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St. Helens #2
Zinnia
Capturing the “lively sensuality” (Library Journal ) of the passion-filled, near-future space colony of St. Helen’s, the wildly popular alter ego of New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz delivers “delectably entertaining paranormal romantic suspense” (Booklist)!Ever since a false tabloid story ruined her reputation and her interior design business, Zinnia Spring has been labeled the “Scarlet Lady” of St. Helen’s. Now, headstrong Zinnia makes a living using her psychic abilities—a highly prized skill that attracts the attention of another planetary outcast, Nick Chastain. The rough-edged casino owner craves what he doesn’t have— respectability—and he enlists Zinnia to help find his father’s journal and dig up answers to his own mysterious past. Zinnia doesn’t have to be psychic to know what else Nick wants; soon they’re reaching the electrifying heights of ecstasy—and danger. For when a ruthless killer crosses their search, it will take everything in their power to keep their feet on terra firma and survive a deadly trap!
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
411 people are currently reading
1245 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 205 reviews
April 10, 2024
The second in the St. Helens series, this is another in JAK's futuristic romance genre, a genre I feel is peculiarly her own, although I own a few books by other authors that I consider to be in this genre as well. No one does it better than Krentz, however. Zinnia has her hands full dealing with Nick, the bastard son of one of the Chastains, whose family does not recognize him as part of the family. As they move from one crisis to another, you have to wonder what could possibly happen next. Zinnia is from a family that was once wealthy, and since the money was lost, she has been involved in a public scandal, so her reputation has suffered even more. Nick wants to marry into a wealthy elite family and build a respectable reputation, so Zinnia feels she is no longer eligible for the job. Fun, funny, and fast-paced - the three f's of good reading and a sure thing with any Krentz book. No matter how many times I read this book, I can't find anything I'd want to change. I only wish there were more St. Helen's books. Great story, great characters, and great fun. On to the third . . . again.
August 18, 2010
new worlds
September 21, 2019
Well, it was slim pickins at the library in the audio book section. This talented writer really flubbed on this book which felt really dated (quite an accomplishment for a book set in the future).
Skip this one. Tanya Eby was the narrator and she did an ok job.
Skip this one. Tanya Eby was the narrator and she did an ok job.
August 28, 2022
More mystery than romance but nice!
December 9, 2024
I don't usually read this type of book but it fit a couple of my challenges so I decided to give it a go. It's set in the future on a planet called St. Helen's which is very similar to Earth. In this world, marriage is highly desirable and matched through agencies. Divorce is practically non-existent. Nick Chastain wants to marry but he owns a casino, which makes him an undesirable match, despite his good looks and money. While searching for a full-spectrum “prism” to help him locate his dead father's missing journal, he meets Zinnia, who is also unmatchable. Like all good romance novels, they are immediately attracted to one another.
This book was actually very well written and that's not a surprise, considering what a prolific writer Jayne Castle is. Her real name is Jayne Anne Krentz and she has written numerous novels and series under the pen names of Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick. It was fast paced and interesting and I would recommend it for any readers looking for a paranormal romantic mystery. It's the second book in the St. Helen's trilogy and I would pick up the other two, Orchid and Amaryllis, if they fit another one of my challenges.
This book was actually very well written and that's not a surprise, considering what a prolific writer Jayne Castle is. Her real name is Jayne Anne Krentz and she has written numerous novels and series under the pen names of Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick. It was fast paced and interesting and I would recommend it for any readers looking for a paranormal romantic mystery. It's the second book in the St. Helen's trilogy and I would pick up the other two, Orchid and Amaryllis, if they fit another one of my challenges.
April 3, 2017
This was a great read. I liked this book better than the first one in the St. Helen's series, Amaryllis, mainly because the heroine was more likable. Where Amaryllis was so naive that she became a danger to herself and others, Zinnia was a strong, smart, confident woman who kept her wits about her.
The romance between Nick and Zinnia was good and believable and I liked that she saved him as often as he saved her while they sorted out the mystery. All around just a good solid read.
I should note, however, that if you plan to read Amaryllis, make sure you do it BEFORE reading this book because there are major spoilers about Amaryllis just casually thrown into the narrative of Zinnia.
The romance between Nick and Zinnia was good and believable and I liked that she saved him as often as he saved her while they sorted out the mystery. All around just a good solid read.
I should note, however, that if you plan to read Amaryllis, make sure you do it BEFORE reading this book because there are major spoilers about Amaryllis just casually thrown into the narrative of Zinnia.
January 4, 2011
Another great book set on the faraway lost/forgotten planet of St. Helens. Great pacing, exciting plot, great chemistry, wonderful mystery, full of attraction, suspense, with wonderful characterization and a not so "amandaquickish" heroine. ;)
Loved it.
Loved it.
November 13, 2023
4.5 stars.
Nov 2023 - re-listened. A pity there are no dust bunnies on St Helen's.
_________
July 2022 - re-listened.
_________
Sept 2020
Nice to be able to re-visit St Helen's with a new audio version.
Nov 2023 - re-listened. A pity there are no dust bunnies on St Helen's.
_________
July 2022 - re-listened.
_________
Sept 2020
Nice to be able to re-visit St Helen's with a new audio version.
