"JAK at her absolute best!"

JAK - whatever the name she is using - is one of my favorite writers, so I rush out and buy everything that comes out, hardback because generally they are 'keepers'. However of late, several of her works have been less that up to her usual part. She is famous for her sharp dialogue, good with the 'device' the quirkiness that makes her characters quickly take life. But it's like she has polished the JAK style a wee bit too much, for it has lost some of the spontaneity that is her trademark. I am delighted to say this book was JAK at peak form!

I enjoyed the first two in this series ECLIPSE BAY and DAWN IN ECLIPSE BAY, where she actually showed the flair of catching that spark again, and in this the third, she shows she still has the magic!!! This is an utterly delightful, pure JAK at her best. AZ Snow is back with her conspiracy theories still going, the Bay community is full of the gossipy small town characters that made the first two so special, but in this one, she adds all the fire, passion, wit and humor that has made her famous.

Nick Harte (brother of the Harte sisters that married the Madison brothers) has returned to Eclipse Bay for the Summer with his son, Carson, an adorable miniature version of himself. Nursing a wounded heart, Nick is hesitant to get too close to any woman, but he cannot stay away from Octavia Brightwell - the niece of the woman that caused the Harte-Madison feud oh so many years ago.

Octavia now runs the local art gallery, but her real reason for being there was to secretly somehow fix the errors of the past created by her aunt, and see the Harte- Madison feud finally put to rest. Only by the time she has fully settled in the Bay, there two unexpected weddings in the Hart-Madison families, uniting them once again. Her mission to heal the rift between the two clans is moot and she feels adrift, without purpose in her life.

She instantly adores Carson, and is very attracted by sexy Nick Harte, but is leery of getting involved with him. The whole town knows two things about "Hardhearted Harte" - on the first date he gives a woman "THE TALK" saying there is no hope for a commitment, and that he never stays the full night with any one he has dated because of Carson. In a town where everyone knows everything about everyone else, Octavia is not sure she could not stand having to face either "The Talk" or the being the talk of the town, so she tries really hard to stay away from involvement with him. Only Carson, has decided he likes Octavia and wants to earn her approval, and a place in her heart, so the mini-matcher goes to work.

When a missing art piece worth a quarter of a million dollars is stolen from Octavia's gallery, and it falls to Nick to investigate - with Arizona Snow in charge - Octavia finds Carson's already won her love and she is fast falling for his father.

This is a funny, engaging book, that has some of the best lines like "Back in the big city, folks would probably say that Eugene and Dwayne are the products of dysfunctional families. But around here we just call them bums." Or "I did not come in here to argue with a woman with big hair" or when discussing the local hair saloon she says their styles were limited to "Very Big Hair and the Senior Citizen Helmet."

This is Jayne Ann at her peak form again and all I can say is it's about time!!! Fall in Love with JAK all over again in one of her best in years.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted April 1, 2003

Summary

Word gets around fast in Eclipse Bay. Nick Harte should know --- his family's legendary feud with the Madisons fueled the local gossip mill for years before finally cooling off. But people are still talking--and rumor has it Nick's involved with someone new...

Art gallery owner Octavia Brightwell doesn't take chances-- especially on handsome, charming men. But that's only part of the reason why she turned Nick down six times before-- finally--agreeing to a date. Octavia's related to the woman who sparked the long-running family feud--and fears that falling hard for Nick would only ignite the flames again. Octavia knows her family's past is best kept hidden. But her secret isn't safe in Eclipse Bay--and neither is her heart...