Fires of Winter

Book Description

Lovely and dauntless, abducted by invaders from across an icy sea, Lady Breena vowed vengeance 埳wearing no Viking brute would be her master 㟮o barbarian would enslave her noble Celtic heart, but then came Garrick Haardrad, the proud and powerful son of a ruthless Viking chieftain.

Customer Reviews:

One of my Favorit Romance Books.......2007-09-03

This is one of the first Romance books I read, and I tell you it got me hooked. I now can't seem to get enough of Vikings, Pirates or Highlanders. ;p

This book has a great story line full of adventure. The characters are very likable and strong willed. It was entertaining to see them battle it out while their relationship was developing...
Brenna was kidnapped from her home by Vikings, and made a slave. She was given to Garrick by his father in hopes that she would make him happy. What follows is quite entertaining.
This book moved very fast and I was in disbelief that it was over when I turned the final page. I want more...

An excellent Historical Romance. Great Job JL... two thumbs way up!!!

One of her best...A Romantic Masterpiece.......2006-08-16

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED read. Characters are strong, well developed. Great Plot...heartwarming and entertaining. A must read, her old stuff, for the most part is her best stuff. I have yet to read anything published by Lindsey after 1995 that I find as good. There is a sequel to this one, Hearts Aflame which is just as good, if not better. She disappoints slightly in the third book of this series, Surrender my Love, but otherwise very worthwhile.

Wonderful, new story line.......2006-07-22

I love the Viking series! I didn't think I would, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes J.L.'s works. A wonderful, new, fresh story line!

Ugh.......2006-07-16

Wow this was not very uplifting. I think if there had been one more rape I would have put the book down. I know that the Vikings were actually much worse than what was written but maybe it should not be a subject for a romance novel. There wasn't much that was romantic about this book. So what if he had his mother make her a dress! I also found it impossible that Brenna was the only one of the slaves that was in the least upset about their situation. Murder, rape, beatings, slavery. Sounds great to me. Sign me up!! Just a bad topic and a less than attractive hero.

Some must like it rough.......2006-06-14

For all the complaints I hear from women on how badly men treat them, there certainly are a lot of best selling romance novels with women getting mistreated by the heroes.

This is a case in point. The viking hero takes the heroine from her home after virtually wiping out her familiy.

She finds herself a thrall in his home. She finds out he routinely lends out his female slaves to his friends to use. Two of whom tell how they are routinly gang raped by them.

He ravishes her. He mistreats her. In the end he falls in love with her.

With men like this women don't need enemies. Domestic violence centers are made for women who have men like this caring for them.

Interesting reading.

Average customer rating:

overated
Must Read
Amazing book here
A great novel

Under Fire (Penguin Classics)
Henri Barbusse
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143039040
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Book Description

Based on his own experience of the Great War, Henri Barbusse's novel is a powerful account of one of the greatest horrors mankind has inflicted on itself. For the group of ordinary men in the French Sixth Battalion, thrown together from all over France and longing for home, war is simply a matter of survival, lightened only by the arrival of their rations or a glimpse of a pretty girl or a brief reprieve in the hospital. Reminiscent of classics like Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms and Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, Under Fire (originally published in French as La Feu) vividly evokes life in the trenches—the mud, stench, and monotony of waiting while constantly fearing for one's life in an infernal and seemingly eternal battlefield.

Customer Reviews:

overated.......2007-04-15

After reading this book I was surprised to see it had an equal rating with "Storm of Steel", I would not even put them in the same categorie. This book had very long dry spells that took away from the few interesting chapters. The last few chapters dealing with the battle and aftermath are the only reason I gave it three stars.

Must Read.......2006-11-18

This is an excellent anti-war novel by a writer who fought in one. All should read this book, lest we forget the horrors of war.

(In 2003, I searched all of Paris to find the 1917 translation of this book. I found it in Berkeley, California, at a used bookstore and got ripped off. Then I found it re-released by Penguin Classics in 2004. Both the 1917 translation and the 2004 are good.)

Amazing book here.......2003-04-09

Amazing, sweeping, a black and white word picture of the nightmare of trench warfare. I read this book in the Univ. of Arizona library in stages from 1997-99 not for a class, not for a term paper, but merely BECAUSE IT WAS THERE. Barbusse is a poet when the shells are falling at 3:00 am, he is a priest when an appeal to Mon Dieu is needed to save a friend horribly wounded. How someone could compose something this flowing, with this kind of rhythm, even as the Hun is rushing another muddy trench, is amazing to me. He must have attained some altered state, some semi-divine detachment, when composing the lyrics that actually describe a nightmare you can't wake up from; or what most other people called World War I. Yet so many will have nothing to do with this type of literature, it's about war and therefore turns off automatically the majority of readers, and essentially all of the female type. But that is their loss - the book ends with a gasp at hope no matter how dark the sky; there is a ray of sun peeking through even the Germanic cloud of Destruction. This can be an example for all of our hopes whether one is surrounded by an actual battle or a conflict of one's own making.

