I gave this one three stars as I do almost all of her books under all three names, but I really didn't enjoy this one as much as her Amanda Quick (my favorite) and Jayne Ann Krentz novels. The futuristic novels just don't appeal to me as much.I do like Rainshadow Island, though. This story is about Slade and Charlotte, who have met before on the island, years before at a much younger age. Both left Rainshadow never expecting to return, yet both are back.Slade a psychic hunter,fears he's losing his powers has returned to become the island's Chief of Police. Charlotte, a powerful psychic in her own right, has come back to run her aunt's antique shop. Somewhat thin on plot, the story centers around the rekindling of Charlotte's teen age crush on Slade, which results in a grown-up love affair, and the mysteries of The Preserve, the strange forbidden area of Rainshadow Island. Charlotte Enright and Slade Attridge met as teens on Rainshadow Island. There was a certain connection between them, but both left the island and made their lives elsewhere. Charlotte's career was in selling antiques, and Slade joined the FBPI (basically, the FBI, but with a P for Psychic).Years later, they're both back. Charlotte has inherited her aunt's antiques shop, and Slade has become the chief of police, after an accident that forced him to leave the FBPI. They soon discover the connection between them is still there.So, I've persevered through the years with Jayne Castle, even though my main reaction to her books these days is "meh". This one is promising. Oh, there's all the expected elements: a half-baked Arcane-related plot (some people searching for a paranormal object with the potential to be used as a weapon, of course) and main characters with unique talents, which put them outside the mainstream of their society.The focus here, however, is squarely on the characters and the romance, and there was a hint of vintage JAK there. It's just a hint, so there's a long way to go, but I'm hopeful. Charlotte and Slade really connect, and there's even a teenager who has taken on Slade as his role model. It needed more of all of this to be as good as older books, but it's a good start.I've seen loads of comments along the lines that this book was a thin, unsatisfying end to the Looking Glass trilogy, and that people weren't satisfied with the way it concluded the paranormal elements. The thing is, see, that I don't give a fig about all the plotty bits, because I don't think JAK's been particularly good at them lately. I'm only here for the relationships, so when she leaves her plot half-baked and feeling like an afterthought (as it did here), her books tend to work better for me. There is some setting up of future books, and mysteries around something called the Rainshadow preserve, but I barely paid that any notice, to be honest.So, an ok read. Oh, and as always, I loved the dustbunny. I loved the gentle humour with which Rex was written, and I giggled out loud at the image of him going around with his beaded clutch. Cute, but in a very good way.MY GRADE: I might be rating on the generous side here, but I'll give it a B. Rex raised it from a B- all on his own.
What do You think about Canyons Of Night (2011)?
Hot, interesting book with the addition of parapsychology. :)
—percabeth
Love Love Love those Dust Bunnies!!!
—rolltide1285
