I thought this would be a book that would be fun to read but I really only enjoyed the second one, the first and last werent really that great, but I had to give three stars only because I thought the second one was really good.

The three novelettes in this collection were interesting, okay, not terrible. But they weren't what I was expecting, and I have no earthly idea why the volume was titled "Stolen Memories" -- I'd been hoping for some fun amnesia plots, but no. JAK's story was okay but not her best (and I'm sure I've read it before). Tess Gerritsen's story was the most engaging, to me -- an action adventure romp involving a gentleman and a thief. Stella Cameron's story was sadly dated, however -- a subplot dealt with a character possibly losing his medical license due to a rumor that he was gay. Possibly a very hot topic in 1985, when it was originally published, but rather bizarre now.

These were hardly the worst romances I've ever read ... but neither did they approach the best.

"Stolen Memories" by Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favorite books. Why? Well, one reason is simply you get three stories for the price of one book!

That aside, the three stories that you get are wonderful. Seduction, romance and mystery await the readers of this wonder book. A book that does not disappoint.

As a Jayne Ann Krentz fan, I was slightly disappointed in this book. It made me feel as if she was tentatively dipping her toes into the genre of romantic fiction, but was hesitant to go all the way. The heroine, Selena Caldwell, needed a bit of backbone - could one really have an immediate affair with the guy who just told you your fiance is married? I found the characters insufficiently involving to allow me to accept that, and, frankly, I didn't like York Sutherland. Driven guys are OK, but he seemed slightly obsessive, overly arrogant, and Selena should have given him a boot up his ego several times before surrendering to his charms. Other Stephanie James books are better - try those first.

This rerelease of older JAK Silhouette is a delight though way too rushed to be considered a gem. This might have worked better as a large book, but the time limit of the mini books really hurts this story. Too much happens too fast to be fully believable.

Selana gets in the crosshairs of York Sutherland's quest to bring down a business rival, because she is dating that rival. York comes after her like a steamroller, and her mind tells her it is only because she is dating the man he wants to destroy, but her heart won't listen.

As the first blush of their affair wears off, and questions set in, she begins to fear destroying his rival and winning her go hand in hand. Selena naturally strives to make certain this is not the case, but the way she goes about it is just to unbelieavble. They barely have begun their affair, when she is demanding he abandon all efforts to crush his rival - lose millions of dollars - just to probe he loves her more. Sheesh, I wanted to tell her GET REAL. You don't make those wild demanded in the first two days of a romance!!

Still all in all a nice quickie read. Just wish it was paced better and there had been time to develop the story ( which is not JAK's fault but the limitation of the publisher!)

Richard Anderson's company cheated to win the last engineering contract. Therefore, York Sutherland planned revenge. Everything to York was either win or lose, and he always won!

Selena Caldwell had been dating Richard only a short time when York decided she was the key to destroying Richard. To Selena's mind, York was a jaguar and she was the prey he stalked.

**** This story caught me in the very first paragraph and never let me go! The one time I had to put the book down I was frustrated! All I wanted to do was hurry back to the story. There are some wonderful hours to be spent with this couple of lovers! ****

Much weaker compared to her first book in this trilogy. For Gabe to leave his company and take off to Eclipse Bay to chase after a woman is a bit out of this world. And Lilian, who admitted that she's a little flaky, is a real flake.

The line about Gabe being 'a different type of Madison' was used so many times, it got old quickly.

In her first book, one can really feel the sparks between the lead characters. Unfortunately in this one, the chemistry is pretty lame. I've read all of her books and know that Krentz can do better than this.

I fell in love with Eclipse Bay last summer. It was so nice to see Jayne Ann Krentz revert back to her old style of great one-liners and that bad boy hero she does so well. Like many I eagerly awaited the follow-up book in this series. Did I enjoy it? Yes! Is it as good as the first one? No!

Dawn in Eclipse Bay follows the story of Lillian Harte and Gabe Madison. Many of you will remember, there has been a family feud for years. The people of Eclipse Bay live to see the fireworks explode when the two families collide. This time Gabe Madison has decided to find a wife. As the owner and CEO of one of the largest corporations around, he decides to seek out a wife just like he does business. To find the right person, he goes to his now sister-in-law, Lillian Harte and her matchmaking service. Gabe is to be Lillian's last client. She is ready to close down business and finally pursue her dream of being an artist. Gabe turns out to be the client from hell finding fault with everyone Lillian sets him up with.

