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Dark Legacy #2
Dream Eyes
The death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings psychic counselor Gwen Frazier back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget. Two years earlier, a killer stalked the members of one of Ballinger’s research studies including Gwen. And though she survived while two others didn’t, Gwen knows that Ballinger’s death is related.
Sent by a friend to help Gwen, psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely, even as their investigation draws them into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the paranormal fires of a desire too strong to resist. . . .
Sent by a friend to help Gwen, psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely, even as their investigation draws them into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the paranormal fires of a desire too strong to resist. . . .
325 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Jayne Ann Krentz
361 books6,909 followersThe author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
February 10, 2013
Dream Eyes is the second book of the Dark Legacy trilogy, contemporary romances with paranormal aspects. The heroine, Gwen Frazier, is a dream counselor with psychic abilities. Gwen has returned to the strange small town where she briefly lived and is viewed with suspicion due to events from her past. Gwen quickly realizes that a serial killer who specialized in killing psychics seems to be back from the dead. As the one who foiled the serial killer in the first place, Gwen knows she is at risk. Enter security consultant Judson Coppersmith (brother to the hero of the first book in the trilogy) who is—quelle surprise!—tormented by traumatic dreams. But Judson won’t let Gwen treat him, because she must see him as A STRONG ALPHA-MAN, not a patient. While they seek the real killer, they deal with their overwhelming attraction and growing love.
The whole thing was… fine. It was overwhelmingly fine. I’ve just read what feels like THIS EXACT NOVEL so many times from her, with the details changed a bit. That Jayne, she’s a real NorthWesterner alright: she loves to recycle!
Blargh. The disappointing part is that Krentz is a talented writer with great descriptions and who can write entertaining banter. She’s no Shakespeare but she was near the top of the heap for light romance, in my opinion. So seeing yet another lazy and almost rote offering is just too much. I’ll be actively avoiding her stuff for a while
The whole thing was… fine. It was overwhelmingly fine. I’ve just read what feels like THIS EXACT NOVEL so many times from her, with the details changed a bit. That Jayne, she’s a real NorthWesterner alright: she loves to recycle!
Blargh. The disappointing part is that Krentz is a talented writer with great descriptions and who can write entertaining banter. She’s no Shakespeare but she was near the top of the heap for light romance, in my opinion. So seeing yet another lazy and almost rote offering is just too much. I’ll be actively avoiding her stuff for a while
September 2, 2018
http://www.writingis.fun/%D0%BF%D1%80...
Няма по-търпелива книга от тази - чака да бъде прочетена едно най-малко 3 години на библиотеката ми. Реших, че миналата седмица е перфектния момент да я отпиша най-сетне от рафта ми с непрочетени книги и достойно да премине в прочетените. Определено ми харесва стилът на писане на Джей Ан Кренц и с голямо удоволствие бих прочела и други нейни книги.
Няма по-търпелива книга от тази - чака да бъде прочетена едно най-малко 3 години на библиотеката ми. Реших, че миналата седмица е перфектния момент да я отпиша най-сетне от рафта ми с непрочетени книги и достойно да премине в прочетените. Определено ми харесва стилът на писане на Джей Ан Кренц и с голямо удоволствие бих прочела и други нейни книги.
November 11, 2018
I liked this book way more than the first one in the series! 👍 Some reasons why: there was so much suspense/mystery and action; I didn’t have any time to get bored; Gwen and Judson were so good for each other and the story was interesting. Like I said before: supernatural things are not my cup of tea, but if a book about supernatural is well written... there is a big chance that I’m going to enjoy it.
Oh, and one more thing: if the first book had as a “character” a brave dog, this one had a brave and awesome cat named Max! I love cats! 😻
Oh, and one more thing: if the first book had as a “character” a brave dog, this one had a brave and awesome cat named Max! I love cats! 😻
November 12, 2023
Dream Eyes, another paranormal suspense by Jayne Ann Krentz, is not one of her best stories, although still a fairly entertaining book. 2.5 stars.
January 31, 2013
I have to give this book a very low two stars. For some reason I felt unable to connect to any portion of this story; not the main plot, the over-arching plot, or any of the characters...(I take that back, Nick was vaguely interesting but was a minor character and I don't see him getting his own book.) Often what will save a series book on some level for me is that even if I don't connect to the main plot line I will at least be interested in the world it is set in and the series plot. Instead, I ended up feeling as though this book could have been a LOT shorter if all the seemingly unnecessary sub-plots were taken out. For example, the whole deal with the diving and double-cross mishap seemed needless for the main plot other than as a way to make connections to her Arcane series; and yet it seems to take up almost a third of the book and four of the last five chapters (the fifth being the wedding of the couple from the previous book).
But... comparing my review to the majority of the others I seem to be in the minority in disliking this book so if it looks interesting don't let my annoyances keep you from trying it yourself.
But... comparing my review to the majority of the others I seem to be in the minority in disliking this book so if it looks interesting don't let my annoyances keep you from trying it yourself.
August 2, 2019
Loved it
April 21, 2022
Dream Eyes
2 Stars
Series note: This book is set in the same world as the Arcane Society. While there are some references to Jones & Jones from that series, these are merely Easter Eggs for fans and are unrelated to the specific plot.
Jayne Ann Krentz is a talented and entertaining writer, but this is not one of her better books. To begin with, the romance is bland and boring. Judson and Gwen go from being acquaintances to partners to lovers in the blink of an eye. Depsite their attraction, there is actually very little sizzle, and their interactions and emotions are told rather than shown.
The suspense plot lacks cohesiveness and development. The narrative is a mish-mash of unrelated scenes, and the clues to the mystery are few and far between. Moreover, the eventual explanation doesn't make much sense.
This book brings the Dark Legacy series to a close, which is unfortunate as there are interesting details concerning the feud between the Coppersmiths and the Barrets, and it would have been good to get a final installment possibly revolving around a romance between Emma Coppersmith and Gideon Barrett. Alas...
2 Stars
Series note: This book is set in the same world as the Arcane Society. While there are some references to Jones & Jones from that series, these are merely Easter Eggs for fans and are unrelated to the specific plot.
Jayne Ann Krentz is a talented and entertaining writer, but this is not one of her better books. To begin with, the romance is bland and boring. Judson and Gwen go from being acquaintances to partners to lovers in the blink of an eye. Depsite their attraction, there is actually very little sizzle, and their interactions and emotions are told rather than shown.
The suspense plot lacks cohesiveness and development. The narrative is a mish-mash of unrelated scenes, and the clues to the mystery are few and far between. Moreover, the eventual explanation doesn't make much sense.
This book brings the Dark Legacy series to a close, which is unfortunate as there are interesting details concerning the feud between the Coppersmiths and the Barrets, and it would have been good to get a final installment possibly revolving around a romance between Emma Coppersmith and Gideon Barrett. Alas...
January 21, 2013
At three quarters through book, I can honestly say that it is a very logically sound book. Despite the paranormal subject, it appears very logical and well thought out. Also a little boring. I hate saying that about a book when all the elements are present, but I find my mind wandering.
I finished the book and found things didn't change all that much. I feel bad that it was boring and wonder if part of it was partly because I read it out of sequence, as it was part of a series, and it took away from depth of characters.
I'm not sure.
I can't give it three stars, even though it was well written because I can't say I liked it.
it was ok.
I finished the book and found things didn't change all that much. I feel bad that it was boring and wonder if part of it was partly because I read it out of sequence, as it was part of a series, and it took away from depth of characters.
I'm not sure.
I can't give it three stars, even though it was well written because I can't say I liked it.
it was ok.
May 24, 2016
Sometimes having a formula isn't a good thing, felt like the names changes, but everything else was almost exactly the same. Time to write something different.