February 11, 2024
This is the second in the author's St. Helen's paranormal mystery series set on a planet that many people from our world were trapped on hundreds of years earlier. They had to reinvent technology, and seemingly most of them discovered paranormal powers that need to be paired together to work effectively.
In this book our heroine is Zinnia, an off-the-charts "prism" pairs up with casino owner Nick (off-the-charts matrix power) to work with his talents, and of course, they fall in love. As in most of the paranormals I've read by Ms. Castle, the only respected marriages are arranged by matching agencies. This would seem to be a problem for the two as Zinnia has been deemed "unmatchable."
The two are busy throughout the book searching for a lost journal of Nick's father, and battling numerous villains (including man-eating plants).
I liked the interactions between Nick and Zinnia, although could have done with a bit less time spent on the "psychical plane." This is a B- for me, so four stars here. I listeened to it in audio and liked the narrator.
In this book our heroine is Zinnia, an off-the-charts "prism" pairs up with casino owner Nick (off-the-charts matrix power) to work with his talents, and of course, they fall in love. As in most of the paranormals I've read by Ms. Castle, the only respected marriages are arranged by matching agencies. This would seem to be a problem for the two as Zinnia has been deemed "unmatchable."
The two are busy throughout the book searching for a lost journal of Nick's father, and battling numerous villains (including man-eating plants).
I liked the interactions between Nick and Zinnia, although could have done with a bit less time spent on the "psychical plane." This is a B- for me, so four stars here. I listeened to it in audio and liked the narrator.
February 16, 2021
2.5 stars. This book was just very ridiculous. It’s a lot like the first in this series, but the heroine is slightly less annoying. I really want to like these books, but they just go a step too far into farce territory with no accompanying humor. I think these books would be a lot better if the MCs didn’t take their situations so seriously.
Safe, heroine was a virgin 🙄
Safe, heroine was a virgin 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2021
Story: Old favorite early paranormal romance futuristic comfort read. Delightful! 5 stars
Narration: Great basic narrative, voices, and accents. Delicate touch. Expressive. Didn't annoy. 4-4.5 stars
Narration: Great basic narrative, voices, and accents. Delicate touch. Expressive. Didn't annoy. 4-4.5 stars
November 23, 2021
UPDATE:
ZINNIA is an all time favorite of mine, #2 in the St Helen’s trilogy (following Amaryllis). I have read it many times over the years. This time I listened to the audio version nicely narrated by Tanya Eby, getting a lot of chores accomplished as I listened. I always reach for Jayne Anne Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick novels when I am looking for a Pick Me Up read, or need to decompress, or I desire a light read between other more intense novels. Krentz/Castle/Quick main characters are always honorable but generally not perfect. The men enjoy the challenge of complicated women, the angst level is low, the dialogue witty, and usually there is plenty of action and tongue-in-cheek humor. And there is always a HEA. These books aren’t “great pieces of literature” but rather delightful books in which I escape.
MY RATING GUIDE: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I LOVED IT; IT WAS GREAT! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
PREVIOUSLY:
Zinnia, book #2 in JACs “Oldie” lite fantasy, paranormal romance trilogy is a favorite of mine & this was a repeated reread for me. I recommend the St Helen’s planet series for readers who enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz’s much later paranormal Arcane & fantasy Harmony planet novels, or any reader who prefers lite fantasy/paranormal books rather than dark, occult, or angst-filled stories. These are light-hearted & fun. They are not meant to be deep, thought provoking, or “epic” in nature.
The male characters are independent men, without any immediate or supportive family, who may have gotten dirty and fought hard to obtain their place in life, but they have always lived by a code of ethics & integrity, and are loyal to “their” people. The women might not always make the smartest decisions but they too, are loyal to family and friends, and are willing to fight for what they believe is right. The main characters in this trilogy all have been born with special psychic-like “talents” that at an early age must learn to control to avoid potential personal harm or harm to others.
The MMC, Nick Chastain, is the founder and owner of a large, profitable casino which has been successful in drawing in important “society” personalities and big dollar spenders since its opening. Nick’s unique off-the-scale matrix paranormal talent allows him to perceive and determine connections, weigh possibilities, and estimate odds making a gambling establishment for him, an excellent choice of business. Although born and raised in a prestigious style, Zinnia’s family, the FMC, has fallen on “hard times” since the death of her parents and the subsequent collapse of their once very successful family owned business. Zinnia now owns a struggling interior design business and also consults part-time for a paranormal spectrum consulting agency. The consultant position allows her to use her unusual form of full-spectrum psychic prism talent with Matrix talents, who can’t seem to work well with other types of prisms. When one of Zinnia’s Matrix spectrum clients fails to appear for a scheduled appointment, Zinnia becomes concerned, and begins searching for him. Meanwhile, Nick has his own questions regarding the long ago death of his parents, and he too is seeking answers. Zinnia’s and Nick’s separate agendas collide together and they decide to join forces, discovering that Nick’s off-the-charts Matrix talent and Zinnia’s unusual ability to focus for high level Matrix talents produces not only unforeseen answers, but plenty of sparks as well. :D
Zinnia has scenes of sexual intimacy between the main characters which may be closer to steamy than sweet. IMO the sexuality is a result of the growing relationship between the characters, although no long-term commitments are made until the end, where they get their HEA. Profanity is used, but rarely. Due to the afore mentioned, I do not recommend this series to young readers.
