Soft Focus

Rating:
Summary: Better than her last
Review: After reading her last book I promised myself that I would wait until her next book came out in paperback before I bought it. My willpower is weak however, and I bought this as soon as it came out. It's certainly an improvement. It's not vintage Krentz but it is at least a step back in the right direction. The best part is absolutely no mention of any "metaphysical" nonsense. The plot was promising, the relationships more exciting. My only real complaint is that the ending just suddenly seemed to come up.

Rating:
Summary: Typical J.A.K.! Great!
Review: All you really need is Jayne Ann Krentz's name on a book to know it's more than worth the time and money. Her books never fail to give you a diverse and interesting group of characters, plenty of twists and turns, a great love story, exciting settings, and a few surprises thrown into the mix for good measure. Elizabeth and Jack spent only one night together, but we feel like we've been there from their first glance. Elizabeth is a tough as nails, smart, succesful business woman who has no intention of letting the handsome company head pull the wool over her eyes. Their dialog together crackles (especially their resteraunt showdown) and the Film Noir Festival setting is written with enough detail and description to be informative, and yet not be overbearing.Jack and Elizabeth make a great couple, but it's no less than we expect from Ms. Krentz. Don't wait for the paperback, get this one now. . . and enjoy! Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As a long time fan of Krentz, I was extremely disappointed in Soft Focus. I usually cannot put her books down once I begin to read. This, unfortunately, was not the case with this book. It has no continuity. The writing is very choppy. And sex,(real and imagined) seems to be put in places just to fill up space. Jayne, if you read this, please get back on track. I love the Quick books, as well as the flower series (Amaryllis et al).

Rating:
Summary: Jayne Ann Krent writes ANOTHER BESTSELLER
Review: Consultant Jack Fairfax current project is to get the small family company Excalibur back on its fiscal feet. He concentrates on Soft Focus, a crystal that appears to be the next leap in computer technology. He applies for a funding grant from the Aurora Fund, a company run by Elizabeth Abbot. She approves the request. Attracted to one another, they share a great night of lovemaking before Elizabeth puts an end to their budding relationship when she learns that Jack was part of the Galloway takeover that led to the ruin of a close friend. She would love to back out of their business deal, but the signed contracts remain binding. For the next six months, she manages to keep their relationship on a strictly business level.

However, Jack gets a second chance with Elizabeth when someone steals the valuable crystal and the designer disappears. Jack and Elizabeth travel to a small film festival believing that the thief will attend because he made a movie that is showing there. Will they become permanent lovers or just dead from assailants who want the crystal for themselves?

Jane Ann Krentz is renowned for her powerful romantic intrigue tales and her latest, SOFT FOCUS, will excite sub-genre fans as only the great author can do. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action and growing sexual tension. The lead characters are a delightful duo whose antics make the plot even better. Ms. Krentz enters the new millennium with the same quality level that made her name a trademark of excellence in the nineties.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Sparkling style and wit?
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love Jayne Ann Krentz's books and probably have everyone she has ever written. In fact I had this book on order months before it was released. Every review I read on it talked about its sparkling style and wit, superb dialogue, intricate suspense, steamy passion. So why do I feel let down over this book? This is a comfortable book by Ms. Krentz -a good read, but not one I'll have the desire to read over and over. While reading this book, I wanted to be swept off my feet into another world, to lose myself in the story. That didn't happen. Will I buy another book by Ms. Krentz - yes, she is one of those authors that has never written a bad book. However, unless you are desperate for something to read, wait until this one comes out in paperback.

Rating:
Summary: Soft Focus -- another Krentz hit!
Review: Elizabeth Cabot and Jack Fairfax are ex-lovers caught up in a web of industrial theft and murder that leads them into the world of film noir and back into each other's arms. Krentz is a comfort read for me. I love the rhythms she creates in her stories, it's a cadence I can let myself fall into and ride to a wonderful finish. I loved Soft Focus.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Excellent romance mystery. Good characters. The story plot was very good. Keeps you interested.

Rating:
Summary: One of her best
Review: Had to put my 2 cents in after reading the other bad reviews - I've read most of JAK's work in her various pen names and I think this is some of her best work. I actually like both the main characters, they're a little more real than many of her others. The hero may be a corporate shark but at least he developed his business in a more or less normal fashion and has no personal history of violence. The heroine is so much more intelligent and competent than many of her others - enough already with the small business owners. Elizabeth is smart, successful, and never had a breakdown of any kind. The relationship is developed more realistically than usual (it is still very much a romance, which is after all why we read JAK). The mystery is a little more sophisticated. Personally I liked the film noir setting. As someone else already noted some of the secondary characters have more depth. And believe it or not the science fiction part is not so far off. I work in this field - respectable scientists are actually proposing things (somewhat) similar to the 'soft focus' crystal. OK not exactly like that, but still not bad compared to some of the ridiculous new age stuff JAK has come up with. I think she's pretty well played out the psychobabble and I for one am glad to see her getting a little grittier and more realistic. Hope to see more of the same!

Rating:
Summary: Took this one back to Borders....
Review: Hmmm.. not up to her usual, didn't like the hero at all.. seemed like a Jerk.. Im not too picky about heros.. but there has to be something likeable..Also, the herione was a bit too whiny.. sorry.. didn't keep it long enough to talk about the plot.

Ive read enough of her that I picked this one up at full hardback price.. mistake.. lets hope next one is more on track..

Rating:
Summary: Still worth reading
Review: I can see where some reviewers think JAK might be losing her edge, but I do not think such ideas belong to SOFT FOCUS. While not as fully developed as some of her earlier novels, such as FAMILY MAN and DEEP WATERS, SOFT FOCUS is still an enjoyable read.

I loved the opening scene between Jack and Elizabeth -- once or twice in my life I have felt like delivering such a crushing setdown in public, but never had the nerve. Elizabeth is a gutsy woman deserving of admiration. Jack's choice not to hide under the table is telling of his character as well. I also enjoyed the interaction between Elizabeth and her assistant, as well as Jack's discussions with Larry. JAK seems to specialize in characters from twisted families, so it's nice to see some normal characters make an appearance prior to the inevitable (but welcome) happy-ever-after.

While I do not know enough about film noir to attest to the veracity JAK's choice of a backdrop for her story, I certainly enjoyed reading about it.

Don't be too put off by poor reviews if you are a first-time JAK reader. SOFT FOCUS is worth the read. And if you are a first-timer, be sure to check out JAK's other books. You won't be disappointed.