Both return to Eclipse Bay for different reasons and begin an uneasy relationship. Then the families decide to get involve and the fireworks begin. Gabe is a great leading man. You see him begin to reveal sides that have been closed up for years. Lillian wasn't my idea of a great leading lady, though. I almost formed the opinion she was letting herself go through the motions instead of taking charge of her life. It was nice to see some recurring characters, but their storyline was almost like a second thought.

Dawn in Eclipse Bay isn't as good as Eclipse Bay, but it certainly filled my needs as a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz. I'll be around looking out for book 3 when it comes out.

I think I liked this one as much as I did the first stoyr. This is the story of Gabe and Lillian. As usual a Harte and a Madison don't usually mix well. But, in this case Lillian has been hired by Gabe due to her dating service. But, after more than the guaranteed dates and reupping Gabe still has not found his match. He has one data left and he is going to insist Lillian fufill her contract, much to her dismay as she has decided to close her business. They both wind up back in Eclipse Bay and the showdown starts. There are alot of the characters you have come to enjoy in this one such as Virgil and AZ...

This is a 1988 book that orginally came out as 'Dreams Part I' & 'Dreams Part II'. It was an ok read. Spectors personality & coflict of interest with Colby was fun through out the book.
The situations with teenagers I could totally relate to (having 3 raised & 1 to go!). Colby really screwed up in Ch 10 & I think Diana should have held out a little longer to get his attention to his very one-sided attitude. For being the "amazon business woman" that she was suppose to be, she sure let up on the fact that he was still blaming her for something she didn't set up.
The father-son chat at the wedding was really a crack-up! Brandon definitely got some points in there! I loved that.
However, the book goes over & over & over the same problems - mainly about Diana's personality hang ups. The book was overly long due to this. I found myself skimming thru a lot of it about 2/3 of the way through, wishing they would just get on with it. The story itself was pretty ok, it was just too drawn out.

If you like stories that transcend time, you'll love "A Shared Dream". Colby and Diana are star-crossed lovers from a time past who must meet again, and correct the relationship that once went wrong. Unfortunately for them, they still have many of the traits that kept them apart the first time. Those of us that have jobs that are traditionally in a man's world can really relate to Diana, who is confident, aggressive and very good at her career but has been denied a promotion becase she's not a man. Colby was a bit strong, but that may have been necessary given Diana's personality. I really enjoyed the book

Vintage Krentz has businesswoman, Diana, spending a summer vacation deciding what to do since her promotion was denied by the male dominated executives. In the small town she meets Colby Savagar, a horror novelist, who is also trying to come to terms with his past as the bad boy of Fulbrook Corners, Oregon. Woven into the plot is the legend of the Chained Lady. The two lovers are haunted by the same dreams of the beautiful Indian princess and the warrior who keeps her prisoner. If typos and sloppy editing don't bother you, this will be a riveting story.

Witchcraft is an anthology- a collection of short storys featuring suspense,mystery and romance. INcluded in this novel:

*Witchcraft by Jayne Krentz--Kimberly is a writer who receives a threatening gift in the mail. She immediate things about Darius- who is indebted to her and has made a promise to be there for her. Miraculously, he appears and whisks her aaway to his protection. Together they unravel the mystery of who is threatening her.

*Last Chance Cafe- Lena is a waitress who lost her husband tragically. 3 years later, a customer (cade) walks into her cafe and resembles her husband. This is a shorter story and you cannot help but root for Lena as she deals with her past.

*Bayou Moon by Rebecca York--Chase has inherited an old manor and finds his childhood friend Julienne in residence. They share a past filled with sadness- she is the daughter of the manor and he is the son of their servants. But now their positions are reversed- Chase is now the owner and she must work for him while hiding her past secrets. This was actually my favorite story of the 3--very touching and sad, showing how love can overcome even the most awful event.

These 3 storys were fun to read, but had been previously published and are not new. They were short and the plots seem to resolve themselves very quickly- with little time for much character developement.
My advice would not to pay full price for this book- definately check out Jayne Krentz's other novels and pick this one up at a used book shop.

If you are a loyal fan looking to pick up Jayne Ann Krentz's earlier works that have been out of print, this book is an okay way to pick up a reprint of one of her 1985 titles; but if you are looking to read your first Krentz, there are several others you should definitely try first to get a real feel for her work, three of my favorites being Absolutely, Positively, A Coral Kiss and Deep Waters.

The longest of this 3-story collection (and the real reason for the book being released probably) is the reprint of Krentz's 1985 Witchcraft which is an okay read, not her best and not her worst, but you can definitely tell it was written in the 80s. Typical alpha male (I like them in my fiction so they don't bother me) but her heroine needs smacked since her attitude changes so quickly throughout the book (she loves him, she hates him, she loves him, etc., etc.), again an 80's romance characterization quirk for Krentz (and many other authors of the category romances of the time).

