Jade Island

Rating:
Summary: Extremely superb !
Review: I am a huge Elizabeth Lowell fan. All of her books are fantastic, but I have to say this book, was great. I found myself reading to all hours of the night and I couldn't put the book down. I am usually not much of a reader but I will read almost anything Lowell writes. She is a fantastic writer. And this series was fantastic, expremely superb.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but not terribly romantic
Review: I liked the book. I liked to hear about the Northwest and Jade, but I have a real problem with the "romantic" part of it, and I know this is my personal taste, yet.... If I had a friend like either Kyle or Lianne, I'd boycot THAT wedding because they are headed for divorce court. These two have the hots for each other, and there is nothing wrong with that--I did not detect love; yet at the end they are getting married...what a surprise. Lust isn't the greatest reason to get married, as we all know. I know, I know, this is fantasy, but I like SOME realism in my romances. (I have the same complaint about "Reckless Love." After having wild sex, and nothing but sex, all over Utah, he declares his dying love for her on the last page.) I agree with those reviewers who found the "erotic" language too crude, not romantic enough. But then "d**k" rhymes with "dock." That scene, by the way, made me laugh. How in the world did they *do* that? Comedy writers should take notes.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For Romantics
Review: I've read all 3 books in this Donovan seies, and Jade Island is by far the best one ever. It's got everything a good romance should have and even more. If you are someone considering getting this book but not really sure, please email me and I will give you hundreds of reasons to read this book([e-mail])! For those people who think that their is too much jade talk, well you know what that's what makes the book even more exciting and interesting. This book has got some of the hottest love scenes ever written, and if that's not enough, then nothing is. Please read!

Rating:
Summary: Best of Series
Review: A *vast* improvement over Amber Beach, Jade Island is my favourite of the Donovan series. Kyle and Lianne make a perfect duo.

As with the other Donovan books, the detail is a bit excessive and this story takes a while to really get started.

As much as I loved Kyle and Lianne, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the strong relationship between Kyle and his brother Archer. Something sadly lacking from Pearl Cove.

The ending is a bit rushed and leaves the reader feeling vaguely dissatisfied. Otherwise, a great book!

Rating:
Summary: Lianne and Kyle Donovan now.....
Review: "Jade Island" is a book in which you either liked it or you don't. Compared to "Amber Beach", I thought this was a great book. Yes, it may have rambled on about jade but I LOVED the hero/heroine of this book. I thought it was great that Kyle was in his own story and Lianne wasn't a bad character either. She may yearned for her oriental side of the family's affections but she was a self-sufficient, independent female and I liked that about her. There's no doubt in my mind that Kyle is my favorite Donovan sibling and that is one reason why I enjoyed this book stupendously. Maybe the ending was a little disappointing but overall, I've enjoyed this book a great deal! I have "Pearl Cove" but I've only skimmed through it. Kyle and Lianne are expecting twins! How terrific is that? I hope there's a fourth book coming out...

Rating:
Summary: Kyle+Lianna=Jade
Review: This is definitely MUCH better that Amber Beach. I like the close family ties the Donovan family has with one another...Truly, I do not regret buying this one..!

Rating:
Summary: Nothing happens for the first 150 pages
Review: The Only series of books by Elizabeth Lowell are all high on adventure and romance. This one (and Amber Beach as well) is a dull report on precious stone imperfections, with creepy characters that I could not get excited about, and a totally confusing ending that seems to be just a way to set up the reader for the next book in the series, Pearl Cove. Most of the story is yakking at a boring cocktail party before a jade auction. The biggest thrill in the book is discovering machine made nicks in a jade phallus. If you think that sounds weird, you're right, and you didn't have to plow through an additional 75 pages describing tiny nicks in more jade erotica... all in all it was really bad taste, and not worth reading. I recommend Elizabeth Lowell's Winter Fire instead.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than the first one!
Review: the characters were more alive and the plot was more suspensful and believable. lowell has given the stone of jade a very passionate nature. i thouroughly enjoyed the extra characters in this book and the subtle introduction of the rest of the family and the reminders of the last book. the reason for only 4 stars was that i thought that some of the "language" used was not necessary. i can't wait to discover archer's match in the third book!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read, But Not Lowell's Best
Review: I read "Amber Beach" and could not wait to get to this book. I finished it quickly, but it was just OK. The relationship between Kyle and Lianne wasn't well developed and then ....BAM! we find out at the end that Kyle wants to marry Lianne! Where did this come from? It's a shock to me and Lianne as well! We know they like each other but his proposal just pops up and Lianne's heart "leaps" (this word is used a little too frequently, as is "uncle")and all is great with this couple...onto Archer next. All in all a decent read, lots of info on jade, but I hope "Pearl Cove" is better.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully shaped, culturally precise--more than a romance.
Review: Books called romances should have backgrounds and plots to make the story more than just a fairy-tale relationship--and 'Jade Island' has done it all. She knows more about jade history than half of the Chinese people I know! The character portrayal earns a merit. I could hardly recognize Kyle from the 'golden boy' we saw in Amber Beach but he's a man with the sort of liveliness and character (we won't talk about the body) that's irresistible to hormones. Lianne's touched my soul. That strength and independance and mature acceptance and analysis of life and its troubles: that's everything and nothing without a little love. Guys, want to know what a real woman wants? Read about Lianne Blakely.

I'm Singaporean Chinese, so how writers show the mix of culture between Chinese and other types of culture have always intrigued me--and trust me, E.L. fans, this book's one of the best. Male dominance, family hiearchy, the food (winks), the way Mandarin and Cantonese is rewritten in English--wow. And the fact that there's no softening of the vices and the people with the vices makes it all the more real for everyone.

If you haven't bought this book--where have you been?? Some might say the Donovans are bigger than life, and that romances are bizarre and nonsensical, but this one changes the image. It's basically a good story, one that can happen in circles that the characters move in, and if you let it, it can be that, and more, for you.