Customer Reviews

Witchcraft / Last Chance Cafe / Bayou Reunion

5 star:		(2)
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3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz and have been disappointed in her latest novels, pick up a copy of one of her reissues. First published 13 years ago, Witchcraft epitomizes the romantic strength of JAK's characters and the slightly offbeat plot complications in which they find themselves embroiled.

Kimberly Sawyer, a writer of detective novels with a gutsy female lead, reluctantly gives herself into the protective keeping of vineyard owner Darius Cavenaugh when she receives some engimantic threats. A rose with a needle embedded in it, followed up by a dagger-weilding cloaked figure in the dead of night, push Kimerly into Cavenaugh's fierce and and passionate protection.

Cavenaugh arrives on the scene because he is in Kimberly's debt for her part in rescuing his nephew from a band of quirky would-be witches two months previously. He's been biding his time before he comes after her to repay the debt and coax her into his life . But he moves like a steamroller when he finds out Kimberly is being threatened by the witchy kidnappers.

Female readers will silently applaud heroine Kimberly Sawyer because she is an independent lady who is quick with logical comebacks when the hero tries to railroad her emotions. Cavenaugh quickly reveals his vulnerability to the reader when he suddenly finds himself wanting to protect as well as bed Kimberly. But wariness and willpower are on her side as she asserts her independence in Cavenaugh's household where too many demanding family members are reminding her that she prefers a life without familial duties and demands.

This shying away from anything that smacks of family responsibility brings in the second conflict of the novel, and incidentally its strongest element, because it shows the emotional distance Cavenaugh and Kimberly must travel before they can understand as well as accept the compromises a union between the two of them will bring. The conflict has its roots in Kimberly's past. After arrogantly snooping through her mail, Cavenaugh learns that Kimberly is refusing to end the estrangement with the grandparents that cast of her mother and refused to acknowledge their only grandchild 28 years ago. Experience has taught Kimberly that duty to the family can be stronger than love so she's determined to find a lover as solitary and independent as she is. Cavenaugh does not fit the mold because he is committed to a heritage of vineyards and the extended family that depends on it. We like him the better as we watch him frustrated and floundering trying to impose his real-life passion on a woman who seems to find more statisfaction with a character she's created in her own novels.

Desire runs strong through the novel beginning with outrageously provocative statements by Cavenaugh about what he wants to do with Kimberly and coming to a quick culmination with a love scene in a deserted storage shed three days later. This offbeat setting for the first love scene foreshadows Krentz' delight in getting her lovers into the unlikeliest positions, both setting-wise and conjugal-wise. Later love scenes portray the escalation in Cavenaugh's determination to smother Kimberly's fears. Again the reader will applaud Kimberly's honesty and strength because she is the first to say I love you despite Cavenaugh's overbearing ways.

But Cavenaugh believes his elusive lady is still not ready to fully commit to him and arrogantly forces a confrontation with the grandparents Kimberly has steadfastly refused to meet. He believes he's only doing what's best for her by making her face the past.

Here is where Krentz is at her emotional best, showing with just a few words Kimberly's belief that Cavenaugh has betrayed her trust and her love, and his fear that he may have pushed her too far.

His fear turns to panicked desperation when Kimberly runs from him, unknowingly running into danger from the weird kidnappers that began the story.

Witchcraft may be limited in plumbing the depth of secondary characters and in the quickly resolved plot compared to Krentz' later and longer novels. But just like Cavenaugh wines, this is vintage Krentz to be savored over and over again, a fact which is proved by the tattered condition of my original copy. Now that Witchcraft has been reissued I'll definitely be replacing it before I lose the pages that have already fallen out.

Questions: Why the needle in the red rose? What happened two month ago? Who is Darius "Dare" Cavanaugh? Are there really witches? How did Kimberly Sawyer get involved?

Kim lives alone and she likes it that way. Somehow, living on the Northern California coast, she meets the owner of a Napa Valley winery, that is 150 miles away. We learn of Kim's wounds while growing up and Dare's international past in the import-export business. This story started out well, but the writing became cliche-ridden. It could have been exciting, with its intrigue and unconventional psychic elements, but somewhere along the line, it became derivative, routine romance-genre material.

Written in 1985, it is nice to know that since then, Krentz has grown from mechanical language and characterization into a more powerful and skillful author.

I was disappointed in this book. The characters start out on an interesting note (Is there some kind of metaphysical element here?) but fizzle down into a flat-line. Although Kim shows strength in her character, she wavers back and forth between accepting and rejecting Darius without really exploring either side (She accepts things too easily and when she does get mad at him, she forgives him so quickly--I don't think she really knows what's on her mind). Darius seems to have only one real character trait: bossy.

All in all, I found this book disappointing. The witches' characters are also underdeveloped. Their plans for Kim are a bit far-fetched. Question: What was the reasoning behind the red rose?

Witchcraft is an anthology- a collection of short storys featuring suspense,mystery and romance. INcluded in this novel:

*Witchcraft by Jayne Krentz--Kimberly is a writer who receives a threatening gift in the mail. She immediate things about Darius- who is indebted to her and has made a promise to be there for her. Miraculously, he appears and whisks her aaway to his protection. Together they unravel the mystery of who is threatening her.

