Dreams Part I and Part II, by Jayne Ann Krentz

With the Dreams Part I and Part II duet, Jayne Ann Krentz does something I hadn't seen before in a Harlequin book, or rather, books!

These are not the usual book and sequel. Neither are complete in themselves, but they aren't really a whole book either, because the main issues change. Part I focuses on the courting, while Part II focuses on making a marriage work and dealing with pregnancy. Meanwhile, the Chained Lady legend and the suspense subplot cover both books.

Dreams Part I: History was repeating itself

Diana Prentice needed a break from the power gars corporate world. She picked the charming mountain town; Fulbrook Corners as her sanctuary, not knowing that mysterious forces had lured her to the scene of an age-old struggle. Was it the local legend of the Chained Lady and warrior that was so unsettling to her... or the disconcerting presence of native Colby Savagar?

Soon the sheer fierceness of his passion overwhelmed and left her in turmoil. For she knew somehow there had been another place, another time when he had taken by force what she now gave willingly ....

Dreams Part II: They were bound by fate

Pregnant! Diana Prentice knew she should be ecstatic - bearing Colby Savagar's child - but she wasn't. The idea of motherhood frightened her. Almost as much as the recurring dreams that told her she needed Colby...dreams that beckoned her back to Fulbrook Corners and its timeless legend.

Colby himself was haunted by visions of impending danger. He, too, was inexorably drawn back to his hometown. Somehow they both knew the key to their happiness lay in Chained Lady Cave, and that only when they conquered the dark forces of the past together would there be hope for their future .. .

My global grade would be a B-.

The first part I thought was much, much better than the second, basically because the very nice guy Colby seemed to change into a sexist prick in the second one. I'd grade the first book B+ and the second one C.

I really liked the way Diana and Colby's relationship developed in the first part. They had chemistry and they seemed to genuinely like each other. This part was enriched by the Colby - Specter the cat feud (hilarious!) and by the appearance of Colby's son Brandon, who was very well done and introduced a fascinating conflict.

Then the second part had to go and become a stupid story about a woman in a relationship with a guy who resisted their being equal partners, and about a pregnancy. I was bored, and I started disliking Colby.

I also did not like the actual Chained Lady legend. It left a bad taste in my mouth that the guy in the legend (a rapist creep) was portrayed not all that negatively.