. Though it’s set on a far-away (not-yet-discovered or forgotten) planet it had a very contemporary romance feel, if it weren’t for several mentions of the planet’s flora, fauna, history, and two moons the reader could’ve easily forgot it wasn’t set on Earth…
The only problem I had with it (a minor one, mind you), was the heroine. She was a bit too “amandaquickish” for me. You know, those heroines from her Victorian era that love playing detectives, though they have no idea what they’re doing, thinking oh-how clever they are, attempting at “protecting” the hero and his “fragile” sensibilities…Amaryllis was one of those. Not TSTL (thankfully), but still very naïve and sometimes rather silly and stupid.
Still, an amazing story and I can’t wait for more.
January 5, 2021
When I tried to read it again I realized that this book is the negative rating. Usually when her books are a 1 star experience, they are boring or bland for my tastes or overly stupid. In this case this would have been a negative 1 star because the book is really bad: a reheated junk food. All the details are pieces from other books: prism and talent from Shield's Lady, the story of St Helen is the exact same of Harmony, the matchmaking and social pressures to marry are from Arcane and Harmony. There's absolutely nothing new.
But the worst is the stupid, arrogant cretin that passes as heroine. Honestly I would murder such a useless piece of sh**. I love honesty and moral compasses, but she has neither: she's only the futurist version of a beguine.
*********************************
Amaryllis made me realize that Jayne Castle/Krentz's voice just doesn't work for me, because this is the 4th book of hers that I've read, and I found them boring, dull and with so many nits I don't find it funny.
I've lost quite some money on this book (7+$) and even more precious time, so I hope you won't mind I will not go in to many details.
World-building. Not a strength of this author. I wonder why creating a sci-fi settings if then you limit yourself to superficiality. Fake earth name are just an example. Nostalgia isn't the best explanation. After 200 years a world and a language evolve. Except St Helen, it seems.
Plot. Not existent. We are compelled to follow the heroine's madness. That's the plot. There is no reason or rhyme to the mystery except that the author/heroine's decided there is one. Unfortunately, there was no thriller or tension to the writing that made me believe the lone wolf when she howls. She simply sounded dumb and monochromatic. Every conversation turned in to her mentor's death. Unbelievable.
Insta-love. Could we kill it already? Mate bonds. Enough said. The easy way out for authors worldwide.
The cherry on top. The heroine. I wanted to drop the book every time she had page time. Yes. You read that.
I'm not sure why this author chooses to write such unpalatable women. Again (see Shield's Lady) I'm offered what's supposed to be a highly-intelligent and educated woman. And again what I read is a dumb, idiotic, worthless girl. Worthless because she would be unbearable if she had been real. Because she would be someone I despise if she had been real. The kind of judgmental person you would steer clear of. The kind of person who would not survive long in business had she been real. Because there's a difference between honesty or integrity and moral superiority.
She goes beyond even the TSTL heroine trope. And that's some feat.
You need a real f* bitch to clean your palate after such a worthless being being passed as a woman.
It was a struggle for me to read this book. No romance, no mystery, no world-building. There was nothing that kept me interested except my own stubborn attitude (and the 7.50 paid I refused to throw into the sewer). Not a good reason to read a book.
Of course these are my nits, not any fault of the author. She writes what she please, and her huge fan base gave her a good reason to keep doing it. But I do wonder...
But the worst is the stupid, arrogant cretin that passes as heroine. Honestly I would murder such a useless piece of sh**. I love honesty and moral compasses, but she has neither: she's only the futurist version of a beguine.
*********************************
Amaryllis made me realize that Jayne Castle/Krentz's voice just doesn't work for me, because this is the 4th book of hers that I've read, and I found them boring, dull and with so many nits I don't find it funny.
I've lost quite some money on this book (7+$) and even more precious time, so I hope you won't mind I will not go in to many details.
World-building. Not a strength of this author. I wonder why creating a sci-fi settings if then you limit yourself to superficiality. Fake earth name are just an example. Nostalgia isn't the best explanation. After 200 years a world and a language evolve. Except St Helen, it seems.
Plot. Not existent. We are compelled to follow the heroine's madness. That's the plot. There is no reason or rhyme to the mystery except that the author/heroine's decided there is one. Unfortunately, there was no thriller or tension to the writing that made me believe the lone wolf when she howls. She simply sounded dumb and monochromatic. Every conversation turned in to her mentor's death. Unbelievable.
Insta-love. Could we kill it already? Mate bonds. Enough said. The easy way out for authors worldwide.
The cherry on top. The heroine. I wanted to drop the book every time she had page time. Yes. You read that.
I'm not sure why this author chooses to write such unpalatable women. Again (see Shield's Lady) I'm offered what's supposed to be a highly-intelligent and educated woman. And again what I read is a dumb, idiotic, worthless girl. Worthless because she would be unbearable if she had been real. Because she would be someone I despise if she had been real. The kind of judgmental person you would steer clear of. The kind of person who would not survive long in business had she been real. Because there's a difference between honesty or integrity and moral superiority.
She goes beyond even the TSTL heroine trope. And that's some feat.
You need a real f* bitch to clean your palate after such a worthless being being passed as a woman.
It was a struggle for me to read this book. No romance, no mystery, no world-building. There was nothing that kept me interested except my own stubborn attitude (and the 7.50 paid I refused to throw into the sewer). Not a good reason to read a book.
Of course these are my nits, not any fault of the author. She writes what she please, and her huge fan base gave her a good reason to keep doing it. But I do wonder...
February 12, 2021
2.5 stars. Holy shite... are all the heroines in this author’s books essentially 30 year old virgins? And ofc none of them tell the hero until he deflowers her. It’s absolutely absurd at this point. I’m tempted to drop all my book ratings by a star just for this small, yet majorly annoying, detail.
This book is a little out there for my tastes. The whole thing takes place in an alternate reality world where people left earth and started a new colony on a new planet. The planet made them develop various psychic powers. The hero and heroine both have very strong psychic powers and can work together, having her boost his abilities. The heroine becomes obsessed with a murder mystery that frankly just made her seem like an idiot for about 90% of the story. Even when she ends up being right, she’s still comes out looking TSTL. The hero was pretty great, but unfortunately he let the heroine get away with all kinds of dumb decisions, which didn’t really make sense with his personality. Thankfully, they got a really cute HFN ending. I wish there was an epilogue though.
