A Coral Kiss

Island Affairs #2

by Jayne Ann Krentz

Alternate cover for ISBN 0446363499/9780446363495

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense

377 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1987

About the author

The 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.

Reviews

[Azet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"His face was fierce and unrelenting in the shadows. It was the face of a man who could make her believe in hell, Amy thought. Or perhaps it was the face of a man who would walk through hell to save her. "

***

Jayne Ann Krentz is a author that never disappoints and her romantic suspense novel "A Coral Kiss" delivered that sensuality,mystery and excitement i was looking for. The heroine, Amy Slater, is a author stuck in the past after a traumatic murder incident that happened 8 months ago.But her friend,the mysterious hero, " Jed" Jedidiah Glaze is a man who have suppressed his passion for Amy for so long until both finally succumbs to it.After that night everything changes between them,where both unlock each others secrets and demons and together they venture into the past of the Pacific island paradise to face the dangerous secrets from Amy`s past.

Their journey of friends-who-are-attracted-to-each-other into full blown lovers is a enjoyable ride and i love how both are so smitten with each other.Jed with his startling macho looks is such a charmer who becomes utterly helpless against the temptation of Amy.I adore him in the way he helped Amy face her fears.I also love that he is a unofficial, free-lance government agent who build bird cages in his spare time.Amy is a admirable heroine for daring to face her dark past.I also love how she realizes by herself that Jed loves her without him even knowing it himself.Both fit each other perfectly and that ending was so bittersweet and wonderful! Oh,that cover is gorgeous!

[Olga Godim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before this book, I didn’t like Krentz’s male protagonists. They were too mucho and didn’t pay any attention to what their women wanted. This book started a new and excellent wave of her romance fiction, the wave that lasted almost 20 years, from 1987 (the year of this novel’s publication) until about 2005. The author is at the top of her craft: clean language, fast and furious plot, a charming female protagonist, and a brooding, ‘wounded hero’ male lead. In addition to his other qualities – strong, smart, and brave – he is considerate of his mate’s needs and quirks.
The structure of the books is transparent; you could use them as textbook examples of how to write perfect romance. No silly misunderstandings mar these books. No unnecessary expositions. No info dumps. The hero and heroine are attracted to each other from the start, and while they figure out their romance, they are embroidered in a perilous suspense subplot. There is a villain on the loose, and our lovers must work together to thwart him, or else…
Someone said once that her books are predictable. I agree. Their formula is very tight, and the structure of all her novels is the same. But every time I open one of her novels written during this time, I could also predict that I will enjoy it. I read them all before, some multiple times, and I find them very relaxing and absorbing. The action flies, and the heroes jump from book to book, changing only their names and the locations of their next adventure. I also like that in most of her novels, at least one of the leads is connected to the arts. Among them is an actress, a writer, a gallery owner, a fashion boutique designer, a jeweler.
Her villains are sufficiently evil, and her protagonists always come to the start of the novel with emotional baggage that needs untangling. They all have a past. They all have families, and their loyalty is often at the core of their troubles. They all must learn to love and trust again. They are interchangeable, yes, but I love them all. This author, along with a couple of others, is my comfort read.
In this novel, the hero’s name is Jed. The heroine is Amy. Their story starts in a small town on the Pacific Coast and then moves to a tropical island. There are underwater caves in this story and diving and hidden treasure. And a couple of bad guys, of course. All in all, an utterly satisfying read, although not for literary minded. As always, I enjoyed it.

Note : I have been meaning to complain. I read romances, and in most romance novels I read, this one included, the heroes drop their clothes on the floor when they’re overcome with passion. Why the floor. This custom irritates me. Why can’t they fold their clothing on a chair? Or hang it in a closet. Or toss it on a sofa. Why make sure all your clothes are dirty the next day? I’ve never thrown my clothes on the floor, sex or no sex. Have you? Why did romance writers adopt this unsanitary behavior as an indicator of sensuality?