The other two stories by Stevens and York were both published/posted online as free short stories on eHarlequin.com's online read library either last year or earlier so it was very disappointing to find nothing new in this collection at all. And when I say short, I mean short (approximately 50 pages each). No time for character development, real plot development or much of anything else. You get dropped in the middle of a situation and it soon gets resolved and everyone lives happily ever after except for you, the reader, as you are left with a desire to have more...something. Not to say that as short stories they aren't good, they are...good, not great. Both are short, quick reads that work as free stories on eHarlequin.com's site but definitely not satisfying enough to actually pay for them.

Unfortunately Krentz' tale of mystical love seems dated which isn't surprising as it was written in 1985. 'Last ChanceCafe'by Amanda Stevens and Rebecca York's 'Bayou Moon' were entertaining but truly short stories at about fifty pages apiece. Its difficult to flesh out characters in such a short story and the plots can only be superficial. I wish the publishers had made it clear that this edition contained one old work and two very short albeit enjoyable stories. I gave the three stars to the new pieces.

I listened to the audiobook recording of Jayne Ann Krentz's The Waiting Game and though the story itself was good I just wasn't happy with the reader she didn't change her voice for the different characters so it was hard at times to figure out who said what, I had to rewind the tape back a bit several times because I wasn't sure if it Was Sara or Adrian who was supposed to be talking and personally I like it when the reader makes his or her voice sound different for each character and since I didn't find this audiobook very entertaining it's not going to be one of my keepers! I definitely liked the plot though and I hope to buy the paperback book.

Okay so the girl was somewhat silly in the book but JAK was still able to write in a way that made the story interesting. The hero was worth buying the book for I will give you that. However, if you are thinking of seeing the movie...DON'T. The book was ruined in the movie and the girl went from being silly to stupid.

I agree with the reviewer who wondered if she'd read the same book as the others who have commented. If you love JAK, you'll love THE WAITING GAME. It's on my keeper shelf (in the original issue), and when I reread it recently I enjoyed it almost as much as I had the first time around.

I have read and re-read all of Jayne Ann Krentz books. I love all of her work as Castle and Quick as well. Usually after I read one of her works, I have a good feeling. This book left me with no feeling at all except for disappointment. I can see where several of the characters are made up of character from other books with minor alterations, but they have no depth to them. I will continue to read her books, but I will not be re-reading this one.

Terrible dialogue. Everybody speaks in full sentences and is careful to tell each other everything the reader needs to know. Annoying hero and heroine. I did NOT fall in love with either of them. And the worst: a villian who explains the whole plot at the end of the book while stalking his victims.

Ouch!

I saw a lot of reviews screaming about how unoriginal this was...earth to readers....lol....JAK is NOT original. She is formula, but it is a formula we so enjoy. All her males are deceptive mild on outside, very controled inside; they are Alpha Males underneath and don't you think otherwise. They are green, grey or amber eyed. She is not that pretty, but very vivacious, a forceful personality and is used to getting her own way. Generally, she has been hurt, maybe he has been hurt or both, and one side of their family - close kissing cousins of the Adams Family - will drive them nuts. Every book has their share of quirky characters, and lots of rapier repartee, mostly centre around a mystery that forces the leads together.

There!! I just reviewed EVERY JAK book every written...however, have you ever looked at Nora Roberts?? You are talking formula again. Lets face it - out side of Maggie Davis with her Out of the Blue and Last Male Virgin - most stories have already been written dozens of times. It is what the writer DOES with the story. JAK does very well. Just we sort of know her too well so the razzle-dazzle is a bit expected, so we are let down. When someone yells BOO! you jump the first time. 5th time it's the same fightful BOO!, but you go yeah yeah...

I really enjoyed Flash. Not as much as Wildest Hearts, Deep Waters or Absolutely, Positively, but I really enjoyed it.

Olivia Chantry is a messy bessy in the desk department, but she is a one woman dynamo in her business Light Fantastic. The Chantry family (the pains in the bums this go around) expected her to inherit and run her uncle's business Glow, Inc. when he dies. Instead, he was in money troubles and sold the 51% of the stock to Jasper Sloan. Naturally, they are at loggerheads about how to run the business, with Olivia not likely she is 49% owner, but they have little time to iron this out, before a blackmailer strikes. They are forced to reveal all to each other and work together to stop the blackmailer.

