Crystal Gardens
A Ladies of Lantern Street Novel - Book I
Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick

Putnam Adult (Little, Brown)
April 24, 2012 / ISBN 978-0399159084
Historical Romance/Supernatural/Late 19th century/London
Amazon

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Evangeline Ames is a woman with a secret, perhaps more than one. She appears to be a respectable youngish spinster who is renting a cottage in rural Little Dixby for reasons of her own. Actually, she has psychic powers and works as a lady companion for hire on the books of a London agency; she is also writing a sensational romance for a local paper. Even that is not all, for she is being pursued by a mysterious assassin who breaks into her home at night, sending her fleeing to the comparative safety of nearby Crystal Gardens, owned by her landlord Lucas Sebastian. The locals have strange tales about this house, it gardens and its owner.

I'm not a fan of the current trend for paranormal romances, having no particular wish to read about people falling in love with vampires and werewolves. I viewed this with some trepidation but having enjoyed Regency romances penned by the same author under her other name of Amanda Quick I had hopes this would also prove entertaining. I was right; it is a good read and I can recommend it to both paranormal romance fans and those who prefer their romances a bit more traditional. To start with, both protagonists manage to sidestep some of the worse romance clichés. There are no easily sorted out misunderstandings leading to woe, he doesn't behave like a jerk (sorry, alpha male) and she refrains from silly tantrums and other off-putting behavior. There is a strong supernatural element of course, and an original idea in the shape of gardens with dangerous energy and an agency with a difference. I've always enjoyed romances where the hero and heroine join forces to defeat a common enemy and this is a good example of this type of tale. There is plenty of scope for more novels too, with Lucas' work for the police and Evangeline and her friends work for the agency, plus those spooky gardens still have secrets to reveal. Count me convinced there are paranormal romances out there which I will gladly read and enjoy.