Jade Dreams
Barbara ClarkParanormal romance
Available from Amber Quill Press
ISBN: 978-1-60272-637-6
February 2010
| For two years, Jade Starr has blamed herself for the ambush that took the life of Blake, her bodyguard and the love of her life. As a jewelry designer, Jade's ability to set emotions in metals and gems has greatly eased the lives of those troubled and in pain and has also made her the target of a powerfully evil and ruthless enemy bent on revenge. Because her enemy also threatens the lives of those around her, Jade ceases attempting to sell her designs by retreating into a life of relative obscurity. But as the two-year anniversary of her attack approaches, Jade decides to come out of hiding and begin life anew.
Since the threat of danger to her is still very real, her brother-in-law insists she has another bodyguard. Jade initially balks at this idea for fear of endangering another human being, but finally gives in only to discover that her new guard, Ash Hunter bears an eerie resemblance to her former bodyguard, Blake. What her brother-in-law knows, and Jade eventually finds out is that Blake was really the undercover identity of Ash Hunter. With Ash's face and body almost destroyed by the attack that should have taken his life, extensive surgery repairs him physically and gives him a new face, but does nothing to restore his lost memory. All Ash Hunter recalls of the incident is that a red-headed woman, who resembles Jade, pointed a gun at him before he lost consciousness. Still in love with Blake/Ash, Jade wants to tell him the truth, but she is warned if she does, she may do his faulty memory more harm than good. So, she is forced to keep her knowledge a secret while her love and desire for Ash flames hotter and higher the longer she remains in his company. In turn, Ash is conflicted by his feelings for the vulnerable psychic he believes had once tried to kill him. He desires her, he'd take a bullet for her, but he cannot trust her. Barbara Clark has written one of the best stories I have read all year. Jade, Ash and their powerful enemy are all complex characters with strong motives and desires for achieving their real and understandable goals. This story has so many layers to it that it is embedded with hope, love, desire, distrust, envy and pain. Ms. Clark does a wonderful job of creating a villain that is the true opposite of her heroine, and gives him concrete motivations for his actions, as unbelievable as they are sometimes. It is difficult to accept that such evil can truly exist, but Ms. Clark manages it beautifully. Jade only wants to use her gift to help those, but she knows it has a darker side that only her desire for goodness and health keeps her from tapping into. In turn, Ash's mistrust of Jade has some disastrous side-effects that almost destroys their relationship. In essence, Jade Dreams is a story of love overcoming evil on a journey littered with casualties along the way, and I highly recommend taking the trip.
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Reviewer: Kathryn |
