In book one of the Dreamlight Trilogy (an Arcane Society spin-off), private investigator Chloe Harper comes from a family of brilliant forgers who make their living in shady, underground deals. Needless to say, the Harper family steers clear of the secretive, rule-making Arcane Society (a mysterious psychic research organization) and Jones and Jones (a paranormal investigation agency that primarily works for the society).
Jack Winters avoids them as well. As the direct descendent of Nicholas Winters, a powerful alchemist and the enemy of fellow alchemist Sylvester Jones (the Arcane Society’s founder from the 1600s), Jack is one of three destined men to be affected with the Winters Curse. If he turns into a monster as part of the curse, J&J will kill him, no questions asked. As a dreamlight reader, Chloe can save him before he loses control of his new unwanted talent, but to do so, they have to find a mysterious lamp that can harness their combined powers into a weapon.
Jack and Chloe were awesome together. They formed a fast friendship before they jumped into bed, and it was enjoyable seeing them both grow as people and as a couple.
I liked this book, but it jumped around a lot. If I hadn’t read the previous Arcane books, I probably would’ve been confused. Not only did Jack and Chloe have trouble with the lamp and the so-called curse, they also had to deal with Nightshade, a renegade paranormal group out to enhance their psychic abilities through a dangerous drug.
For some reason, Ms. Krentz wrote this trilogy backwards. I like the fact that the ongoing mystery of the Burning Lamp and the Winters’ family curse takes place in three different time periods (all under different author names), but the layout is odd. The contemporary story comes first, the historical one is second, and the futuristic story is third. In this modern day story, there were references and spoilers about the couple from the historical book, but most readers (me included) probably wouldn’t have read that story yet.
This book seemed to drag a little in the middle and could use a light edit (for example, Chloe’s last name is Harper, but it’s written as Winters in one scene). The best parts were with Fallon, the head of J&J, and I’m so happy to see the set-up for his story. As this trilogy stands, I’m definitely interested in reading the other books.
3.5 Stars

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.
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Ah...the Arcane Society. I enjoy Ms. Krentz' Arcane books. This one was quite nice. Unlike other readers, I like that the stories are interconnected but about a different couple each time. It's comfortable and familiar and I know what I'm getting. I don't have to try to figure out a new world premise with each book. I do have a tendency to like the ones set in the current time the best, although the others are nice too.

The characters here were well done. They were not explored in too great a depth but rather to the normal level for Ms. Krentz. The Nightshade plot advances. Another couple gets rounded up into the J&J agency. Fallon Jones seems to be getting closer to his own book. To which I am greatly looking forward. There were no sentient cats or dust bunnies here thank goodness. A pet peeve (bad pun) of mine.

If you've read others of Ms. Krentz' Arcane novels you'll like this one. If you're new to the series, you might be slightly lost but after you read this one you can go back and read the others to catch up. Now it's on to the Burning Lamp for me. ( )

I liked the different viewpoints and different storylines
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Fired Up
4 Stars

Synopsis
A direct descendent of Nicholas Winters (the arch-nemesis of Sylvester Jones), Jack Winters is subject to the family curse, i.e. he will develop secondary psychic talents that will ultimately cause him to go insane. The only solution is to locate the Burning Lamp and a Dreamlight reader who can stabilize Jack's abilities. Chloe Harper is the only one powerful enough to manipulate the lamp but can she help Jack before it is too late?

Review
Note: This is the first book in the Dreamlight Trilogy but the 7th book in the Arcane Society series. While it is not necessary to read the previous books to understand the basic story, reading them may provide background that will make it easier to grasp the complete story arc.

Fired Up is another action-packed and entertaining addition to the series. the writing mainly flows despite one or two editing issues. One problem with the writing is the overly technical descriptions of the dreamlight energy and its manipulation.

The romance between Chloe and Jack is captivating. They have intense chemistry as well as an emotional and psychic bond that makes their connection even stronger. Chloe is fiercely independent with a profound need to rescue others (mangy dogs, homeless people, runaway girls, etc.). While Jack's character is not as developed, he is still a strong hero and I liked the fact that he is proactive about the curse.

The plot is similar to the other installments in the series and as such the outcome is predictable. However, there are certain original aspects such as the dream motif (which could have been better developed) and the Winters' family curse (the excerpts from Nicholas Winter's diary at the beginning of the book, set the stage very nicely).

Overall, an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book (the historical prequel), and to finally reading Fallon's story (he seems to get more grumpy and reclusive as the series progresses). ( )

Potomci Nicholase Winterse a Sylvestera Jonese jsou poznamenáni pokusy vzešlými z fanatické rivality svých předků. Vládnou neobvyklými schopnostmi, avšak také trpí duševními poruchami. Jack Winters prožívá noční můry i výpadky paměti a věří, že je to jen počátek nastupujícího rodinného prokletí. Legenda praví, že mu může pomoci jen Spalující lampa, ale že ji nemůže nalézt bez pomoci ženy, která umí číst v její záři. Je přesvědčen, že takovou ženu objevil v Chloe Harperové, jejíž soukromá vyšetřování jsou překvapivě úspěšná. A Chloe skutečně nachází její stopu, ale jak se k lampě přibližují, energie v ní skrytá hrozí zničit jejich psychiku. ( )