Always

October 11, 2004
More like a video game without rules than a romance, Deveraux's follow-up to her previous paranormal romance, Forever and Always
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is a madcap and often nonsensical romp through time and space. Jack Hallbrooke, a perpetually enraged undercover FBI officer, is none too happy to rescue his kidnapped philanthropist father, who has treated Jack terribly. The quest infuriates him all the more when he learns he must work with Darci Montgomery, an all-powerful psychic who was dubbed the "Hillbilly Honey" after she married rich and supposedly killed her husband. Those who've read this novel's two predecessors will know Darci did no such thing and, in fact, has been on a long quest to find her handsome husband since he disappeared on a philanthropic mission. Newcomers, though, will be mystified by the goings-on in this book, especially when Jack and Darci start using magical objects that bring them into contact with spirits and even transport them back to the Victorian era. Sparse character development and a haphazard plot make for a jolting read, and the absurd conclusion, in which Darci realizes she has an impressive power that allows her to manufacture a happy ending for herself, is pat but somehow appropriate for this off-kilter adventure.