[Maria Vlaicu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niciodată cărțile scrise de Amanda nu m-au dezamăgit 🙂

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Coral Kiss
4 Stars

Continuing with my reading of JAK/QA's backlist, this is one of her earliest works. Although probably original when first published in 1987, the mystery and romance are enjoyable if somewhat predictable.

Living in a small coastal town in California. Jed Glaze and Amy Slater strike up a strong yet platonic friendship. However, this all changes when Jed is injured on the job and requests Amy's help. Soon their simmering attraction boils over and their intimacy leads to the sharing of secrets - some of which lead them into danger.

Jed and Amy are well-developed both as individuals and as a couple. Their slow-burn romance, which begins off-page and ignites fairly quickly is steamy and sensual. Jed is a great hero, stoic and resourceful, although he does have one or two moments of male condescension, which is not uncommon for the time period. Amy is a sympathetic and caring heroine, and her acceptance of Jed, flaws and all, make her very appealing. That said, she can be exceedingly stubborn and unwilling to admit when she is in the wrong.

The suspense story is the weakest part of the book as there are too many convoluted threads that never really come together, and the villains' actions are often illogical and nonsensical.

Overall, a well-paced and engaging read despite some of the outdated tropes.

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

HE FULFILLED HER MOST SENSUAL DREAMS, BUT COULD HE SAVE HER FROM HER MOST TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES?

For months Amy Slater had been pushing Jed away...at the same time her heart demanded she pull him close. She knew so little about him, except that his laughter came as easily as the dark silences which masked his handsome face with suppressed fury and unspoken pain. And Amy had reason not to trust any man since the scuba-diving incident in the South Pacific left her a woman haunted by a harrowing mystery and a memory of blinding fear. But when Jed reached for her with such naked longing and stark honesty she couldn't resist. As his strong arms drew her back into intimate surrender, she asked him to go back with her to the island, to a secret waiting beneath the blue waters, to a place of danger and desire where a new love...or new torment could be born.

[Cruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
First published: 1987
Length: 377pages, 5571 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary, an island off Hawaii.
Sex: Explicit. Reasonably frequent.
Hero: Injured govt. agent.
Heroine: SF author.
Includes: excerpt from Shield's Lady.

Surprisingly enjoyable early Krentz fare with a clever mystery and nicely developed characters. Interesting setting and believable HEA.

References:
Author's website: http://jayneannkrentz.com/a-coral-kiss/

(ISBN ...)

-CR-

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a scuba diver myself, I like the diving descriptions, although I have never and don't plan to ever cave-dive. Although I re-read this book faithfully along with the rest of her books, I find it a bit slower than most of Ms. Krentz's books. I'm not sure why. There is plenty of action, the characters are good, and the dialogue reasonable. Nevertheless I seem to plod through this one when I re-read it, possibly because there are more sex scenes than is her norm, most of which I skip.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy, recovering from her last boyfriend's death, meets Jed, mysterious agent and sometime friend, and they go to her parents' island to solve mysteries and such. Just a completely fine, slightly meh romance.

[C K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an author that I have read a lot of and have added her books to my 'keeper' book shelf. Most I have read at least twice and some even more than that.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

suspense, romance... this book has it all!

[charmaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joy

Never ending suspense from beginning to end.Has you holding your breath wondering what is going to happen next.A really good read.

[Lorraine Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Exciting with good lovin'. Hated to put it down

[Shirlene]

