Silver Linings, by Jayne Ann Krentz

The second book was a Krentz from 1991, Silver Linings. My grade for it was a B+.

Successful but shy, Seattle art dealer Mattie Sharpe fell for handsome, outspoken, professional adventurer Hugh Abbot at first sight. So she turned up her courage, let down her hair and made him an offer she thought he couldn't refuse. But he broke her heart, and left Seattle for his South Sea island home. Angry and hurt, Mattie endured the advice of her eccentric, artistic family -- a sister who disdained Hugh as too "elemental," and an aunt who called him a "real" man. Mattie vowed that she'd meet Hugh again over her -- or better, his -- dead body.

When they do meet again, it's over someone else's dead body -- and now they're running for their lives through an island jungle. Hugh's talking fast to make-up for his mistake. Mattie's not listening...until his gentle touch ignites a white-hot fusion, and she gives in. But Hugh's past is catching up with them -- and Mattie must stake her very survival on the man she loves -- the only man who ever let her down!

I enjoyed this, even though Hugh wasn't my usual type of hero. He was very macho, but of the oblivious macho type. A bit of an insensitive, unsophisticated clod, sometimes (OMG, the scene where he tries to talk like the modern, enlightened, sensitive guy he thinks Mattie needs was a riot!). But, as he says once, he means well. He really does try to understand Mattie and give her what he needs, even to the extreme of being willing to give up his dreams and moving to Seattle just to be with her. Of course, she doesn' take him up on the offer, this being a romance novel and all *exasperated sigh*, but what the hell. The life Mattie's going to is much better suited to her stress-prone self than the one she was leading.

Mattie was a surprisingly strong heroine. She seemed to be a bit too much of a quiet, nurturing, understanding woman at first, but she was very firm about not allowing Hugh to manipulate her and walk all over her and drag her off to the islands. She held him off until she was sure of what she wanted to do, and she really made Hugh work for what he wanted.

I did enjoy the plot outside of their relationship. The "adventure" part was mercifully short, and the supporting cast well drawn. I especially liked Evangeline, the "working girl" from the islands.