Amanda Quick (actually Jayne Ann Krentz, in general) is one of my all-time favorite authors and I think that The Lady Has a Past is my favorite Burning Cove book yet! I don't know whether it was the two-for-one romance (Raina/Luther AND Simon/Lyra, heck yeah!) or the incredibly exciting mystery or the superb characters and dialogue...heck, maybe it was all of it. The book absolutely nailed it on every level.

Krentz always writes the most relatable heroines who tip into adorably quirky without being annoyingly over the top about it and Lyra was no exception. She is fearless, smart under pressure, and incredibly bold. I think there is a very good chance she is one of my favorite Krentz heroines of all time. I totally understand why the cool and aloof Simon was unable to resist her charm because I fell in love with her from page one.

Our hero Simon was nerdy, brilliant, totally unflappable when guns are pointed at him, and awkward in most social situations which made him exactly my brand of hero. He didn't know the first thing about handling a heroine as out-going and curious as Lyra. And it was the best. There is nothing I enjoy more than a serious hero who finds himself completely turned around by a spectacular heroine.

We've gotten teases of the relationship between Luther and Raina in previous books, but the romance was shared between them and Lyra and Simon here and I couldn't be happier about it. The double romance ensured that I didn't have to go more than a chapter without being deliciously slapped in the face with romantic dialogue, brooding males vowing to rescue their women, or hot make out sessions. This, of course, explains why I devoured this book in one night with barely a bathroom break. Getting to watch Luther and Raina finally define their relationship was worth the long, long wait.

Like I always say, no one does romantic suspense like Krentz so it was no surprise that I found myself equally entranced by the romance and the whodunit mystery. I always try to guess the ending and, thus far, I've never been able to do that with a Jayne Ann Krentz novel. The endings are always so incredibly satisfying and The Lady Has a Past lives up to that reputation.

This was truly just an amazing read that captivated me from start to finish. I was giddy for hours afterwards. Fans of historical romances who wanted something different than 1800s England will really enjoy this 1920s California series.

I love this series by Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Anne Krentz). The Burning Cove series is set between WWI and WWII…a fascinating era of the rich west coast. As always, the characters are likeable, the mystery complex and the end satisfying with a little bit of paranormal activity thrown in. The book can be read as a stand alone but, if you haven’t read the earlier books you can read the others while you wait for this one to be published. A great read!

One of Amanda Quick s best books, The Lady Has a Past brings back many of the Burning Cove characters from previous books. I enjoyed Lyra and Simon's chemistry and the mystery was intriguing. Much as I enjoyed the Victorian mysteries I now find Burning Cove my new favorite series.

Lyra Brazier is not going to attain her dreams. She knows that she could run the family business but she's a woman in the 1920s. Her father isn't going to hand it over to her and the man she thought she'd marry and then act as a puppetmaster for got into bed with one of her bridesmaids. Now, she's reinventing herself as an assistant investigator for Raina Kirk. Too bad her first assignment almost ends in her death. And then Raina disappears. Lyra immediately calls Raina's lover, Luther. He teams her up with the unassuming Simon Cage.
Simon has just come off a job of his own. It also went sideways so he's just looking for some down time. His friend Luther knows the owner of a posh spa and can get Simon a place. Except that Simon now needs to be on the trail of Raina Kirk and that means going to a different posh spa and pretending to be newlyweds with Lyra. What they find will uncover a blackmail scheme that spans years. But it will also lay bare a plot for revenge that comes unexpectedly from the past.
While you don't have to have read the first four books in this series, it would help with some of the backgrounds for the characters. Especially knowing that both Luther and Raina have been B characters up to this point but both have shadowy pasts. I really liked Lyra, how she was able to see that one dream wasn't going to be attainable and so she pivoted. It didn't mean that she wasn't hurt or that the transition was easy (although she seems to have a natural aptitude for investigative work) but she did it. Like others of Quick's books, this book has many places where it seems to end but then the reader notices that there are many pages left. I almost put the book down at one point thinking everything to be resolved (because not every author ties up every loose end) but there was almost 15% left in the book.

Four stars
Follows Close Up
This book comes out May 4th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Another great historical paranormal romance. I liked how the main character was strong in her own right and could take care of herself. Glad we got to see Raina and Luther again and get more of their story.

Another winner. Simon and Lyra are perfect together. I love how the inner group keeps expanding with these wonderful couples. Couldn't put it down!