This book is fun. The main plot is simply outlined. Amber has been
seriously hurt by a flaming hot affair with famous racing driver Roarke
Kelley. She flees Southern California to Bellevue, and takes an office
assistant’s job with Cormick Grayson. He’s “a powerfully built man whose
face echoes that power.” After all that flaming passion she finds his
placid good nature a relief, and accepts an offer of marriage. She tells
everyone she’s very “content” with her lot, even if Gray does combine
their honeymoon with a business trip (tax deductible).
But, of course, Gray has hidden depths. He isn’t the passionless, boring
husband she expected. He’s “a lover to die for” and he’d wanted her from
the start. And he knows how to bide his time. He learned that with his
friend Mitch when they worked as security troubleshooters for a big
multinational company. When Roarke comes after Amber again, and when the business
deal goes wrong and two second rate punks threaten them, Amber finds he
knows how to handle a gun as well.
But these days he’s hung up his gun and retired, just like a modern gunslinger,
and he’s having fun. Gray is now the world’s leading (and only) authority
on the poetry of Sherborne Ulysses Twitchell. He contributes little essays
to an obscure poetry magazine on the use of the desert as a metaphor for
loneliness in Twitchell’s poetry. But as Amber confides to her sister
Cynthia, Twitchell’s poetry is truly awful, and Gray makes up all his
comments. We see how bad it is – JAK gives us a few samples! For the life
of her, Cynthia can’t understand why Amber runs all over the state hunting
down a leather bound volume of the stuff as a present. So imagine Gray’s
indignation when one Honoria Tyler Abercombie sends him a letter, care of
the magazine, on sexual imagery in Twitchell’s poetry! The joke runs
right through the story, and at the end of the book, the leather-bound
volume of poems – a weighty tome – comes into its own at just the right
moment.
In the end, Amber and Gray settle down to a passionate and loving marriage
based on much more solid emotions than the destructive ones she shared
with Roarke. Amber and Gray have proved their reliability to each other
and have shown trust and loyalty.
This may not be one of JAK’s finest works, but it’s a good read. Those
who appreciate JAK’s sense of humour will love this adventure.
Phyllis Brighouse
I had planned to like this book, as I have all of her older titles.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Between the Lines begins with Gray casually mentioning to his assistant
Amber that they should get married. After all, he concludes, they get
along well enough, they aren't getting any younger, and with their upcoming
business trip to the mountains, it would be convenient to do business and
have a honeymoon at the same time.
Amber for her part is certainly surprised by the proposal. It's true they
do work well together, and must also enjoy debating the question of the use
of metaphors in a little known poet's work, as these episodes are dispersed
throughout the book. She feels she should make clear to Gray that having
just come off a tumultuous relationship, she knows that she lacks any great
passion. Once she is assured he is going into this marraige with his eyes
wide open, she agrees.
Their marraige takes place with as much fanfare as their engagement does,
and they set out for the property, to determine its investment potential. They soon discover that things aren't what they expected both with property or with their relationship.
Those readers who enjoy reading between the lines (as the title
suggests, and I'm sure the author intended) will most likely find this an
enjoyable read. The hero, is quite toned down to fit the 90s, despite its
80s publication, and the heroine is easily his match. As I enjoy a much more
spirited romance, with characters to match, I was simply bored.
Joanne Bartling