A great novel.......2001-02-14

Under Fire (along with Remarque's All Quiet...) remains for me one of the most powerful descriptions of the madness and horror of war that I've ever read. What I found most compelling in Barbusse's novel is the author's use of language in describing "the tortured earth" during a passage in which French troops are being shelled. The author introduces you to a score of characters whom you really get to know as you experience the unspeakable conditions under which they are forced to survive and fight. One hesitates to use the term beautiful in referring to descriptions of carnage and agony but I can think of no other way to convey the power and, yes, poetry of his words. His language is clear-graphic-the "scenes" are enormously vivid. It would, in the hands of a competant director-one with vision- make a great film particularly if done in black/white! A great book written with sympathy towards those victims who are asked to participate in the insanity of war.

Average customer rating:

Sensual
Disappointed
VERY GOOD ROMANCE!
The Power of Love
Abusive hero? Yuck........

Winter Fire
Elizabeth Lowell
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380775832

Amazon.com

Widowed at 16, Sarah Kennedy's marriage left her with a bitter taste for men. Her biggest concern has been for her 15-year-old brother, Connor. But with the dangerous Culpepper Clan nearby, she now worries for herself as well. As if in answer, a badly wounded Case Maxwell is deposited at her door. Accustomed to tending injured hawks, she tends him with care. But Case has far deeper scars than Sarah can see. He seeks revenge against the Culpeppers for reasons he can never forgive or forget, until Sarah teaches him how to love again. A warm, satisfying read.

Book Description

Orphaned at thirteen, a mail-order bride at fourteen, widowed at sixteen, Sarah Kennedy has learned to depend upon no one but herself--reserving all her love for her younger brother Conner, and for the wounded hawks she heals and returns to the air.

A hardened Civil War veteran, personal tragedy has taught Case Maxwell three things: to be a patient, deadly fighter, to love nothing that can die; and that justice is blind. But when a confrontation with his sworn enemies, the Culpepper clan, leaves him near death, Case finds himself, like many another damaged wild creature, under the tender, unwanted care of Sarah Kennedy.

Destiny has brought the healer and the warrior together to brave chilling risks and dangerous truths in a hard, magnificent land--two souls haunted by a perilous present and the bitter ghosts of the past. But the intense emotion both Case and Sarah fear--the passion that burns like fire in the very heart of winter--is the only thing that can truly save them, as together they seek the courage to face the greatest risk of all: love.

Customer Reviews:

Sensual.......2006-12-22

This book is really good, even though there were (4) pages in sucession missing in the book I bought. I read Autumn Lover and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Elizabeth Lowell's "Only series" was great and it would take alot to top that series. The hotter the book the better I like them. I am an avid book reader.

Disappointed.......2005-08-12

I've read other books by Elizabeth Lowell and liked them. This one was a real disappointment. The hero was unlikeable; there was no chemistry between the hero & heroine. And some phrases were repeated over and over, ad nauseum. I expect more from a "professional" author.

VERY GOOD ROMANCE!.......2004-05-23

I LOVED THIS BOOK, "WINTER FIRE". I LOVED HOW SARAH HEALS CASE'S INNER WOUNDS AND TEACHES HIM TO LOVE HER, AND I LOVED THE WAY CASE TEACHES SARAH THAT SEX IS GOOD. SEX IS NOT WHAT SHE EXPERIENCED WITH HER DEAD HUSBAND, HAL KENNEDY. SHE'S HAD SOME BAD EXPERIENCES WITH SEX BUT CASE SHOWS HER THAT SEX CAN BE GOOD AND ENJOYABLE. AND I LOVED THE WAY SARAH CARED SO MUCH FOR HER BROTHER CONNER. IN THE END CASE ADMITS TO LOVING SARAH. ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A GREAT BOOK. MUCH BETTER THAN ITS PREQUEL, "AUTUMN LOVER".

The Power of Love.......2003-03-06

This was the first novel that I read by Elizabeth Lowell and it was well written. The novel not only contained passion and romance it also had an interesting story line. The characters were likable which made for enjoyable reading.

Abusive hero? Yuck...............2002-12-19

Sarah and Connor (I kept thinking of the character "Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgement Day) are brother and sister, eking out a living on their ranch, when a violent band of criminals- the Culpeppers- begins threatening surrounding farms, Chase, a bounty-hunter arrives to set things right. During the ensuing struggle with the Culpeppers, Sarah and Chase fall in love. Can Chase overcome his past and admit to loving Sarah?

I feel bad, leaving a negative review in a forum of so many positive reviews, (which usually means I will get negged), but here's the deal.... I didn't like Winter Fire... Mostly because I found the hero Chase to be emotionally abusive.

From the moment Chase is introduced, he bullies Sara, orders her around and complains about how she is caring for her younger brother. There was also one 'love scene'' early in the book where he was making love to Sarah while she was asleep, which was a real turn off for me. Eh....Ummm... Hello? Our heroine is SLEEPING. Yuck... Not exactly hero material!

