Books › Sharp Edges
Sharp Edges
First published 1998 · 550 pages
A witty, high-stakes collision of high art and rough-hewn investigation where fake dating is a matter of life and death.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a chic Pacific Northwest gallery where the polished surfaces hide dangerous secrets. It delivers a brisk, entertaining blend of contemporary romance and suspense, driven by the delightful friction of an opposites-attract dynamic. The atmosphere balances the refined, aesthetic world of art collecting with the gritty, high-stakes reality of a murder investigation. As the narrative unfolds, the mood shifts seamlessly from playful banter and prickly reluctance to genuine tension and thrilling collaboration. The prose is snappy, keeping the pacing tight while leaning into the fun of forced proximity and hidden agendas. It is a perfect escape for readers who crave a witty, suspenseful romance where survival depends on trusting the last person you ever expected to like.
- Mood
- chic
- tense
- lighthearted
- mysterious
- Tone
- playful
- suspenseful
- witty
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- opposites attract · forced proximity · hidden agendas · art and deception · survival and trust
- The writing
- Snappy and engaging, balancing sharp banter with atmospheric descriptions of the Pacific Northwest art scene.
- The arc
- Moves from prickly, reluctant partnership and mutual suspicion to thrilling collaboration and romantic trust.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love the friction of opposites-attract romance paired with the high stakes of a deadly mystery.
Content notes
- murder
- threat of violence
About the book
Eugenia Swift is a young woman of singular sensibilities, and a connoisseur of beauty. As the director of the Leafbrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island -- an artistic haven near Seattle -- to catalog an important collection of art glass. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding the collector's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax -- a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to ice-cold bottles filled with beers.
When Colfax declares they must pose as a couple, Eugenia protests in a manner as loud as his Hawaiian shirts. She fears that her secret mission will be discovered...while he hopes that she will be a mask for his own hidden agenda. But soon their very lives depend on making an utterly convincing couple. Because among the chic galleries of Frog Cove Island lurks a killer, and their only chance for survival is the boldest, most artful collaboration they can dare to imagine.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Sharp Edges
See why they match
Deep WatersJayne Ann KrentzA suspenseful Pacific Northwest romance where two burned-out executives find that small-town life holds both unexpected love and deadly secrets.
Silver LiningsJayne Ann KrentzA steamy, high-stakes jungle adventure where a broken heart must learn to trust again while dodging danger.
Crystal GardensQuick, AmandaA crackling blend of gaslamp mystery and witty romance where psychic sparks fly just as fast as the bullets.
Ghost HunterJayne CastleA snappy, futuristic paranormal romance where sharp banter and second-chance sparks fly against a backdrop of alien ruins and eerie mysteries.
Raven's PreyStephanie JamesA high-stakes, forced-proximity thrill ride where survival depends on trusting the very man hired to hunt you down.
Shield's LadyAmanda GlassA sweeping, fated romance that throws a coolly ambitious outcast into the inescapable orbit of a feared mercenary.