Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz

Zoe Luce is a successful interior designer in the Arizona town of Whispering Springs who's developed an unusual career specialty - helping recently divorced clients redesign their homes, to help them forget about the past and start anew. But Zoe knows that some things can't be covered up with a new coat of paint. And when she sense that one of her clients may be hiding a dark secret, she enlists P.I. Ethan Truax to find the truth.

Working together, they solve the mystery...and barely escape with their lives. But Ethan's exquisite detection skills are starting to backfire on Zoe: she never wanted to let him find out about her former life; she never wanted to reveal her powerful, inexplicable gift for sensing the history hidden with a house's walls; she never wanted him to know that "Zoe Luce" doesn't really exist. She never wanted to fall in love with him.

Now, no matter how much she resists, Ethan may be her only hope - because the people she's been running from have found her. And just when Zoe dares to dream of a normal life and a future with the man she loves, her own past starts to shadow her every step - and threatens to take her back into a nightmare.

This is the first of my mini-reviews. I actually finished this book on 30 November. That's how far behind I am!! LOL!

Having only read one Jayne Ann Krentz book previously and being somewhat underwhelmed by it, I was quite happy to let it go. However, with some persistent nagging from certain people I was convinced that I really ought to give her books another go. The books that were highly recommended were Trust Me, Perfect Partners, Absolutely Positively and Family Man. So why did I pick this one up? You know, I honestly can't remember. I think I just have some days where my brain just doesn't quite connect up properly...and the day I picked up this book was one of those, otherwise I would have got one of the recommended books I am sure! The other thing is I don't really read a lot of romantic suspense either.

I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. I did think the fact that Ethan had been married 3 times but his sister in law was still saying 'oh no, he definitely doesn't have commitment issues - they were just the wrong women' a bit much, but other than that I thought he seemed quite sexy. As for Zoe, I thought that her portrayal as someone who was struggling to understand her 'gift' and find justice for her dead husband and for herself was quite good.

I liked the two side relationships that seemed to be developing between Ethan's sister in law and the bookshop owner, and between Zoe's friend and the other detective and hope to see more of them in the sequel, Truth or Dare. I already have this one out of the library. Then I will go and read one of the books that was recommended in the first place!

Rating 4/5