Jade Tiger

In Hunan Province, China, the intruders attack the Sanctuary of the Jade Circle, but instead of fighting back, her mother sends her twelve year old daughter Shan Westfall to safety. She also leaves her beloved offspring with the protection of one of the five jade statues, the tiger. Sixteen years later, Shan searches for the four missing statues (the crane, snake, leopard, and dragon) to complete the circle; as well as seeking information on her mother. Thus her quest takes her to Risley University in Upstate New York where she comes upon a kung fu expert beating up archeology Professor Ian Dashell. She intercedes and though a tough fight she prevails over her foe. Courageous though no athlete, Ian joins Shan on her mission that takes them into danger in Europe and Hong Kong. On their global trek, the soulmates struggle to survive a malevolent enemy while searching for this evil who destroyed the Jade Circle, but needs the last animal to complete his nefarious plans. JADE TIGER is a stupendous romantic fantasy starring a nerdy male professor and a warrior woman. The half Chinese half-American Shan is an improbable yet stupendous superheroine out of the Lara Croft School of kick butt women. Readers will admire her spunk, skill and tenacity as she lands in one precarious situation after another. In some ways her soulmate Ian is even braver as she was trained for this from childhood while he is not Indiana Jones, but his strength of spirit insists he stand by his beloved, which enables her to overcome her doubts that she might succeed when her mom failed. Jenna Reese writes an enchanting saga. Harriet Klausner

If you're looking for a fun read, you found it. Jade Tiger has a kickass kung fu heroine, geeky Star Wars jokes, a chin kissing scene that will melt the Hershey's chocolate kiss that is your heart, a Shan versus tiger fight, great action scenes and... Did I mention the sexy archaeologist? I've read the book twice and loved it both times. Very highly recommended!!

I absolutely loved the balance of strength and vulnerability in Shan, the main character. The brilliantly described fight scenes showed both the skill of Shan and the author. Shan has obviously been emotionally isolated and her character gains emotional strength as her professor/sidekick teaches her that it's ok to love. Just as the stone representations of powerful kung fu energy are both beautiful and deadly, Jade Tiger has something for pretty much any guy or girl and as such a quick read, I'd recommend this be a book on everyone's shelf.

Location, location, location. That's the rule in real estate, of course, but it also works magnificently in Jenn Reese's debut novel Jade Tiger. Over the course of this kung-fu romance adventure, featuring a hunt for the lost Jade Circle statues from protagonist Shan's past, we get to tour the world. Starting in the Hunan Province of China and moving to upstate New York, then on to the Alps, England, LA, and then Hong Kong, Shan and her acheologist soulmate Ian put the travels of Indiana Jones to shame. And on the course of their quest, the action never stops. I'm not a kung-fu expert or pracititioner (not by a long shot -- I so much as think about doing a roundhouse kick and I pull a hammy), but that didn't stop me from enjoying the fight scenes and paging faster and faster through the book to get to the epic battle at the end. Jenn's writing is sharp, detailed, and at times quite funny (I love the awkwardness Shan and Ian both express at times as their burgeoning love grows -- quite realistic and believable!). She'll take you around the world but you'll never feel lost. I recommend Jade Tiger to anyone looking for a good read -- think Indiana Jones meets a female Bruce Lee, and you're only part-way there. The book is completely original and most of all: FUN. A good Christmas gift, I'd suggest.

As a colleague of Jade Tiger's author, I had the privilege of reading an early draft of this book, and I suppose that might call my objectivity into question. But I can sincerely recommend this book, which is not true of every book I read in manuscript. Jenn Reese's first novel is a fast-paced mix of action, romance, humor, and intrigue. The plot jumps energetically across a number of international locations and is rich with mysteries to solve and dangers to overcome. The interaction between Shan and Ian, her archeologist companion on these adventures, pleasurably echoes Hitchcock, evoking the best of Grace Kelly and Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. The book's chief strength comes from its focus on the emotional journey of its protagonist, Shan, a Kung Fu practioner determined to track down artifacts stolen from her family's custody, artifacts that are key not only only to her family legacy, but also to her own power and strength. It's Shan who drives the action, who makes the tough decisions, who must overcome the seemingly insurmmountable obstacles, and it's her strong presence in this book that makes Jade Tiger memorable. Subtle magic, wit, charm, and martial arts action! There should be more books like Jade Tiger, and I hope we can look forward to many of them being written by Jenn Reese.