Safe
This book is a little out there for my tastes. The whole thing takes place in an alternate reality world where people left earth and started a new colony on a new planet. The planet made them develop various psychic powers. The hero and heroine both have very strong psychic powers and can work together, having her boost his abilities. The heroine becomes obsessed with a murder mystery that frankly just made her seem like an idiot for about 90% of the story. Even when she ends up being right, she’s still comes out looking TSTL. The hero was pretty great, but unfortunately he let the heroine get away with all kinds of dumb decisions, which didn’t really make sense with his personality. Thankfully, they got a really cute HFN ending. I wish there was an epilogue though.
Safe
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2014
This book lacked a sense of humour. All the characters just seemed too pragmatic and stuffy. The heroine is especially stuffy with a complete lack of wit. I found myself wondering if she was mildly autistic because of her almost total lack of understanding of social skills and human nature, but my daughter is autistic and has a better sense of humour...
The sexual chemistry always seemed to fall flat. I mean really, who has a conversation while they are feeling each other up??? Certainly nobody carried away with passion...
I've tried reading Jayne Castle as Jayne Ann Krentz and couldn't get into her writing style under either Pseudonym. Yet I have really enjoyed two of her books under her alternate name of Amanda Quick.
I love the premises of her 'Jayne' books but find myself bogged down in dry sentences and dialogue. Less repetition of key story points and background, might move the story along better? Anyways, I don't want to be too negative. I listened to this as an audio book and the reader wasn't very good, so that didn't help either. She would often would forget to change her voice when speaking for the Hero and choose (I thought) the wrong emphasis on some of the dialogue. But anyways, generally this book just felt to me like a favourite story turned into a movie but ruined by bad casting.
The sexual chemistry always seemed to fall flat. I mean really, who has a conversation while they are feeling each other up??? Certainly nobody carried away with passion...
I've tried reading Jayne Castle as Jayne Ann Krentz and couldn't get into her writing style under either Pseudonym. Yet I have really enjoyed two of her books under her alternate name of Amanda Quick.
I love the premises of her 'Jayne' books but find myself bogged down in dry sentences and dialogue. Less repetition of key story points and background, might move the story along better? Anyways, I don't want to be too negative. I listened to this as an audio book and the reader wasn't very good, so that didn't help either. She would often would forget to change her voice when speaking for the Hero and choose (I thought) the wrong emphasis on some of the dialogue. But anyways, generally this book just felt to me like a favourite story turned into a movie but ruined by bad casting.
November 2, 2016
4.25/5
Nice book. It was a perfect mix of romantic, suspense and paranormal.
This was one of many books that had me hooked from page one. I liked Lucas and Amaryllis, they were attracted to each other since the first time they met. Lucas was really sweet so I couldn't help falling in love with him.
Nice book. It was a perfect mix of romantic, suspense and paranormal.
This was one of many books that had me hooked from page one. I liked Lucas and Amaryllis, they were attracted to each other since the first time they met. Lucas was really sweet so I couldn't help falling in love with him.
wishlist
November 4, 2016It's got the Ilona Andrews seal of approval so I definitely need to give it a try!
September 25, 2015
Predictable but in a nice way. I enjoyed it but I can tell it's her early work. But I don't care. I liked it anyway:)
The hero annoyed me by the way he kept trying to stop Amaryllis from investigating, and she was a prissy annoying heroine. It worked though. I prefer her Harmonh series I think.
But yeah, enjoyable but not fantastic or anything.
The hero annoyed me by the way he kept trying to stop Amaryllis from investigating, and she was a prissy annoying heroine. It worked though. I prefer her Harmonh series I think.
But yeah, enjoyable but not fantastic or anything.
November 21, 2017
I picked up this series because Ilona Andrews mentioned they were a fan.
At start it seemed like a cliched pnr but after some time I got into the story. I liked the chemistry between characters. And the world really intrigues me, I must find out more.
At start it seemed like a cliched pnr but after some time I got into the story. I liked the chemistry between characters. And the world really intrigues me, I must find out more.
December 19, 2018
I've enjoyed a few of the author's contemporary romantic suspenses under a different pen name, but I adore sci-fi so I had to snatch up a suspense set on another planet involving humans with psychic gifts solving a murder.
Amaryllis is the first of the St. Helen's trilogy. The story introduces the main players, starchy rule-loving Amaryllis Lark, a psychic prism which means her ability is to help power and control all other psychic talents, and rough and ready business owner Lucas Trent who is keeping secret the extent of his psychic power and gifts. Lucas has a case of industrial espionage going on within his company and needs to hire a strong prism who can channel his talent so he can verify who is selling his company secrets. He'd rather not deal with the prim Amaryllis, but he has little choice. Their business arrangement sets into motion several things leading to not one, but a few different mysteries that have them teaming up to get answers and fighting a taboo attraction. They are both destined for an arranged match and not with each other so they should go their separate ways. But, they don't.
My enjoyment of sci-fi romance is a relatively recent thing and I tend more toward Space Opera if anything so I've missed out on some of the SFR 'classics' like this trilogy here. I'm glad it was re-issued on audio so it caught my eye. The setting is distant future and distant from earth. From what I gathered, there was a sort of wormhole that allowed earth's ships to travel far and find a planet much like earth. No sooner had the colonists settled than the wormhole closed and they were stranded on the far side. Not only are they cut off from home, but technology from earth won't work on this planet. They were taken back to the pre-tech era and had to start fresh so that by the time of this story, they have reached tech around the later half of the twentieth century. So, basically, it was like reading a contemporary romance on an earth-like world, but the new world caused psychic talents to emerge as well as a more historical approach of arranged marriages being the sought after situation. Same sex marriages were not an issue. The issue was a good, strong family nucleus where strong traditional principles were taught to the new generation. Unarranged marriages, or worse, living together and the follow up of illegitimate children was a stain on a person and a family. It was a curious hodge-podge for a set up.