*Last Chance Cafe- Lena is a waitress who lost her husband tragically. 3 years later, a customer (cade) walks into her cafe and resembles her husband. This is a shorter story and you cannot help but root for Lena as she deals with her past.

*Bayou Moon by Rebecca York--Chase has inherited an old manor and finds his childhood friend Julienne in residence. They share a past filled with sadness- she is the daughter of the manor and he is the son of their servants. But now their positions are reversed- Chase is now the owner and she must work for him while hiding her past secrets. This was actually my favorite story of the 3--very touching and sad, showing how love can overcome even the most awful event.

These 3 storys were fun to read, but had been previously published and are not new. They were short and the plots seem to resolve themselves very quickly- with little time for much character developement.
My advice would not to pay full price for this book- definately check out Jayne Krentz's other novels and pick this one up at a used book shop.

If you are a big Jayne Ann Krentz fan, which I am, you will appreciate the alpha male in this book. However, I was disappointed in the heorine's back and forth emotions. One minute she's in love with him, the next she hates him..etc.etc. I think she forgives him way too easily too many times, but overall it was an easy read. Not her usual standards, but not a total loss.

I recently got the single title book Witchcraft by Jayne Ann Krentz. I cannot comment on the anthology version which has recently been released, only on Witchcraft itself.

That being said, I must say that the characters are lively and engaging, but I cringed or laughed through every single love scene in the book. I have to admit that I am a big fan of Jayne's and I read pretty much every book she writes under the Amanda Quick pen name. I don't ever remember laughing through the other books!

As one reader stated, it is definately dated. Thankfully, most of the description is still relevant because the clothes they wear are fairly standard--shirts and jeans--but the love scenes are chock-full of purple prose. I can't tell you how comical it is to see "feminine core" repeated as a euphamism for female genitalia. I think the purple prose is more of an indication of the time that this was written rather than a reflection on Jayne's writing or style. The writing of love scenes has come a LONG way since the 80's (when this book was written).

However, Darius Cavenaugh is still a very interesting hero--an alpha male forced to run his family's winery after engaging in some questionable import and export activities abroad. He is a terrific match for Kimberly Sawyer, an independent writer who prefers to live alone rather than deal with anything remotely resembling family responsibility. There is a distinct contrast between Darius and Kimberly, who are really kindred spirits reacting to the world in completely different ways.

The villains in the story are comical and slightly over the top. For a second or two, you might think you are in the middle of the Da Vinci Code with the lurking hooded figures carrying silver daggers and the pentagram references. While this is not quite as suspenseful as the Da Vinci Code, there is definately a charm inherent in this story.

If you read this, go into it for the character development rather than the love scenes or the suspense plot. Witchcraft is great evidence of why Jayne Ann Krentz has lasted so long in the romance genre. She writes funny, quirky characters who seemed destined for one another despite their differing personalities.

True to form, Jayne ann Krentz portrays Kimberly as a "spunky" heroine (forgive the cliche) and Darius Cavenaugh as a take-charge, responsible yet slightly dangerous hero who rules the lives of those around him. Darius is every bit the Lord of the Manor, though this is set in the "present" day and not in the early 19th century as some of Jayne's other books are.

I'd say buy Witchcraft used unless you want to purchase the 3 story anthology. Don't be discouraged by the "dated" quality of the work because it really does have heart and good characterization.

I thought this would be a fun fluffy read. I read most of the first story, but then was overcome with digust. The male romantic interest is simply not a very nice person. He has an annoying tendency to go about deciding what is best for the female heroine without ever consulting her - including making major decisions about her life. If I were to be involved with a guy like this, I would kick him out the door in about 5 seconds. But of course she is unavoidably drawn to him and they are "meant to be together". No thank you.

I think it was deceptive to repackage this story and sell it as a new release. I had read it before, and it is early Krentz, that is, a little melodramatic. I love all of her work, but I am more mature now, and the hokey dialogue is beyond me--and her at this stage.

If you are a loyal fan looking to pick up Jayne Ann Krentz's earlier works that have been out of print, this book is an okay way to pick up a reprint of one of her 1985 titles; but if you are looking to read your first Krentz, there are several others you should definitely try first to get a real feel for her work, three of my favorites being Absolutely, Positively, A Coral Kiss and Deep Waters.

The longest of this 3-story collection (and the real reason for the book being released probably) is the reprint of Krentz's 1985 Witchcraft which is an okay read, not her best and not her worst, but you can definitely tell it was written in the 80s. Typical alpha male (I like them in my fiction so they don't bother me) but her heroine needs smacked since her attitude changes so quickly throughout the book (she loves him, she hates him, she loves him, etc., etc.), again an 80's romance characterization quirk for Krentz (and many other authors of the category romances of the time).

The other two stories by Stevens and York were both published/posted online as free short stories on eHarlequin.com's online read library either last year or earlier so it was very disappointing to find nothing new in this collection at all. And when I say short, I mean short (approximately 50 pages each). No time for character development, real plot development or much of anything else. You get dropped in the middle of a situation and it soon gets resolved and everyone lives happily ever after except for you, the reader, as you are left with a desire to have more...something. Not to say that as short stories they aren't good, they are...good, not great. Both are short, quick reads that work as free stories on eHarlequin.com's site but definitely not satisfying enough to actually pay for them.

The book was great. As always Jane Ann Krentz delivers. It is an older release and still great.