Jayne Castle – Deception Cove

The second book in the Futuristic World of Harmony: Rainshadow series, published August 27, 2013.
Genre: sci-fi / fantasy romance
Cover: nice, my book has the small picture as cover.



In the world of Harmony, Rainshadow Island is home to a mysterious preserve, secrets that have been kept for centuries, and a treasure worth killing for…

As a light-talent, Alice North has the rare ability to make things disappear, including herself - a gift that comes in handy during her magic act with her dust bunny Houdini. Business mogul Drake Sebastian is day-blind, since his sight was nearly destroyed in a lab accident. But he's the one man who can see Alice when she disappears - and he needs her.
On Rainshadow Island, two dangerous Old World crystals are missing, igniting a paranormal storm. Drake thinks Alice is the key to finding them, and proposes they head there, but only after a Marriage of Convenience. Alice's honeymoon on Rainshadow is guaranteed to be memorable, as the island - and the passion between her and Drake - is about to explode…


If you have been following my blog for a while, you undoubtedly know that Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz / Amanda Quick) is one of my favourite authors. She has written a lot of books, and I love them all. Whenever a new book lands on my doormat, I have to read it immediately.


Alice North has grown up as an orphan, something really unheard of in a world where family is the most important thing. There are two kinds of marriage, The Full Covenant Marriage, which is very difficult and expensive to get a divorce from, and the “try-out” marriage called the Marriage of Convenience. But when there are children, a Marriage of Convenience is automatically updated to a full CM.

Alice was working in the gift shop in a little museum in Crystal City, when a rich young man tried to sweep her of her feet. She really fell for him, but something kept her wary. Perhaps it really was too good to be true, so Alice refused to marry Fulton Whitcomb in a full Covenant Marriage. She also refused to sleep with him just yet. But he had information about her past, a family she never knew existed, and that was more than enough to seduce her.
Apparently, she is the great-granddaughter of Nicholas North, and she is the heir to his rights of half of whatever of value is found on Rainshadow Island. Of course, after she did agree to the full Covenant Marriage, or if he got her pregnant by slipping her the antidote to her pregnancy preventing medicine, she would not have lived long. Making Fulton her heir.

They went on honeymoon to Rainshadow Island, and entered the preserve within, with the help of a map drawn by her ancestor, Fulton got his hands on. Fulton needs Alice and her light talent though to read the map, and lead them to the hidden treasure. When Alice refuses to steal the stones they find, but wants to talk to the Sebastian Family instead, Fulton tries to kill her. Alice manages to hide thanks to her light talents, and run away, but gets lost in the forest. With the help of a dust bunny, she eventually finds her way back to civilization, to discover that her husband has died. Unfortunately, her ex-mother in law believes that Alice killed her precious son, and uses all the considerable means at her disposal to ruin Alice’s life. Alice has been on the run from Ethal and her hired tugs ever since, trying to make a living with Houdini (the dust bunny that saved her and stayed with her ever since) as stage magicians.

And now, she is found by Drake Sebastian, who thinks she is the one who has stolen the precious stones. And if not, he needs her help to get them back, as Rainshadow Island is about to blow up. Communications are already down, and they have to de-rezz the alien energy fast.
He offers her a job, and a lot of money, and another Marriage of Convenience to get Ethel and her thugs of her back. And Alice finds herself agreeing. But this time, there is real attraction between her and her new husband …

Getting to Rainshadow Island is not easy, but thanks to Drake’s talent, they land safely in one of the coves at the Island, but will have to walk across the whole island to the only town. And Rainshadow Island is not safe at night….


I loved this book (do you get tired of me typing these words yet?). Jayne Ann Krentz/Castle has the perfect writing style for my taste in characters and world building. Her characters are strong and confident, they handle what comes their way without whining about it. There are no big misunderstandings due to lack of communication. They do know their own hearts, even if they are scared at first.
The world of Harmony is awesome. Colonists from Earth have been living here for a few hundred years now, and are still looking for the secrets of the Alien ruins and catacombs. More and more is discovered in each book though, and I love that. And over the years, the humans’ psychic powers are growing and expanding. And of course there are the dust bunnies. They add a lot of humor to the story, and they do protect their humans.

Drake admires Alice, she won’t give up or give in to Ethel and even though the professional matchmakers have pronounced him unmatchable, he knows Alice is his perfect match from the moment he meets her. Now to convince her of that fact … I liked how proud he is of introducing Alice as his wife, and how he has her back.
And while Drake is busy in meetings with the residents of Rainshadow Island, to concoct a plan to safe them all, Alice does not sit idly. She just sets out to help in the only inn/restaurant in town. Serving food, cleaning up, playing with the children, helping wherever she can. I liked that a lot.

The mystery, the dangerous part, that was very well done too. Of course I did have my suspicions right away, which came true, but it was the execution that was the big surprise.

It is not the best book in the series, but still a very good one. I do not recommend you start reading Jayne Castle books with this one though. There are some previous couples in this book who had their own story first.

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian