The book Gift of Fire is the sequel to Gift of Gold. In the first book, the relationship between the heroine, Verity Ames and the hero, Jonas Quarrel, is established. In this book, the relationship moves to a new plateau.
The book starts out with one of Verity's deepest fears regarding Jonas,
being faced. She is sure that, drifter that he is, that he won't always
be there for her. She also wonders if he stays with her because of her
ability to anchor him in the time corridor enters whenever he
touches something with a violent past. She's afraid that he doesn't love
her for herself. All of this is especially difficult because Verity
realizes that she is pregnant. When Jonas and Verity's father, Emerson,
make plans to rescue one of Emerson's friends in a Latin country, Verity is
completely opposed. She sees years of Jonas coming and going as he pleases, and it's not a pretty sight. Naturally, her shrewishness comes to the fore. However, when she is unable to change his mind, she seems to give up. This worries Jonas and her father much more than her shrewishness - it's downright not normal behavior for Verity!
While Jonas and Emerson are gone, Verity is approached by a brother and
sister, who would like Jonas to use his talent to verify whether the castle
they live in, which is located in the Northwest is real or not. It was
supposedly moved there building block by building block. The brother and
sister have just inherited it and want to know what it's worth.
Verity is thrilled - what a legitimate and respectable way for him to use
his knowledge of the period! She is busy congratulating herself when an
intruder breaks into her and Jonas' cottage. It's the first indication,
although she doesn't recognize it as such, that there is more to the
situation than she knows.
When Jonas returns, he and Verity go up to the Northwest to the castle on
the island. There is a myriad of other guests with unusual hobbies: a
psychic, a psychic group and a crystal reader, to name a few. In the course of investigating the authenticity of the place, Jonas and Verity run up against a new version of the time corridor that fascinates Jonas. There is also clearly something not right with the situation they find themselves in, with odd happenings, and people getting hurt.
You'll need to read the book to find out what happened and if how Jonas and
Verity's relationship turns out I'll give you a little hint - for those of
us who like happy endings, the author doesn't let us down.
Although I definitely recommend reading Gift of Gold first, Gift of Fire is
highly recommended as a fun read.
Carole Coonrod
Verity Ames feels quite content with the life she has built for herself: she
runs her restaurant in Sequence Springs, Northern California, successfully.
But then she hires Jonas Quarrel and falls in love with this fascinating
man, probably the only dishwasher in Colorado with an academic degree. And
now, while she has to face the possibility of being pregnant by Jonas'
child, he is planning to leave with her father for a dangerous trip to
Mexico. Is this her future, she worries - aware of the fact, Jonas is a
drifter - staying at home and seeing him leave for a new adventure? Is this
a life, she could endure, she and maybe her child?
But then two strangers arrive at the No Bull Cafe and offer a consultant job to
Jonas. They want him to authenticate an Italian Renaissance Villa on a small
island in the Northern Pacific. Verity decides to take the chance and accepts
for him. Maybe a new career could give him the excitement he seems to need
in his life. Verity doesn't want to tell Jonas about her suspicion of being
pregnant so she can accompany him to the consultant job.
Besides his deep love for this woman Jonas feels his overwhelming need for
Verity. Only she can help him to control his special paranormal talent:
Every time he touches a thing that was used in a violent act in the past,
he gets pulled into that act of violence. Verity is his anchor to find
the way back. He has always been quite content with his job as a dishwasher
in Verity's restaurant, but he also likes the way she fusses around him and
plans what she thinks to be an adequate career for him. And then he notices
her lately appeared tendency to give him thoughtful looks so that he is
concerned Verity might think about pushing him out of her life - something
he could not survive, as he knows for sure. So he agrees to do the
consultingjob and take her with him.
Shortly after arriving at the small island it turns out, there might be
hidden a treasure in that villa, a treasure Jonas wants to find. But soon
the treasure-hunt becomes dangerous and Jonas and Verity have to fear for
their lives. This is a wonderful book - a pure delight to read. Only Jayne Ann Krentz can write books like this: humorous and powerful. It keeps you up late in the
night, even if you have to get up early next morning, and when you finished
it you want to read it again and again.
Ute-Christine Geiler