ZINNIA is an all time favorite of mine, #2 in the St Helen’s trilogy (following Amaryllis). I have read it many times over the years. This time I listened to the audio version nicely narrated by Tanya Eby, getting a lot of chores accomplished as I listened. I always reach for Jayne Anne Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick novels when I am looking for a Pick Me Up read, or need to decompress, or I desire a light read between other more intense novels. Krentz/Castle/Quick main characters are always honorable but generally not perfect. The men enjoy the challenge of complicated women, the angst level is low, the dialogue witty, and usually there is plenty of action and tongue-in-cheek humor. And there is always a HEA. These books aren’t “great pieces of literature” but rather delightful books in which I escape.
MY RATING GUIDE: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I LOVED IT; IT WAS GREAT! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
PREVIOUSLY:
Zinnia, book #2 in JACs “Oldie” lite fantasy, paranormal romance trilogy is a favorite of mine & this was a repeated reread for me. I recommend the St Helen’s planet series for readers who enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz’s much later paranormal Arcane & fantasy Harmony planet novels, or any reader who prefers lite fantasy/paranormal books rather than dark, occult, or angst-filled stories. These are light-hearted & fun. They are not meant to be deep, thought provoking, or “epic” in nature.
The male characters are independent men, without any immediate or supportive family, who may have gotten dirty and fought hard to obtain their place in life, but they have always lived by a code of ethics & integrity, and are loyal to “their” people. The women might not always make the smartest decisions but they too, are loyal to family and friends, and are willing to fight for what they believe is right. The main characters in this trilogy all have been born with special psychic-like “talents” that at an early age must learn to control to avoid potential personal harm or harm to others.
The MMC, Nick Chastain, is the founder and owner of a large, profitable casino which has been successful in drawing in important “society” personalities and big dollar spenders since its opening. Nick’s unique off-the-scale matrix paranormal talent allows him to perceive and determine connections, weigh possibilities, and estimate odds making a gambling establishment for him, an excellent choice of business. Although born and raised in a prestigious style, Zinnia’s family, the FMC, has fallen on “hard times” since the death of her parents and the subsequent collapse of their once very successful family owned business. Zinnia now owns a struggling interior design business and also consults part-time for a paranormal spectrum consulting agency. The consultant position allows her to use her unusual form of full-spectrum psychic prism talent with Matrix talents, who can’t seem to work well with other types of prisms. When one of Zinnia’s Matrix spectrum clients fails to appear for a scheduled appointment, Zinnia becomes concerned, and begins searching for him. Meanwhile, Nick has his own questions regarding the long ago death of his parents, and he too is seeking answers. Zinnia’s and Nick’s separate agendas collide together and they decide to join forces, discovering that Nick’s off-the-charts Matrix talent and Zinnia’s unusual ability to focus for high level Matrix talents produces not only unforeseen answers, but plenty of sparks as well. :D
Zinnia has scenes of sexual intimacy between the main characters which may be closer to steamy than sweet. IMO the sexuality is a result of the growing relationship between the characters, although no long-term commitments are made until the end, where they get their HEA. Profanity is used, but rarely. Due to the afore mentioned, I do not recommend this series to young readers.
May 27, 2018
Zinnia, also known as the scarlet lady since scandal follows her everywhere, is a prism who matches well to matrix-style talents. Basically, a matrix style talent is really awesome at seeing patterns and doing calculations in order to see under the surface happenings and even predict events. They're also considered to be weird, secretive and often paranoid. Nick Chastain, casino owner, is an off the charts matrix talent and he matches up to Zinnia accidentally and can't forget about her. But she doesn't fit into his plans to buy respectability, and to become a part of the upper echelons of society. She does however fit into his plan to find his father's journal of the last expedition he was on, before he died. So they partner up to find, not only the journal, but also the person who is killing people to get it. And in the process, Nick and Zinnia realize that they have more than psychic compatibility, they have a real connection.
So this is still the typical, pretty fluffy sci-fi romance that I enjoy from this author. I sometimes love them, but I never find myself ready to throw my e-reader or anything. There are quite a few authors that do this - they engage me for several hours, but they don't leave me feeling like I'd been on an angst-fest roller coaster or anything. Just fluffy and fun. That's this book really, with a few things thrown in that kinda got on my nerves, but not enough to spoil the book. I enjoyed following along with the story, seeing how the mystery develops and who the bad guy is and how all the different elements will play out. Even the character interactions and relationships are fun to read about. And for some reason, I just like getting into this sci-fi world that is basically contemporary, but with a few minor sci-fi details.
The characters were enjoyable enough, but I struggled with how quickly their emotions would change. It didn't always feel genuine. Like after Zinnia learns that Nick was the "psychic vampire" that almost trapped her in the casino, she gets over it way too fast. He was basically trying to take over her mind and she doesn't have a realistic reaction to it at all. Likewise, her brother switches his opinion from "I hate you for using my sister," to "He's cool, he let me go on an adventure with him," in the span of a few pages. This was quite common throughout and it threw me off a bit when it happened. I had to shake my head at how unrealistic their emotional behavior was. But I'm realizing that this is pretty normal for this author. Can't have fluffy and fun if your characters are holding on to those grudges.