Second: The author constantly over-used phrases to describe Sara, that it was almost comic: "Rose-Scented" must have been used at least fifty times in the first six chapters alone.

These two factors, greatly reduced my enjoyment of the book.

Average customer rating:

Sasha Cohen: Fire on Paper

It's ok......

GREAT READING AND PICTURES

Entertaining look at the sport as well as an honest bio

Don't waste your time.
Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice: Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater
Sasha Cohen , and Amanda Maciel
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Michelle Kwan

The Complete Book of Figure Skating

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ASIN: 0060724900
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Customer Reviews:

Sasha Cohen: Fire on Paper.......2006-11-24

Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice was a incredibly detailed story os Sasha's life. My hero is Sasha and I love to skate, so it allowed me to gain more knowledge. Sasha Cohen included beautiful pictures which really helped me to imagine what was going on more visually. The ending was very touching with how she see's skating. I enjoyed reading this story very much and just finished my third time reading it. Now I can't stop spitting out facts to my dad.

It's ok.............2006-11-12

It's ok, but it didn't tell much information, and it doesn't tell much insight, basically what she won and lost.......

GREAT READING AND PICTURES.......2006-08-31

I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to read and interesting.

Entertaining look at the sport as well as an honest bio.......2006-06-06

Fans of Ms. Cohen's career will not be disappointed at her frank autobiography and a career still very much in progress. A favorite for the gold medal in Torino, Sasha spoke openly about the pressures and gained my respect when she maintained her dignity despite cutting observances and outright rudeness from the international press. Despite two falls in her long program and her own inner belief that all chance of any medal at all was gone, she got up off the ice and gave the program her all. Her perseverance rewarded her with a silver medal and inspired a generation of skaters to never give up. Great book.

Don't waste your time........2006-05-13

From beginning to end, I found this book to be dreadful, and an utter waste of my time. Champion? Of what? She is the queen of making excuses, and really, isn't it too soon for an autobiography? Do yourself a favor, skip over this book.

Average customer rating:

A "Dash" of Cooking, Murder and Firefighter Love (B Grade)
Crime story, romance, or mystery - what is this?
Kept me reading
Funny, savvy, and fantastic chick-lit mystery.
Great read and a super find of a new author!

Lime Ricky
Jill Winters
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451218361

Book Description

A tart new comedy of love and murder from the national bestselling author of Just Peachy

The man is Class A: When Gretchen Darrow awoke to a fi re in her New York City apartment, she also woke to firefighter Rick Pallucci-so cocky, so intimidating with his ice-blue eyes, and so...built. The heat is Code 4: A weaker woman might have come unglued, but not Gretchen. This California chef moved east for one reason-a plum job at The Cooking Channel, and she's not letting anything distract her ever again. Or so she thinks...

The suspect is Prime: Who knew Gretchen's new job would yield so many backstabbers, jaded divas, and one fresh corpse? The only person she has on her side is a certain sexy lug-and cracking this case is going to set off enough sparks between them to set the whole town on fire.

Customer Reviews:

A "Dash" of Cooking, Murder and Firefighter Love (B Grade).......2007-07-10

Jill Winter is one author to watch, especially with this adorable and sexy tale of murder, cooking and a sexy firefighter hero who can kiss like there is no tomorrow and loves to cuddle to boot!
Gretchen lands her dream job at a Food Network like channel in NYC. She is more of an assistant to the Martha Stewart like diva, but all in all she doesn't mind. One night, her roommate cousin almost burns down their apartment from some lat night candle burning and in walks in New York's finest- firefighter Rick or Brody as his buddies and family calls him.
Things don't start out too well between Rick and Gretchen. She thinks he is rude and cold and he thinks she is only interested in his famous TV chef brother. But, when these two finally come to an understanding, the sparks fly! Plus, there is a murder mystery on the side for fans who are less interested in our two main character's foreplay.
Gretchen and Rick are so beyond hot but still sweet in their relationship. Also, Winters writes this very erotic elevator scene that will make you fan yourself.
This romance is top notch, even though the murder plot is a little eye rolling, but overall it wasn't too corny.
If you enjoy chick-lit with a "dash" of mystery and nice love play, take a chance on this story.

Katiebabs

Just Peachy
Blushing Pink

Crime story, romance, or mystery - what is this?.......2006-12-18

In my opinion the author of LIME RICKY unsuccessfully tries to mix those three genres together.

The love story, which is kind of shallow, can be quickly summarized:
The two main characters are introduced when Gretchen, having caused a small fire, meets Rick (the fireman) who puts the fire out for her. During the course of the book they eventually meet again and of course plan their future together in the end.

The mystery is even duller:
The intern Shawnee plays some childish tricks on Gretchen, like loosening the wheel on her desk chair, putting olive oil on the steps, and fraying a blender cord. Oh, and once there was a spider in the refrigerator. Duh, how exciting is that? Not too much of a mystery I though.