February 21, 2013
Why you should read it: Well, we are talking Jayne Ann Krentz here. Plus, RT Book Reviews selected Dream Eyes as a January 2013 Top Pick. Surprised? Me neither. (It's made the USA TODAY and New York Times best-seller lists, too!) So even though I know you're already sold on this book, let me tell you why it's going to be tough to knock this one off the very tippy-top of my favorites list.
For starters, Judson is downright delectable. He's a perceptive, daring, stubborn, take-charge kind of guy with a tendency to be overly protective — yet he still manages to admit when he's wrong. In love yet? Throw in the fact that he's plagued with nightmares as he recovers from a psychic trauma he nearly didn't survive, and factor in his skepticism when it comes to Gwen's own talent, and I do believe we have the perfect romance novel hero (as in, flawed, tortured and deliciously redeemable).
Of course a hero needs a heroine and it's a thrill to watch Judson accept how very much he needs Gwen. Krentz has given her a unique and fascinating psychic talent (not to mention a crippling guilt), and Gwen is determined to use that talent to help Judson, despite his manly reservations. Gwen's climactic scene with the villain is a tad trite, but who cares when there's classic Krentz prose like this to glory in:
Although she thought she was braced for the physical connection, it was all she could do not to scream aloud when the electrifying shock zapped across her senses.
She walked straight into the heart of his nightmare.
Amber lightning arced and flashed in the darkness that enveloped her. She sensed the ghastly fog that was the hallmark of violence and death. A dreadful miasma infused with a terrible violet-hued light seethed around her feet. She thought she heard a cat meow.
"Judson," she said quietly. "Where are you?"
"Welcome to my world," he said. "You shouldn't have come here."
They fight the almost supernatural desire that draws them together—oh, how they fight it — which makes their sizzling surrender that much more powerful. Dream Eyes is a Dark Legacy novel — the follow-on to the compelling Copper Beach. Thank you, Jayne, for bringing back the shameless Nick Sawyer, my favorite cat burglar! And speaking of cats, I was thoroughly charmed by Gwen's new feline friend, a grumpy gourmand named Max. In Dream Eyes, Krantz re-creates the rich, intriguing, psychic-infused reality of the Coppersmith family — a reality that blends seamlessly into the everyday world and serves as a vivid backdrop for a smart, sexy adventure that will chill your blood one moment and heat it to boiling point the next. This is storytelling at its most divine.
For starters, Judson is downright delectable. He's a perceptive, daring, stubborn, take-charge kind of guy with a tendency to be overly protective — yet he still manages to admit when he's wrong. In love yet? Throw in the fact that he's plagued with nightmares as he recovers from a psychic trauma he nearly didn't survive, and factor in his skepticism when it comes to Gwen's own talent, and I do believe we have the perfect romance novel hero (as in, flawed, tortured and deliciously redeemable).
Of course a hero needs a heroine and it's a thrill to watch Judson accept how very much he needs Gwen. Krentz has given her a unique and fascinating psychic talent (not to mention a crippling guilt), and Gwen is determined to use that talent to help Judson, despite his manly reservations. Gwen's climactic scene with the villain is a tad trite, but who cares when there's classic Krentz prose like this to glory in:
Although she thought she was braced for the physical connection, it was all she could do not to scream aloud when the electrifying shock zapped across her senses.
She walked straight into the heart of his nightmare.
Amber lightning arced and flashed in the darkness that enveloped her. She sensed the ghastly fog that was the hallmark of violence and death. A dreadful miasma infused with a terrible violet-hued light seethed around her feet. She thought she heard a cat meow.
"Judson," she said quietly. "Where are you?"
"Welcome to my world," he said. "You shouldn't have come here."
They fight the almost supernatural desire that draws them together—oh, how they fight it — which makes their sizzling surrender that much more powerful. Dream Eyes is a Dark Legacy novel — the follow-on to the compelling Copper Beach. Thank you, Jayne, for bringing back the shameless Nick Sawyer, my favorite cat burglar! And speaking of cats, I was thoroughly charmed by Gwen's new feline friend, a grumpy gourmand named Max. In Dream Eyes, Krantz re-creates the rich, intriguing, psychic-infused reality of the Coppersmith family — a reality that blends seamlessly into the everyday world and serves as a vivid backdrop for a smart, sexy adventure that will chill your blood one moment and heat it to boiling point the next. This is storytelling at its most divine.
March 4, 2013
I have to admit up front that Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favorite authors, of which there are only a few. She is a bestselling author who has written, and published 162 books, 50 of which have ended up on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Through the course of her career she's published under seven names, from serial romance to the romantic suspense of today, but now publishes only under Jayne Ann Krentz (modern fiction), Amanda Quick (historical novels), and Jayne Castle (futuristic novels).
Dream Eyes is the second book in the Dark Legacy trilogy and it ties things up in a satisfying way. Krentz has a delightful habit of tying her books and trilogies together, even spanning centuries and worlds. You'll often find her characters crossing novels which is one of the things her readers love about her stories. Several years ago she began the Arcane series coupling psychic abilities with suspense and romance. Dream Eyes is the latest in that series, although utilizing a different line of psychics, the Copperstones.
Gwen Frazier is capable of reading auras, as well as producing and walking through dreams that can heal...or kill. Judson Copperstone brings a powerful family to the table, as well as psychic hunting ability and an amber ring through which immense psychic power can be pushed to defend...or kill. These are the good guys. Tie in a psychic serial killer, realize there may be more than one, and a series of murders across the nation culminating in the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and you pull together the nucleus of an exciting, intriguing story.
Krentz's writing is crisp, filled with imagery, solid writing, and a lovely twist to the story. Although she has 162 novels to her name, she still manages to make each one fresh enough to keep me coming back for each one, and always the first one in line at the store on release day. You just can't go wrong with a Jayne Ann Krentz book, and Dream Eyes is not only worth buying, it's worth keeping in your home library. I have four shelves dedicated to Jayne Ann Krentz in all her reincarnations and nearly every book she has written. She is an author I often read over and over, often craving one of her stories much like I do chocolate. The romance arc is solid, the suspense thread spot on, and her writing is at the top of her game, as usual. This garners her a 5 out 5 stars and each is well deserved. Can't wait to reread it when I'm not so tired.
Dream Eyes is the second book in the Dark Legacy trilogy and it ties things up in a satisfying way. Krentz has a delightful habit of tying her books and trilogies together, even spanning centuries and worlds. You'll often find her characters crossing novels which is one of the things her readers love about her stories. Several years ago she began the Arcane series coupling psychic abilities with suspense and romance. Dream Eyes is the latest in that series, although utilizing a different line of psychics, the Copperstones.
Gwen Frazier is capable of reading auras, as well as producing and walking through dreams that can heal...or kill. Judson Copperstone brings a powerful family to the table, as well as psychic hunting ability and an amber ring through which immense psychic power can be pushed to defend...or kill. These are the good guys. Tie in a psychic serial killer, realize there may be more than one, and a series of murders across the nation culminating in the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and you pull together the nucleus of an exciting, intriguing story.
Krentz's writing is crisp, filled with imagery, solid writing, and a lovely twist to the story. Although she has 162 novels to her name, she still manages to make each one fresh enough to keep me coming back for each one, and always the first one in line at the store on release day. You just can't go wrong with a Jayne Ann Krentz book, and Dream Eyes is not only worth buying, it's worth keeping in your home library. I have four shelves dedicated to Jayne Ann Krentz in all her reincarnations and nearly every book she has written. She is an author I often read over and over, often craving one of her stories much like I do chocolate. The romance arc is solid, the suspense thread spot on, and her writing is at the top of her game, as usual. This garners her a 5 out 5 stars and each is well deserved. Can't wait to reread it when I'm not so tired.