Nick was not my favorite hero. Maybe it's because of his talent, but he often feels quite manipulative and his insistence on "buying" respectability irked me for some reason. I think it's mostly because he didn't want to buy REAL respectability, only the access that the perception of respectability offers. So although he claimed to have good reason for wanting to get into that elite circle, it felt really superficial of him. It's basically the equivalent of that regency heroine marrying the hero just for his title. I mean, what is he really buying? He's certainly not getting additional respect because he throws his money around and he's not getting true friends or true acceptance, because it's only based on the money he has. He loses the money, he loses everything. I'm kinda disappointed then too that nobody points that out to him and he doesn't see the error in his ways. He ends the book perfectly happy and content to care what people think of him and to have these people fawning over him because he's got money. It was a truly disappointing ending.
So this is still the typical, pretty fluffy sci-fi romance that I enjoy from this author. I sometimes love them, but I never find myself ready to throw my e-reader or anything. There are quite a few authors that do this - they engage me for several hours, but they don't leave me feeling like I'd been on an angst-fest roller coaster or anything. Just fluffy and fun. That's this book really, with a few things thrown in that kinda got on my nerves, but not enough to spoil the book. I enjoyed following along with the story, seeing how the mystery develops and who the bad guy is and how all the different elements will play out. Even the character interactions and relationships are fun to read about. And for some reason, I just like getting into this sci-fi world that is basically contemporary, but with a few minor sci-fi details.
The characters were enjoyable enough, but I struggled with how quickly their emotions would change. It didn't always feel genuine. Like after Zinnia learns that Nick was the "psychic vampire" that almost trapped her in the casino, she gets over it way too fast. He was basically trying to take over her mind and she doesn't have a realistic reaction to it at all. Likewise, her brother switches his opinion from "I hate you for using my sister," to "He's cool, he let me go on an adventure with him," in the span of a few pages. This was quite common throughout and it threw me off a bit when it happened. I had to shake my head at how unrealistic their emotional behavior was. But I'm realizing that this is pretty normal for this author. Can't have fluffy and fun if your characters are holding on to those grudges.
Nick was not my favorite hero. Maybe it's because of his talent, but he often feels quite manipulative and his insistence on "buying" respectability irked me for some reason. I think it's mostly because he didn't want to buy REAL respectability, only the access that the perception of respectability offers. So although he claimed to have good reason for wanting to get into that elite circle, it felt really superficial of him. It's basically the equivalent of that regency heroine marrying the hero just for his title. I mean, what is he really buying? He's certainly not getting additional respect because he throws his money around and he's not getting true friends or true acceptance, because it's only based on the money he has. He loses the money, he loses everything. I'm kinda disappointed then too that nobody points that out to him and he doesn't see the error in his ways. He ends the book perfectly happy and content to care what people think of him and to have these people fawning over him because he's got money. It was a truly disappointing ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2008
“Zinnia”, the second title in the Curtain trilogy by Jayne Castle, is just as delightful and entertaining as the first title. Nick Chastain is a casino owner who has lived with the social label of bastard and an off the charts psychic ability is convinced that his self disciplined control over his power and his easy ability of making money is all he needs, that and the one most important challenge of his life, to solve the mystery of his fathers death.
Zinnia Springs is an independent woman simply trying to keep her career as an interior designer alive; fortunately she is a full spectrum prism, which allows her to work a second job with Psynergy Inc. While investigating the disappearance of one of her clients, she crosses paths with Nick. When clue’s start pointing in the same direction as Nick’s fathers death, they both realize that they must work together to find the answers before the killer does.
Zinnia Springs is an independent woman simply trying to keep her career as an interior designer alive; fortunately she is a full spectrum prism, which allows her to work a second job with Psynergy Inc. While investigating the disappearance of one of her clients, she crosses paths with Nick. When clue’s start pointing in the same direction as Nick’s fathers death, they both realize that they must work together to find the answers before the killer does.
November 21, 2008
Second in a trilogy.
I found this review of the book on some book site:
In a far-off world where lifelong marriages are arranged by coupling agencies, Nick Chastain and Zinnia Spring are deemed incompatible. But with the help of their undying love, the couple fights against the laws of society to be together.
and found it to be somewhat misleading.
Zinnia and Nick aren't deemed incompatible towards each other, merely unmatchable by the agency. They come upon each other on their own, she a high level prism, he an off the chart matrix, and so naturally destiny pushes them together. There is also the mystery of the expedition journal and who is behind the race to keep it out of Nick's hands. I enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of her futuristic romances.
I found this review of the book on some book site:
In a far-off world where lifelong marriages are arranged by coupling agencies, Nick Chastain and Zinnia Spring are deemed incompatible. But with the help of their undying love, the couple fights against the laws of society to be together.
and found it to be somewhat misleading.
Zinnia and Nick aren't deemed incompatible towards each other, merely unmatchable by the agency. They come upon each other on their own, she a high level prism, he an off the chart matrix, and so naturally destiny pushes them together. There is also the mystery of the expedition journal and who is behind the race to keep it out of Nick's hands. I enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of her futuristic romances.
May 26, 2025
I enjoyed this book much more than the first one in the series. The MCs were stronger and more interesting and their relationship was fun. I liked the way the hero had his five year plan to become respectable and kept referring to it, while the heroine kept pointing out how unstable people with his form of talent were. It kept the interactions between them lively and added a bit of fun. There was more plot to keep this story moving than in the previous book, too. The world-building was still pretty lame but it's a small part of the story and didn't ruin it. The plot felt like Romantic Suspense, which I particularly enjoy, and I had my eye on someone else as the most probably bad guy, which is always nice. All in all I enjoyed this entry, mostly due to the MCs and their spirited relationship.