Doug Slater and Michael Wyman were in the military together and became friends. After they got out, 25 years ago, Doug and Mike went into business together and started Wyman and Slater. Mike was the engineer and Doug was the businessman. The name was changed to Slater Aero after Mike died in a boating accident. Mike was the only one on board the ship, he and the ship were never found after he went out sailing one day.
Doug and Gloria Slater had 4 children. Darren was given Slater Aero to run 2 years ago. He is married to Anne. Hugh was a lawyer getting into politics and married to Glenda. Sylvia was an OBGYN. Amelia, Amy, had just gotten published as a science fiction author.
Amy had been visiting her parents about 8 months ago and had brought along a friend. His name was Bob LePage. Amy didn't know at the time that Bob was working with Daniel Renner, Mike Wyman's son, and Artemis J. Fitzpatrick, Artie. Dan had been given his mother's journal upon her death. The diary stated that there were pictures of Doug meeting with Russian's and a payoff was made. The payment was made in emeralds. The gemstones and pictures were in a box in some caves on the Hawaiian island where the Slater's live, Orleana. Bob had staged a meeting with Amy to get her to invite him to her parents island so that he could go diving and retrieve the box for Dan and Artie. Dan and Artie were salesmen who first met dealing drugs together. They had moved on to trading and selling stocks. They wanted the money to blackmail Doug and to get Darren Slater, as a politician, in their pocket.
Bob had gone to the cave entrance late one night and Amy followed him. He retrieved the box and noticed Amy there. He pulled a gun out and told Amy to open the box. She did and told him that she would keep the pictures and the love letters from Gloria to Mike. He could take the emeralds. She gave him the box and since it was dark. He didn't notice at first that she had pulled the emeralds out. He told her to give them back and she threatened to drop them in the cave waters. He walked towards her and tripped. Amy dove into the cave with the emeralds to save herself. Bob dove in after her, hit his head and drowned. Amy went through all the items in the box and then replaced them. She took the box and put in back into the caves and left it there.
Artie had hired two new men, Guthrie and Vaden, to try again. They were waiting for the Slater's to leave on a vacation to Europe to try again. Vaden was on the island and Dan told Guthrie to wait for him and they would arrive together after Amy's parents left the island.
Three months previously, Amy had met Jedidiah Glaze. Jed had been previously engaged to Elaine but that ended 8 years ago when his older brother, Andy, had died. Andy died working for the government in a mercenary type job. Jed was approached to complete the job that Andy had started in order to get revenue for Andy's death. Jed completed the job and discovered that he had a knack for that type of work and was called upon again. That is how he came to be employed by the government.
Jed was quite taken with Amy but sensed a reluctance to let the relationship progress any further than friendship. He worked overseas a good bit and wasn't around the majority of the time they had known each other. He had brought her flowers each time he returned from one of his trips.
Jed had been shot on the last mission he was on. Jed told Amy that he was an engineer whose company often sent him overseas and that he had been in a car accident. Jed called Amy and asked her if she would pick him up at the airport. He was in a lot of pain. Amy picked him up and took him home with her. She decided that he was too sick to be alone. Jed fell asleep in her bed the first night after passing out from the pain killers. Amy woke him the second night by screaming after having a nightmare. The nightmare's were related to Bob's death. Jed talked Amy down from the nightmare and they ended up making love that night.
Amy hadn't been back to her parents' island since Bob's death and they called to ask her to come see them before they went on vacation. Amy agreed to go and asked Jed to accompany her. They flew to the island and Jed met her parents. Amy wanted to talk with her mother about Bob's death and her relationship with Mike but didn't know how to bring the subject up.
Amy couldn't sleep their first night on the island and she went for a walk to the cave opening where Bob had died. Jed had followed Amy and they ended up making love on the beach. Jed asked her for more details about the night he died and Amy refused to tell him much more than the fact that she had shown Bob the cave openings, he was told not to dive into the caves and they were not lovers.
The next morning, Amy and Jed went diving and Amy was tense the entire time. Jed noticed and Amy cut herself on some coral by not paying attention. She panicked and they ended the dive. Jed questioned her about it and they ended up fighting. Amy told Jed he could go home and he told Amy that she wouldn't get rid of him that easily.
