Not bad. I love this author and was a bit turned off by River Road. But this story turned out better. I didn't love Julius at first,my it he grew on me. And while Grace was annoying with all her affirmations, I didn't like the way everyone who supposedly loved and supported her would flat out ridicule something she actually had a talent for and was able to support herself with. ( )

This was a very nice story from JAK. It's a stand alone romantic suspense with no paranormal elements. The relationship between the hero and heroine seemed realistic and charming although the hero's "boringness" could have been played up a bit more. As it was his reputation as a such a mover and shaker seemed as odds with his apparent poor women skills. I'm not saying he couldn't be both just that it wasn'd developed enough. That was pretty minor though. The thing that really kept it back from another star though is that the bad guy's motive seemed a bit of a stretch. On the whole though a nice comfortable well written read which is what I have come to expect from JAK. I will say though that I am glad that she has left the paranormal stuff behind for now as I was getting kind of tired of it. ( )

An unusual setting of the world of inspirational speakers and aphorisms and it was only that I was driving that I kept listening. But when Julius Arkwright enters the picture, he is rational sensate that despises that world. So I'm curious to see how his story evolves and how he relates to Grace. It's a fun listen.

Related effectively by Amanda Leigh Cobb - I see she is a regular reader of Jayne Ann Krentz novels, which is a positive to encourage me to listen to more by this author. As well as plenty of others - 21 at my library! ( )

Trust No One
3.5 Stars

Returning to her hometown after discovering the lifeless body of her boss, Grace Elland only wants to move on with her life. With that in mind, she agrees to a blind date with venture capitalist, Julian Arkwright, only to realize that they have absolutely nothing in common … that is until Grace becomes the target of a stalker and Julian’s skills as a former marine are put to good use.

One can always rely on JAK for a fast and fun read even if the characters are standard, the story formulaic and the ending predictable.

Grace and Julius are likable as individuals, but have no emotional attachment or physical chemistry. Although Grace is quirky and flighty, her idiosyncrasies are not as “in your face” as some of JAK’s more ‘artistic’ heroines. Julius starts out as a typical alpha jerk who is completely clueless about women. That said, he is open and honest about his intentions and feelings, which means that most of the angst is external to their relationship and reserved for the suspense plot.

The mystery is better than the romance with one or two solid twists related to a traumatic experience from Grace’s past. Nevertheless, the ultimate revelation of the villain and the motive are unsurprising.

The true highlight of the book is the secondary cast. From Agnes, Grace’s busy-body neighbor to Harley, Julius’s no nonsense mentor, to Irene and Devlin Nakamura, the matchmaking duo for hell, all are charming, witty and amusing.

All in all, this book is for those who have read and loved JAK’s writing, but not recommended for first time readers of her work. ( )

Jayne Ann Krentz writes her modern novels under this, her real name; historical novels under Amanda Quick; and her futuristic books under Jayne Castle. I've read most of the books under all of these titles and have rarely been disappointed. Lady Godiva chocolate, she is not, nor does she pretend to be. She is more like Whitman's sampler or Lindt: a secret sweet treat that satisfies a craving but does not cost you much brain power to read them. And this book is more like an 89 cent Hershey bar. Still good, but not her best work.

Grace Elland is the secret weapon behind the Witherspoon Way, the positive thinking guru's empire, Sprague Witherspoon developed. Sadly she actually believes in these affirmations. She created the internet site and wrote the popular cookbook that is making Witherspoon rise to the top. Until, she goes over to his house when he does not show up for work and finds him dead in his bed, with a vodka bottle that reminds her of a trauma in her past sitting on the table beside him. Witherspoon does not drink vodka.

When Grace was sixteen, she went into the old insane asylum because she had heard there was a party there the night before and she wanted to know who had hooked up with who. What she finds is a little boy tied up, a dead body, and a vodka bottle. Before she can rescue the boy, the man who put him there and killed the woman drives up. She grabs the bottle and tells the boy to be prepared to run up the stairs and go for help. As the man goes down the steps, the boy flies by him and Grace almost gets by him, but he grabs hold of her. She smashes the bottle and cuts the man repeatedly before getting help. Since then she has spent a lot of time in therapy where she learned breathing techniques and other devices as well as pills to help her cope with the nightmares and memories.

Enter capitalist, Julius Arkwright, who is set up on a blind date with Grace by her best friend and her best friend's cop husband who wants Julius to check her out to see if she's the killer. The date is a disaster, but Julius leaves believing that she is innocent. Soon, however, Grace begins receiving e-mails from her boss's account that sound a shade deadly and then a rat is found in her refrigerator. Someone is stalking Grace and Julius makes himself her bodyguard.

Witherspoon left behind an enraged daughter who hated her father, her gold-digging fiancé, and two other staff members who could be behind the missing money that has left Witherspoon on the tip of collapse; not that it can go on without him.

Whether or not I want to, I really like Grace and Julius, the bored businessman who can make money in his dreams without even trying are very likable characters and worth reading about. There are plenty of suspects, but you can pretty much figure out who did it and why easily. You can still get enjoyment out of Julius's disdain over her affirmations, when his sound so much better: Trust no one and everybody has a hidden agenda because in this book his words ring true. This may be a cheap bar of chocolate, but we still eat them, because they taste good, even if they are not good for us. ( )