TEST
I generally don’t pick up any Superromances these days that involve pregnancies, cowboys or children of any kind. Which means I don’t pick up many Superromances these days. But when I saw Helen Brenna’s Treasure, I pounced on it like a crazed leopard. Could it be? A Superromance about a marine archaeologist and a treasure hunter sailing to the Bahamas in search of a long-lost ship? How could I resist? It turned out to be a pleasant enough read, though not as good as the premise promised.
Ever since her treasure hunter parents discovered the legendary Santidad Cross, Annie Miller watched terrible things happen to those who came in contact with it. Her parents died shortly after discovering it, then a colleague at the museum where she works perished just moments after taking the piece from her. Legend has it the Cross was cursed by an Aztec prince. Having seen more than enough to prove to her that the curse is true, Annie decides she must return it to the shipwreck site where her parents found it so that no one can be hurt by it again.
Due to the circumstances of the discovery and her parents’ death, no one but Annie knows they found the location of the Spanish galleon Concha. Treasure hunters have continued to search for it for years, including Jake Rawlings. In order to get to the site, Annie signs on with Jake’s crew, claiming that she has new research indicating the ship’s location. She doesn’t tell him that she really knows where the shipwrecked vessel is, or that, other than the Cross, there’s no treasure to be found there. Jake is suspicious of Annie and didn’t want her on his crew to begin with. But when a series of incidents befall the voyage, they may have to work together to unmask the possible saboteur onboard.
It’s an atypical premise for a series romance these days, and the novelty factor alone makes for a more interesting read than most. There’s not a cliche in sight. There are times the author’s writing could be sharper, as in the underwritten final scene of the prologue depicting the death of Annie’s colleague, where the terse, choppy prose fails to make the scene as effective as it could be. But on the whole, Brenna’s prose is readable enough to keep the story moving and the pages turning. This is an easy read I had no trouble getting through, and it gets even better in its second half once with action picks up and the adventure begins in earnest following the more character-driven ship-based scenes.
If I couldn’t work up more enthusiasm for the book, it’s because of the overall lack of depth. Great things can be done in the series romance format, and there are series books that are just as good as any single-title. But then there are those that are “just” series romances. This is “just” a series romance. The characters are bland and one-dimensional, and their development is shallow. Each has a simple character conflict which is dealt with rather easily. Annie is afraid of water (leading to an embarrassing early scene) and has issues with treasure hunters due to her parents. Jake feels guilty about the death of his brother and has issues about the new man in his mother’s life. Jake’s sister-in-law has feelings for her dead husband’s best friend, who always loved her but never acted on it. None of this is really explored with much depth. It felt like it was all just given lip service and the resolutions were too pat. As a result, I didn’t mind the characters, but I really wasn’t all that invested in them or their problems. The villains are similarly one-note, and the settings, though cool, could have been portrayed more vividly.
While the subject matter alone (especially given that four of next month’s Superromance lineup involve children, a fifth, pregnancy, and the sixth, cowboys) is worth investigating, in the end the book offers not quite enough that’s special or memorable to recommend it. Still, readers looking for something different or those with a taste for adventure may find Treasure worth their while.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 08/02/07
Publication Date: 2007/02
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.