I have to say that the tweaking of common place items, foods, animals, plants and more cracked me up and made it hard to take it seriously. 'Coff-tea' for example.
To be honest, there were other things that made me twitch from Amaryllis' stuffy manners and extreme naivete paired with her TSTL rushes into danger without thought to the constant use of terms like synergy, prig, and prim. Synergy was something of a religious philosophy for these folks so I expected it to be prevalent, but every paragraph was pushing it.
And, while the mystery was intriguing and legit, I wasn't sold on the very beginning. There wasn't enough there that should have caused Amaryllis to go on point like a blood hound. She's spouting foul play and murder when all she had was an accidental death and her sadness because he was her mentor. There were no ominous clues that it wasn't an accident and out of the blue she is able to leap from an unrelated incident at the political fundraiser when her and Lucas suspect a politician is using his charm talent to do more smoozing than is ethical to a connection to her old university mentor's recent death. Once the mystery was under way, it was fine and I was totally into it, but it skipped a few steps in the beginning in leading into it.
But, all that being said, it turned out to be a good suspenseful romance. I thought the opposites attract pair of Amaryllis and Lucas was great. It was neat getting his background coming from the rough frontier area where he was instrumental in putting down a war with pirates over the jungle islands and ruthlessly building his successful exploration company, his orphan status and hidden psychic talent that was scary to the others if they knew he had it, and his discovery of a new fuel and also some alien artifacts making him an interesting, sexy man. Amaryllis was one of the many who saw him as a larger than life hero even if her own past has her needing to remain solidly in control and resisting his charm. She hides behind stringent rules and adherence to her mentor's ethnic codes for herself and the use of psychic talent. She is the child of people who let selfish passion lead them astray and make her childhood miserable with bullying, derision, and her father's family rejecting her existence. Her mother's family loved her, but brought her up to be cautious. Lucas is a breath of fresh air in her staid life and she takes the lead in dragging him after answers about her mentor's death. There was a good twist at the end in the suspense and in the romance as well.
Tanya Eby is a long-time favorite narrator. She was a good match for the story. I loved her voice for Amaryllis and she did great with Lucas as well giving him a husky voice the opposite of Amaryllis smooth one. All the side characters were voiced well and she had a good sense of timing and situation. I got lost in her narration and probably enjoyed this book ever so much more than if I had merely been reading the words.
So, it was a good start. The next two books are about a few intriguing characters introduced in this book who have their own secret psychic talents and come from the same part of the world as Lucas. I look forward to getting their stories. For those who want a sci-fi romance that was engaging and don't mind that it has some quirks from the past, these are a good bet.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Amaryllis is the first of the St. Helen's trilogy. The story introduces the main players, starchy rule-loving Amaryllis Lark, a psychic prism which means her ability is to help power and control all other psychic talents, and rough and ready business owner Lucas Trent who is keeping secret the extent of his psychic power and gifts. Lucas has a case of industrial espionage going on within his company and needs to hire a strong prism who can channel his talent so he can verify who is selling his company secrets. He'd rather not deal with the prim Amaryllis, but he has little choice. Their business arrangement sets into motion several things leading to not one, but a few different mysteries that have them teaming up to get answers and fighting a taboo attraction. They are both destined for an arranged match and not with each other so they should go their separate ways. But, they don't.
My enjoyment of sci-fi romance is a relatively recent thing and I tend more toward Space Opera if anything so I've missed out on some of the SFR 'classics' like this trilogy here. I'm glad it was re-issued on audio so it caught my eye. The setting is distant future and distant from earth. From what I gathered, there was a sort of wormhole that allowed earth's ships to travel far and find a planet much like earth. No sooner had the colonists settled than the wormhole closed and they were stranded on the far side. Not only are they cut off from home, but technology from earth won't work on this planet. They were taken back to the pre-tech era and had to start fresh so that by the time of this story, they have reached tech around the later half of the twentieth century. So, basically, it was like reading a contemporary romance on an earth-like world, but the new world caused psychic talents to emerge as well as a more historical approach of arranged marriages being the sought after situation. Same sex marriages were not an issue. The issue was a good, strong family nucleus where strong traditional principles were taught to the new generation. Unarranged marriages, or worse, living together and the follow up of illegitimate children was a stain on a person and a family. It was a curious hodge-podge for a set up.
I have to say that the tweaking of common place items, foods, animals, plants and more cracked me up and made it hard to take it seriously. 'Coff-tea' for example.
To be honest, there were other things that made me twitch from Amaryllis' stuffy manners and extreme naivete paired with her TSTL rushes into danger without thought to the constant use of terms like synergy, prig, and prim. Synergy was something of a religious philosophy for these folks so I expected it to be prevalent, but every paragraph was pushing it.
And, while the mystery was intriguing and legit, I wasn't sold on the very beginning. There wasn't enough there that should have caused Amaryllis to go on point like a blood hound. She's spouting foul play and murder when all she had was an accidental death and her sadness because he was her mentor. There were no ominous clues that it wasn't an accident and out of the blue she is able to leap from an unrelated incident at the political fundraiser when her and Lucas suspect a politician is using his charm talent to do more smoozing than is ethical to a connection to her old university mentor's recent death. Once the mystery was under way, it was fine and I was totally into it, but it skipped a few steps in the beginning in leading into it.
But, all that being said, it turned out to be a good suspenseful romance. I thought the opposites attract pair of Amaryllis and Lucas was great. It was neat getting his background coming from the rough frontier area where he was instrumental in putting down a war with pirates over the jungle islands and ruthlessly building his successful exploration company, his orphan status and hidden psychic talent that was scary to the others if they knew he had it, and his discovery of a new fuel and also some alien artifacts making him an interesting, sexy man. Amaryllis was one of the many who saw him as a larger than life hero even if her own past has her needing to remain solidly in control and resisting his charm. She hides behind stringent rules and adherence to her mentor's ethnic codes for herself and the use of psychic talent. She is the child of people who let selfish passion lead them astray and make her childhood miserable with bullying, derision, and her father's family rejecting her existence. Her mother's family loved her, but brought her up to be cautious. Lucas is a breath of fresh air in her staid life and she takes the lead in dragging him after answers about her mentor's death. There was a good twist at the end in the suspense and in the romance as well.
