Rating: 
Summary: A good installment in the series...
Review: Lianne Blakely, the illegimate daughter of a Chinese trader (Johnny Tang) and his American paramour, is told to "pick up" Kyle Donovan by her father (though he will not explain his reasons). Kyle Donovan, in the business of gems, is also told by his brother (Archer Donovan) to get into the Tang family for information through Lianne.Both have their agendas, and do not expect to be attracted to each other, much less fall in love. The plot thickens when Lianne is framed for the theft of jade amounting to millions, and Lianne and Kyle must find the real culprit and figure out what's going on in the Tang family. This book has been thoroughly researched. There are a lot of information on jade, which may get tedious, but which I still find fascinating. A great read, and one of the best of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Action, Romance and a Double Cross or Two
Review: Archer Donovan, head of the Donovan clan, asks brother Kyle to get close to Lianne Blakely, the illegitimate daughter of Johnny Tang and his American mistress, because he believes priceless Chinese jade artifacts have been stolen and he thinks the Tang family consortium, headed by Wen Zhi Tang, who has a lifelong obsession with jade, might have something to do with it. Lianne is as passionate about jade as Wen and is a respected Jade expert, but much to her chagrin she's not accepted by the Tangs as a full fledged family member. However, when they need an expert to value the jade they want to buy, it's her they call. In a nice twist her father, Johnny Tang, has asked her to get close to Kyle and while Kyle and Lianne are getting to know each other, they discover that priceless jade has been taken from the Tang vault and replaced with inferior pieces. Lianne is a prime suspect because she is one of the few people who go into the vault on a regular basis. Then she's outright accused of stealing the jade and now she and Kyle, who now have a thing for each other, have to find the real thief or she may go to prison. This is the second book in Ms. Lowell's series about the Donovan Clan and every bit as good as the first. There is lots of action, suspense, a double cross here and there and romance too. A very good book.
Rating:
Summary: amazed
Review: well i had read elizabeth lowells book cry wolf because my mother dared me to. ever since then i have been reading every book of elizabeths that my library has. i picked up this book about 2 books after i read mindnight ruby bayoue. even thought i knew what the end would be like it was a fun and exciting book. i knew the people and gained an even deeper emotional and personal impretion of them. this by far has to be the best book of the series so far.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed!!!
Review: I must say that I felt Jade Island was the worst book I have ever read by Elizabeth Lowell. I have always loved her books!!! They were safe!!! When everyone else was going to what was "popular" she stayed with passion, intrigue, and lots of chemistry. That is no longer so. I felt Jade Island didn't have characters I liked. Kyle seemed weak and depended on his older brother way too much. I felt that Lianne was a sorry imitation of all the heroines of Elizabeth Lowell's past. I really didn't like any thing about her. And what is with today's authors making sex into some "it's no big deal thing"??? Isn't the genre of Romance supposed to be making a story about something amazing happening between two people? Kyle and Lianne were so commonplace about having sex it made my stomach turn. I have always loved the sparks that fly in an Lowell/Maxwell novel, but I must say that as much as I have loved her novels in the past, if the next one isn't better Elizabeth Lowell I will no longer be a novel I pick sight unseen.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Enough Focus on the Budding Romance...
Review: I was so excited to read this book but was greatly disapointed when I begun, because the romance aspect was left to the background and the political part dominated the story to the point of bordem. There was way too much information and pages and pages of textbook information on jade and how it is crafted and set into jewelry or ancient swords for the Chinese. The romance between the main characters Lianne and Kyle was so rushed and didn't make much sense. I wasn't sure why he was trying to seduce her and why she even fell for him when she was centered on her work? I feel like I missed out on the plot here. ~Kyle Donovan is trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance of cultural treasures from the Tang vaults. He and his brother are trying out there own business at gem trading and treasure hunting. This discovery would be a coup, the only thing he didn't expect to get tangled in was an international gem ring that will bring him close to a woman who not only beautiful, but also suspected of theft of the famous Tung vault treasures hundreds of years old. Lianne Blakely is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful Hong Kong trader and his American mistress. She is being accused of theft. Not just any ordinary theft, but the theft of ancient treasures. Millions in jade. She meets Kyle and he believes her, but she must find the real thief. Together they venture into the sordid world of international gem thievery, power plays and dangerous people that would rather see them dead than give up the beauty of the ancient jade. Tracy Talley~@
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not Amber Beach
Review: Though it lacks a bit of Amber Beach's quick repartee, Jade Island is definitely the better book. The characters are more developed, deeper and more complex. Anyone who has ever been trapped between two worlds, never really belonging in either, will understand and love Lianne Blakney. She is beautiful, funny, and intelligent, but also deeply hurt by her family's disregard. Lianne is also full of useful information about jade and chinese culture. If you leave this book without having learned something, then you should probably read it again. I found it fascinating. Kyle Donovan was burned pretty badly in the first book, and is wary of women. His self-depreciating humor is endearing, as is his wary concern for Lianne. The setting was also worth the cover price. I love Seattle, and the entire Pacific Northwest! All in all, this is a much better book than the first. I look forward to watching the other Donovans.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favorite romances!
