Member Reviews

The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick is a great story set in the 1930s. I recommend this delightful novel to all readers.

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It had me re- reading Light and Shadow after reading this book since it was and yet wasn't similar to each other. What I appreciate about Amanda Quick is no love triangle and soild plot with a intriguing cast of characters that each is still clouded in mystery.

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Amanda Quick has produced deeply frightening suspense in The Other Lady Vanishes. Adelaide Blake has taken refuge in a small California coastal town. She has been living quietly and unnoticed for two months when Jake Truett enters her life as a recently widowed businessman. The story kept me reading much too late into the night. I might be willing to switch from coffee to tea.

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After escaping from a private sanitarium, Adelaide Blake arrives in Burning Cove, California, desperate to start over.

Working at an herbal tea shop puts her on the radar of those who frequent the seaside resort town: Hollywood movers and shakers always in need of hangover cures and tonics. One such customer is Jake Truett, a recently widowed businessman in town for a therapeutic rest. But unbeknownst to Adelaide, his exhaustion is just a cover.

In Burning Cove, no one is who they seem. Behind facades of glamour and power hide drug dealers, gangsters, and grifters. Into this make-believe world comes psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. Adelaide and Jake know better than to fall for her kind of con. But when the medium becomes a victim of her own dire prediction and is killed, they'll be drawn into a murky world of duplicity and misdirection.

Neither Adelaide or Jake can predict that in the shadowy underground they'll find connections to the woman Adelaide used to be--and uncover the specter of a killer who's been real all along.

Amanda Quick can conjure up the past in a way that most authors can't, and her paranormal twists to the era give her novels sparkle.

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Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick is fantastic at writing a 1930's romance/suspense. She gets the history and storylines right. Looking forward to her next Burning Cove book.

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This was a fun mystery to read and the second in a series set in the 1930s. I do have to keep remembering there are no cell phones in this time and forensics is basically fingerprints and photographs. Otherwise quite enjoyable.

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I wish when I had requested this from Netgalley that I had known Amanda Quick was actually Jayne Ann Krentz. I'm not a fan of Krentz's writing style. At all. And this book proves that once again this author and I don't jive.

The Other Lady Vanishes started with a bang, and that synopsis had me needing this book. However, by the second chapter I was beginning to second guess my requesting. This book slid down hill fast. The characters, Adelaide and Jake, were flatter than a pancake. No chemistry what so ever. And I honestly never understood what Jake saw in Ade. She was a complete bitch to him. Didn't matter what the dude said she took offense to it. Even if it was an innocent joke. Or hell, even his flirting! Then we're meant to believe that the two of them were it for each other, so in love. Yeah, okay. We won't even talk about the lack of heat between the sheets.

Historical?! Hmm, I didn't ever get that this was a Historical. Maybe it was just me, but other than some strange wording here and there this felt pretty damn modern.

Oh my gosh, the repetition and length were another major issue. The pacing slower than a fricken turtle. Just when you think things are wrapped up and about to end, think again. Not even close. The author has decided to throw in some contrived drama. Surprise! Speaking of surprises, this book will have you over suspending belief. You'll be taking it to the extreme. Yes, I get it is fiction but there still has to be some truth to it. No detective is just going to let you walk away without further questioning after finding you with a dead body. And most certainly not after you've called in multiple dead bodies.

There were other issues but I'm already over this book and this review. This isn't one I would recommend but lots of others loved it. Make of that what you will.

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**I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Two in Quick’s Burning Cove mystery series follows Adelaide Blake, a young woman hiding from a terrible past. When her past catches up with her, it will take Adelaide and Jake Truett (who also has a shady past) to put together the missing pieces before Adelaide is permanently silenced.

Quick crafts an enjoyable story filled with romance and suspense. She has a way that entrances her readers, propelling them to keep reading from one chapter to the next – once you start, you cannot stop. Burning Cove, California sounds like the perfect place to “hide” from potential danger. As in her previous entry to the series, Quick introduces readers to strong female characters who do not necessarily need the strong, handsome men who come to their rescue. The blend of suspense and romance worked for me.

I’m looking forward to reading the next in this series!

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Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.5 Hearts I just love the works of Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz. Staying old school she keeps her alias’ when she writes her historical romance. I prefer her writing in current time to be honest.

This is the second in the series and I suggest you read the first one first. The asylum was interesting. The romance was just ok. I had a hard time with the background characters in this book and I think that took away from the story a bit.

I have to say being a fan of Krentz/Quick I rate her books based on her own writings and this was just not as high as most.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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The second book in the Burning Cove series features Adelaide, a woman on the run from an insane asylum, and Jake, a widower with a shadowy past. Adelaide escapes to Burning Cove in order hide from a group of men involved in a dangerous drug network, and she meets Jake at the tea shop where she works. Jake has a difficult time getting past Adelaide's defenses, but he can tell that she's in danger and needs help. This leads to them working together to figure out who is hunting Adelaide and how they are all connected to a mysterious psychic to the stars who ends up murdered. This book was full of compelling twists, and I enjoyed the setting of Burning Cove. There aren't many romance novels set in this time period, and I wish there were more books published like this one. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

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After escaping from a sanitarium, Adelaide Blake is determined to start her life over. So, she lands in Burning Cove, California and starts working as a waitress in a tearoom. Adelaide finds some success brewing her own special blends of teas for customers including the random Hollywood celebrity getting some rest and relaxation from their busy schedules. Then there's Jake Truett, a widowed businessman on mandatory vacation for therapeutic rest, or so he says.

Unfortunately for Adelaide, when she escaped the sanitarium, her problems didn't just disappear. They're still out there, and it seems like they may have now followed her to Burning Cove. Can she trust the mysterious Jake Truett? But if so, what is his true reason for being in Burning Cove?