Sylvia called that evening and told all of them that she was pregnant and getting married in four days. Amy's parents left to go meet the groom, Dr. Craig Larson, and attend the wedding. They told Amy that she and Jed could stay on the island as long as they wanted to. Amy noticed that Jed's arm was still sore and red. She took him to see a Dr. on the island the next day after they took her parents to their plane. The Dr. mentioned that he had been shot and Amy took him to a local bar owned by friends. She asked him what he did for a living and Jed told her. They stayed for dinner with the couple who owned the bar. Amy got drunk and asked the bar owner questions about her parents and Mike. Jed took Amy home and Amy told him that she was glad that he worked for the government rather than the people that Bob had worked for. The next day Jed told her that he wanted some answers about Bob's death and Amy told him the entire story about how he had tried to kill her and ended up drowning himself. Amy told Jed that Bob had also made reference to the fact that Mike's body may be in the cave because Bob had mentioned finding some diving equipment and he had said something about a skeleton. Amy knew that her father didn't dive but her mother did. Amy was afraid that her mother had killed Mike and put his body in one of the caves. Jed told Amy that she was probably having nightmares from keeping it all locked up inside. She had an active imagination and she thought too much. Jed also told Amy that they needed to go back and retrieve the box before the people who had hired Bob came looking for it themselves.
Jed and Amy went back into town to get diving supplies. Amy stopped by to see Rosie and met Dan and Guthrie. She also served lunch to Vaden. Jed came to get her and met them also. Rosie invited Jed and Amy to the cruise ship that was in port to have drinks and dancing that night and they agreed to meet. They arrived on board and Guthrie left. Jed followed him and Vaden attacked Jed and cut him in a fight. Vaden was arrested and put in jail to cool off for a couple of days. It was not yet known that Vaden was working with Dan and Guthrie. Guthrie told Dan that they needed to wait and see if Jed would dive into the caves to retrieve the box with the gemstones. They would arrange and accident and take the box from them after they had done all the work to recover it. It would same them from the danger of diving and from having to find the cave entrance. Dan agreed.
Jed and Amy did try and recover the box. Amy ended up finding the skeleton of whom she assumed to be Mike. There was a cave in so they had to leave the caves to let the water clear up and try again a couple of days later. Jed had called a friend that he worked with to check on Dan and Guthrie. He was told that Dan was Mike's son.
The water in the cave cleared up after the cave in and Jed and Amy went back into the caves to retrieve the box. They were successful this time. As they were coming out of the caves, they saw another light and knew they had been followed. The went into one of the side caves and caught Vaden who was following them. They took his tanks and left him in the cave until they returned. They snuck out of the caves where Vaden told them that Dan and Guthrie were waiting. The two were arguing and Guthrie dove into the cave to find out what was taking Vaden so long. Jed caught him and knocked him out. Dan had a gun and while Jed distracted him by talking, Amy used her diving weight belt and knocked the gun out of his hand. Dan was also caught. They noticed that Hank was tied up fairly close to the cave entrance. They untied Hank and went back into the cave to retrieve Vaden. They all went back to Amy's parents house to discuss the situation.
Jed called his boss with the government and asked him to make arrangements to cover up what had happened. They took Dan, Guthrie and Vaden into custody after researching their records. Cutter, Jed's boss, told him that the emeralds were fake. Amy kept one for a souvenir and gave the other five stones to Dan. Hank told Amy and Jed that Mike had been the one who was working with the Russians and they had tricked him. The stones they had given him were fakes, just green glass. The pictures that Mike was using to try and blackmail Doug were obviously fake. Doug wouldn't have known that when Mike approached him about the blackmail scheme. Mike had a gun and they were arguing when it went off. Mike was killed. The government people who were watching Mike at the time told Doug to hide the body and they would make sure that what happened would never come to light. Doug agreed because he had his hands full trying to keep his business afloat without Mike. Doug apparently never knew what was in the letters Gloria had written to Mike. Amy was worried about the letters but they burned all the fake pictures and the letters. She read only the last one that Gloria had written and it told Mike that she loved her husband and her children and would never leave them. Amy was much relieved.
Jed told Amy that he had to go back to work. Amy told him that she loved him and to be careful. Jed was disappointed that Amy didn't make more of a scene and left. He had to finish his job and take care of the person who had seen to in that he had gotten shot. The same person had also gotten two other government people killed. Jed finished the job and came home to Amy.
Jed told Amy that he had quit his job and was home to stay. He told her that he loved her. He expected that money might be tight for awhile. Amy told him that she had raised the prices on some bird cages that he had made and they could make enough money if he continued to build and sell them. She also told him that she had her money from her book sales. She had taken the stone she kept to a jeweler that she knew and discovered that the stone she had kept was not a fake. It was a real emerald and was worth about $50,000. They were going to be OK.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Coral Kiss" is the story of Amy and Jed.