September 2, 2017
The second volume in the 1990s paranormal romance series set on the planet St Helen's. Like the first, 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 an antique book dealer and the whereabouts of a journal written by the leader of a lost expedition, which he supposedly had in his possession. Again this is told against 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).
The planet, St Helen's, is populated with three city-states, and the story takes place in New Seattle. 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 and lots of other hyphenated mashups that don't always make sense.
On St Helens, everyone has psychic abilities and these are studied, measured and classified, so people have certificates showing what talent they have and what grade level they can achieve, with six being the average and nine upwards being considered high. A lot of people are wary of people with a ten rating, and anyone above that tends to cover it up by faking tests or getting forged certificates which play down their power levels. To use a talent for more than a few seconds requires the help of someone with another kind of psychic ability, known as a Prism. Such people can project a crystal on the psychic plane through which the talented person then directs their talent to maximum efficiency and duration.
The hero of the story, Nick Chastain, is an off-the-scale matrix talent, who can see the patterns in things. His ability has led him to amass a lot of wealth as a casino owner, but he is regarded as shady by the wealthy and respectable contingent in the city. Nick is a careful planner and has set his sights on buying respectability, starting with the purchase of an old estate from a family whose son got into debt at his casino. Another strike against Chastain is that his parents were unmarried at the time of their sudden deaths, and he is shunned by the rest of the family. Marriage is the bedrock of St Helen's society, and illegitimate children are bluntly called bastards and suffer discrimination and abuse.
Recently, Nick became aware of the existence of a journal written by his explorer father who everyone supposes committed suicide on the eve of his third expedition into remote jungles. The general consensus is that the expedition was cancelled, but Nick has always doubted this, and has been negotiating with an antiquarian bookseller. The story starts when the eponymous female protagonist arrives at his casino, accusing him of being responsible for the bookseller's disappearance. Zinnia has worked with the bookseller as a Prism because she works particularly well with matrix talents, who are thought by the general population to be peculiar and obsessive - yet another strike against Chastain who tries as far as possible to keep it secret that he is one. As a Prism, she can help those who trade in old objects to use their talents to authenticate them. She feels sorry for 'poor Morris' as she calls him again and again through the story, rather irritatingly, and she embarks after some reluctance on a joint investigation with Chastain. This drives the plot of the story, as does their mutual attraction.
This time around, the heroine isn't a goody twoshoes, but she is very stubborn. She isn't quite so irritating as the female protagonist in book one. Zinnia is the daughter of a once wealthy family whose business went into bankruptcy after the accidental death of her parents. Four years ago, she was declared unmatchable by a top matrimonial agency, marriage on St Helen's being a very organised affair where compatibility, including psychic compability, is assessed, and very few people will consider marriage without going through such a bureau. Zinnia is being pressured by the matriarch of the family to marry the head of a IT company who doesn't seem bothered by her unmatchability or the scandal she was caught up in, when a wealthy citizen, who was having a menage a trois with his wife and a local politician, staged things so she would be falsely accused of being his mistress and splashed across the tabloid front pages. The affair cost Zinnia a lot of clients in her interior design business which is why she has been working part time as a Prism. Being stubborn, she tries to live up to her tabloid nickname of Scarlet Lady by henceforward always wearing red, and this has become her trademark.
There are a few interesting twists and the climax of the book works more successfully than the ending of the first volume. The sex scenes are a little more graphic this time around in terms of 'plumbing' which can be a bit offputting, though the two protagonists are also much more forthright in declaring their feelings to each other. The story style is sometimes a bit cludgy - the author feels the need to spell out things and repeat character names as if the reader couldn't possibly have caught on - but there are also some good action and atmospheric sequences. On the whole, a good page-turning read.
The planet, St Helen's, is populated with three city-states, and the story takes place in New Seattle. 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 and lots of other hyphenated mashups that don't always make sense.
On St Helens, everyone has psychic abilities and these are studied, measured and classified, so people have certificates showing what talent they have and what grade level they can achieve, with six being the average and nine upwards being considered high. A lot of people are wary of people with a ten rating, and anyone above that tends to cover it up by faking tests or getting forged certificates which play down their power levels. To use a talent for more than a few seconds requires the help of someone with another kind of psychic ability, known as a Prism. Such people can project a crystal on the psychic plane through which the talented person then directs their talent to maximum efficiency and duration.
The hero of the story, Nick Chastain, is an off-the-scale matrix talent, who can see the patterns in things. His ability has led him to amass a lot of wealth as a casino owner, but he is regarded as shady by the wealthy and respectable contingent in the city. Nick is a careful planner and has set his sights on buying respectability, starting with the purchase of an old estate from a family whose son got into debt at his casino. Another strike against Chastain is that his parents were unmarried at the time of their sudden deaths, and he is shunned by the rest of the family. Marriage is the bedrock of St Helen's society, and illegitimate children are bluntly called bastards and suffer discrimination and abuse.
