Customer Reviews

After Glow

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love Jayne's Harmony and really got so depressed thinking she would never go back to it, I mean it been FOUR YEARS. Worse, having to suffer through her limp Quick trilogy and the started out good then went to limp noodle Whispering Springs book, I am in desperate needs of a GOOD Jayne read.

And WOW...this is Emmett and Lydia's story continued. I loved After Dark. Know there were some whines when it came out, but the market is just now exploding with great writers writing in this same vein like Robin Owens' Heart series and C.J. Barry's Un-series, so maybe people will pay more attention to what a great book After Dark was and enjoy it.

I read this, and you can read it alone, but I went and got my After Dark out and really enjoyed it again.

Thank you, JAyne. Please do not make it four LONG years before you visit Harmony again. And bring some "flowers", too!!!

After Jayne Ann's last three efforts under her Krentz name and Quick penname, I was in despair. She is one of my favourite writers, but she had lost of heart, I feared. The books spent more time talking about food than romance, and her leads were tediously boring. In her aim to sell mainstream, she is killing her decades-long, devout romance fans with books that lack ROMANCE. Jayne needs to take time go back and read her own books such as "Wildest Hearts", "Family Man", and "Absolutely Positively", to get "the mind scent back", find her roots.

That said, this was - to me - was a "make or break" book. If she did not come up with the old magic, I would likely move on to spend my monies on writers that are delivering. Well, I am SO DELIGHTED to say this book has the old Jayne Ann magic. And I hope this book is received better than the other "Harmony Books". I adored them all and see the JAK dazzle in there. It is in her off-world books "Amaryllis", "Orchard", "Zinnia" and "After Dark", where you can still find the old JAK magic that pulls at the heart, that makes you smile. These books were not well-accepted, because she was AHEAD of the pack. Futuristic books with J. D. Robb, Robin D. Owens, C. J. Barry - and the new Dorchester line coming with Susan Grant and Kathleen Nance's books kicking it off - are selling like hotcakes, showing off-world books are the cutting edge. Meaning everyone else is JUST NOW catching up with JAK.

In this long awaited sequel to "After Dark" (2000), where we first met Emmett London and Lydia Smith, we pick up their lives a month after the pair had their last adventure. They have moved in together, with Emmett hoping to work Lydia into a Covenant Marriage, but fears Lydia's experience in the Alien Underground has permanently set her against "ghost-hunters" - people with the talent to channel and control the residual energy left behind by the race that once lived on New Harmony. And since Emmett is one of the best ghost-hunters, he fears this could tip their relationship into shattering. Worse, the head of the Guild - (union/government) for the ghost-hunters - has been wounded and Emmett has to step into his place to keep things running smooth.

Lydia is not happy with the limelight that is hitting Emmett as the new guild boss. especially not thrilled the press is dragging out the fact Emmett was engaged to marry the Guild's Boss wife. This prompts her to push Emmett into a MC - Marriage of Convenience - to protect him. Emmett is thrilled for he sees this as a chance to convince Lydia into making it a Covenant Marriage.

It has all the JAK special characters, the romance, the adventure that marks her best works. After being so disappointed by her last three books - and I am hoping this is a new streak starting for JAK that show she can "rez" them ghosts and fascinate us as she has for so long. It can be read alone, but you really should read "After Dark" to fully appreciate the fun. In fact, I suggest reading "Amarylliss", "Zinnia" and 'Orchid", too! See JAK at her best!

Great Return to Harmony - just don't make it so long before the next visit, Jayne Ann, because this is where you are shining!

After Jayne Ann's last three efforts under her Krentz name and Quick penname, I was in despair. She is one of my favourite writers, but she had lost of heart, I feared. The books spent more time talking about food than romance, and her leads were tediously boring. In her aim to sell mainstream, she is killing her decades-long, devout romance fans with books that lack ROMANCE. Jayne needs to take time go back and read her own books such as "Wildest Hearts", "Family Man", and "Absolutely Positively", to get "the mind scent back", find her roots.

That said, this was - to me - was a "make or break" book. If she did not come up with the old magic, I would likely move on to spend my monies on writers that are delivering. Well, I am SO DELIGHTED to say this book has the old Jayne Ann magic. And I hope this book is received better than the other "Harmony Books". I adored them all and see the JAK dazzle in there. It is in her off-world books "Amaryllis", "Orchard", "Zinnia" and "After Dark", where you can still find the old JAK magic that pulls at the heart, that makes you smile. These books were not well-accepted, because she was AHEAD of the pack. Futuristic books with J. D. Robb, Robin D. Owens, C. J. Barry - and the new Dorchester line coming with Susan Grant and Kathleen Nance's books kicking it off - are selling like hotcakes, showing off-world books are the cutting edge. Meaning everyone else is JUST NOW catching up with JAK.

In this long awaited sequel to "After Dark" (2000), where we first met Emmett London and Lydia Smith, we pick up their lives a month after the pair had their last adventure. They have moved in together, with Emmett hoping to work Lydia into a Covenant Marriage, but fears Lydia's experience in the Alien Underground has permanently set her against "ghost-hunters" - people with the talent to channel and control the residual energy left behind by the race that once lived on New Harmony. And since Emmett is one of the best ghost-hunters, he fears this could tip their relationship into shattering. Worse, the head of the Guild - (union/government) for the ghost-hunters - has been wounded and Emmett has to step into his place to keep things running smooth.

