Listened to this a while ago on audiobook-- don't remember it too distinctly, except that it was a light diversion for a car trip. I have an interest in lucid dreaming, and maybe that's why I picked this up at goodwill...or it could be that someone had just raved about this author and I figured this was a way to check her out. Apparently she also writes under another name, but I can't remember what.From the PublisherA red scarf. A roller coaster. A tidal wave of blood.Isabel Wright spends her days at the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research analyzing the dreams of others. Dr. Martin Belvedere, a pioneer in the field, recognized her unique talent for what he calls Level Five lucid dreaming - and rescued her from a dead-end job at the psychic dreamer hotline. It's satisfying, lucrative work, but it can be emotionally draining at times. Especially when one of her anonymous subjects, known only as Client Number Two, captures her imagination through his compelling dream narratives. Secretly, she thinks of him as "dream man."Client Number Two's real name is Ellis Cutler. A loner who learned long ago not to let anyone get too close, he works for a highly classified government agency with an interest in the potential value of lucid dreaming. And he has just been ordered by his boss to make contact with Isabel, who's been fired after the sudden death of Dr. Belvedere. Heading to California, he pushes his own fantasies out of his mind, determined to maintain a professional relationship with the woman who reads his dreams, the mysterious figure he has come to think of as "Tango Dancer."But when they meet in the flesh, the dream becomes real enough to touch. And a waking nightmare begins - when a suspicious hit-and-run leads them into a perilous web of passion, betrayal and murder, and forces them to walk the razor-thin line between dreams and reality. . . .
One of the one-star reviews called this book "dorky", and another (positive) review recommended you "think of it as a comic book". Both very true, and probably half the reason I love Krentz. Half her heroes and most of her heroines were probably dismissed by the Cool Kids as dorks, and her plots tend toward over-the-top and unlikely, just like comics. Her stuff also tends to be warm, loving, family-oriented (although with a very broad definition of "family"), and somewhat naive. You always know there'll be a happily-ever-after, and even when Really Bad Stuff happens or is part of a character's past, if never feels that bad.Krentz is a comfort read for me. I just wish her stuff was as varied as, say, Georgette Heyer's -- unfortunately, Krentz's heroes and heroines tend to blend in the mind pretty rapidly. Her heroines tend to be very intelligent but a bit ditzy, and they generally know immediately that this is the right guy for them; her heroes are wounded and brilliant guys who approach their jobs and lives very logically, but are subject to flashes of intuition that are logically grounded, even if they can't explain the logic immediately. The hero's reasoning may be flawed, but it's invariably logical; the heroine, OTOH, is rarely betrayed by her gut feelings, and is most likely to fail by ignoring them.I like Krent's characters, but they're distinct enough that I get tired of the sameness. Still, as long as I limit myself to a couple of Krentz a year, she's golden.
What do You think about Falling Awake (2005)?
เราว่าเราค่อนข้างจะมีปัญหาเวลาอ่านงานของ JAK ค่ะเล่มนี้คืออ่านนานมาก และไม่จบด้วย ไม่ดึงดูดเลยอ่ะ ค่อนไปทางเบื่อมากด้วยซ้ำอ่านมาได้เกือบครึ่งเล่มเลยตัดใจเลิกอ่านดีกว่า ไม่ไหวจริงๆ
—Mimna
The Belvedere Center for Sleep Research caters to the demands of two mysterious clients with the ability of lucid dreaming - the state where the dreamer knows he/she is dreaming and can alter the dreamscape to their own wishes.Isabel Wright, herself a Level Five (the highest level of lucid dreaming) is the one in charge of interpreting their dreams. She is so intrigued by the Client Number Two that the man eventually starts appearing in her dreams. She dubs him Dream Man.Enter Ellis Cutler, Client Number Two a.k.a. Dream Man. A Level Five lucid dreamer who uses his dreaming ability to solve crimes, and who‘s been having fantasies of his own regarding his dream analyst, Tango Dancer.After so many books, with other authors I'd say "been there, done that, have the bookshelf to prove it", but that is never the case with Jayne Ann Krentz (or her alter ego Amanda Quick). Though the plots might be similar, there is always a different twist to the storyline to make it interesting. And believable. Falling Awake is no exception. It's her usual cocktail of suspense, action, and romance that will keep you at the edge of your seat and turning page after page, because you have to know just what happens next. Though the "technical" descriptions did slow the pace down.What I like most about her contemporaries is the fact she never gives a detailed visual description of the male lead, leaving the better part to the reader's imagination.P.S. In this case, the dark sunglasses Ellis Cutler can't seem to take off just add to the mystery, intrigue, and his appeal.
—Mojca
In Falling Awake, Isabel and Ellis finally meet face to face and outside their level 5 dreams. LIke typical JAK, this romance revolves around a murder mystery. Falling Awake is nicely balanced between the mystery and the romance. Ellis is a strong lead and although we don't get a lot of back story on him, I liked that JAK gave us just enough to flesh him out. This couple had a lot more chemistry going for them than others have in the recent past. There was nothing generic or bland about these two. Although they only had two love scenes, they were so well done and tasteful, I was pacified. I agree with some other readers, the dream analyst idea is unique and interesting. I found myself remember some of past work for JAK writing as Amanda Quick. Hmm, might need to re-read some of her older work! I finished this one smiling so four stars.
—WishfulMiss