Review: Loved this book. Loved the jade and the Chinese cultural issues and the Donovan family! Maybe the romance got less play then in your average romance novel, but the crime caper was great and Kyle and Lianne were wonderful! Both smart, funny, sexy people. Much rounder characters than typical and great banter. The romance scenes were also quite hot.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!! One Of Elizabeth Lowell's Best!
Review: "Jade Island" is book two in Elizabeth Lowell's Donovan series. I think it is her best novel of the four. As always, Ms. Lowell's writing style is tight, her characters so alive, (the Donovans are a terrific bunch that I cannot read enough about), and her plot and subplots are riveting - filled with adventure and suspense; not to mention her love/sex scenes, which are always hot! I especially like Lianne Blakely, a smart, independent lady who knows what she is about...and how to stand up for herself. Kyle Donovan, a gemologist, has decided to go into business for himself, leaving the family corporation, Donovan International. On his own, Kyle can travel the globe at will, searching for gems, antiquities...and adventure. Archer Donovan, Kyle's brother and CEO of the family business, hires Kyle as a consultant to investigate the authenticity of "The Jade Emperor," purported to be recently acquired by a billionaire collector. The piece should be in the vaults of Hong Kong's Tang Family. If it is not there, then the priceless jade has been stolen and the theft could provoke an international incident. The US and Chinese governments are investigating also. Lianne Blakely, a noted gemologist, is the illegitimate daughter of Johnny Tang. The Tang family does not accept her as one of their own, but trusts her and works with her because of her professional experience and her unacknowledged family connection. Her father asks her to seduce Kyle Donovan in order to have an inside track to Donovan International. The Tangs need the Donovan's for their continued success in the gem market. Kyle, unaware of Lianne's motives, is out to seduce her himself. He wants to have an inside line to her family, and find out as much information as he can about the stolen jade. Archer, Kyle and the Tangs suspect that Lianne is involved in the theft. The attraction between Kyle and Lianne is dynamite. The plot's tension increases when someone attempts to murder her. The research on jade is meticulous and the information fascinating. The history of Chinese family traditions is richly told, and more valuable to this reader than precious jade. What a fabulous book! I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A good installment in the series...
Review: Lianne Blakely, the illegimate daughter of a Chinese trader (Johnny Tang) and his American paramour, is told to "pick up" Kyle Donovan by her father (though he will not explain his reasons). Kyle Donovan, in the business of gems, is also told by his brother (Archer Donovan) to get into the Tang family for information through Lianne. Both have their agendas, and do not expect to be attracted to each other, much less fall in love. The plot thickens when Lianne is framed for the theft of jade amounting to millions, and Lianne and Kyle must find the real culprit and figure out what's going on in the Tang family. This book has been thoroughly researched. There are a lot of information on jade, which may get tedious, but which I still find fascinating. A great read, and one of the best of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Very good sequel!
Review: This is the second in the series of the Donovon brothers and I found it very good! This one is about Kyle and Archer this time and how they are trying to figure out why jade is mysteriously missing from the Tang Family Vault. The illegitimate daughter of one of the Tang brothers Lianne is caught in the middle by being blamed for stealing the Jade. Kyle is told he has to befriend Lianne to try and find out if she was the one or not who did steal it and in the meantime he ends up falling in love with her and lets his emotions sometimes put him off track of what he is really supposed to be doing. While in the meantime Lianne's father Johhny is also telling her she has to befriend Kyle immediatly but will not explain to her the reason why he wants this. The way they mix romance and suspense it great! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read pearl Cove next.
| 