Tanya Eby is a long-time favorite narrator. She was a good match for the story. I loved her voice for Amaryllis and she did great with Lucas as well giving him a husky voice the opposite of Amaryllis smooth one. All the side characters were voiced well and she had a good sense of timing and situation. I got lost in her narration and probably enjoyed this book ever so much more than if I had merely been reading the words.
So, it was a good start. The next two books are about a few intriguing characters introduced in this book who have their own secret psychic talents and come from the same part of the world as Lucas. I look forward to getting their stories. For those who want a sci-fi romance that was engaging and don't mind that it has some quirks from the past, these are a good bet.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2025
It took me foreeeeeever to get through this book, because the FMC was so incredibly tedious. I'm not joking. I would read half a chapter and have to step away because she was utterly exhausting.
It's too bad because the MMC was pretty great, and I had a lot of sympathy for him - poor guy is so alone, and every time he's tried to form a close personal connection he's been betrayed. The fact that he is such a good guy made it all the more unfair.
I also liked the setup, the story, even if the murder mystery really didn't need that one last twist. IMO it was a solid arc that twisted into something beyond credibility with that last one. It also hurt the rest of the book, because it pulled the rug on everything in the story up to that point. Like, haha it was all a lie, you got like quadruple played, the real murderer is just some batshit lunatic.
Eh. This is my first book by this author, and I've eyed several of her series, but my understanding is they're all kind of loosely in the same world and some people advised to start here. But there is zero chance I'm reading the next book in this series, so I'm not sure if it is worth trying anything else.
It's too bad because the MMC was pretty great, and I had a lot of sympathy for him - poor guy is so alone, and every time he's tried to form a close personal connection he's been betrayed. The fact that he is such a good guy made it all the more unfair.
I also liked the setup, the story, even if the murder mystery really didn't need that one last twist. IMO it was a solid arc that twisted into something beyond credibility with that last one. It also hurt the rest of the book, because it pulled the rug on everything in the story up to that point. Like, haha it was all a lie, you got like quadruple played, the real murderer is just some batshit lunatic.
Eh. This is my first book by this author, and I've eyed several of her series, but my understanding is they're all kind of loosely in the same world and some people advised to start here. But there is zero chance I'm reading the next book in this series, so I'm not sure if it is worth trying anything else.
May 26, 2022
I needed a comfort reread, one where I knew there would be positive queer representation and no children in peril. Thank goodness for JAK's extensive back catalog.
It is very much written in the 1990s though - her heroes still are kind of aggressive in this era, and it's so weird to remember living without cell phones and text messages.
It is very much written in the 1990s though - her heroes still are kind of aggressive in this era, and it's so weird to remember living without cell phones and text messages.
October 21, 2010
This one disappointed me big-time. I've come to the realization that Jayne Castle/Krentz/Quick's voice/style just doesn't work for me because this is the 6th book of hers that I've read that I found very dull. I should note that I do not like mysteries as a rule so maybe that's my problem because that's what the bulk of this book was.
Set on another planet, 200 years in the future, Amaryllis Lark is what they call a professional "prism." Her world is filled with people born with differing psychic abilities who are unable to use them without the help of a prism who helps them focus their talents. Lucas needs a high talent prism to help him find a leak in his company. This leads to much adventure and when they "link" it leads to true love.
I found my mind wandering a lot while reading this one. I was so looking forward to a good futuristic romance but was disappointed because this one read so much like a contemporary/mystery. Castle's world of psychics and prisms was filled with so much promise that was never fulfilled in my eyes. It disappointingly mirrored current day earth with the exception of the psychic talents and the unimaginatively and laughably named items like jelly-ice, snake-bat, coff-tea, etc. and so on. She had explanations for the non-advances in technology and the silly sounding named items (nostalgia! ) but still it really bugged me. IMO, this book might as well have been set in current day Seattle rather than "New Seattle". I also thought the mystery portion of the book far overwhelmed the love story.
There were moments of wit that made me smile but that didn't cut it for me. In the end I didn't feel anything for Amaryllis or Lucas - they just didn't move me and that's the most disappointing thing of all.
Set on another planet, 200 years in the future, Amaryllis Lark is what they call a professional "prism." Her world is filled with people born with differing psychic abilities who are unable to use them without the help of a prism who helps them focus their talents. Lucas needs a high talent prism to help him find a leak in his company. This leads to much adventure and when they "link" it leads to true love.
I found my mind wandering a lot while reading this one. I was so looking forward to a good futuristic romance but was disappointed because this one read so much like a contemporary/mystery. Castle's world of psychics and prisms was filled with so much promise that was never fulfilled in my eyes. It disappointingly mirrored current day earth with the exception of the psychic talents and the unimaginatively and laughably named items like jelly-ice, snake-bat, coff-tea, etc. and so on. She had explanations for the non-advances in technology and the silly sounding named items (nostalgia! ) but still it really bugged me. IMO, this book might as well have been set in current day Seattle rather than "New Seattle". I also thought the mystery portion of the book far overwhelmed the love story.
There were moments of wit that made me smile but that didn't cut it for me. In the end I didn't feel anything for Amaryllis or Lucas - they just didn't move me and that's the most disappointing thing of all.
February 5, 2024
I'm rereading this series out of order (because why not, amirite?) and I'm excited to see Amaryllis and Lucas sparking off one another again. These two have a serious opposites attract thing going on. To start with, he's an off the charts talent and she's an off the charts prism and EVERYBODY knows those two don't match well together. Except these two do.
Then there's the matter of Amaryllis's rather upright stance on ethics and how a talent or prism should act. Which is to say, she holds herself to high standards and she expects others to do the same. Lucas, on the other hand, knows that a certain flexibility to those standards could potentially keep Amaryllis from getting tangled up in a dangerous situation. In other words, sometimes it's best to turn a blind eye to things if he hopes to get himself (and Amaryllis) safe.
Unfortunately, Amaryllis disagrees with that and soon she's knee-deep in following scraps of clues and visiting unsavory establishments to try to piece together what's going on and how it ties in with her mentor's (possibly) accidental death.
More than a little danger, secrets, family ties, a man who knows a good woman when he finds her, and a lady who is willing to go to any lengths for the people she loves. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Then there's the matter of Amaryllis's rather upright stance on ethics and how a talent or prism should act. Which is to say, she holds herself to high standards and she expects others to do the same. Lucas, on the other hand, knows that a certain flexibility to those standards could potentially keep Amaryllis from getting tangled up in a dangerous situation. In other words, sometimes it's best to turn a blind eye to things if he hopes to get himself (and Amaryllis) safe.
Unfortunately, Amaryllis disagrees with that and soon she's knee-deep in following scraps of clues and visiting unsavory establishments to try to piece together what's going on and how it ties in with her mentor's (possibly) accidental death.
More than a little danger, secrets, family ties, a man who knows a good woman when he finds her, and a lady who is willing to go to any lengths for the people she loves. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
October 27, 2015
Strange use of adjectives to describe features of characters. I did not detest it, actually found myself laughing at times. Bottomline, this is a romance book trying to do a Dick Tracy while Professor X is all giddy with their abilities but I'm no expert in all three themes. Will I recommend it to friends? The excitement of pulling a practical joke on them thrills me but I know they can handle it, so yeah why not.
This is really a 2.5 rating. The surprises were predictable, but somehow I found myself laughing at some texts so I guess I sort of liked it. It was a good idea that I read this without overthinking so it was not a struggle to finish this.
This is really a 2.5 rating. The surprises were predictable, but somehow I found myself laughing at some texts so I guess I sort of liked it. It was a good idea that I read this without overthinking so it was not a struggle to finish this.
February 7, 2024
This is an older Jayne Castle (JA Krentz) set on the fictional world of St. Helen's. I know I read it in 1996, but remembered nothing about it. When I had the chance to pick up a free audio copy, I jumped. I enjoyed the audio, and while parts of the story feel outdated. Yes, it's a futuristic world where people from the Pacific Northwest were trapped centuries earlier and had to rebuild their society, but it still feels a bit dated. For the most part I enjoyed the story, although at the end the suspense portion dragged. Each time we think things are solved, another villain is revealed.
As a warning, no dust bunnies exist in this world (or at least in this book).
As a warning, no dust bunnies exist in this world (or at least in this book).
dnf-shelf
May 26, 2024DNF @ 50%. The story made sense until it absolutely didn't. Seemed to go off on a random tangent and our main characters were absolutely annoying and could barely stand each other so I'm not sure where or how the romance entered the chat but completely unbelievable. I usually like an enemies to lovers vibe but this wasn't that.
September 1, 2017
A 1990s paranormal romance, this is a crossover novel in the sense that it has science fictional trappings though fairly superficial ones. The basic plot consists of: a couple who seem mismatched are nevertheless highly attracted to each other, during the course of an unofficial investigation into the death of the woman's university mentor. So there isn't one science fictional idea in it really. Nevertheless, the background of an ex-Earth colony cut off from the home world for 200 years (because travel to the remote star system was accomplished via an energy field near Earth called the Curtain, which somehow closed after the colony was established) was quite interesting.
The planet, St Helen's, is now populated with three city-states, and New Seattle is where the story takes place. Because the colonists named everything after the Earth equivalents which they missed, it does get a little risible at times that there are beverages such as coff-tea (which makes you wonder what awful taste would that have!) and lots of other hyphenated mashups. The other aspect that gets a little wearing is the eponymous heroine's self pronounced goody twoshoes act. She constantly states that she adheres to the values of the Founders of St Helen's, believing them to be upright and honest as the day is long, rather than having the more realistic view of the hero, Lucas, that they must have done what was expedient to survive in a hostile environment where all the technology they had brought from Earth disintegrated and broke down (for reasons the author never explains) and they had to come up with alternatives.
The most interesting aspect of the book is the paranormal one. Everyone on St Helen's has psychic powers of some kind, and the author has invented new ones. So there are people who can enhance the growth of plants, for example, as well as those more commonly encountered in fiction such as the ability to project illusions. Strangely enough, telepathy isn't a real power on the planet. And everyone who has a talent as it is known also requires the assistance of someone who can create a psychic prism through which to focus it, or they can do very little and for only a few seconds. It does beg the question of how they discovered this in the first place, but we have to suppose that Prisms as they are known must instinctively start to project and that the first people with talents picked up on how to use them. Thus the exercise of such powers requires the co-operation of two people - in this case, Lucas being the one with the talent and Amaryllis being the Prism.
St Helen's now has a society remarkably similar to e.g. 1980s or 1990s Earth although enhanced psychically and with all energy needs being met by a substance which is mined and has the nickname of jelly-ice. Because of the necessity of ensuring a stable society when they were cut off from Earth, marriage whether between hetero- or homo-sexual couples, is permanent with divorce being unheard of and stigma being incurred by anyone who has children outside marriage. The children of such unions are bluntly termed bastards, and Amaryllis has had to endure the disgrace of being illegitimate, despite having the support of her mother's family. (Her father's refused to acknowledge her existence.)
Marriage is highly organised, with everyone registering with psychic marriage bureaus, and it is regarded as foolish in the extreme to marry without being matched by a bureau, a process partly based on extensive questionnaires and interviews, and partly on psychic compatiblity. Psychic abilities are tested and certified in this slightly rigid society, and Lucas has had to fake a 9 rating as he is really higher - which would put off most prospective marriage partners - while Amaryllis is a full spectrum Prism meaning she can handle the power of a 10 or higher. Prisms such as herself have the reputation of being picky and therefore difficult to match. Amaryllis and Lucas, both undergoing the matching process, believe that despite their feelings for each other, they will not be able to stay together. The emotional conflict in the book arises in their internal monologue as each contemplates the fact that their relationship must be doomed and short-term.