February 23, 2016
3.5 stars
I am very torn on this book. It was back to form, in a way, for Ms. Krentz -- not the plodding, terribly written mess that the Ladies of Lantern Street has become. However, I was initially annoyed that this is starting to so clearly retread the Arcane themes -- "Founder's Formula" and all -- that I was annoyed by the awkwardness of it. It's slightly redeemed by confirming that this series exists in the same universe as the Arcane series, so she isn't setting up, effectively, a second Arcane Series minus the Arcane.
Although I will say this is at least the second, if not the third or fourth, book where the woman is like, "Yeah, I'm going to go into direct competition with the dude I'm sleeping with and set up an independent psychic investigation practice without discussing it with anyone or contemplating the notion that we might just partner up," which is idiotic on every level and really makes me dislike the female leads.
Also, why do they keep repeating the "professional psychic investigator" line? And the seven million variants of "investigate" that awkwardly litter the dialogue -- is anyone so precise and repetitive when they speak? Once it's been established that a) these people investigate things for a living b) they are psychic and c) they are currently investigating a murder you can stop reminding me of those three things on EVERY PAGE.
The book took a real blow in my estimation when, in the final scene at Gabby & Sam's wedding, she refers to Gwen, as a bridesmaid, looking at something from under the "brim of her lace and bow hat." A LACE AND BOW HAT???? WITH A BRIM????? That's appalling and demonstrates a terrible lack of taste and judgment from writer to editor to allow that to stand.
I am very torn on this book. It was back to form, in a way, for Ms. Krentz -- not the plodding, terribly written mess that the Ladies of Lantern Street has become. However, I was initially annoyed that this is starting to so clearly retread the Arcane themes -- "Founder's Formula" and all -- that I was annoyed by the awkwardness of it. It's slightly redeemed by confirming that this series exists in the same universe as the Arcane series, so she isn't setting up, effectively, a second Arcane Series minus the Arcane.
Although I will say this is at least the second, if not the third or fourth, book where the woman is like, "Yeah, I'm going to go into direct competition with the dude I'm sleeping with and set up an independent psychic investigation practice without discussing it with anyone or contemplating the notion that we might just partner up," which is idiotic on every level and really makes me dislike the female leads.
Also, why do they keep repeating the "professional psychic investigator" line? And the seven million variants of "investigate" that awkwardly litter the dialogue -- is anyone so precise and repetitive when they speak? Once it's been established that a) these people investigate things for a living b) they are psychic and c) they are currently investigating a murder you can stop reminding me of those three things on EVERY PAGE.
The book took a real blow in my estimation when, in the final scene at Gabby & Sam's wedding, she refers to Gwen, as a bridesmaid, looking at something from under the "brim of her lace and bow hat." A LACE AND BOW HAT???? WITH A BRIM????? That's appalling and demonstrates a terrible lack of taste and judgment from writer to editor to allow that to stand.
June 4, 2016
I read a couple of Ms Krentz' early romances several years ago and thought they were okay; so, when I found a couple of her books in the cruise ship library last week, I thought they would be perfect for a relaxing read on our balcony. This book is part of a paranormal set which the author has written and sadly I will not be rushing to read any of the others. Where to start? Clunky dialogue, poorly developed and utterly uninteresting characters, a plot so filled with holes it could have been used as a fishing net and prose delivered with a sledgehammer. It was boring and predictable and downright lazy. It did not help that I had just tried to read the other one of her books that I had picked up (River Road), and found that equally awful!! On a cruise, I am usually able to read utter tosh with simple pleasure as I am so relaxed - but there clearly are limits to my tolerance levels!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2013
I've been a longtime reader of JAK's work and am both familiar and comfortable with her writing tendencies -- the "sleek" heroine, the hero in half-boots, the repeated descriptions of things being amber or gray, how she's so skilled at portraying dynamic characters who interact in (usually) delightful ways, how she's not so skilled at the mystery element (though saying that, I'm not a fan of the cozy mystery genre). In that sense, this book hits every note I expected. It doesn't really go beyond that, though.
January 27, 2013
I normally have to suspend belief with Krentz's paranormal romances but typically her characters are entertaining enough that I don't notice too much. unfortunately with this one the murder mystery and characters were just too boring to make up for that. There was little spark between Judson and Gwen and the only exciting part came 20 pages from the end. I'd recommend reading some of her older stuff before this one, it juat barely held my attention long enough to finish it.
December 16, 2015
Another great story from JAK. I really liked Gwen and Judson together and loved Gwen/Abby/Nick as a family unit of choice. There was a tie-in to Arcane at the end of the book. The bad guy was a bit more shrouded than usual , but good prevailed. I assume the next story will be about Judson's sister and since we haven't met her yet, looking forward to it.
Re-read and still love, but wondering where book 3 is?
Re-read and still love, but wondering where book 3 is?
February 17, 2015
Why did I really like this? There was a minimum of het sex, there was a gay character (and might one hope Ms. Krentz will give us his story, whether or not it's with Girard?), the female lead was a strong character, the male lead, while macho, wasn't a schmuck, and the reveal took me by surprise. I did not see that coming.
August 2, 2022
Did it all really make sense to me? Nope. But this was entertaining.
Gwen was pretty cool with her gift of counseling people by getting into their dreams and talking to ghosts seen in reflective surfaces … her murdered mentor included.
After a lot of characters come in and out, namely a few dead peep, the one that stands out is Max. Sure, he’s a feline and the pet of Gwen’s murdered mentor. He knows things. And he doesn’t talk, but I wished JAK could have let us peek into Max’s thoughts.
Gwen was pretty cool with her gift of counseling people by getting into their dreams and talking to ghosts seen in reflective surfaces … her murdered mentor included.
After a lot of characters come in and out, namely a few dead peep, the one that stands out is Max. Sure, he’s a feline and the pet of Gwen’s murdered mentor. He knows things. And he doesn’t talk, but I wished JAK could have let us peek into Max’s thoughts.
July 24, 2015
Good Suspense Story Keeps This One Interesting
"You're a damn good liar," he said. He smiled. "I like that in a woman."
THE STORY: Judson Coppersmith is doing a favor for his brother by helping out Gwen Fraiser who has found a friend dead and needs help. Both Judson and Gwen have psychic talents and both are keeping secrets about them. When it appears that a killer has returned from the grave to kill again, Gwen wants to know who is continuing the killer's work. Someone appears to be using psychic means to commit murders that look like natural deaths and Gwen may be next on the killer's list.
OPINION: This is a story that really hinges on the suspense story. In that, the story does not disappoint. The story is twisty and has some surprising turns. The characters of Gwen and Judson really need the suspense story to keep the book going because they don't have much tension between them. Things are resolved quickly as a matter of romance and the emphasis here is on the suspense rather than personal obstacles between the couple. A good solid romantic suspense with some paranormal elements.
WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of Krentz's Arcane series will have a surprise toward the end of the book.
FINAL DECISION: This book is pushed along by two interesting characters who are both in need at the beginning of the book and a twisty suspense story that keeps surprising.
CONNECTED BOOKS: DREAM EYES is the second book in the Dark Legacy series. It can be read as a standalone although there is overlap with the first book.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
"You're a damn good liar," he said. He smiled. "I like that in a woman."
THE STORY: Judson Coppersmith is doing a favor for his brother by helping out Gwen Fraiser who has found a friend dead and needs help. Both Judson and Gwen have psychic talents and both are keeping secrets about them. When it appears that a killer has returned from the grave to kill again, Gwen wants to know who is continuing the killer's work. Someone appears to be using psychic means to commit murders that look like natural deaths and Gwen may be next on the killer's list.
OPINION: This is a story that really hinges on the suspense story. In that, the story does not disappoint. The story is twisty and has some surprising turns. The characters of Gwen and Judson really need the suspense story to keep the book going because they don't have much tension between them. Things are resolved quickly as a matter of romance and the emphasis here is on the suspense rather than personal obstacles between the couple. A good solid romantic suspense with some paranormal elements.
WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of Krentz's Arcane series will have a surprise toward the end of the book.
FINAL DECISION: This book is pushed along by two interesting characters who are both in need at the beginning of the book and a twisty suspense story that keeps surprising.
CONNECTED BOOKS: DREAM EYES is the second book in the Dark Legacy series. It can be read as a standalone although there is overlap with the first book.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
January 13, 2013
Jayne Ann Krentz adds another book to her series "A Dark Legacy". With this book, the author is crossing over the line to a more science fiction plot as she does writing as Jayne Castle. At one point she almost lost me and I was ready to put the book down. So to summerize, this book is very heavy on the scifi/paranormal and short on plot. Perhaps Krentz should revisit this series or at the very least, rework it.
Psychic dream counselor, Gwen Frazier, stumbles upon the body of her mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, murdered by paranormal means-crystals infused with hot psi powers. Along with the help of the brother of her best friend Abby's fiancee, Judson Coppersmith, they investigate the murder and other past murders tied into the powers of the above mentioned cystals. Both Gwen and Judson have paranormal powers that are inhanced with the crystals, and the murderer realizes he must despose of both of them in order to escape capture. Did I lose you somewhere? See what I mean.
Psychic dream counselor, Gwen Frazier, stumbles upon the body of her mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, murdered by paranormal means-crystals infused with hot psi powers. Along with the help of the brother of her best friend Abby's fiancee, Judson Coppersmith, they investigate the murder and other past murders tied into the powers of the above mentioned cystals. Both Gwen and Judson have paranormal powers that are inhanced with the crystals, and the murderer realizes he must despose of both of them in order to escape capture. Did I lose you somewhere? See what I mean.
January 7, 2016
The second book in Jayne Ann Krentz' Dark Legacy series. Gwen Frazier comes to Wilby, Oregon to check on her mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, only to find her dead. She contacts Judson Coppersmith to help her investigate the death. She is sure it is connected to the deaths several years ago when a serial killer murdered 2 of her colleagues and then committed suicide. Judson is haunted by dreams that involved his last mission. As Gwen and Judson search for answers they also discover each other.
The story wasn't bad but it failed to grab me like many of JAK's books have in the past.
The story wasn't bad but it failed to grab me like many of JAK's books have in the past.
March 9, 2013
Great book as usual. Ms. Krentz is like a romantic Stephen King. You may find you are a bit jumpy around wind chimes after reading this book. Still, there is a happy ending at least for the hero and heroine.
March 9, 2013
A excellent fast paced read. I really enjoyed the characters and Max. I am not sure how much sense the plot would make to a reader who hasn't been keeping up with the author's books about characters with paranormal abilities, but for those who have, an excellent addition.
March 21, 2021
Book #2 of 20, from the giant, random box of backlist Paranormal Romance novels my brother got me for Christmas
'How did you survive?'
'The old-fashioned way. I had a gun. I used it.'
After my first entry into reading from my big box of backlist Paranormal Romance titles, I was seriously nervous about getting through the rest. Would they all be so problematic? Should I expect nothing but a barrage of issues with consent, racism, etc, in front of me?
Thankfully, my second foray had absolutely none of that. What it did retain, however, was all of the batshit crazy material I'd been hoping for when I first opened up the box.
This novel follows a couple of psychics, facing off against a serial killer who's been bumping off psychics. The hero's name is JUDSON. There are at least nine pages of content explaining the rules and regulations of psychic powers and the limits and mechanics of those abilities, for every page of actual romantic material. There are magical crystals that can be harnessed and utilized to inflict psychic damage, and at one point, a house full of windchimes spontaneously combusts because of the amount of psychic energy being generated therein.
And it was utterly, completely delightful. There was decent representation in the inclusion of an awesome LGBT character, it was secretly funny in the kind of way that had me dog-earing pages just so I could come back to the banter later, and it was actually written with pretty good plot progression, to the point where I questioned if the author had ever written for television... or at least a Nancy Drew video game.
But if they were / are, this installment clearly saw them working without an editor, because a lot of the plot, especially character backgrounds, felt a little like flinging spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks (in only the most joyous of ways). From a serial killer sourcing his prey through online chatrooms, to a shady pharmaceutical company testing highly addictive substances on psychics, to a cult leader manipulating people with drugs, and a minor whose DNA was altered by the ultraviolet radiation in a crystal mine explosion, this book really did feel like it had it all. And that's not even mentioning the character who got sent to an evil boarding school after the death of her parents led to her ability to see ghosts reflected in mirrors.
Truly, my favorite part about the whole book, was coming to the realization that I have a new favorite trope: characters who are gifted with paranormal abilities, but who continually opt to reach for a firearm instead. That, everyone, would be Judson. But not only does this man love to use his handgun, which he keeps strapped to his ankle... Judson is also described in one intimate scene as removing his khakis, which means that this man wears khakis with a wide-enough bottom hem so that he can access his piece when he needs it. Which is always.
He likes the heroine of the novel pretty well enough, too.
'How did you survive?'
'The old-fashioned way. I had a gun. I used it.'
After my first entry into reading from my big box of backlist Paranormal Romance titles, I was seriously nervous about getting through the rest. Would they all be so problematic? Should I expect nothing but a barrage of issues with consent, racism, etc, in front of me?
Thankfully, my second foray had absolutely none of that. What it did retain, however, was all of the batshit crazy material I'd been hoping for when I first opened up the box.
This novel follows a couple of psychics, facing off against a serial killer who's been bumping off psychics. The hero's name is JUDSON. There are at least nine pages of content explaining the rules and regulations of psychic powers and the limits and mechanics of those abilities, for every page of actual romantic material. There are magical crystals that can be harnessed and utilized to inflict psychic damage, and at one point, a house full of windchimes spontaneously combusts because of the amount of psychic energy being generated therein.
And it was utterly, completely delightful. There was decent representation in the inclusion of an awesome LGBT character, it was secretly funny in the kind of way that had me dog-earing pages just so I could come back to the banter later, and it was actually written with pretty good plot progression, to the point where I questioned if the author had ever written for television... or at least a Nancy Drew video game.
But if they were / are, this installment clearly saw them working without an editor, because a lot of the plot, especially character backgrounds, felt a little like flinging spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks (in only the most joyous of ways). From a serial killer sourcing his prey through online chatrooms, to a shady pharmaceutical company testing highly addictive substances on psychics, to a cult leader manipulating people with drugs, and a minor whose DNA was altered by the ultraviolet radiation in a crystal mine explosion, this book really did feel like it had it all. And that's not even mentioning the character who got sent to an evil boarding school after the death of her parents led to her ability to see ghosts reflected in mirrors.
Truly, my favorite part about the whole book, was coming to the realization that I have a new favorite trope: characters who are gifted with paranormal abilities, but who continually opt to reach for a firearm instead. That, everyone, would be Judson. But not only does this man love to use his handgun, which he keeps strapped to his ankle... Judson is also described in one intimate scene as removing his khakis, which means that this man wears khakis with a wide-enough bottom hem so that he can access his piece when he needs it. Which is always.
He likes the heroine of the novel pretty well enough, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2013
Gwen Frazier gets an urgent message from her friend dr. Evelyn Ballinger to come over, as she has found out something important. But Gwen is too late, when she arrives the next morning, Evelyn is death. There is no visible clue to how she died, but Gwen knows her friend has been murdered, by paranormal means. Just like the deaths that happened two years ago. Those still haunt her, even though the murderer is dead himself, she saw that happen when he jumped of the cliffs after trying to kill her. Evelyn’s ghost talks to Gwen, but she cannot tell who killed her. Gwen will have to find out the mortal way, especially now the police officer in charge, Chief Harold Oxley, sees her as the prime suspect. She will never be able to prove that her friend was murdered by paranormal means, even though everyone knows that Evelyn was researching the paranormal.
