In this Arcane Society book, Grace Renquist is a level-ten aura talent with a skin-sensitivity problem, and she’s hiding in plain sight with a new identity and a good job within the society. She’s absolutely stoked when the head of the West Coast branch of Jones and Jones (the society’s official paranormal investigation agency) sends her on her first mission, but there’s one problem. Her assigned J&J bodyguard used to be a homicide detective, and he’s damn good at discovering secrets.
Luther Malone doesn’t want to babysit anyone on this low-key, routine surveillance job. When he meets Grace, however, his libido and his need to protect kicks in. The problem? His leg’s busted after a mission-gone-bad, and he walks with a cane.
While identifying a suspected killer, Grace and Luther stumble upon a Nightshade convention. Nightshade, the arch nemesis of the Arcane Society, has developed a dangerous drug, and they’re experimenting it on their own members. There’s also an insane opera singer who fixates on Grace and proves to be a heap of trouble all on her own. Needless to say, Grace and Luther have their work cut out for them.
This is a really good story. Both the H/h have difficult back stories, especially Grace, and they bond through their shared pain. Their romance blooms quickly but it’s believable. It’s also nice to have a hero that’s not a member of the illustrious Jones family.
Petra and Wayne, Luther’s friends, are total badasses even though they’re in their sixties. They’re retired J&J agents and bring a lot of flavor to the book. Fallon is back, the J&J head, and he’s more stressed out than usual. With each new book, the reader learns more and more about this mysterious Fallon, and he’s quickly becoming my favorite character in the series.
Despite the use of passive voice and repeated taglines, the story is well-written and fast-paced. I wished the loose ends from the previous book, “Sizzle and Burn,” were tied up in this story, but nope, didn’t happen. Unfortunately, there are loose ends in this one too (the reader doesn’t even learn what Grace’s real name is), but at least I wasn’t confused about anything.
The story definitely kept my attention and I’m happy I read it.
4 Stars

Note -- Even though this book is considered number 5 in the Arcane Society series, it’s technically number 6 if you read the books in chronological order (not publication date). Personally, I read all of the Amanda Quick (historical) books first, then the Jayne Anne Krentz (contemporary) books, and lastly the (futuristic) ones by Jayne Castle. For readers who don’t know, these three authors are the same author, and she uses different names for each time period.

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
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Running Hot
3.5 Stars

Synopsis
Working as a librarian for the Arcane Society, Grace Renquist has secrets she is desperate to keep. Assigned to partner former police officer, Luther Malone, who shares her ability to read auras, Grace fears that her past will return to haunt her. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with operatives from the renegade group known only as Nightshade, Grace and Luther must think on their feet and combine their resources if they are to survive dangerously potent powers enhanced by the founder's formula.

Review
A fun read but not as suspenseful as some of the others in the series.

Luther and Grace are a typical Krentz couple. She is intelligent, feisty and damaged in some way while he is tough, sexy and absolutely irresistible. They have intense chemistry and their paranormal abilities complement each other - Grace profiles auras while Luther manipulates them. Nevertheless, their romantic relationship materializes too rapidly with very little development.

The writing and dialogue are smooth as usual, however, the suspense plot is ultimately predictable and the threat posed by the villains is scarcely threatening. Moreover, the pacing is a little off with numerous superfluous explanations that fill in gaps rather than developing the story and characterization. The Nightshade plot is overly complex and even though some questions from previous books are answered, there is insufficient information on the origins and progression of the organization.

The secondary characters are entertaining such as the band of misfits Luther hangs out with in Hawaii and Fallon Jones who seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. His character is very intriguing and I look forward to his book.

All in all, quite entertaining for those times when you want an uncomplicated read. ( )

i've always been a fan of Krentz romantic novels, but really do like her main character in this one. one that is strong, flawed, and fully capable of taking care of herself. ( )

This is another one of Krentz's book from her Arcane Society series. Grace and Luther make a great team. Krentz's theories on paranormal theories are well-planned and consistent. I like the fact that she keeps introducing new paranormal senses. I think we have the possibility (capabilities?) of having some paranormal senses and have to agree with what she writes in the book that we it's perhaps not because we don't have the capabilities but that we don't use or are not aware of those capabilities. The one thing that I'm disappointed about is the fact that Krentz seems to give her woman heroine strength and power but in reality never seems to be always bowing to a male hero. That the women's role is to supplement the man's more powerful paranormal sense or to his vast experience. She often calls the women assistants rather than having the men as the assistant. This series is consistent and for it to cross time and have stories in the past, present and future is a different twist. If you like to read about paranormal experiences and like a little romance this would be a series you would enjoy. ( )

Another good one, I love this series. ( )