And, as I've said, against this quite complex and interesting background, we have the plot which is driven mainly by a murder mystery. Although there is quite a clever twist, it does have the disadvantage of appearing to create an anticlimax But all in all, quite a decent page-turning read.
The planet, St Helen's, is now populated with three city-states, and New Seattle is where the story takes place. Because the colonists named everything after the Earth equivalents which they missed, it does get a little risible at times that there are beverages such as coff-tea (which makes you wonder what awful taste would that have!) and lots of other hyphenated mashups. The other aspect that gets a little wearing is the eponymous heroine's self pronounced goody twoshoes act. She constantly states that she adheres to the values of the Founders of St Helen's, believing them to be upright and honest as the day is long, rather than having the more realistic view of the hero, Lucas, that they must have done what was expedient to survive in a hostile environment where all the technology they had brought from Earth disintegrated and broke down (for reasons the author never explains) and they had to come up with alternatives.
The most interesting aspect of the book is the paranormal one. Everyone on St Helen's has psychic powers of some kind, and the author has invented new ones. So there are people who can enhance the growth of plants, for example, as well as those more commonly encountered in fiction such as the ability to project illusions. Strangely enough, telepathy isn't a real power on the planet. And everyone who has a talent as it is known also requires the assistance of someone who can create a psychic prism through which to focus it, or they can do very little and for only a few seconds. It does beg the question of how they discovered this in the first place, but we have to suppose that Prisms as they are known must instinctively start to project and that the first people with talents picked up on how to use them. Thus the exercise of such powers requires the co-operation of two people - in this case, Lucas being the one with the talent and Amaryllis being the Prism.
St Helen's now has a society remarkably similar to e.g. 1980s or 1990s Earth although enhanced psychically and with all energy needs being met by a substance which is mined and has the nickname of jelly-ice. Because of the necessity of ensuring a stable society when they were cut off from Earth, marriage whether between hetero- or homo-sexual couples, is permanent with divorce being unheard of and stigma being incurred by anyone who has children outside marriage. The children of such unions are bluntly termed bastards, and Amaryllis has had to endure the disgrace of being illegitimate, despite having the support of her mother's family. (Her father's refused to acknowledge her existence.)
Marriage is highly organised, with everyone registering with psychic marriage bureaus, and it is regarded as foolish in the extreme to marry without being matched by a bureau, a process partly based on extensive questionnaires and interviews, and partly on psychic compatiblity. Psychic abilities are tested and certified in this slightly rigid society, and Lucas has had to fake a 9 rating as he is really higher - which would put off most prospective marriage partners - while Amaryllis is a full spectrum Prism meaning she can handle the power of a 10 or higher. Prisms such as herself have the reputation of being picky and therefore difficult to match. Amaryllis and Lucas, both undergoing the matching process, believe that despite their feelings for each other, they will not be able to stay together. The emotional conflict in the book arises in their internal monologue as each contemplates the fact that their relationship must be doomed and short-term.
And, as I've said, against this quite complex and interesting background, we have the plot which is driven mainly by a murder mystery. Although there is quite a clever twist, it does have the disadvantage of appearing to create an anticlimax But all in all, quite a decent page-turning read.
April 3, 2017
I've read a lot of JAK/AQ/JC's other books and in reading through the reviews of those books I've frequently seen people comment that the St. Helen's series was some of her best. And I was pleased to find that the books live up to the hype. I wouldn't say that Amaryllis is a perfect book but it was definitely a solid and engaging read. The romance between Amaryllis and Lucas was believable and I genuinely felt the connection between them. And I liked the sense of desperation and melancholy that overtook them when they thought their "affair" would have to end soon so they could both make proper agency marriages.
The mystery was decent, if a little far fetched and dependent on coincidence. The issues I had with the story centered around the heroine. Amaryllis was much too naive for my tastes. It's one thing to have a strong code of ethics, but it's another thing entirely to be so blindly wedded to those morals that you can't even conceive of the possibility that others might not share the same view. And her dogged determination to investigate her mentor's months-old death based solely on her "intuition" that something wasn't right was a bit hard to swallow. Throughout the whole investigation she's got zero proof that anything bad happened, just a "feeling" and that's enough for her to keep plugging away at it and putting herself in danger time and again. I guess we were supposed to admire her for her determination or whatever, but I would have preferred a few actual facts to substantiate her "feelings". If she'd been anyone other than the heroine in a romance novel, her obsession would have come off as the paranoid ramblings of a nutter.
Oh and I agree with what some of the other reviewers have said regarding the St. Helen's world; it's not different-enough from regular late 20th century Earth. I think this is because these are some of JAK's earlier works in this futuristic setting and it hadn't fully matured into a complete world for her. The combination words that were a hybrid of two Earth words were silly. They drink coff-tea and eat pear-berries and straw-peach pie. But they also watch TV and get shot with guns that fire bullets, not some futuristic ray gun that fires lasers. What's the point of setting your story in a futuristic alien world if it's going to look and sound just like present-day Earth?
The mystery was decent, if a little far fetched and dependent on coincidence. The issues I had with the story centered around the heroine. Amaryllis was much too naive for my tastes. It's one thing to have a strong code of ethics, but it's another thing entirely to be so blindly wedded to those morals that you can't even conceive of the possibility that others might not share the same view. And her dogged determination to investigate her mentor's months-old death based solely on her "intuition" that something wasn't right was a bit hard to swallow. Throughout the whole investigation she's got zero proof that anything bad happened, just a "feeling" and that's enough for her to keep plugging away at it and putting herself in danger time and again. I guess we were supposed to admire her for her determination or whatever, but I would have preferred a few actual facts to substantiate her "feelings". If she'd been anyone other than the heroine in a romance novel, her obsession would have come off as the paranoid ramblings of a nutter.
Oh and I agree with what some of the other reviewers have said regarding the St. Helen's world; it's not different-enough from regular late 20th century Earth. I think this is because these are some of JAK's earlier works in this futuristic setting and it hadn't fully matured into a complete world for her. The combination words that were a hybrid of two Earth words were silly. They drink coff-tea and eat pear-berries and straw-peach pie. But they also watch TV and get shot with guns that fire bullets, not some futuristic ray gun that fires lasers. What's the point of setting your story in a futuristic alien world if it's going to look and sound just like present-day Earth?