And so she asks for help from her best friends’ new family, the Coppersmiths. They have experience with this kind of thing. Judson Coppersmith is trying to recover from his last mission in Eclipse Bay, on the Oregon Coast. He was betrayed by his boss and collegues, and still has the nightmares to prove it. He actually met Gwen a month ago in a restaurant in Seattle, when he drove up to meet his brother Sam’s fiancée. And he was very interested in Gwen, until she said “I fix bad dreams”. His rule is, never to date psychic counsellors. He doesn’t want to appear weak before Gwen, or have her poke around in his head. But now he is heading over to Wilby to help her find out the truth about her friend’s death, and to find the murderer if that is the case.
Gwen is Evelyn’s heir, for both her house and her lab, and her cat Max, as no one else seems to want to take him in. She will have to take him with her to Seattle.
Wilby is just a small village, filled with eccentrics and artists, and Gwen has arranged for him to stay in the room in the inn next to hers, with a connecting door. This way they can talk about the case without people seeing them walk into each others rooms. Gwen is a dream talent, she can help people deal with their nightmares, and she can give them advice on how to solve them. But in order to make a living, she and Evelyn were also working for a tv program about haunted houses in America. Evelyn would do the necessary research, and Gwen wrote the script for the next episode. And now her boss is pressuring Gwen into turning Evelyn’s murder into a new episode for a new show. Of course Gwen doesn’t want that, but the man is getting desperate as his show is about to be cancelled.
After arriving at the scene, Judson has little trouble to confirm Gwen’s suspicions: Evelyn has been murdered by paranormal means. And when she tells him everything that happened two years ago, they are fairly sure that someone took Zander Taylor’s weapon and is now using it. A new psychic killer has surfaced. But who is it, and why kill Evelyn.
And the stakes get higher when a second woman is murdered just before they could ask her some important questions.
Judson is impressed by Evelyn’s lab, and he is certain his brother Sam will be ecstatic for the chance to explore them all. He is very much interested in researching the paranormal as well. And Evelyn has build some pretty impressive machinery.
I enjoyed this book very much, as I usually do with books by Jayne Ann Krentz. The mystery was great, and I was totally looking at the wrong guy. And in the end, we finally meet up again with J & J and the Arcane Society, something I have been suspecting for a while now. Even though those names have not been mentioned in the last books, the books still had the same vibe and storyline. Psychic powers, mysteries, and love. What does not mean I don’t love them all.
Gwen is a great character, I liked her from the start. Even though she sees ghosts, she is very down to earth, and capable of looking after herself. Which is not so strange after her youth spend at the Summerlight Academy. The only good things that happened at the place, are the friends she made, who are now her only family, and Evelyn.
Her dream talent makes it difficult to have a relationship, because when she sleeps, she dreams deep, and her dreams tend to invade the dreams of the ones being near her. More than one man has ran away from her, screaming. But Judson is not afraid of that at all, he can handle anything she can throw at him. And to their mutual surprise and delight, they sleep very well and undisturbed together. Judson knows Gwen is the woman for him, and Gwen know she has been waiting for Judson her whole life. She knew as soon as she saw him that night in Seattle. But is he just looking for a fling with her? After all, she has a terrible track record with men.
Judson is fighting hard for Gwen not to see him as a client, but in the end he cannot refuse her help with his nightmares anymore. He knows he has seen something important in that cave, he just doesn’t know what it was. But with Gwen’s help he can slowly walk through his nightmares and find out. Even if in the end it will mean going back in.
He is a great hero, protective and smart, and he lets Gwen do her thing as well. Together they are a great couple. I loved their interactions and the humor they share.
9 stars.
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
And so she asks for help from her best friends’ new family, the Coppersmiths. They have experience with this kind of thing. Judson Coppersmith is trying to recover from his last mission in Eclipse Bay, on the Oregon Coast. He was betrayed by his boss and collegues, and still has the nightmares to prove it. He actually met Gwen a month ago in a restaurant in Seattle, when he drove up to meet his brother Sam’s fiancée. And he was very interested in Gwen, until she said “I fix bad dreams”. His rule is, never to date psychic counsellors. He doesn’t want to appear weak before Gwen, or have her poke around in his head. But now he is heading over to Wilby to help her find out the truth about her friend’s death, and to find the murderer if that is the case.
Gwen is Evelyn’s heir, for both her house and her lab, and her cat Max, as no one else seems to want to take him in. She will have to take him with her to Seattle.
Wilby is just a small village, filled with eccentrics and artists, and Gwen has arranged for him to stay in the room in the inn next to hers, with a connecting door. This way they can talk about the case without people seeing them walk into each others rooms. Gwen is a dream talent, she can help people deal with their nightmares, and she can give them advice on how to solve them. But in order to make a living, she and Evelyn were also working for a tv program about haunted houses in America. Evelyn would do the necessary research, and Gwen wrote the script for the next episode. And now her boss is pressuring Gwen into turning Evelyn’s murder into a new episode for a new show. Of course Gwen doesn’t want that, but the man is getting desperate as his show is about to be cancelled.
After arriving at the scene, Judson has little trouble to confirm Gwen’s suspicions: Evelyn has been murdered by paranormal means. And when she tells him everything that happened two years ago, they are fairly sure that someone took Zander Taylor’s weapon and is now using it. A new psychic killer has surfaced. But who is it, and why kill Evelyn.
And the stakes get higher when a second woman is murdered just before they could ask her some important questions.
Judson is impressed by Evelyn’s lab, and he is certain his brother Sam will be ecstatic for the chance to explore them all. He is very much interested in researching the paranormal as well. And Evelyn has build some pretty impressive machinery.
I enjoyed this book very much, as I usually do with books by Jayne Ann Krentz. The mystery was great, and I was totally looking at the wrong guy. And in the end, we finally meet up again with J & J and the Arcane Society, something I have been suspecting for a while now. Even though those names have not been mentioned in the last books, the books still had the same vibe and storyline. Psychic powers, mysteries, and love. What does not mean I don’t love them all.
Gwen is a great character, I liked her from the start. Even though she sees ghosts, she is very down to earth, and capable of looking after herself. Which is not so strange after her youth spend at the Summerlight Academy. The only good things that happened at the place, are the friends she made, who are now her only family, and Evelyn.
Her dream talent makes it difficult to have a relationship, because when she sleeps, she dreams deep, and her dreams tend to invade the dreams of the ones being near her. More than one man has ran away from her, screaming. But Judson is not afraid of that at all, he can handle anything she can throw at him. And to their mutual surprise and delight, they sleep very well and undisturbed together. Judson knows Gwen is the woman for him, and Gwen know she has been waiting for Judson her whole life. She knew as soon as she saw him that night in Seattle. But is he just looking for a fling with her? After all, she has a terrible track record with men.
Judson is fighting hard for Gwen not to see him as a client, but in the end he cannot refuse her help with his nightmares anymore. He knows he has seen something important in that cave, he just doesn’t know what it was. But with Gwen’s help he can slowly walk through his nightmares and find out. Even if in the end it will mean going back in.
He is a great hero, protective and smart, and he lets Gwen do her thing as well. Together they are a great couple. I loved their interactions and the humor they share.