Now the crime story:
Rick's brother Brett is the star of a show at the coking channel where Gretchen works; Abe is jealous because he is in love with Misty who also had an affair with Brett. So Abe tries to kill Brett with poisonous past sauce, however Misty ends up eating it and subsequently dies. End of story.

All in all it was just too predictable and boring for me.

Kept me reading.......2006-08-05

I'm the first to admit that I don't like to read. If I read a book, it must be good. Lime Ricky was a great read. I finished it in a week (I tend to take months to finish a book). Some authors have that something special in the way they write that just gets you - Jill Winters has that something special.

Funny, savvy, and fantastic chick-lit mystery........2006-06-05

Jill Winter's has given readers a funny, savvy, and fantastic chick-lit mystery in her new book Lime Ricky. Effortlessly combining mystery and romance in a hot new story that readers will enjoy for the great comedy and then read it again for the unforgettable characters.

Gretchen Darrow is innocent of setting a candle fire in her swanky New York apartment, but Fireman Rick Pellucci makes her feel ever so guilty when he arrives to put out the flames. Gretchen has just moved to the city; and living with her cousin in a swanky apartment that is way above her means is just one of the perks for her new lease on life. Her other perk; she's going to be working at The Cooking Channel with one of her idols and cooking alongside some of the best chefs in the business. Little does she know that even at a simple food network there is more drama and backstabbing than in a daytime drama.

Rick Pellucci has had it with "girly" fires and Gretchen is just another example of a waste of a New York's Fireman's time. He cannot fathom why he is reacting to this candle burning woman with her sexy nightgown and flashing eyes. His whole world has been focused on his job and doing that job well. But Trying to forget her is going to be hard because every time he turns around Gretchen is there. It does not help that he feels obligated to stop by her apartment to drop off a fire extinguisher and what Fireman can resist saving a damsel in distress, especially when said damsel bakes a mean Key Lime Pie.

Lime Ricky is a breath of fresh air in the sea of angst that readers are getting in current chick-lit offerings. Instead of filling readers with the neurotic whine of a heroine, Winters has given readers a sweet, smart and oh, so independent heroine that cooks up a terrific treat for readers. And speaking of cooking, the heat just comes off the page when Rick and Gretchen get together. Winters knows how to build up the romantic tension and when readers get the payoff it is worth the wait.

Lime Ricky is a delightful comedy with inventive characters and a fiery romance between Rick and Gretchen. From the wacky receptionist to the prima donna television host, Readers will be drawn into the mystery and will keep reading for the unique characters and strong romance. Winters have given readers a great read to start off their summer with a hot and edgy new comedy that will supply them with laughs, love and just a little mystery to keep them on the edge-of-their seats.

Great read and a super find of a new author! .......2006-05-21

Typically I shy away from trade paperbacks because of the added expense, but I took a chance on this book because of the beautiful colors in the cover. Lame, I know, but this time the eye candy choice paid off. This is a snappy romantic suspense story with interesting leads and well developed secondary characters. It takes place in a new setting--a food television network!--but seemed authentic and believeable. As a mystery there are the red herrings strewn along the path but the powerful romance between the two leads is what drives this story and makes it worthwhile. The sensuality between the couple is slow started and continues all the way to the epilogue with a steaming scene to end the book. I am excited to find an excellent book and new author to recommend. Now--on to find her back cataloge books!

Average customer rating:

only one star
Quite boring
Appealing Characters Make Up for Some Plot Flaws
Another Malloren - another fine romance!!
Fabulous Georgian Period Malloren Family Addition

Winter Fire
Jo Beverley
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451210654
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Book Description

Through no fault of her own, Genova Smith is in the precarious position of accompanying the Marquess of Ashart to a Malloren family reunion. Even more distressing, she and the infuriating rake have been caught in an unexpectedly passionate kiss, forcing her into the most dangerous situation of all: pretending to be betrothed to the one man capable of stealing her heart...

A classic Christmas story back for a new season. New York Times bestselling author Jo Beverley returns to the Georgian period and the irresistible Malloren clan in this sumptuous historical novel of sizzling tension, powerful attraction, a false and forced engagement-and the lavish use of mistletoe and rather well-spiked eggnog.

Download Description

A classic Christmas story back for a new season. New York Times bestselling author Jo Beverley returns to the Georgian period and the irresistible Malloren clan in this sumptuous historical novel of sizzling tension, powerful attraction, a false and forced engagement-and the lavish use of mistletoe and rather well-spiked eggnog.

Customer Reviews:

only one star.......2005-09-23

I don't really get how this book got more than one star! The writing in this book was very weak compared to other romance authors out there. The sentences were short. The paragraphs were short. The descriptions of the people were short. Maybe it's just this book that Jo Beverley wrote that was boring, but I don't recommend this one.