Recently, Nick became aware of the existence of a journal written by his explorer father who everyone supposes committed suicide on the eve of his third expedition into remote jungles. The general consensus is that the expedition was cancelled, but Nick has always doubted this, and has been negotiating with an antiquarian bookseller. The story starts when the eponymous female protagonist arrives at his casino, accusing him of being responsible for the bookseller's disappearance. Zinnia has worked with the bookseller as a Prism because she works particularly well with matrix talents, who are thought by the general population to be peculiar and obsessive - yet another strike against Chastain who tries as far as possible to keep it secret that he is one. As a Prism, she can help those who trade in old objects to use their talents to authenticate them. She feels sorry for 'poor Morris' as she calls him again and again through the story, rather irritatingly, and she embarks after some reluctance on a joint investigation with Chastain. This drives the plot of the story, as does their mutual attraction.
This time around, the heroine isn't a goody twoshoes, but she is very stubborn. She isn't quite so irritating as the female protagonist in book one. Zinnia is the daughter of a once wealthy family whose business went into bankruptcy after the accidental death of her parents. Four years ago, she was declared unmatchable by a top matrimonial agency, marriage on St Helen's being a very organised affair where compatibility, including psychic compability, is assessed, and very few people will consider marriage without going through such a bureau. Zinnia is being pressured by the matriarch of the family to marry the head of a IT company who doesn't seem bothered by her unmatchability or the scandal she was caught up in, when a wealthy citizen, who was having a menage a trois with his wife and a local politician, staged things so she would be falsely accused of being his mistress and splashed across the tabloid front pages. The affair cost Zinnia a lot of clients in her interior design business which is why she has been working part time as a Prism. Being stubborn, she tries to live up to her tabloid nickname of Scarlet Lady by henceforward always wearing red, and this has become her trademark.
There are a few interesting twists and the climax of the book works more successfully than the ending of the first volume. The sex scenes are a little more graphic this time around in terms of 'plumbing' which can be a bit offputting, though the two protagonists are also much more forthright in declaring their feelings to each other. The story style is sometimes a bit cludgy - the author feels the need to spell out things and repeat character names as if the reader couldn't possibly have caught on - but there are also some good action and atmospheric sequences. On the whole, a good page-turning read.
January 18, 2022
Classic Jayne Ann Krentz under a different name. I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy. I love the flower names. This does remind me of her Harmony Series and I feel it is her precursor to that series, tested out under a different name.
December 4, 2017
So the pattern is emerging. I first declare the book as cliche pnr and then can’t put it down when it gets past 50 percent.
July 2, 2017
Another good Harmony story for Jayne Castle fans. This is an early book and so a tad repetitive at the beginning but the romance was perfect and the humor was great in this science fiction romance cross-over.
February 8, 2017
Al principio el libro me resultó extraño y lioso con las matrices y los prismas, creo que hubiese sido mejor empezar por el primero de la saga (pero en ese momento no sabia que lo era). Pero es un libro con ritmo k me engancho y segui leyendo sin que decayera en ningun momento. Los personajes me han gustado mucho
8/10
8/10
February 13, 2023
The heroine is trying to rebuild her life after a false scandal destroyed everything she built. She bursts into the hero's office to demand the release her client, whom she's convinced the hero has kidnapped.
The hero is a bastard and an owner of a casino who wants nothing more than to buy his way into high society. He's a rare and power bred of psychic that makes his paranoid and reclusive and, he fears, will drive him insane one day. He's shocked to realize that the heroine, with her psychic powers, can balance his and keep him sane. He does everything in his power to keep her close.
Together they are looking for a journal that details the heroes last exploration before he was murdered and the trail leads them deeper into the underbelly of his class. The hero is calm and collected and though he's ruthless in business, he's kind and misunderstood. His profession makes him less of a person but he's rich and has the money to buy himself respectability. His mental psychic powers cause him to be unable to express him emotionally and he tends to hold all of his thoughts to himself but he falls in love with the heroine instantly. The heroine is stubborn and takes on the burden of finding her clients killer though she really has no business doing so. And she's just as outcast from proper society as the hero is. She defends him when others insult his parentage and focuses him when a drug results in his loss of mental stability.
I really loved this book. I didn't like the stupid names for plants or the futuristic new world but I loved the characters. Especially the hero who buys himself into class yet blackmails people for future gain and isn't afraid to threaten people who insult or threaten the heroine. Also, he has terrible design taste and decorates his casino is gold and pink.
The hero is a bastard and an owner of a casino who wants nothing more than to buy his way into high society. He's a rare and power bred of psychic that makes his paranoid and reclusive and, he fears, will drive him insane one day. He's shocked to realize that the heroine, with her psychic powers, can balance his and keep him sane. He does everything in his power to keep her close.
Together they are looking for a journal that details the heroes last exploration before he was murdered and the trail leads them deeper into the underbelly of his class. The hero is calm and collected and though he's ruthless in business, he's kind and misunderstood. His profession makes him less of a person but he's rich and has the money to buy himself respectability. His mental psychic powers cause him to be unable to express him emotionally and he tends to hold all of his thoughts to himself but he falls in love with the heroine instantly. The heroine is stubborn and takes on the burden of finding her clients killer though she really has no business doing so. And she's just as outcast from proper society as the hero is. She defends him when others insult his parentage and focuses him when a drug results in his loss of mental stability.