Lydia is not happy with the limelight that is hitting Emmett as the new guild boss. especially not thrilled the press is dragging out the fact Emmett was engaged to marry the Guild's Boss wife. This prompts her to push Emmett into a MC - Marriage of Convenience - to protect him. Emmett is thrilled for he sees this as a chance to convince Lydia into making it a Covenant Marriage.

It has all the JAK special characters, the romance, the adventure that marks her best works. After being so disappointed by her last three books - and I am hoping this is a new streak starting for JAK that show she can "rez" them ghosts and fascinate us as she has for so long. It can be read alone, but you really should read "After Dark" to fully appreciate the fun. In fact, I suggest reading "Amarylliss", "Zinnia" and 'Orchid", too! See JAK at her best!

Great Return to Harmony - just don't make it so long before the next visit, Jayne Ann, because this is where you are shining!

Kick back, relax, shift your mind to cruise and enjoy Joyce Bean's topnotch reading of After Glow. Under stated, sincere Bean almost makes you believe in the paranormal and, of course, solidifies your belief in the endless possibilities of romance. An Audie Award winner with four Audie medallions and a host of Earphone Awards, Bean is the consummate narrator always seeming to reflect the author's intentions with not only words but intonations and nuances.

Speaking of authors, After Glow is penned by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle. Evidently, she quickly recognized the popularity of both romance books and titles dealing with the paranormal so she gives us both - a romance spiced with the other worldly.

It would benefit listeners to be familiar with the first in this series but lacking that we know that Lydia and Emmett (a British ghost hunter) are a couple. She is a para-archeologist who lost her museum job and now finds herself working at a really rundown museum (think of something along the old Route 66. ) Unfortunately that's not all of Lydia's bad luck - she also has a tendency to find dead bodies, and somehow when she was wandering about the catacombs beneath Cadence City she lost her memory. There's also the question of whether or not the planet Harmony left any aliens behind.

Emmett cannot be the pillar she needs at this point in her life as he has challenges of his own, nonetheless nothing diminishes the attraction they feel for one another.

Didn't I tell you, romance and the paranormal - plenty of both. Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

I used to love all the different books written by this author, whether she was writing as Amanda Quick, Jayne Anne Krentz or Jayne Castle. Now they are all so dull - almost over-detailed. This book is no different. While the premis of "para-psychology" could have been interesting the language developed by the author to describe the different types of psychics is confusing and over-used. I found myself skipping huge chunks of this book just to get to the point of the conversation. Don't waste your money -borrow it if you are a die hard fan or wait for it at the local library. I only gave it one star because her heros are usually the strong, silent type - a personal favorite of mine!

I wish there was a higher rating than 5. Nobody does it better. If you read "After Dark" you'll probably enjoyed it even more. The sense of a fully fleshed out world is awesome. The sexual tension between Lydia and Emmett is great. I love the way each worries about the feelings of the other. The dance of romance is Jayne at her best. From Lydia's determination to protect Emmett, to his worries about her feelings for ghost-hunters, we are constantly waiting for the explosions to begin. However, Jayne Castle, knows what we want. I just loved the Restoration Ball and The DRESS. Two hearts wanting the same thing but scared to reach out too quickly. The suspense and stirring adventure are not overshadowed by the romance, and the thrilling conclusion is wonderfully enhanced by Fuzz and a number of unusual and fasinating characters. Could not put it down. I have already reread it 4 times. (UNBELIEVABLE for me.) I usually don't like to read a book that continues a relationship, but this one is perfect. This is a keeper. And be sure to get "After Dark" also.

Can't tell you how much I enjoy my adventures in this other world with Jayne Castle. These are my fav of her series and I just love how they revisit familiar places. This one was a tad slower than her others, but still a great read.

I have been so disappointed in nearly the last 1/2 dozen books from this author. Seems like in courting the mainstream sales she snubbed her nose at Romance and the fans who adored her. The books were so FLAT.

But ZOWEY!!!!! This book is right on target. A (FINALLY) sequal to After Dark (which I loved, just felt unfinished because it WAS!).

I got out After Dark and read it back to back with After Glow and POW SIZZLE CRACKLE...romance is back, sexy and so LOVING!!!!

MORE MORE Harmony tales, PLEASE!!!

Jayne Ann has been doing trilogies - cranking out three books for a set of characters, and outside her Eclipse Bay, the first one is so good, second two suck! REALLY.

However, it's with her Harmony books Jayne Ann really returns to her top form. They are fresh, funny and show she still have the magic. So STOP WASTING TIME ON JUNK and write were you show the same spark of romance and delight in the genre.

PLEASE. These characters were so warm, real, sexy and loving. What you other books are missing.

I loved this sequel to After Dark - good romance (in other words, some tension and some humor), intriguing mystery, and interesting secondary characters (e.g. her pet) all set in a believable otherworld. Fans of Jayne Anne Krentz writing as Jayne Castle should not be disappointed.