Formula, formula, formula...JAK trademark all the way...but this dog and and pony show is one well polished rendition....

I've loved JAK's books for years for their vibrancy and sparkle. I'd hoped she'd break the trend of smooth reworking of familiar forumulas and return to her former emotional intensity. But, sad to say, this doesn't do it.

Oh, it isn't *bad*, it's just blah. She skips the New Age element this time, but everything else is the same. I don't mind authors having distinctive styles and outlooks, but JAK's recent books read like manufactured units dropping off the assembly line. I don't think it's a case of JAK going more mainstream like Iris Johansen or even Linda Howard. This is obviously targeted as a romance, but while the plot premise is clever enough, the characters never come to life at all. The plot can't carry the book over the too-familiar terrain when the love and romance stays so flat and uninvolving.

If you're a die-hard JAK fan, this will stave off the worst of your cravings, but it won't feed your hunger the way even rereading some of her older books would. It's okay--but only okay. It certainly is not a keeper, and not a likely hardback investment. I'm about given up hope that JAK will be one of those authors whose books I eagerly await. And that's a pity.

JAK is an intelligent writer and capable of writing intelligent prose, evocative romance and page-turner plots (eg. Family Man, Gift of Gold/Fire, Grand Passion, Trust Me, Perfect Partners, etc.). I've read 39 JAK books and really enjoyed most of them. And, I re-read my favorites with regularity. However, her last four books (Sharp Edges, Flash, Eye of the Beholder and Soft Focus) are so formulaic that they are almost boring in their precidictability.

It's irksome to shell out the money for an anxiously awaited hardback only to find that the characters are prosaic, the romance is tepid and the plot is so fomulaic that the characters' first sexual encounter occurs on the same page as each of the previous books (page 158, check it out)! Such is the case with Soft Focus. It is an OK read, but has characters and a storyline that are completely forgetable. I love JAK's early work so much that I will probably continue to buy and read her new publications as soon as they reach the bookstore, but I'm disappointed that her previously creative mind is cranking out such pedestrian work! For the price of a hardcover, I expect better from JAK!

I can see where some reviewers think JAK might be losing her edge, but I do not think such ideas belong to SOFT FOCUS. While not as fully developed as some of her earlier novels, such as FAMILY MAN and DEEP WATERS, SOFT FOCUS is still an enjoyable read.

I loved the opening scene between Jack and Elizabeth -- once or twice in my life I have felt like delivering such a crushing setdown in public, but never had the nerve. Elizabeth is a gutsy woman deserving of admiration. Jack's choice not to hide under the table is telling of his character as well. I also enjoyed the interaction between Elizabeth and her assistant, as well as Jack's discussions with Larry. JAK seems to specialize in characters from twisted families, so it's nice to see some normal characters make an appearance prior to the inevitable (but welcome) happy-ever-after.

While I do not know enough about film noir to attest to the veracity JAK's choice of a backdrop for her story, I certainly enjoyed reading about it.

Don't be too put off by poor reviews if you are a first-time JAK reader. SOFT FOCUS is worth the read. And if you are a first-timer, be sure to check out JAK's other books. You won't be disappointed.

I really hate to say this since I LOVE Jayne Ann Krentz's books, but I didn't care for this book very much. Lately her books, while still somewhat enjoyable, have been rather flat and predictable, sort of "if you've read one, you've read them all." Now, I love the New Age influences and the quirky characters in her books, but I'd like a fresh twist on the old theme. And I definitely think that twist is missing here.

My recommendations to those contemplating the purchase of this book are:

If you haven't read her other novels, buy one of those instead. They really are better books and well-worth your time.

If you have read all her other novels, buy this one too but wait for the paperback. Better yet, check it out at your local library. And, if you have other books in a pile waiting to be read, don't bother with this one.

Sorry, Ms. Krentz. I am looking forward to your next effort, though.

I felt that the crimes and mystery overshadowed the romance. There was not much character and romance development. I felt being led around in circles by the way the mystery unfolded, the author wrote to lead us to suspect somebody and then gave new facts to implicate another person. Not impressed with the plot and the characters.

Trask and Alexa have good chemistry. The Eye of the Beholder is a funny, fast-paced mystery/romance. It's just different enough from other Jayne Ann Krentz works to keep the reader guessing and interested. It's one of a few Jayne Ann Krentz novels that doesn't take place in Seattle. I liked the ending showdown between the murderer and the romantic couple. One question though: Why does a woman with a trust fund large enough to ask for a prenup drive a Camry? Was her Mercedes in the shop?