I really loved this book. I didn't like the stupid names for plants or the futuristic new world but I loved the characters. Especially the hero who buys himself into class yet blackmails people for future gain and isn't afraid to threaten people who insult or threaten the heroine. Also, he has terrible design taste and decorates his casino is gold and pink.
July 6, 2018
Setting: New Seattle, planet St. Helens @200 yrs post settlement
Genre: Sci-fi romance
The blurb is accurate, so I won’t write a synopsis.
The plot is well developed and the characters are fully fleshed out. There are a few sex scenes, but they are tastefully written. However, you can just skim through and not lose the gist of the story. The prose is tight, with flashes of humor and there is a nice absence of tear-jerky pathos.
So, why wasn’t this a four or five star read? It’s the vocabulary. The author uses hyphenated word fragments for animals that I found highly irritating. It threw me out of the action every time I ran into one of them. The colonists were so unimaginative that they couldn’t come up with unique names when they discovered unfamiliar life forms? They had to use labels like rhino-phant, lion-pard, cat-dog (which is apparently a 6-legged creature), bat-snake, etc.? Maybe Castle used these terms to avoid having to make up a word and provide a phrase of description. I think the reading would have been smoother with either unique words or more smoothly blended words. For instance rhinophant, batsnake, lionpard instead of the hyphenated constructs. And if she could come up with dust bunnies in the Harmony series, surely she could find something different for a 6-legged creature in this series. Was this peeve a good reason to subtract 2 stars? It is basically a good story. Three stars is average. But the fact is, I could not maintain full attention because of it.
Genre: Sci-fi romance
The blurb is accurate, so I won’t write a synopsis.
The plot is well developed and the characters are fully fleshed out. There are a few sex scenes, but they are tastefully written. However, you can just skim through and not lose the gist of the story. The prose is tight, with flashes of humor and there is a nice absence of tear-jerky pathos.
So, why wasn’t this a four or five star read? It’s the vocabulary. The author uses hyphenated word fragments for animals that I found highly irritating. It threw me out of the action every time I ran into one of them. The colonists were so unimaginative that they couldn’t come up with unique names when they discovered unfamiliar life forms? They had to use labels like rhino-phant, lion-pard, cat-dog (which is apparently a 6-legged creature), bat-snake, etc.? Maybe Castle used these terms to avoid having to make up a word and provide a phrase of description. I think the reading would have been smoother with either unique words or more smoothly blended words. For instance rhinophant, batsnake, lionpard instead of the hyphenated constructs. And if she could come up with dust bunnies in the Harmony series, surely she could find something different for a 6-legged creature in this series. Was this peeve a good reason to subtract 2 stars? It is basically a good story. Three stars is average. But the fact is, I could not maintain full attention because of it.
September 22, 2010
This was an ok story, but nothing really grabbed me.
The characters, the plot, and the mystery had no problems that I could define, but I just wasn’t interested enough. I wasn't emotionally drawn in, and I didn't feel anything memorable at the end.
This is book 2 in the St. Helen's Trilogy. It is a mystery set in the future, on another planet called St. Helens. A Curtain created a gate between earth and St. Helens which allowed humans to travel. The Curtain later closed, and all humans there were stranded, but they created a decent civilization. Living on that planet caused humans to develop a variety of psychic powers. Nick was a matrix. Zinnia was a prism. Matrix people needed prisms to help them focus their talents. Nick’s parents had been killed when he was a baby, and he is searching for a journal created by his father. Zinnia’s client was killed over the journal, so she joins forces with Nick to find the journal and solve the murder mystery.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: the planet St. Helens in the future. Copyright: 1997. Genre: paranormal romantic mystery.
For a list of my reviews of other books by this author, see my 4 star review of “Sizzle and Burn” posted 2-09-08.
The characters, the plot, and the mystery had no problems that I could define, but I just wasn’t interested enough. I wasn't emotionally drawn in, and I didn't feel anything memorable at the end.
This is book 2 in the St. Helen's Trilogy. It is a mystery set in the future, on another planet called St. Helens. A Curtain created a gate between earth and St. Helens which allowed humans to travel. The Curtain later closed, and all humans there were stranded, but they created a decent civilization. Living on that planet caused humans to develop a variety of psychic powers. Nick was a matrix. Zinnia was a prism. Matrix people needed prisms to help them focus their talents. Nick’s parents had been killed when he was a baby, and he is searching for a journal created by his father. Zinnia’s client was killed over the journal, so she joins forces with Nick to find the journal and solve the murder mystery.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: the planet St. Helens in the future. Copyright: 1997. Genre: paranormal romantic mystery.
For a list of my reviews of other books by this author, see my 4 star review of “Sizzle and Burn” posted 2-09-08.
June 19, 2018
2nd time reading
She's called the 'Scarlet Lady' - but only Zinnia Spring would rise above her shocking nickname by dressing defiantly in red. Ever since a false tabloid story ruined her reputation and her interior design business, this headstrong lady has made a living using her psychic abilities - a highly prized skill that sets her apart on the space colony of St. Helen's. But when she's hired by casino owner Nick Chastain, their meeting of the minds - and hearts - has her seeing stars....