Quite boring.......2005-03-13

I like Jo Beverley and the Mallorens, but this one was quite boring. If Genova was so good looking why does she seem so insecure? After all, she was engaged to be married and broke someone's heart. Why don't we see that she is attractive to other men and that Ashart is jealous. There was too little tension between the lovers and too little passion, for me. Also, too much about old ladies.

Appealing Characters Make Up for Some Plot Flaws.......2005-03-11

As those who have read my other reviews are aware, I read many literary genres, not just romance novels, and I try to hold romances to (nearly) the same standard by which I judge other novels. Jo Beverley's works are a bit problematic for me, as I think she has become a very talented writer who seems to struggle with the plots of her novels. "Winter Fire" is no exception to my opinion -- the characters are engaging, but the mystery element is slight, and the rather simple plot becomes as convoluted and twisted as the contents of a spaghetti bowl.

If you have not read the proceeding books in this Georgian England series, you may find yourself struggling with the many characters and their relationships to each other. Our hero, the Marquis of Ashart, and his cousin, Lord Rothgar, are mortal enemies due to a feud that started over 30 years prior to the opening of the book. Genova Smith is a young lady whose family circumstances have caused her to become the paid companion to two elderly aunts of both the men. One of the mysteries of the novel is the paternity of a baby who is thrust upon Ms Smith and the aunts while they are on their way to spend Christmas at Lord Rothgar's. Everyone, with the exception of one of the aunts and Ashart himself, believes the child is the bastard son of Ashart. The other mystery has to do with the death of Rothgar's mother when he was just a child. It is this death that percipitated the family feud. Neither of these "mysteries" will hold your attention for more than a few minutes -- for example, the parentage of the child will be easily figured out by anyone who regularly reads detective fiction. The other flaw has to do with Rothgar and his change of heart regarding his cousin, which drives much of the plot: I found it a little hard to accept such a drastic change of character. And, as in most of Ms Beverley' novels, you must believe in love at first sight...or something close to it to suspend disbelief at the outcome.

The charm of the book is in the characters, although I would have liked seeing the character of Genova Smith more fully developed. The aunts seemed to be straight out of central casting for any period piece movie from the 1930s through the 1940s -- Edna May Oliver instantly came to mind whenever the "crusty aunt" spoke -- but were amusing and touching. In "Winter Fire" the female characters who are the most finely drawn; however, Ashart's confession to Genova of his miserable childhood with Rothgar's bitter maternal grandmother was very touching to read. The book also introduced a new character in the person of a minx named Damaris Myddleton, who appears in the next book in the series, "A Most Unsuitable Man." The book itself has an attractive stepback cover, which is not always the case with Beverley's books. If you take this book as a light read (perhaps on a cold winter's day with a pot of tea) you won't come away enthralled but more likely slightly amused.

Another Malloren - another fine romance!!.......2004-10-26

Winter Fire may not have been up to the previous Malloren books for intensity and romance but it still is better than most books available. The main rouge is Ashart a nephew of Rothgar and he has the usual rake qualities but deep down is a sensitive with a very good heart. The female is Genova, companion to Ash's elderly aunts - daughter of a naval captain with a wealth of life events to make her far more interesting and challenging than Ash's usual female companions. The story is set over the Christmas holidays at Rothgar Abbey and fortunately you get to revisit some of the Malloren clan again. I could have enjoyed a little more into the newly married Bey and Dianna but of course this was not their story. My only real complaint was the use of to much reference to mythology and old myths that became to confusing and not at all plot worthy to even read!! Basically it was a great Malloren novel - so if you enjoy this family as I do - you will enjoy Ash and Genova as a compliment to the "falling in love" Mallorens!!!!!!

Fabulous Georgian Period Malloren Family Addition.......2004-05-16

Setting - England 1763 --- In an effort to escape the home of her father and his new wife, Genova Smith found herself accompanying the elderly Trayce ladies, Lady Calliope and Lady Thalia to Christmas revelries at Rothgar Abbey as their companion. The tedium of the journey ended abruptly as they stopped to aid another carriage on the road. Requesting assistance, the woman, identifying herself as Mrs. Dash, requested that Genova transport the woman's child and his wet nurse to the next inn to await the arrival of Mr. Dash. Mr. Dash turned out to be the dashing and devastatingly handsome Marquess of Ashart, who just happened to be the great nephew of the Ladies Calliope and Thalia. Handsome as he was, Genova was disturbed that he refused to acknowledge the child as his and seemed more intent on vexing her with some very disturbing kisses. After discovering that his Aunts were on their way to Rothgar Abbey to visit his mortal enemy and cousin, the Marquess of Rothgar, Ash agreed to accompany them the following morning.

