Throwback Thursday: Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
First published in 2002 by Putnam adult

Zoe Luce is a successful interior designer in the Arizona town of Whispering Springs who's developed an unusual career specialty-helping recently divorced clients redesign their homes, to help them forget the past and start anew. But Zoe knows that some things can't be covered up with a coat of paint. And when she senses that one of her clients may be hiding a dark secret, she enlists P.I. Ethan Truax to find the truth. 

With  authors like Ms. Krentz, you pretty much know what type of book you are getting...a feisty heroine and a swoon worthy hero.   Light in Shadow has both.  I enjoyed the book.  There are two mysteries, the first of which is solved pretty early in the book.  The second took me a bit by surprise.  I always enjoy that in a book.  

Ethan and Zoe are well matched. I liked that Ethan isn't a super, rich alpha male.  He's starting over in a new town with a new business. He is protective of the people he cares about, but isn't too overbearing.  Zoe is hiding out and recovering from her awful time in a mental hospital.  He ultimate goal is to find out who killed her husband and to get back at the people who had her committed.  Thrown into marriage to protect Zoe, they have to decide what to do with their relationship.  The ending was sweet, but no declarations of love.  It was more of a "Happy For Now" ending.  There is a second book, Truth or Dare, that seems to continue Zoe and Ethan's story.   

The other characters in the book rounded out the story nicely.  It looks like there is a potential for more romances in the next book, maybe?  I have it in my TBR pile, so watch for a review soon.