I love what Amanda Quick has done with this series, first in The Girl Who Knew Too Much, and now here in The Other Lady Vanishes. The 1930s time period and the exclusive resort as the setting just scream "Old Hollywood" and it works so well. Add in the creepy sanitarium where not all is as it seems and you've got yourself a wonderful mystery.

Amanda Quick sets up all the players pretty easily, but it's the twists and turns of the story that keep the reader guessing how everything ties together and connects up until the very end.

I really liked Adelaide's strength and perseverance. She seemingly has the whole world against her, but she fights anyway. I liked that Adelaide wasn't dependent on Jake Truett to "save" her, but theirs was more a partnership with both contributing equally to solving the mystery, with a little romantic attraction thrown in on the side of course.

I hope that Amanda Quick continues to write in this series. There was a secondary (very secondary) romantic couple that evolved by the end of the book. I was hoping they would be featured in the next book as the attraction was deftly felt, but I was surprised that their relationship was already divulged by the end. I guess we'll have to see what happens. So far, the two books in the series have been wonderful. Highly recommended. And they work perfectly as standalones with the connection being that they're both set in Burning Cove with a couple of characters that pop up between the two.

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Not as good as some others by this author. Better than the previous title set in this time period. It had less predictability, characters were more interesting, plot more engaging.

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Amanda Quick's novels never disappoint. They always have a feisty heroine and a hero who will back them up, no matter how crazy a story they may have. I particularly enjoyed the setting for this one - 1930s California with just a hint of Hollywood made for a glamorous yet cozy setting with just the right undertones of gothic. Easily read as a standalone which is a good thing as I didn't realize this was part of a series.

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Entertaining historical mystery set in a fun time period. Cute romantic leads, and the supporting pair are fun to read, too.

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This is the second in Amanda Quick's Burning Cove Series.

Here, an escapee from the lunatic asylum, and the recently widowed Jake Truett (from Hollywood) get together to solve some very bizarre occurrences.

It's set in the 30s is peopled with stars and starlets and murderers. What's not to like.

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The whole escape from the insane asylum thing was interesting but I found the romance a bit underwhelming which is a bad sign when it comes to Amanda's books, her characters usually manage to grip me from the very start.

On the other hand, Raina and Luther make a big appearance and they are supporting characters. I assume their book is the next? Speaking of Raina, I have to sound bitchy once again and say that I was let down by her character as well. In the prequel she was this butt kicking and mysterious secretary who ended the book with a bang but here she was... meh?

Well, if there happens to be a sequel, I'll definitely check it out.

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I don't know how I missed book 1, The girl who knew too much, in the Burning Cove series. I usually grab anything I see by Amanda Quick. This series is a little different for her, set near Hollywood in the 1930's. Adelaide arrives in the small town of Burning Cove after escaping from a private sanitarium for the "insane" after witnessing the murder of a doctor. She's working at a tea shop and when her boss is murdered she and Jake, another town resident seem to be in the middle of a big Hollywood scandal. Easy to read as a stand alone the story is smooth and flows easily. The history of the 30's is interesting and I hope there is a book 3 coming soon. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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An escape from an insane asylum, Hollywood starlets, a psychic predicting her own death and a mysterious handsome stranger. Intrigued? If you are than you need to pick up The Other Lady Vanishes as it contains everything on that list. Adelaide Blake has escaped to Burning Cove after being held captive in an asylum, but on the night of her escape one of her tormentors was murdered. Thinking she is safe, she works in a tea shop that caters to Hollywood stars and their hangers on. However, it looks like trouble may have followed her to Burning Cove and the murderer has her in his sights.

This is the second in the Burning Cove series by Amanda Quick. However, it can easily be read as a standalone as the mystery is self-contained. If you’ve read the first book it will mean that you are familiar with some of the side characters that pop up in the story. The thread tying the series together is the location rather than an overarching story line.

The Other Lady Vanishes had two things that I love; a mystery that kept me on the hook and a good romance. The mystery aspect, although I had guessed what was going on fairly quickly still left me doubtful enough that it was exciting to read. The story also had a bit of a twist at the end that I enjoyed and didn’t see coming. As for the romance, it built through the book as the hero and heroine work together whilst hiding their mysterious pasts from one another.

Another good read from Amanda Quick, if you’re after a good mystery romance this is definitely the book for you. Although, I think I may avoid holidaying in Burning Cove, bad things seem to happen…

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I'll admit, I was getting a little bored of the Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz formula. I mean, the woman has been writing for almost four decades, and at this point, I don't think there's a plot/trope/character that she hasn't recycled and reused. This is great for a comfort read, but not when you're looking for a new book.

However, for me at least, this change in settings (from Regency/Victorian England to 1930s California) has really rejuvenated my enjoyment of her work. I really enjoyed "The Other Lady Vanishes." It's got it all: a feisty heroine, a hero with secrets, blackmail, murder, mental hospitals! I'm usually able to figure out Quick/Krentz books way before the ending, but this one definitely kept me guessing. I definitely can't wait to see what Quick writes next for this series.

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The Other Lady Vanishes seemed liked a great book to reach for during my flight to Vegas for our family vacation and it was absolutely the right pick. It was full of interesting characters, great plot points, and a love story. It was just light enough to read on a flight, but intense enough to keep my interest. It did get repetitive in places and that was kind of a bummer, but not so much that it made me not like the book. I really enjoyed getting to know the small town of Burning Cove and it's newest residents, Adelaide and Jake. I liked the main premise of the story of Adelaide escaping from the sanitarium and the murder mystery with the psychic. If this continued on as a series, I would definitely want to read the next book to find out what happens to Adelaide after her past is behind her.

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