September 12, 2020
I liked this 3 1/2. It is a bit old school futuristic paranormal romance with a standoffish woman, strung tight. Big businessman trying to hide his talents.
A curtain/veil opened on Earth 200 years earlier and allowed intrepid humans to venture to a planet in another part of the galaxy, St Helens. Unluckily the curtain closed, so St Helens has evolved through the founders perseverance though 200 years later many question those motives and really what were the founders beliefs. Many people have gifts but those gifts take two people to use, the psy and the focus.
St Helen's society is very conservative in some ways yet liberal in others. Divorce is looked down upon and almost impossible to get. Children out of wedlock is a no, no and bastards are treated very unkindly. There is birth control for both males and females so it doesn't stop relationships. It does make many cautious about making their own matches, so they go to psychic counselors whom specialize in finding the perfect fit.
So our heroine works as a for hire focus, for psychics. Lucas, a wealthy businessman hires her to attend a party to investigate a traitor in his firm. They immediately have sparks and stumble upon other happenings during the investigation. They continue to look into the questions that opened up, while getting closer and having a relationship develop. It was a pretty good story and world though I felt a little like I was in the 70tys. Being on their own planet where no Earth made object functions or exists, makes it easy to develop a technology that is behind the times even though it is in the future. It was also written in 1996 which was the edge of the PNR boom of the 2000. This was a lead in and IMO, a basis for much of the Psychic PNR of today. Nalini Singh says it is one of her favorite series, and I can definitely see where it may have influenced her.
I enjoyed the romance and the story and will continue on with the series. It wasn't my favorite but it was good for an early PNR.
A curtain/veil opened on Earth 200 years earlier and allowed intrepid humans to venture to a planet in another part of the galaxy, St Helens. Unluckily the curtain closed, so St Helens has evolved through the founders perseverance though 200 years later many question those motives and really what were the founders beliefs. Many people have gifts but those gifts take two people to use, the psy and the focus.
St Helen's society is very conservative in some ways yet liberal in others. Divorce is looked down upon and almost impossible to get. Children out of wedlock is a no, no and bastards are treated very unkindly. There is birth control for both males and females so it doesn't stop relationships. It does make many cautious about making their own matches, so they go to psychic counselors whom specialize in finding the perfect fit.
So our heroine works as a for hire focus, for psychics. Lucas, a wealthy businessman hires her to attend a party to investigate a traitor in his firm. They immediately have sparks and stumble upon other happenings during the investigation. They continue to look into the questions that opened up, while getting closer and having a relationship develop. It was a pretty good story and world though I felt a little like I was in the 70tys. Being on their own planet where no Earth made object functions or exists, makes it easy to develop a technology that is behind the times even though it is in the future. It was also written in 1996 which was the edge of the PNR boom of the 2000. This was a lead in and IMO, a basis for much of the Psychic PNR of today. Nalini Singh says it is one of her favorite series, and I can definitely see where it may have influenced her.
I enjoyed the romance and the story and will continue on with the series. It wasn't my favorite but it was good for an early PNR.
April 6, 2024
Dec 7 ,2008 - The first in the St. Helens series, this one is about Amaryllis, a full-spectrum prism with high ethics working for Psynergy, Inc. and Lucas Trent, a rough executive who has two talents that are both off the charts. Another case where opposites attract and find out that they're not so opposite after all. I love the characters in the St. Helens books and feel like I am visiting old friends every time I re-read them, which is often. The mystery isn't bad either.
Jan 3, 2011 - It's been four months since I've read any JAK, so I have been wallowing wonderfully in a re-read of Amaryllis. It is so great to get back to a good book. As often as I re-read these books, I still cannot discover the secret to her success. To put it simply, I love the way she writes. In Amaryllis, she repeatedly gets into Lucas Trent's thoughts after he asks Amaryllis for something he wants. While waiting for Amaryllis to answer, he talks himself out of what he hopes for by giving himself all the reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea, then when Amaryllis answers in the affirmative, he ignores all his mental arguments and snaps her up on it immediately. An early example is when he asks her out and she says she's busy that night. He goes into a long process where he convinces himself it's for the best giving himself several reasons why, when she tells him what she plans to do and asks if he'd like to join her, and he immediately switches gears and asks when he should pick her up. I love the way JAK does this. It really brings Trent to life and makes him real and memorable. On to the next in the series and another wonderful wallow.
Jan 3, 2011 - It's been four months since I've read any JAK, so I have been wallowing wonderfully in a re-read of Amaryllis. It is so great to get back to a good book. As often as I re-read these books, I still cannot discover the secret to her success. To put it simply, I love the way she writes. In Amaryllis, she repeatedly gets into Lucas Trent's thoughts after he asks Amaryllis for something he wants. While waiting for Amaryllis to answer, he talks himself out of what he hopes for by giving himself all the reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea, then when Amaryllis answers in the affirmative, he ignores all his mental arguments and snaps her up on it immediately. An early example is when he asks her out and she says she's busy that night. He goes into a long process where he convinces himself it's for the best giving himself several reasons why, when she tells him what she plans to do and asks if he'd like to join her, and he immediately switches gears and asks when he should pick her up. I love the way JAK does this. It really brings Trent to life and makes him real and memorable. On to the next in the series and another wonderful wallow.
March 26, 2011
About 200 years ago, pioneers from Earth began colonizing the planet of St. Helen’s. They traveled between the two planets through an energy gate they called the Curtain. But suddenly and mysteriously, the Curtain closed, and the remaining pioneers were left to survive on their own. Things were made much more difficult when they realized that none of the tools and materials they brought from earth would last – books disintegrated, electronic equipment would not function, anything they made from earth materials decayed and fell apart. But the people apparently had no trouble surviving in the same atmosphere, and survive and prosper they did. And they developed skills unheard of, or untapped, on earth. – especially in the psychic areas. But by the five hells, St. Helen’s became a hyphenated world. There are bat-snakes and eel-fish and mouse-wrens and cat-dogs. The people eat straw-peaches and cherry-grapes and drink coff-tea *my reading stuttered whenever I came across that!* Even the people are hyphenated! Amaryllis is a full-spectrum prism, and Lucas is a detector-talent (he’s also an illusion-talent, but that’s a secret he guards very well).