Unfortunately, through a series of mishaps, the next morning found both both Ash and Genova in a compromising situation, which was witnessed by two other travelers. Lady Thalia quickly covered up the imminent ruin of Genova's virtuous reputation by claiming that Genova and Ash were secretly engaged. Agreeing to carrying out the façade of a loving couple for a few days before a public breakup, Genova found that there was more to the man than his purposeful attempt to destroy his mortal enemy. While playing at pretending to be in love, Genova discovered that her feelings for him had changed. Freeing him would be the right thing to do but it would leave her with a broken heart as she had fallen hard and deep in love with the dashing devil.

Although, this was Ashart's story, featured prominently as a secondary but important player in the story, was Rothgar and of course, he was as intoxicating and sexy as always. So, in effect, what the author has given us are two heroes in one amazingly wonderful story! Discovering and proving paternity of the child was secondary to the building of a peaceful pact of peace between the cousins and the dialogs and verbal duels were fabulous with all three players taking part - Ash, Genova, and Rothgar in this fully robust and skillfully plotted confrontation. Beverley is a remarkable storyteller who once more brings Georgian England to life with golden prose and emotional feeling into one more beautifully written romance. Awesome stuff from one of the stellar authors in this genre! --- Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

Average customer rating:

Wonderful

Winter's fires

Missing Book Description

A Wonderful Read
Fires of Winter
Roberta Gellis
Manufacturer: Jove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0515091618

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-09-28

I love this book. What made it even more enjoyable was that Gellis broke with tradition and wrote this book in first person POV; but not ordinary first person, but first person POV for both Bruno and Melusine. Each chapter alternates with their POV, which made my reading experience deeper and more enjoyable. Even though Gellis is touch-and-go when it comes to sensuality and romance, Fires of Winter struck a perfect balance with her trademark attention to historical detail and the romance between the two leads. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a meaty historical.

Winter's fires.......2007-01-22

This novel is a sequel of sorts to _Tapestry of Dreams_, and what a worthy successor it is! Roberta Gellis dishes up, yet again, an intelligent and believable romance set amid a vivid historical background. _Fires of Winter_ follows Bruno of Jernaeve, illegitimate brother of _Tapestry_'s heroine, as he learns to love Melusine of Ulle, the bride he initially married for political reasons only.

It actually took me two attempts to finish this novel. The first time, I couldn't get past the first sex scene. It's painful. Not in the "bad writing" sense but in the "oh my God, ouch!" sense. I'm not sure if it's technically rape; it's more of a tragic misunderstanding, and not the horribly misogynistic "But I thought she was a prostitute so it was ok to rape her!" sort of misunderstanding that pervades this genre. Bruno thinks Melusine is sullen but resigned when in fact she's not exactly in her right mind. But I'll give this to Bruno; he stops as soon as he realizes what's really going on.

Anyway, I picked the book up again a few months later, and was able to get through the cringing and into the heart of the love story. Bruno and Melusine's love unfolds slowly and beautifully over the course of several years as the two gradually come to trust and then love each other. It's rough going at first, but when love creeps in, there is tear-jerking sweetness--and sizzling hotness!

The title is apt. During the course of the story, Melusine and Bruno tend to find their tenderest moments in the depths of winter, when the ongoing war has loosened its hold for a brief time, and the life of the court brings them together.

The only quibbles I have with the novel are the aforementioned wedding night scene (which might be troubling for some) and the fact that the alternating-POV chapters are occasionally confusing. I had to do a little mental juggling sometimes because often Bruno's chapter will pick up, chronologically, somewhere in the middle of Melusine's chapter or vice versa, so that the story covers the same time period twice.

Missing Book Description.......2005-06-08

DESCRIPTION -->
The windswept plains of medieval England were torn by the raging struggles of royal conquest. Land was seized from passionate men and women whose lives were forever changed ...

MELUSINE OF ULLE ... the beautiful, cherished daughter of Scottish nobility, her family and her life were destroyed by the winter invasion of King David. She was a sparkling prize of battle, awarded to a man who accepted her hand out of duty to his king...

BRUNO OF JERNAEVE ... the handsome bastard son of a castle whore, his heart belonged to another Yet it was he who would tame the rebellious spirit of the captive beauty--and ultimately surrender to her charms.

THEY WERE ENEMIES, THEN LOVERS. Born of different worlds, joined in the flames of passion and intrigue, they found new strength in each other's arms--and a burning love that defied all eternity...

A Wonderful Read.......2004-08-26

This book should be read after Tapestry of Dreams. Gellis has given us a rich plot full of history without droning on like a text book, created colorful characters of great emotional depth, and a romance that curls the toes. It's a solid read unlike most romance novels, and not something to be skimmed through in an afternoon.

MD

Average customer rating:

Just as lovely as The Juniper Game
The things I miss.
From Young to Old
One of the Greatest Books of All Time
This is a great book

Winter of Fire (Point)
Sherryl Jordan
Manufacturer: Point
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590452894

Customer Reviews:

Just as lovely as The Juniper Game.......2006-06-28

After i read The Juniper Game i just had to find more by the author and this book is a gem. Im tempted to buy it again to see if it is as good as i remember it to be when i was yonger.

