The Third Circle

In this Arcane Society book, Leona Hewitt and Thaddeus Ware meet in the mansion of an eccentric Arcane collector while trying to steal the same rare crystal. He’s a handsome, protective, and somewhat controlling man from the respectable Jones family.
Leona has a shady background and has lost everyone she’s cared for. She’s a stubborn woman but often gave in too quickly when problems arose.
Their relationship bloomed fast (the book takes place in about a week), but the sexual tension felt believable. As with the first book, the heroine felt compelled to lie about her virginity, so the hero would sleep with her. I don’t mind virgin heroines, but I don’t like it when they claim to be worldly.
As for the side characters, the legend show more of Sybil the Virgin Sorceress sounds awesome, and I liked how Sybil infuriated the arrogant Sylvester Jones all those years ago. There were a few surprises about the villains, which I didn’t see coming, and I definitely like it when an author can shock me (that’s hard to do!). My favorite side character is Harrow (we met him in the first book), and I always grinned like a fool when he was in a scene.
I don’t remember noticing any typos—so that’s great—but the book was very wordy, which threw off the pacing. Unimportant scenes were told in great detail but could’ve been summed up in a few paragraphs. Likewise, other scenes were “told” instead of “shown,” and those particular scenes would’ve been very interesting had the reader been able to see them.
Overall, I liked the book, and I look forward to reading more the series.
3 Stars

Note -- Even though this book is considered number 4 in the Arcane Society series, it’s technically number 2 if you read the books in chronological order (not publication date). Personally, I read all of the Amanda Quick (historical) books first, then the Jayne Anne Krentz (contemporary) books, and lastly the (futuristic) ones by Jayne Castle. For readers who don’t know, these three authors are the same author, and she uses different names for each time period.

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. show less

This is the second of the historical end of the Arcane Society novels and the fourth written about this interesting group who both promote and hide paranormal talents. Looking into the past allows a certain amount of the present series to be understandable. The "present" is about operatives within Jones & Jones, this is about the founding and the reasoning behind the founding.

Yes, the characters fall in love (or is it lust) at first sight (over a corpse!) and there are times you wonder why they think they're in love. There are also occasions where the love is close to obsession but I found it a fun, light read with some fun characters. There are also some great concepts lurking that I hope she expands on over time.
Overall, a fun read show more but undemanding and with a few holes that could have done with a little work. If you like historical light-paranormal (i.e. psychic/magic not vampires/werewolves/etc) romances this is probably one for you. show less

This is a Victorian romance that has parapsychology at its heart. I read it out of order, but thoroughly enjoyed it anyway. The romance was sweet and believable as danger does draw people together. In fact, I liked it enough that I got the earlier book in the historical series. Do be aware there are some steamy scenes in this romance.

If you like paranormal romances, this might be one that you would like. If you like Victorian romances, this should be of interest. If you like both, my goodness, stop reading this review and get the book!

The Third Circle
3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
After stumbling across a corpse, Leona Hewitt and Thaddeus Ware discover that they are both seeking the same paranormal artifact – the Aurora Crystal. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones and must soon work together in order to thwart the machinations of a crazed scientist, a monstrous serial killer and a power hungry aristocrat.

Review:
In general, the premise behind the Arcane Society series is intriguing and the books are light and entertaining. Nevertheless, I find myself enjoying the contemporary installments more than the historical.

Leona is a spirited and independent heroine and Thaddeus is a lonely and semi-tortured hero. Unfortunately, their romance is subdued and had very little show more development beyond the fact that they meet and feel they share a profound connection. Moreover, Amanda Quick’s signature wit and banter is also missing from their relationship.

The suspense plot is unremarkable and even mundane. There are a few tense moments, such as Thaddeus’s encounter with the serial killer and Leona’s abduction, but these ultimately fizzle out. The only interesting aspects revolve around the additional information provided on the Jones family history and the establishment of organizations that appear in the contemporary books in the series.

Overall, The Third Circle is a relatively satisfying read especially for those who are working their way through the series. Hopefully, the next installment will be more substantial. show less

What flips me out of about this series is the author is writing under two different names - ugh! Now maybe fans knew about this, but I wasn’t one. I read one of Quick’s books - maybe two way back in my Rosemary Rogers & Kathleen E. Woodiwiss phase, but I since spread my wings. I read all sorts of genres now. So I had no clue that Jayne Ann Krentz was Amanda Quick. I almost missed half of this series!

First there was Second Sight (The Arcane Society, Book 1) by Amanda Quick. Then, get this, White Lies is The Arcane Society’s second book. Who’s the listed author? Jayne Ann Krentz. Hmmmm….

I opted not to make it a big deal because next is Sizzle and Burn. This is The Arcane Society’s third book by Jayne Ann Krentz. I’m show more thinking that she had the idea in one era and then later decided to bring the book to the present day. Hey, at this point I am grabbing at straws trying to make sense of it all. My brain doesn’t operate under confusing conditions.

Then I see the next book in the series, The Third Circle. Guess who it’s by. Yes, it’s under Amanda Quick. I am no longer asking questions. I don’t wanna know why. I am just here to read. The series is additive no matter which era the book is written in. I haven’t enjoyed a romance series this since Johanna Lindsey’s Malory Family Series.

That said, THE THIRD CIRCLE is my least favorite. This is not to say it’s bad. I just felt there were a few dry spots compared to the other previous three. So whatever future plans the author has for this series, I’ll be there waiting for The Arcane Society, Book 5, no matter who will be listed as the author.

For more about this book and others, go to http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/ show less

I found Amanda Quick's latest a breezy, amusing read. But for the uninitiated, The Third Circle might be all mystery and maybe even a little campy. The constant references to secret societies, paranormal powers, and a seemingly forward-thinking cast of main characters in a late Victorian setting might make the casual historical reader think she was thrown into a parallel universe. Well, as far as I'm concerned, the setting is a parallel universe. And if you're familiar with Quick's (a.k.a. Jayne Ann Krentz a.k.a. Jayne Castle) oeuvre, there are a lot of little things to pick up. This entry in the Arcane Society series isn't so much as a romance or even a mystery as it is a connection to a larger story arc. (more)

I haven’t read any of the previous books, so I was coming into this mid-series cold turkey. Overall, it worked as a standalone book since it focused primarily on the romance of Leona and Thaddeus although I think it would have helped if I had read the others before it. There were references to previous characters and plot points that I didn’t know too much about but it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story too much.

I have read other Amanda Quick novels so I’m familiar with her writing style. This book falls in line with her other novels. Quick seems to be repetitive with certain phrases in her books and she, of course, delivered on this one. Usually her characters have some kind of instant attraction from the start. With this show more one the chemistry was good between the hero and heroine, but I felt like it happened too quick which led to less of a build up and tension and less passion. Although I must admit there was one sex scene in particular that was pretty hot. show less