Aphrodite's Secret (Protector) [Mass Market Paperback]

First off, as far as Davy's mom, Lane Kent is concerned, Jason abandoned her when she was pregnant. She may still love him, but the hurt is great, and she is ready to get on with her life, in the form of trying to find another man to be her love and Davy's father.

Then, there is the fact that Jason's evil father wants to kidnap the boy before he turns seven. This is the man who kept Jason and Lane apart for all that time. You see, Jason is not just a man, nor is his father or his son.

Jason is a Protector, a super hero, and his father is the most evil of all the Protectors' enemies, an Outcast. If the evil Hieronomous can capture Davy, he can drain the boy's powers just as he turns seven and actualizes them completely. Lane knows nothing about all this, until Hieronomous sends his other son, Mord, to kidnap Davy. Once that is accomplished, Lane, Jason, and other Protectors readers have grown to love, including a certain ferret, must rescue him. Hopefully, there will be time for Jason to reignite Lane's love, but that has to be secondary to finding Davy. Hieronomous must not become any more powerful.

***** As always, Julie Kenner can be counted upon to deliver a fun book, something most of us can really use along about now. Though lighter than SILENT CONFESSIONS, it still has powerful, intense love scenes. Lane may not be a heroine, but she is not a force to be lightly taken, and Jason is as charming as the dolphin he can become. I hope that this is not the last in the series, and that maybe the mysterious Mordecai gets his own story in the near future. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

Lane, sister of Taylor from Aphrodite's Girdle, had no idea who Jason really was, and so far as she is concerned, Jason left her when he found out he was to be a father, never to be heard from again. Her son Davy is now the focus of her life, her little genius whom she doesn't realise is half Protector and whose intellect, like Hieronymous, is his principle power. Davy is about to turn seven, when his powers will blossom and for a moment those powers will be vulnerable. In the meanwhile, Hieronymous has come up with an evil plan to add to his own intellect ...

This story is another Kenner gem, and like the others in the series is told with wit and originality. The humour keeps the story grounded, as does the relationships between many of the characters, including that of Hieronymous and his sons. There are very `human' issues dealt with - jealousy, loyalty, love, trust - even for those with super powers. Although it's not my favourite book in the series, it's a good addition to it and advances the plot for more characters than just the central two.