The things I miss........2006-01-30

I adored this book. I continue to. I read it over and over before I lost it. Years later, I came across a used copy. I devoured it. Read it three times in a row. Couldn't keep my hands off of it.

I have honestly thought about the heroine of this story nearly every day since I first read it a decade ago. She is an inspiration, as is Sherryl Jordan.

And strangely, only upon my latest reading of the book (probably the 200+ reading in my lifetime) did I notice the creepy Jesus imagery. I feel a little violated. I don't know if I'd have liked the book as much if I originally had noticed the Christian bent. It's a real turn-off to me and I know it is to some other people, so I thought I'd offer the warning just in case it helps someone out. It is a *very* slight reference, hardly important, but still made me (Jewish) feel a little awkward. It's out of place.

From Young to Old.......2005-09-09

So, you've already read over and over again what this book is about--I won't bore you with a summary, let me instead tell you that I first read this book in 9th grade and the story was soo rich and imaginative that I am now 24, still own the book and still read it from time to time. You will not be disappointed.

One of the Greatest Books of All Time.......2004-12-22

A slave woman sentenced to death (for slacking off) is rescued by the most powerful man in the world. Installed as his handmaiden (a highly covetted position normally reserved for the females of the most prestigious families), Elsa is granted the unique oppurtunity to see the world outside of mine where she was born. However she never forgets where she has come from or what she left behind.

Raw determination overcoming adversity is a common theme in books of all genres. What makes this book unique is that Sherryl Jordan was overcoming adversity of her own when she wrote Winter of Fire. Jordan's own determination gives her writing an edge that enhances the story quite a bit. Furthermore the plot is tightly woven and progresses in a way that is very believable.

This is a great book.......2004-07-12

This is a very good book. From the moment I picked it up, I was drawn into the plot, and empathised with Elsa, the main character, easily. It tells the story of her rebellion against her society's ways and discrimination, and is a wonderful book which leaves the reader with a sense of resolve. I recommend this book for anyone for even though it is thick, it is exciting and you just keep on turning the pages, something is always happening and it is NEVER boring. Read it!

Average customer rating:

Fuego De Invierno/winter Fire
Jo Beverley
Manufacturer: Titania
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 8495752654

Product Description

Genova Smith convinces her employers, to let her bring an abandoned baby with them to a Christmas party at Rothgar Abbey, she mistakenly believes that the Marquess of Ashart is the father. Ash has no intention of claiming the child, but he agrees to accompany his great aunts to the holiday fete, despite the family tragedy that has turned Ash and the Marquess of Rothgar into mortal enemies. Genova se ve atrapada en una antigua disputa que enfrenta desde hace años a dos ramas de su familia. Una lucha llena de secretos, mentiras y viejos rencores en la que la muchacha tendrá que esforzarse para descubrir la verdad de ambos bandos, al mismo tiempo que toma una decisión sobre sus verdaderos sentimientos.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant Yet...
Objective is as Objective does, Sir!
awesome
Strange and wonderful
New Idea

Winter Fire
William R. Trotter
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786712570

Book Description

William Trotter’s critically acclaimed fictional debut explores the deep forests of Finland with Nazi intelligence officer Erich Ziegler, a gifted orchestra conductor swept up in the maelstrom of war. Laden with the magic of Norse legends, the savage power of the northern forests, and the horrors of the Finnish and Eastern fronts, this tale burns with the fuel of timeless music and an ancient civilization. Called upon to investigate the loyalties of the highly cultured Finns and keep them allied to the Nazi cause, Ziegler meets the famed composer Jean Sibelius. Obsessed by the genius of Sibelius’s mysterious Eighth Symphony and bewitched by a beautiful servant named Kylliki, one act of defiance against his superiors lands Ziegler in the middle of the fire and ice of the Russian front. When he returns from the apocalypse of total war to the home of his revered composer and beloved forest maiden, he has been transformed into the ruthless soldier he once professed to despise. Exhibiting his outstanding knowledge of military battles, and his peerless mastery of place and the cadences of music, Trotter has written a timeless novel for historical fiction fans, military buffs, music lovers, and those fascinated by Norse mythology.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Yet..........2006-11-11

Trotter has magnificent abilities as a writer, and they shine through here in this his first novel, published now thirteen years ago. Notable is his (seemingly) effortless and original facility with language: time and again his unique phrasing captures a landscape or a social setting in an entirely novel way.

Secondly, Trotter has a great deal of knowledge about two of the major subjects of this book: music and military history. He has an obvious ability to describe and condense the essence of a piece to his reader, and this can only result from great knowledge and experience in analyzing and interpreting music. Likewise, his extensive knowledge of military history in general and the Finno-Russian war in particular are evident in virtually every paragraph of military description, replete with unusual detail and insight as to the nature of combat and of WWII.