All this silliness aside, this is really a pretty-good suspense-romance (I told you it’s a hyphenated world), and even though no reputable marriage agency would match a high-class talent with a full-spectrum prism, you just know that Amaryllis and Lucas will have their happily-ever-after, especially when Lucas brings her rose-orchids!
Note: this is a strong 3* read, but didn't reach a 4* rating for me.
All this silliness aside, this is really a pretty-good suspense-romance (I told you it’s a hyphenated world), and even though no reputable marriage agency would match a high-class talent with a full-spectrum prism, you just know that Amaryllis and Lucas will have their happily-ever-after, especially when Lucas brings her rose-orchids!
Note: this is a strong 3* read, but didn't reach a 4* rating for me.
January 2, 2019
3 Stars
I liked the premise of the story and the world building was okay. We're told that plants and other thing weren't like those on earth, but they were still named familiar names. It did feel off to hear words like Coff-tea or turk-chick (there were more)....sometimes the words would pull me out of the scene. Also I wasn't crazy about the h's name, Amaryllis...but I'm coming into this series with all 3 books already written and I see they're all named after a flower.
Thought Amaryllis was a little naive regarding the Founder's Values. Like because they're founders they're all honest, trustworthy and without corruption. It was almost as if she was brainwashed. I liked Lucas, but I didn't see what he really saw in her as a love interest. JMHO.
I liked the premise of the story and the world building was okay. We're told that plants and other thing weren't like those on earth, but they were still named familiar names. It did feel off to hear words like Coff-tea or turk-chick (there were more)....sometimes the words would pull me out of the scene. Also I wasn't crazy about the h's name, Amaryllis...but I'm coming into this series with all 3 books already written and I see they're all named after a flower.
Thought Amaryllis was a little naive regarding the Founder's Values. Like because they're founders they're all honest, trustworthy and without corruption. It was almost as if she was brainwashed. I liked Lucas, but I didn't see what he really saw in her as a love interest. JMHO.
November 27, 2018
I had to quit at almost 70%. I kept thinking that Amaryllis would pull the stick out of her butt. She never loosened up and I wanted her to be tortured or murdered in some sadistic way. Alas, it was not to be.
I think I stuck with the story as long as I did because it was an Ilona Andrews rec. I’ve really liked some of her past recs. I suppose we can’t be psychically in sync at all times.
I did like the concept of the magically talented needing a gifted prism person to focus their magic. Lots of story potential there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past annoying Amaryllis and my need to bludgeon her.
I think I stuck with the story as long as I did because it was an Ilona Andrews rec. I’ve really liked some of her past recs. I suppose we can’t be psychically in sync at all times.
I did like the concept of the magically talented needing a gifted prism person to focus their magic. Lots of story potential there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past annoying Amaryllis and my need to bludgeon her.
September 28, 2008
How to review a book that you have trouble putting into a specified genre, hhmmm? I’m not quite sure either but I do know that “Amaryllis” is an interesting and enjoyable read. It has a little something for readers of science fiction, something for romance fans, a bit for suspense and even light-hearted humorous banter for those who enjoy chic lit. If you are looking to try for something a little different, be sure and give this title a try.
September 11, 2013
I had a really hard time pushing through this. I skimmed a lot. Because Amaryllis was such a naive, prissy little sprig. Their words, not mine. It was annoying.
What I did enjoy was Lucas (yum!) and Amaryllis's's's (whatevs) coworkers. And I liked the twist, because I already felt like I had solved the mystery 30% of the way in. But the author really surprised me.
I kinda liked it, but Jayne Castle has done waaay better.
What I did enjoy was Lucas (yum!) and Amaryllis's's's (whatevs) coworkers. And I liked the twist, because I already felt like I had solved the mystery 30% of the way in. But the author really surprised me.
I kinda liked it, but Jayne Castle has done waaay better.
May 26, 2025
The story is really a 5, but the audio recording is really a 3. The reader spoke too quickly and it took about 4 to 5 chapters to get used to her cadence. She did a fairly good job with the voices, but I won’t be listening to this version again anytime soon. I’ll stick with actually reading the book, which is exceptional, and makes revisiting the story again a true pleasure.
January 28, 2013
Amaryllis is a hoot. She's very much a by-the-numbers kind of gal who gets into all kind of trouble in her chosen profession. She lands at a not-so-highly thought of tourist attraction and finds a dead guy.
Don't want to reveal the plot, but if you like futuristic paranormals, this one is for you. It was the start of the dust bunnies and ghost hunters.
This one's on my keeper shelf
Don't want to reveal the plot, but if you like futuristic paranormals, this one is for you. It was the start of the dust bunnies and ghost hunters.
This one's on my keeper shelf
March 28, 2013
Good book.
The world building surprised me in a good way. The characters were fun and the story was good. Would love to read more about Amaryllis and her escapades but I think each book in the series is independent. The titles are the names of the lead female character in each book.
This was a fast read so perhaps I'll check out the other books in this series.
The world building surprised me in a good way. The characters were fun and the story was good. Would love to read more about Amaryllis and her escapades but I think each book in the series is independent. The titles are the names of the lead female character in each book.
This was a fast read so perhaps I'll check out the other books in this series.
February 17, 2015
Amazing books! The series Amaryllis-Zinnia-Orchid by Jayne Castle are certainly one amazing amazing experience....
Set in a futuristic planet where Earthlings colonized some time ago before the Curtain closed between the two worlds, they were forced to their own means.
The books combine a sense of supernatural along with some good old mystery solving.
Set in a futuristic planet where Earthlings colonized some time ago before the Curtain closed between the two worlds, they were forced to their own means.
The books combine a sense of supernatural along with some good old mystery solving.
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