The Hot Zone

ByJayne Castle

Release Date: 2014-08-26
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 334 Ratings

Description

The world of Harmony has its wonders, one of them being Rainshadow Island.

Just beneath its surface, a maze of catacombs hides a dangerous secret…

Halloween—with its tricks and treats—is a dust bunny’s dream come true. Just ask Lyle, Sedona Snow’s faithful sidekick. But for Sedona, it’s a nightmare. Though her new job managing a small hotel and tavern on Rainshadow is helping her move on from her tragic past, a bizarre disaster down in the catacombs has brought a pack of rowdy ghost hunters to her inn.

And now, Sedona’s ex has arrived on the island, claiming he wants to get back together, just as a newcomer appears to have a strong interest in her. Cyrus Jones is the new Guild boss in town. He has his own agenda when it comes to Sedona, but even the best-laid plans are no match for the passion that springs up on Rainshadow…

Reviews

Rain shadow Series
5
By PatFar
Excellent read.
Not quite hot
3
By NicknameTG
When I was half way through this story I actually wondered if I made a mistake and bought one of her older stories. It seemed extremely familiar. Super strong hero and super strong heroine? Check. Heroine in peril? Check. Hero dashes in and saves her with all the smooth efficiency a hero is capable of? Check. Fast pace and instant attraction? Check. Awesome sidekick? Check.

Although I will admit this is not my favorite series of this author (I have read every book published by her as Stephanie James, Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, and Jayne Castle...) I have always felt her books in series, though related, can be read easily on their own and still make sense. But with this book I felt the story was a bit rushed and there was a certain lack of backstory for first time readers who happen upon this author for the first time.

But the ending was where I wondered if I'd missed something. It felt as tidy as ever, but extremely abrupt and super quick for happily ever after. I kept thinking the bad guy would turn out to be someone hiding in plain sight, one of my favorite plot twists of this author normally. But instead he seemed to be lacking in description and with very little character development. I wasn't scared of him, and not because of the heroine's bravery, but because he seemed secondary.

This story had the feel of a novella. A short segue to another, bigger story that I'll have to wait a few years to find out what happens next. It is not something I'm usually left feeling with this author.