An adventurous tale of love, passion and intrigue between a writer and a secret agent. They have been friends for a while, but things take a turn when the heroine invites him to her hometown. They spend a drunken night together, and soon the demons from their past are revealed, taking them on a wild ride filled with family secrets, emeralds and lots of corals.

The first half was very intriguing but the plot did drag in the second half. Mature characters and good chemistry.

Safe
3/5

[Debbie Katauskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesomely wonderful good 👍book!!! Lots of suspense and plot twist turns!!! I loved it !!! T he end was a surprise Done very nicely like 👍you expert of Jayne Ann Krentz ' s way of telling a story always unique!!! s


It's a awesomely wonderful Great 👍book !!! Lots of suspense and plot twist turns!!! I loved the book especially the ending it's classically unique to Jayne Ann Krentz

[Julie C-F · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters in this story are both strong-willed and have the smarts. Jed's work is reminiscent of covert ops back in the 70's where dark, dangerous and secretive work is done. He is just perfect to do the job in retrieving that box and fighting off the bad guys.

I don't know if I am the only one who was curious what the letters were all about.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than I thought I'd like it, considering I'd read another of this author's older releases and found the hero less than engaging. Jed, however, while macho is much more endearingly so for a guy of his time period. And I enjoyed the island vibe, the mystery, and the plot twists. All in all, a good one.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started off as a romance type book but it ended with a lot of suspense. Amy met Jed and thought he was a nice friend. It quickly developed further and Amy never asked what Jed actually did for a living. But with terrible things that happened to her, she was eventually glad to let Jed in on. Interesting family dynamics of Amy’s family.

[Roxana · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
J.A.K. once again perfectly understood my taste in romance. I really loved it. The characters are well-developed, the action is dynamic, and the situations are unpredictable. The setting (which is a true paradise), the well-balanced romance, and the chemistry between Amy and Jed are simply out of this world… 💜

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coral Kiss..

I give this book a five star, kept my attention the whole way through. Amy’s character was sweet but spirited, found Jeb to be a strong typical male, slow to come to the fact she was the one.
Lots of action. Quick read, another hit for Ms Krentz...

[Hannah Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow to start but the pace gets better once Jed and Amy get back to the island. I like the adventure aspect of this romance and I like how they fuss at each other and how their relationship develops. Pretty good.

[April Robertson-Ring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bottomline: Dated but really a fun read.

The locations and characters are classic JAK. If you like her work, give this one a try. It's a bit dated but really a fun read. As always she does a Fantastic job with the unique and fun side characters.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trashy pool reading...because graduate school is destroying all will I have for pleasure reading...bit, it was everything I've come to love and expect from Jayne Ann Krentz...typical 1980s macho male romantic suspense!

[Sue Gosland]

Fun,Fun,Fun!! this is my idea of a fun , easy reader, as my mom and I used to call them. This is an earlier book, so the male behavior of Jed is a little dated, but it was still a good read. I love all Jayne Ann Krentz's books.

[Amanda Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

This is a nice book. I read it once a while ago. I have been rereading jayne Ann krentz books. Some are them are pure classics.

[Laura Gansman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

I’ve never been disappointed by any of Jayne Ann Krentz’s books. Her books are well written and enthralling. Great HEA.

[Pilar Seacord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jed and Amy start as friends but there is more to it. A fun, interesting story that was a great read. An Island, intrigue and romance.

[Pilar Seacord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this JAK story.Jed and Amy are just friends at least on her part. She invites him to an Island where her parents live and the adventure begins. Suspense, secrets and chemistry

[Amanda]

Just not working for me. Neither the hero or heroine is particularly appealing in the first two chapters

[Indie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this romantic mystery! First J A K book and I am sure gonna check out more !