9 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
June 25, 2013
Setting: Wilby, Oregon: bed & breakfast; paranormal lab; flower shop; general store;
Theme: who killed now, is it tied to 2 year ago murders?; larger picture of paranormal investigations – who are the good guys, who are the bad?; trust; paranormal power; falling in love;
Characters:
Gwen Frazier: psychic counselor; influencer of dreams; talks with ghosts; writer for a ‘dead of night’ ghost show; she gets an email form former teacher, current colleague, Evelyn - follows up next day, and finds her dead in her lab; can tell paranormal means used; Eveyln’s ghost talks to her; on recommendation of Abby, she hires Judson to investigate with her;
Evelyn Ballinger: studies paranormal; works for ‘dead of night’ show too – finding ghosts to ‘study’; set up an experiment with a machine that enhances paranormal skills using crystals 2 years ago; when 3 participants end up dead, she stops the study;
Judson Coppersmith: amber ring that focuses/enhances his psychic power; he and brother did investigations for an off the books government agency using their paranormal skills as consultants; the head guy is gone off the deep end, and is feeding drugs to his paranormals that is to enhance their abilities, but is leaving crazed, addicted people; when Judson gets too close to his truths, he sends 2 of his guys out to kill him (when vulnerable investigating a death), and then follows up to finish the job – leaving Judson in an underwater cave sealed by paranormal blast; Judson managed to get free by taking the air tank of the already dead guy at bottom of cave, and allowing the light current to ‘show’ him how to find the underwater tunnels back to the surface; he has been having recurring dreams since, with a hint of something he should find or notice;
Abby and Sam Coppersmith: background help; planning wedding;
Nick Sawyer: giving Abby away; he, Abby, and Gwen formed friendship in paranormal school, where they looked after one another, and became family; he’s getting bored with black market antiquities books, and eager to help Gwen – connecting with mom Coppersmith in the ‘follow the money’;
Zander Taylor: murderer; crazy; uses a crystal based weapon that causes heart attacks so does not look like murder; in Evelyn’s study, 2 killed, he went after Gwen… Gwen directed him to ghosts in the mirror, he went screaming out of the lab, and off the cliff down the falls to his death;
Louise Fuller: wind chimes; the crazy lady around town; her chimes, inside and outside her house are for protection;
Buddy: general store owner; ex cult leader; current serial killer for hire (make money at the which you love);
Summary:
Judson and Gwen explore their growing personal feelings as they track the clues of what happened to Evelyn, and what happened in the past; Judson’s ‘reading’ of the scene – their logic together in piecing it together – their interviews - their resources (Nick, Sam, mom);
They feel passion/attraction for one another and act on it fairly early… both harbor deeper feelings for the other, but neither are talkers; their passion is fueled by each others psy power; Judson needs to get over Gwen’s offer to help with his dream as her perception of him as weak/a patient – but after she rescues him from being too deep in a dream, and when he realizes he trusts her, and she assures him that she does not see him as a patient, they dream walk together; and he finally ‘sees’ what has been at the edge of his consciousness – a paper left under a rock by the victim – a clue left;
And the convoluted story… Buddy is an ex-cult leader who prostituted the women under his control; he got two women pregnant; Louise is one of the women, and he manipulates her into moving to Wilby; he is also a serial killer; Louise, using her crystal skills develops a crystal gun for her son (Zander Taylor) to protect himself from his demon-like father; but Zander uses it to kill others, especially focusing on paranormals; Zander kills two in the study but is stopped by Gwen; Buddy finds his gun, and ‘intelligently’ uses it for contract killings, deaths that look natural; he asks Nicole (Zander’s ex girlfriend) to watch his dogs when he goes out to kill, and somehow Evelyn figures out what he is doing when she ties paranormal deaths to when he is out of town, so he kills her… then Louise knows too much, so he kills her (both Evelyn and Louise leave clues – and Gwen’s talent allows her to talk to them in mirrors, and connect to the clues left (a picture, a note). Confrontation with Buddy finds him injured by the crystal gun – no match to Judson’s amber ring. Think all is well, but son #2 wants the gun and wants to continue in dad’s footsteps, so confronts Gwen at the lab… she draws him into the mirror, paranormal machine and leaves him… and Evelyn’s cat goes in and somehow scares the begeebers out of him, and he shoots himself.
Then Gwen and Judson return to his ‘cave’, with dad’s miners to remove the rocks that had closed off the entrance his last time there. Judson and Nick go in and find the paper – and its letterhead leads them to another paranormal investigation’s in California, who are countering government group that developed the drug to enhance (and ultimately kill) psy power in agents – future partners?
Theme: who killed now, is it tied to 2 year ago murders?; larger picture of paranormal investigations – who are the good guys, who are the bad?; trust; paranormal power; falling in love;
Characters:
Gwen Frazier: psychic counselor; influencer of dreams; talks with ghosts; writer for a ‘dead of night’ ghost show; she gets an email form former teacher, current colleague, Evelyn - follows up next day, and finds her dead in her lab; can tell paranormal means used; Eveyln’s ghost talks to her; on recommendation of Abby, she hires Judson to investigate with her;
Evelyn Ballinger: studies paranormal; works for ‘dead of night’ show too – finding ghosts to ‘study’; set up an experiment with a machine that enhances paranormal skills using crystals 2 years ago; when 3 participants end up dead, she stops the study;
Judson Coppersmith: amber ring that focuses/enhances his psychic power; he and brother did investigations for an off the books government agency using their paranormal skills as consultants; the head guy is gone off the deep end, and is feeding drugs to his paranormals that is to enhance their abilities, but is leaving crazed, addicted people; when Judson gets too close to his truths, he sends 2 of his guys out to kill him (when vulnerable investigating a death), and then follows up to finish the job – leaving Judson in an underwater cave sealed by paranormal blast; Judson managed to get free by taking the air tank of the already dead guy at bottom of cave, and allowing the light current to ‘show’ him how to find the underwater tunnels back to the surface; he has been having recurring dreams since, with a hint of something he should find or notice;
Abby and Sam Coppersmith: background help; planning wedding;
Nick Sawyer: giving Abby away; he, Abby, and Gwen formed friendship in paranormal school, where they looked after one another, and became family; he’s getting bored with black market antiquities books, and eager to help Gwen – connecting with mom Coppersmith in the ‘follow the money’;
Zander Taylor: murderer; crazy; uses a crystal based weapon that causes heart attacks so does not look like murder; in Evelyn’s study, 2 killed, he went after Gwen… Gwen directed him to ghosts in the mirror, he went screaming out of the lab, and off the cliff down the falls to his death;
Louise Fuller: wind chimes; the crazy lady around town; her chimes, inside and outside her house are for protection;
Buddy: general store owner; ex cult leader; current serial killer for hire (make money at the which you love);
Summary:
Judson and Gwen explore their growing personal feelings as they track the clues of what happened to Evelyn, and what happened in the past; Judson’s ‘reading’ of the scene – their logic together in piecing it together – their interviews - their resources (Nick, Sam, mom);
They feel passion/attraction for one another and act on it fairly early… both harbor deeper feelings for the other, but neither are talkers; their passion is fueled by each others psy power; Judson needs to get over Gwen’s offer to help with his dream as her perception of him as weak/a patient – but after she rescues him from being too deep in a dream, and when he realizes he trusts her, and she assures him that she does not see him as a patient, they dream walk together; and he finally ‘sees’ what has been at the edge of his consciousness – a paper left under a rock by the victim – a clue left;
And the convoluted story… Buddy is an ex-cult leader who prostituted the women under his control; he got two women pregnant; Louise is one of the women, and he manipulates her into moving to Wilby; he is also a serial killer; Louise, using her crystal skills develops a crystal gun for her son (Zander Taylor) to protect himself from his demon-like father; but Zander uses it to kill others, especially focusing on paranormals; Zander kills two in the study but is stopped by Gwen; Buddy finds his gun, and ‘intelligently’ uses it for contract killings, deaths that look natural; he asks Nicole (Zander’s ex girlfriend) to watch his dogs when he goes out to kill, and somehow Evelyn figures out what he is doing when she ties paranormal deaths to when he is out of town, so he kills her… then Louise knows too much, so he kills her (both Evelyn and Louise leave clues – and Gwen’s talent allows her to talk to them in mirrors, and connect to the clues left (a picture, a note). Confrontation with Buddy finds him injured by the crystal gun – no match to Judson’s amber ring. Think all is well, but son #2 wants the gun and wants to continue in dad’s footsteps, so confronts Gwen at the lab… she draws him into the mirror, paranormal machine and leaves him… and Evelyn’s cat goes in and somehow scares the begeebers out of him, and he shoots himself.