Nick Chastain craves what he doesn't have - respectability. He calls on Zinnia's powers to help find his father's journal, and to dig up answers to his own mysterious past. Zinnia doesn't have to be psychic to know what else Nick wants; together they're an explosive combination that may just blow St. Helen's sky-high with intrigue, danger, and a passion that's anything but predictable. But when a ruthless killer crosses their search, Zinnia must risk everything she's got - in a love affair where the winner takes all.
I really like this series. You can see where her Harmony series. I have read this book several times and doubt this will be the last.
She's called the 'Scarlet Lady' - but only Zinnia Spring would rise above her shocking nickname by dressing defiantly in red. Ever since a false tabloid story ruined her reputation and her interior design business, this headstrong lady has made a living using her psychic abilities - a highly prized skill that sets her apart on the space colony of St. Helen's. But when she's hired by casino owner Nick Chastain, their meeting of the minds - and hearts - has her seeing stars....
Nick Chastain craves what he doesn't have - respectability. He calls on Zinnia's powers to help find his father's journal, and to dig up answers to his own mysterious past. Zinnia doesn't have to be psychic to know what else Nick wants; together they're an explosive combination that may just blow St. Helen's sky-high with intrigue, danger, and a passion that's anything but predictable. But when a ruthless killer crosses their search, Zinnia must risk everything she's got - in a love affair where the winner takes all.
I really like this series. You can see where her Harmony series. I have read this book several times and doubt this will be the last.
August 13, 2022
This is a re-read for me (I really can't remember the last time I read it, so it's been a while). A Chastain popped up in GH15 and she reminded me that we'd met another Chastain at some point. Turns out the Chastain wasn't on Harmony, but on St. Helens. So here I am. Getting reacquainted with Nick, the off-the-charts matrix looking for respectability.
Nick's special someone is Zinnia, an off-the-charts focus talent who happens to be very good at handling matrix talents. Everyone says the high-level talents are hard to match, but...well, they just keep finding one another, don't they?
Anywho. One dead body, one missing journal, and an attempt or two on their lives has the two of them teaming up to figure out what's going on. Zinnia throws all Nick's well-intentioned plans out the door with her unpredictability and Nick rattles Zinnia is the best possible way.
A very fun re-read and now I have to hunt down my copy of book 1 so I can close out this series.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Nick's special someone is Zinnia, an off-the-charts focus talent who happens to be very good at handling matrix talents. Everyone says the high-level talents are hard to match, but...well, they just keep finding one another, don't they?
Anywho. One dead body, one missing journal, and an attempt or two on their lives has the two of them teaming up to figure out what's going on. Zinnia throws all Nick's well-intentioned plans out the door with her unpredictability and Nick rattles Zinnia is the best possible way.
A very fun re-read and now I have to hunt down my copy of book 1 so I can close out this series.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
September 12, 2020
3 1/2 The characters seemed interchangeable to the first book, in my update below. Even so, I found the mystery and the way it ended to be quite satisfying, especially since I didn't see it coming. More so than the first book, which I had qualms about how it got there. I thought the female character became a little smarter through the book, which she really had to do or it wouldn't have worked either in the relationship or mystery. I wish we got to see a little of the couple of the first book but didn't happen. They were talked about but not seen.
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About a 1/3 of the way through and have a similar feeling of woman as the first book. Almost interchangeable in their tenacity to the point of stupidity, powerful prism. The man is very similar too in that he is a rich powerful owner of business, powerful psy. Both men were in the conflict war zone and were friends. Slightly different situation/mystery but the characters are so similar it is boggling to keep them separate from the last couple.
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About a 1/3 of the way through and have a similar feeling of woman as the first book. Almost interchangeable in their tenacity to the point of stupidity, powerful prism. The man is very similar too in that he is a rich powerful owner of business, powerful psy. Both men were in the conflict war zone and were friends. Slightly different situation/mystery but the characters are so similar it is boggling to keep them separate from the last couple.
February 10, 2023
Written in 1997, second in a series, this seems to be the beginning of her Harmony series, though set on a different named planet. Don't know if she decided to change the name, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. I probably read it long before Goodreads existed, I venture to say I probably read it in 1997. Whatever the case I am a big fan of Castle/Krentz/Quick and I will continue reading everybody she writes.
I love that her men are relatively clueless when it comes to woman and relationships and the women are quite strong. I also love that she writes same sex marriage into a 1997 book.
Nick and Zinnia are 2 great characters and the mystery was also Excell. I did not guess the villain at all.
I love that her men are relatively clueless when it comes to woman and relationships and the women are quite strong. I also love that she writes same sex marriage into a 1997 book.
Nick and Zinnia are 2 great characters and the mystery was also Excell. I did not guess the villain at all.
November 22, 2008
A total surprise. Someone loaned it to me, and I held onto it for a long time before giving it a try - just didn't look like my cup of tea, from the cover. (Yeah, I know... you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, LOL.) Takes place on another planet, inhabited by Earthlings stranded many generations ago. Most have developed physic powers. Some very different stuff, but the characters make the story - I loved the people!
May 30, 2012
A book with a bad boy protagonist is always a guarantee for an interesting story, exciting and passionate. If then the female protagonist is a woman like Zinnia, intelligent, stubborn and determined, then it is certain, the book is beautiful. Set in another dimension with people who have psychic powers and with the addition of a mystery to uncover or to unmask a murderer, then the fun is guaranteed. Evocative and extraordinary description of the maze.
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