Rating: 
Summary: More Romance, Less Jade
Review: I love Elizabeth Lowell's books. This book was good but needed more romance, and YES, more family, and less jade. I actually thought about counting all the times the word "jade" appeared, but alas, I don't have 5 hours of spare time. A previous reviewer mentioned that this book was like "Tell Me No Lies" and it was. All one had to do was substitute "jade" for "bronze statues" and the stories were very nearly identical. My eyes actually began to skim over the jade, jade color, serpentine versus nephrophite, erotic jade sculptures, jade burial suits, jade trade...ad nauseam, discussions.This book was definitely better than Amber Beach and had more conversation and less of those constant witty rejoinders, that characterized the dialogue in the first novel in the trilogy. It needed more plot (unrelated to jade) and romance development. It was good but not EL great. This series has been touted as a trilogy. I wonder who will be featured in the third? Definitely Archer but what about little sister, Faith? Or even Walker, the pilot? Whatever my complaints, this novel is probably greater than 50-75 percent of those out there. EL knows how to create a characters that have style and confidence in their abilities. I can't wait to read the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent research and attention to detail
Review: Lowell's research and attention to detail make her novels not only riveting, but educational as well. Knowledge acquired while reading her books have made me a more informed person in other fields of inquiry and endeavor.Her ability to build a character is outstanding. You are able to get inside her characters. Few writers have this ability to fully flesh out their main characters in so few chapters, leaving the rest of the book to the good stuff!! Again, research and attention to detail are an unbeatable combination in laying the foundation of a great novel. I hope she keeps them coming..
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The synopsis sounds quite interesting, yet the many cultural discrepancies totally discourages the reader. I do give credit for Lowell on the research of jade. Many authors have yet to learn to deal with working and understanding the eastern cultures and Lowell is one of them.
Rating:
Summary: quite disappointed
Review: Lowell did an excellent job on the subject of jade, yet she totally missed the target on the Chinese culture. Never have I heard of women feeding men in this day and age as described in the book. Having mistresses is not a cultural difference between west and east, it is one of the things that the two cultures have in common. Other than the many more cultural discrepancies in the book it wasn't that bad. Predicable with a bit of action to pull you through.
Rating:
Summary: Not As Good As I Hoped
Review: This is my first EL book. It began very well but by the second chapter I was very tired of hearing over and over again about Lianne's family longing. I realize Jade is the main subject of the book, however, so much detailed discription could have been left out. I skipped much of the detail to get to more of the story. The first 2/3rds of the story moved very slowly but the last third was very good. Excellent story idea if told by someone else. This all true, I will be the next book if it's about the same family.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book! One of Lowell's best!
Review: The Donovans are one of the most interesting and lovable families I've read about, and Lowell's thorough knowledge of what she's writing about gives this book added dimension. The characters are complex and intense, and I especially like Kyle for not being a macho masculine stereotype.
Rating:
Summary: Good book but not Elizabeth Lowell's best
Review: I enjoyed reading this book but thought it was more about jade and not about Lianne and Kyle and their romance. I felt like I was reading a book on the jade trade and Chinese culture. I did not feel that there was any warmth and romance between the two characters. Parts of the story were to detailed or not enough.
Rating:
Summary: Jade Island better than Amber Beach........
Review: With this book Ms. Lowell restored my faith in her writing. It reminded me very much of her book "Tell Me No Lies", one of my favorites of hers. I liked the plot, the characters and the very hot love scenes. Thank you Ms. Lowell.
Ree-veiws
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: EXCELLENT BOOK WONDERFUL CHARACTERS
Review: I loved this book. The story was fast-paced and well-written. I loved that the heroine is half Asian, intelligent and strong. I was also impressed that Lowell had not exaggerated anything to an annoying degree, and how the characters' traits balanced out. The Hero and his family were wonderful. I am tired of those books with the lonely and pitiful and only children orphans who desparately try to search for their identity--I mean you don't need to be an only child to necessitate doing that. I love the big loving families that'll do anything for each other because I know, personally, that these families are possible and definitely NOT "saccharin sweet". Therefore, I and countless others agree that these spin-offs are DEFINITELY worth reading as much as this book was. ;)
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