TBR Day Review: Test of Time by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is a reading challenge from Avidbookreader–read at least one book from our To Be Read books and post a review on the third Wednesday each month. My TBR Review for May :

* Book Read: Test of Time
* Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
* Originally published as Harlequin Temptation #177
* Copyright: 1987
* Genre: Contemporary Romance

Test of Time is one of Jayne Ann Krentz’s earlier books. Her books are a comfort read for me and whenever I find them at a used bookstore or book sale I buy them. Occasionally the books are also reissued. I bought this at a library sale awhile ago. Many of these earlier books were series romances written in the 1980’s. She does a good job of presenting a quick and enjoyable story.

Garrett Coltrane is a typical Krentz alpha hero. He’s a former rodeo star who came from a broken home. He became a successful and wealthy businessman with a farm and ranch management consulting business. As the book opens he has married Katy Randall whom he knew when he was a very young man working for her father. Katy was a young teenager at that time. She is now 28 years old and Garrett knows their marriage was a sensible decision.

On some gut level Garrett had known instantly that the grown-up version of Katy Randall would suit him perfectly as a wife. He had briefly tried to analyze his certainty and had come to the conclusion that it was all very simple. He had found himself an intelligent, sensible young woman who would fit right into his business and his life. She would be an asset to the consulting firm, and she would be comfortable with the kind of people he now saw socially.

Katy Randall comes from a wealthy background and has been her father’s breed manager for the family’s Arabian horse business for a number of years. Katy is thrilled to marry Garrett. She liked him when he worked for her father and quickly fell in love with him when he visits her father’s stud farm years later.

…Katy had been sure all along that he was capable of great depth of feeling. Just because he could not or would not talk about his feelings did not mean he was unemotional. Katy had been sure of her analysis, sure that deep down Garrett loved her in his own strong, silent way.

This sets up conflict from the very beginning–Katy is in love with Garrett and thinks he is in love with her even though he has never told her that. Garrett views Katy as a sensible woman:

Calm, quiet, serene, gentle, intelligent, comfortable. Those were all the adjectives that came to mind whenever he thought of Katy.

The reader quickly sees this is a train wreck waiting to happen! Krentz builds her story around the lack of communication between these two people and the fact they both expect something different from each other. They don’t know each other very well before they are married.

Garrett is amazed when he discovers just how much he has misjudged Katy. She’s devistated when she sees he doesn’t lover her and doesn’t even believe in love.

“The problem is that you don’t love me.”

“Katy, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. You’re not making much sense. Nothing has changed between us since yesterday or last week or last month, for that matter. Everything is going just as we planned. I feel the same way about you as I did when I asked you to marry me.”

“I know.” Her voice was laced with disgust.

“Then why in hell are you so upset?” He sounded honestly confused.

“It’s my fault,” she said starkly. “I’m to blame. I misjudged you, your feelings and the whole situation. I thought you loved me. Do you hear me? I was stupid enough to think you loved me. I thought the only problem,” she added scathingly, “was that you were the strong, silent type. Isn’t that a joke?”

“Calm down, honey. You’re going to hurt yourself. Just take it easy.” His voice was the familiar, soothing rumble he used to quiet a horse.

Katy shut her eyes in an agony of fury and humiliation. She swore bluntly, using a four-letter word she knew Garrett had never heard her use before in all the time he had known her.

…Garrett stared at her as if she’d taken leave of her senses.

The rest of the book deals with their coming to know and like each other. It deals with their growth–especially Garrett’s since he’s the one who has to change his attitude about love. Katy needs to forgive Garrett and learn what has made him the person he is.

The book has some external conflict as well as the internal conflict. The external conflict helps Garrett and Katy come together more quickly than they might have otherwise. Garrett demonstrates his trust for Katy as well as his concern when she is threatened. Katy also gives up her bitterness toward Garrett–well before the end of the book which was refreshing. This book doesn’t have big misunderstandings which mar some books. Katy and Garrett learn to communicate and trust and ultimately thethird circle love each other.

A very satisfying read! Jayne Ann Krentz has a new book which came out within the last month. The Third Circle is written under her pen name Amanda Quick and is part of her Arcane Society novels.