Then Gwen and Judson return to his ‘cave’, with dad’s miners to remove the rocks that had closed off the entrance his last time there. Judson and Nick go in and find the paper – and its letterhead leads them to another paranormal investigation’s in California, who are countering government group that developed the drug to enhance (and ultimately kill) psy power in agents – future partners?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
Excellent second book in a paranormal, romantic suspense series
We first met 30-year-old Gwen Frazier in Book 1. She is the BFF of the FMC of that novel, Abby Radwell. Gwen and Abby met as teenagers at a special residential facility at which there were many different psychically gifted teenagers. They consider themselves to be as close as sisters. Gwen's psychic talent is dealing with dream energy. She also is able to pick up intuitive messages at crime scenes from what she labels as "ghosts," whose images are revealed in any reflective surface, such as water, windows, or mirrors, but which are not really ghosts. There is both a healing and a weaponized version of her dual-pronged power. It would be a spoiler to say exactly how it can be used as a weapon of defense. We do not find out until far into the novel about that ability. Gwen has pursued a career for many years as a psychic dream counselor, not interpreting dreams, but healing disturbed dream energy. (This is a type of psychic power that has appeared in multiple paranormal, romantic-suspense novels of JAK over the years.) Because this type of employment is an undependable source of money, Gwen has earned additional income writing scripts for a reality TV show based on ghost hunting.
Thirty-eight-year-old Judson Coppersmith was born with innate psychic power, that is not given a name in this series, which is an offshoot of the Arcane Society series. In the AS series, a talent such as that of Judson and his younger brother, Sam, is known as a hunter talent. Judson's psychic prowess is enhanced by a ring that is set with a paranormal stone, which was obtained from a paranormal mine his father discovered 40 years ago. An explosion in that same mine affected the genetics of his father, and Judson and his two siblings are convinced that their paranormal abilities were passed on to them via their father. Judson and Sam have had their own private, psychic investigation agency, Coppersmith Consulting, for the past 15 years.
In an exciting prologue, Judson is in dire straits and barely survives during one of his psychic PI investigations. When we encounter him again a few weeks later in story time, he is recovering from the trauma of that experience in the small, oceanside town, Eclipse Bay, Oregon. Though none of the quirky residents of Eclipse Bay appear in this particular story, JAK has frequently revisited this fictional town and, in particular, it is the centerpiece of her Eclipse Bay contemporary-romance trilogy.
Gwen and Judson first meet in the small town of Wilby, Oregon. Gwen has received an urgent email, sent in the middle of the previous night, from her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger. Gwen rushes to the rescue, but she does not arrive in time to save Evelyn from being murdered. Judson arrives in town soon afterwards to investigate the murder at the request of Sam and Abby, who are in the midst of planning their upcoming wedding. In particular, Abby knows that Gwen is not going to leave town until she gets answers, and she does not want Gwen to be there without backup, since there is obviously a murderer still running around loose.
Gwen and Judson work together to solve multiple murders in this exciting, paranormal romance. They are an excellent match, and I greatly enjoyed their relationship. I am always happy to read one of JAK's paranormal romances, especially the contemporaries. The connection between this series and the AS series is made absolutely clear at the very end of this novel, but there are strong hints of it throughout this book and in the previous book.
It's obvious that JAK was planning to make this series a trilogy and center the final novel on the younger sister of Judson and Sam. It is too bad that she never wrote it. The potential MMC is strongly foreshadowed in both of these books, and it sounds like it would have been a terrific read.
This is my second time reading this novel, which I experienced as an audiobook with an excellent narrator. It was a 4-star read for me both times.
We first met 30-year-old Gwen Frazier in Book 1. She is the BFF of the FMC of that novel, Abby Radwell. Gwen and Abby met as teenagers at a special residential facility at which there were many different psychically gifted teenagers. They consider themselves to be as close as sisters. Gwen's psychic talent is dealing with dream energy. She also is able to pick up intuitive messages at crime scenes from what she labels as "ghosts," whose images are revealed in any reflective surface, such as water, windows, or mirrors, but which are not really ghosts. There is both a healing and a weaponized version of her dual-pronged power. It would be a spoiler to say exactly how it can be used as a weapon of defense. We do not find out until far into the novel about that ability. Gwen has pursued a career for many years as a psychic dream counselor, not interpreting dreams, but healing disturbed dream energy. (This is a type of psychic power that has appeared in multiple paranormal, romantic-suspense novels of JAK over the years.) Because this type of employment is an undependable source of money, Gwen has earned additional income writing scripts for a reality TV show based on ghost hunting.
Thirty-eight-year-old Judson Coppersmith was born with innate psychic power, that is not given a name in this series, which is an offshoot of the Arcane Society series. In the AS series, a talent such as that of Judson and his younger brother, Sam, is known as a hunter talent. Judson's psychic prowess is enhanced by a ring that is set with a paranormal stone, which was obtained from a paranormal mine his father discovered 40 years ago. An explosion in that same mine affected the genetics of his father, and Judson and his two siblings are convinced that their paranormal abilities were passed on to them via their father. Judson and Sam have had their own private, psychic investigation agency, Coppersmith Consulting, for the past 15 years.
In an exciting prologue, Judson is in dire straits and barely survives during one of his psychic PI investigations. When we encounter him again a few weeks later in story time, he is recovering from the trauma of that experience in the small, oceanside town, Eclipse Bay, Oregon. Though none of the quirky residents of Eclipse Bay appear in this particular story, JAK has frequently revisited this fictional town and, in particular, it is the centerpiece of her Eclipse Bay contemporary-romance trilogy.
Gwen and Judson first meet in the small town of Wilby, Oregon. Gwen has received an urgent email, sent in the middle of the previous night, from her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger. Gwen rushes to the rescue, but she does not arrive in time to save Evelyn from being murdered. Judson arrives in town soon afterwards to investigate the murder at the request of Sam and Abby, who are in the midst of planning their upcoming wedding. In particular, Abby knows that Gwen is not going to leave town until she gets answers, and she does not want Gwen to be there without backup, since there is obviously a murderer still running around loose.
Gwen and Judson work together to solve multiple murders in this exciting, paranormal romance. They are an excellent match, and I greatly enjoyed their relationship. I am always happy to read one of JAK's paranormal romances, especially the contemporaries. The connection between this series and the AS series is made absolutely clear at the very end of this novel, but there are strong hints of it throughout this book and in the previous book.
It's obvious that JAK was planning to make this series a trilogy and center the final novel on the younger sister of Judson and Sam. It is too bad that she never wrote it. The potential MMC is strongly foreshadowed in both of these books, and it sounds like it would have been a terrific read.
This is my second time reading this novel, which I experienced as an audiobook with an excellent narrator. It was a 4-star read for me both times.
September 15, 2016
Jayne Ann Krentz is an author whom I absolutely love! All her books feature heroines who smart, independent, and fiercely unique. I may also be a little biased because Krentz was once a librarian; gotta support my library peeps you know! :) When I pick up one of her titles, I have no doubts that I will greatly enjoy it and will be crying for more when I am done. Dream Eyes was no different.
