Rating: 
Summary: UNLIKELY, BUT WELL-MATCHED DUO
Review: Englishwoman, Lavinia Lake, is left widowed, poor, and the guardian of an intelligent, marriage-aged niece. Having no money, but a lot of determination, Lavinia goes from one job to the next, each ending under somewhat disasterous circumstances. First, she's a companion to a countess who runs away one night and leaves Lavinia and her niece stranded in Rome. Then she opens a shop in Rome and sells antique reproductions. The shop is unexpectedly destroyed by a seemingly madman.Finally, she returns to England and sets herself up as a private detective, making discreet and SLIGHTLY SHADY inquiries for those who can afford her services. Once settled in this business, she encounters none other than the madman who destroyed her shop in Rome. He is Tobias March, also a detective. They find they are working on the same case, and after a series of misadventures, reluctantly agree to work together. What comes out of their partnership is a deep mystery and an unforeseen love affair. Amanda Quick promises that SLIGHTLY SHADY is Book One in a series starring Lavinia Lake and Tobias March. I look forward to Book Two.
Rating: 
Summary: average
Review: This is my first Amanda Quick book, I've heard so much about her, and read her reviews on my favorite books that I tried one of her books. For me, Slightly Shady is the kind of book that u can read when there's nothing more available. It's not boring nor it is hooking. This is one of those books that u can put down after reading a paragraph or so. It is not laugh out loud funny but u can see the author's attempt on comedy. The mystery is a little predictable. The twist on the ending is not original. All in all, I'm not totally disappointed. From reading her other reviews in her other novels, I know this is not her best, so I'm giving her another chance.
Rating:
Summary: A interesting book
Review: This book was good although I got sort of tired of the book after a while you have to finish it. It is a classic Amanda Quick book. And I am planning to read the other books that go along with it. It very much indeed is light reading. Yet each character has there own spark, the main girl just kinda got annyoing though.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly irritating and slightly overpriced.
Review: I was truly looking forward to the lasted Quick offering and find myself sadly disappointed. I could not make myself finish the story. I quickly became bored with the characters sniping at one another. If Krentz is looking to go with a more action based plot, she is missing the mark and the work is suffering for it. The action is dull and the mystery unconvincing. In the end it is my opinion that Krentz would do well to return to the previous stylings of the One-Word titles. In Slightly Shady we are first shown our hero to be completely trashing a shop run by the heroine. 90% of the next 2 chapters is a dull conversation that while in the novel happens over time, seems to never actually get you anywhere. I had no empathy for any characters. They had no depth and I simply didn't care about them. I do hope Krentz returns us to the true heroines and heros of past efforts. I will not recommend a title specifically, simply look for a single word title with a first letter of "R", "S" or "D" and you'll find genuine Amanda Quick. There was one redeeming factor about Slightly Shady that kept it from receiving 2 stars: There is NO mention of VANZA!!! HOORAY.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it!
Review: I must admit to enjoying every book I have read by Amanda Quick, and am glad that Slightly Shady continued the run. The characters had complete personalities, and the physical and emotional descriptions were rich without slipping into tedium, "It was probably never a sunny place, but on a day such as this it was drenched in stygian gloom." Lavina and Tobias were real and natural heroes, while slightly better than those around them. The supporting characters were more than one dimensional followers or villains. Love scenes were equally descriptive without falling into any heaving bosoms or flaring nostrils. Trying not to give away too much: one love scene had all the problems of finding time to be alone with teen-agers near by. This is a common problem for many women of my generation and this ability to relate parts of a historical romance to modern life is one reason I find the Quick books so entertaining. Without sounding like a sycophant, I did have one question in the plot, near the end. Why did Lavina go to this one house, at this specific time? Happily this was a one-time problem, and to be fair I can hold on to a question of why and how longer than necessary. The rest of the book had few, if any plot irregularities and was very cleaver and unpredictable. Just when you thought something would happen, it didn't, and something else caught you by surprise, while remaining logical and true to the story. Since it was announced prior to publication that Slightly Shady is part of a series, the lack of a happy ever after ending was appropriate and I am anxiously waiting the next book. Because the secondary characters were well developed, without interfering with the book's progression, there are more than enough possible sequels to be developed.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly Shady
Review: It started so well. It was funny. The characters were likeable. Tobias and Lavinia are displaying some attraction for one another. Then . . . there's the painfully predictable "carriage" scene. The murder plot became so convoluted in its solution, I feared I'd be confessing next. By the time the second short, choppy, terribly unromantic love scene rolled around, I'd literally forgotten I was reading a romance. Tobias, likeable fellow, came off as a rather inept detective. I'm glad I checked this out of the library instead of buying it.
Rating: 
Summary: No emotional depth; uninspiring
Review: My book club accidentally shipped me "Don't Look Back." As it looked mildly interesting and I hadn't read Amanda Quick before, I kept it. Then I realized I needed to read "Slightly Shady" first. So I bought it and was truly disappointed. The characters, what I could make of them (with little written about their physical characteristics), were uninspiring. There was little emotional depth to the story. You hardly ever saw what the characters are thinking or feeling. I just could not get to know or even like Lavinia or Tobias. I did read both books, and by the end of "Don't Look Back" I was mildly amused by the dialogue. So I give 2 stars for good dialogue and great plotting. That's all these two books have going for them.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly Shady
Review: It started so well. It was funny. The characters were likeable. Tobias and Lavinia are displaying some attraction for one another. Then . . . there's the painfully predictable "carriage" scene. The murder plot became so convoluted in its solution, I feared I'd be confessing next. By the time the second short, choppy, terribly unromantic love scene rolled around, I'd literally forgotten I was reading a romance. Tobias, likeable fellow, came off as a rather inept detective. I'm glad I checked this out of the library instead of buying it.
Rating:
Summary: A fun frolick
Review: As an avid reader of romance novels, I'm constantly searching for for something a little different, something that doesn't rely entirely on the old, tired cliches (he's gorgeous and consumed with lust, she's perfect and hiding something) and simplistic resolutions (they have a misunderstanding and narrowly miss getting back together before the novel's closing pages). Of course, it always helps when there's an interesting story surrounding the romance, just to keep intelligent readers interested. I've already become enamoured with JD Robb's "In Death" series, and wondered if there were any other on-going tales like those, where the hero and heroine not only love each other, but work together and prove through action and not simple rhetoric that they love, trust and respect one another. It seems that Slightly Shady may be what I was looking for. Though not as darkly dramatic as Robb's novels, Quick's new series seems to promise some light-hearted tales full of mystery, murder, passion and witty reparte. I'm looking forward to the next installment, hoping for some further character development and the growth of their relationship. It should be an interesting ride...
Rating:
Summary: A great romance and a great mystery !
Review: While this style is not unknown to Ms. Quick's readers, I found this bok to be a delightful read. I enjoyed all the twists and turns, and couldn't wait to get to the end...I knew there was another book in the series ! All in all, this is an enjoyable book. It's light reading at it's best...so pack a picnic and take this paperback to the beach. I am sure you won't be disappointed.
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