Affair by Amanda Quick Published by Bantam on (first published 1997)
Genres: Historical Romance, Historical romantic suspense
Pages: 418
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: the library
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Audible
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Also by this author: Crystal Gardens, The Mystery Woman, Otherwise Engaged, Garden of Lies, 'Til Death Do Us Part, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, With This Ring, Rendezvous, Tightrope, When She Dreams
Charlotte Arkendale knew all there was to know about men. After all, she'd made a career out of steering marriage-minded women away from untrustworthy members of the opposite sex.
Yet nothing could have prepared her for Baxter St. Ives—an arresting stranger too daring, too determined, too dangerous to be her new man-of-affairs. Still, perhaps he was the perfect person to help Charlotte investigate the recent murder of one of her clients. So she gave him a chance, never realizing that Baxter, a gifted scientist, would soon conduct a risky exploration into the alchemy of desire, with Charlotte as his subject.
But even as he sets out to seduce Charlotte, a twisted killer lies in wait, ready to part the lovers...or see them joined together forever—in death.
Review
Published six years later than Rendezvous (which I reviewed earlier this week), Affair is more akin to the the romantic-suspense novels of the 21st-century Quick than the frothier, lighthearted romances she wrote in the ’80s and ’90s. For one thing, the mystery is no longer secondary to the romance, but of equal importance. And Charlotte and Baxter are in the mold of her later romantic-suspense couples. Charlotte is in her mid-twenties, independent, intelligent, and supremely self-assured. Baxter is solitary, logical, self-controlled, and holds himself at an emotional distance—characteristics that Charlotte, by her very nature, challenges at every turn.
I found the suspense plot interesting, though not particularly original (thought that may be because I’ve read so many Quick/Krentz novels.) I wasn’t as drawn to Charlotte and Baxter as I have been to some of her other hero-heroine pairs. Baxter’s romantic ineptitude and disregard for the social niceties began to frustrate me after a while, and Charlotte’s headstrong nature led her to take foolish chances more than once. I liked them well enough despite these flaws, but they aren’t my favorite Quick characters. The same can be said of my reaction to the book as a whole: entertaining, but not among my favorites Quick novels.
About Amanda Quick
AMANDA QUICK is a pen name of Jayne Ann Krentz. The 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.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- The Backlist Reader Challenge 2018
RO
Years and years ago, I was addicted to Krentz and Quick novels, but it’s been quite some time since I picked one up. I always love a good suspense mixed in romance though,and loved your review! Hugs…RO
Lark_Bookwyrm
They are addictive! I know that many of her books don’t stay with you the way a meatier novel does, but there are times when her fast-paced romantic suspense is just what I’m in the mood for.