Dream Eyes picks up shortly where Copper Beach left off. Judson Coppersmith is recovering from a previous job that when downhill and left him betrayed and haunted with nightmares. Gwen Frazier has returned to Wilby, Oregon to help her friend and mentor, only to find her dead in her house with no apparent cause. Eerily similar to the nightmare of two years ago that caused her to leave in the first place. The cops seem to think Gwen is involved, although they cannot prove anything. Gwen calls in Judson's family to conduct her own investigation, hopefully putting her nightmares to rest. When Judson arrives in Wilby, he realizes there is more than this apparently simple murder; something that is probably connected to the murders of Gwen's friends two years ago.
This is the second novel in her Dark Legacy novels featuring the Coppersmith family. It used to be she would come out with three connected titles a year, one under each of her pseudonyms, and a reader would not have to wait so long for the story to conclude. However, she has separated her series, with each one continuing a year later. I really looked forward to those connecting series; I didn't have to wait so long and the series were connected but no dependent on the previously published title to make sense. With Dream Eyes, it could be read as a stand-alone, but it referenced characters and instances from the first book.
It had been so long since I had read Copper Beach that I had forgotten some of the important parts. This made reading Dreaming Eyes difficult, at least for me anyway. I hate the feeling I should know a character and don't. The author did weave in the pertinent details from the first book but this threw me off track and it was several chapters before I fully settled into the story. The story, despite its slow start, moved along quickly as Jud and Gwen connected. They were very much alike in personality, both were confident and extremely independent. Judson because of the nature of his paranormal talent and Gwen because of being orphaned at a fairly young age. Although much alike, each clearly had distinctive personalities that drew the reader into their story.
Can you hear the but in there?
The story fizzled for me during the last few chapters. The chemistry between Jud and Gwen was off the charts and they were working wonderfully together to solve her friend's death. Then the circumstances behind Gwen's friend's death got smothered under connection, after connection. The author tied her death to almost everything humanly possible in this story: Gwen's past at the Summerlight Academy, the murder's two years ago, one of Jud's cases, which tied it to Nightshade and J&J (whom the Coppersmith's had never heard of--which I find hard to believe...).
As each connection was revealed, the suspension of my belief snapped, and the book lost some of its joy for me. I don't know if this was deliberately done to open the door for a future book or if it was an attempt to convey the far reaching tentacles of the Nightshade conspiracy; whatever it was for, it made the ending a disappointment. However, I still love JAK! I can always count on her books to provide a humorous, romantic, and out of this world experience.
Dream Eyes picks up shortly where Copper Beach left off. Judson Coppersmith is recovering from a previous job that when downhill and left him betrayed and haunted with nightmares. Gwen Frazier has returned to Wilby, Oregon to help her friend and mentor, only to find her dead in her house with no apparent cause. Eerily similar to the nightmare of two years ago that caused her to leave in the first place. The cops seem to think Gwen is involved, although they cannot prove anything. Gwen calls in Judson's family to conduct her own investigation, hopefully putting her nightmares to rest. When Judson arrives in Wilby, he realizes there is more than this apparently simple murder; something that is probably connected to the murders of Gwen's friends two years ago.
This is the second novel in her Dark Legacy novels featuring the Coppersmith family. It used to be she would come out with three connected titles a year, one under each of her pseudonyms, and a reader would not have to wait so long for the story to conclude. However, she has separated her series, with each one continuing a year later. I really looked forward to those connecting series; I didn't have to wait so long and the series were connected but no dependent on the previously published title to make sense. With Dream Eyes, it could be read as a stand-alone, but it referenced characters and instances from the first book.
It had been so long since I had read Copper Beach that I had forgotten some of the important parts. This made reading Dreaming Eyes difficult, at least for me anyway. I hate the feeling I should know a character and don't. The author did weave in the pertinent details from the first book but this threw me off track and it was several chapters before I fully settled into the story. The story, despite its slow start, moved along quickly as Jud and Gwen connected. They were very much alike in personality, both were confident and extremely independent. Judson because of the nature of his paranormal talent and Gwen because of being orphaned at a fairly young age. Although much alike, each clearly had distinctive personalities that drew the reader into their story.
Can you hear the but in there?
The story fizzled for me during the last few chapters. The chemistry between Jud and Gwen was off the charts and they were working wonderfully together to solve her friend's death. Then the circumstances behind Gwen's friend's death got smothered under connection, after connection. The author tied her death to almost everything humanly possible in this story: Gwen's past at the Summerlight Academy, the murder's two years ago, one of Jud's cases, which tied it to Nightshade and J&J (whom the Coppersmith's had never heard of--which I find hard to believe...).
As each connection was revealed, the suspension of my belief snapped, and the book lost some of its joy for me. I don't know if this was deliberately done to open the door for a future book or if it was an attempt to convey the far reaching tentacles of the Nightshade conspiracy; whatever it was for, it made the ending a disappointment. However, I still love JAK! I can always count on her books to provide a humorous, romantic, and out of this world experience.
January 26, 2013
Reading a Jayne Ann Krentz book is like coming home. Once you start reading you get into a comfortable and easy flow with the plot and characters. Mix in the perfect amounts of mystery, romance and paranormal, wellthe next thing you know you have completed another wonderful adventure and are impatiently waiting for the next book to come out.
Dream Eyes is about Gwen Frazier who returns to Wilby, OR to deal with the death of her friend and mentor. Two years ago Gwen was unfortunate to find two bodies and to be present when another man committed suicide. Gwen is so convinced that none of these deaths were natural that she hires Judson Coppersmith to investigate.
Judson is still dealing with the aftermath of his last case. He is happy to help Gwen and hopes he can show her that they can have more than just a working relationship.
Jayne Ann Krentz is my go to author whenever I am looking for a book to get out of a reading slump or if I just need a short escape. All of her books are enjoyable and Dream Eyes is no different. This is a book I am so happy I have on my shelf.
Dream Eyes is about Gwen Frazier who returns to Wilby, OR to deal with the death of her friend and mentor. Two years ago Gwen was unfortunate to find two bodies and to be present when another man committed suicide. Gwen is so convinced that none of these deaths were natural that she hires Judson Coppersmith to investigate.
Judson is still dealing with the aftermath of his last case. He is happy to help Gwen and hopes he can show her that they can have more than just a working relationship.
Jayne Ann Krentz is my go to author whenever I am looking for a book to get out of a reading slump or if I just need a short escape. All of her books are enjoyable and Dream Eyes is no different. This is a book I am so happy I have on my shelf.
June 3, 2020
Murder for hire
Be sure to read Cooler Beach, book one in this series for the introduction into the Coppersmith family. Book 2 here follows the story of Judson, second son, with strong paranormal powers and a gift for investigation. He meets Gwen Frazier when her "sister" Abby and Judson's brother, Sam, introduce them over dinner. Attraction is strong, but Gwen, a dreamlight talent sees that Judson is troubled and needs help, which he refuses. A month later Gwen needs his help to find the person who killed a good friend. Lots of action, romance, twists and turns. You won't want to put this exciting story down. It really is too bad Jayne never made any more sequels to this series. I would have loved a story about their sister Emma. However, you can read about future Coppersmith men in Illusion Town and Siren, Rainshadow series. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal, mystery fun. Happy reading
Be sure to read Cooler Beach, book one in this series for the introduction into the Coppersmith family. Book 2 here follows the story of Judson, second son, with strong paranormal powers and a gift for investigation. He meets Gwen Frazier when her "sister" Abby and Judson's brother, Sam, introduce them over dinner. Attraction is strong, but Gwen, a dreamlight talent sees that Judson is troubled and needs help, which he refuses. A month later Gwen needs his help to find the person who killed a good friend. Lots of action, romance, twists and turns. You won't want to put this exciting story down. It really is too bad Jayne never made any more sequels to this series. I would have loved a story about their sister Emma. However, you can read about future Coppersmith men in Illusion Town and Siren, Rainshadow series. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal, mystery fun. Happy reading
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