But despite all these delicious traits that make the novel so enjoyable, there is a darker side to William Trotter, one that delights in the mystical and even in the horrific, and these, ultimately, made the novel a disappointment for me. What particularly grated was Trotter's mixing of romance with (partial) horror, an aversive experience for someone who, as Trotter describes Tschaikovsky, enjoys a softer (or perhaps more successful) romanticism; not surprising, then, that this novel (spoilers ahead), like Sibelius's Fourth Symphony, contains such bleak despair.

Winter Fire can also be read as a defense of mysticism, problematic since in real life mysticism is not as Trotter has portrayed it, but is the irrational, and thus, the violent and inefficacious. It is ironic that Trotter has given the rationalist or skeptical or counterposing role to Erich Ziegler, the Nazi, when in reality the Nazis were just as mystical and irrational as any historical group, with their belief in the blood and Aryan superiority, their myth of the Nordic man and their own Teutonic heritage. THAT TOO is mysticism, not just the superstitions of Finnish country folk. In defense of Trotter some of his prolonged dwelling on the Finnish forests and the feelings they evoke can be justified as a way of describing the origin of musical feeling, and thus the fount of Sibelius's inspiration, and yet Trotter appears to want to do more than this, evidenced by his championing of the shaman and by his portrayal of the otherwise enchanting Kylliki as essentially a mysterious creature. But then I suppose all women are mysterious.

Objective is as Objective does, Sir!.......2006-08-28

Disclaimer: I'm an old friend and room mate of Mr. Bill and my objectivity is - and should be - suspect from the git-go. But, having said that, I will also say that I have no known level of either loyalty or bribe-ability which would allow me to say a whole bunch of flattering s__t about a work of fiction if I truly thought it was a festering crock of the aforementioned. Having admitted that, I have to give the highest praise I can muster for a work of fiction-cum-biography to this extended, left-handed paen to Jean Sibelius and his quasi-mystical connection with the cultural mythos of Finland and Scandanavian music in general.
In the Trotter universe, Sibelius occupies a rune-strewn plane with Odin, Thor, and the rest of the Nordic pantheon and he doesn't make any clear deliniation between their diverse Scandanavian origins, except to set "Winter Fire" squarely in Finland and give his protagonist an unusual amount of time (for an aggressor's minion engaged in desperate warfare for the survival of his ideology's validity) at liberty in the ghost-ridden forests of rural Finland. Erich Ziegler, a budding symphony conductor in pre-war Germany, is assigned a commander's rank and shuffled off to Finland, where the ghost of his musical muse inhabits the very ground upon which he must fight. Ziegler is keenly aware of this frisson but doesn't appreciate how literal is his connection to the Finnish genius until a chance meeting in the forest draws him, literally, into the orbit of the fabled composer. For anyone whose knowledge of Sibelius and/or Scandanavian classical music runs beyond the cursory, this book offers a delightfully-creepy glimpse into the psyche of Sibelius; a feat made all the more dazzling by virtue of the fact that Trotter was no more personally acquainted with Sibelius than you or me but his characterization of the legendary auteur rings so eerily true that it will probably never occur to you, as it did not to me, that it might not be dead-accurate.
Bill Trotter has, and has always had, an uncanny gift for setting a scene in such a way that you awake from the throes of the reading convinced that you were, in some strange way, present for the events. It is one of the highest and most laudatory of gifts that a novelist can possess and Trotter's work drips with it in luxuriant excess. A lady friend of mine in Greece ordered this book on a whim and wound up, a year later, wandering sans proper guides or supervision, in the forests of Finland, searching vainly for the sort of mystical encounter that Erich Ziegler found in the shrouded mists of the Northern pines. THAT'S the power of great writing, folks.
If your imagination isn't bound by the mundane and readily plausible, "Winter Fire" is a book that can kindle such an exploratory romance in you. I urge you to try it.

awesome.......2006-03-21

this is a very well written book if you buy it you will not be disappointed. i'm suprised this is not on the new york times bestseller list.if you buy it you are in for a great read.

Strange and wonderful.......2005-09-07

What do you get if you mix Finland, World War II, the composer Sibelius, human frailty, and mythology together? If you are an extremely talented and sensitive writer and you've done your homework thoroughly, you get this novel.

I'm going to avoid spoilers in this review, since the strange twists in the plot (twists that seem inevitable after the fact) are so important to it, but here's the basic plot line:

Young (a little spoiled) German musician, on the verge of a promising conducting career, is drafted into World War II and winds up in Finland. He eventually meets and becomes friendly with Jean Sibelius the iconic Finnish composer whose music helped define the country's identity. One of the talked-about mysteries of 20th-century music is whether Sibelius ever wrote an Eighth Symphony to finish his output of seven masterpieces and one tone poem that is practically a symphony in scale and shape. Trotter posits that he did and that there are both obvious and hidden reasons why it never reached the outside world.

This book takes us into the Finnish (and, briefly, the Russian) fronts of WW II from the German and Finnish points of view, to Sibelius's rustic home in exile, and into the deep [really deep] Finnish forest, the nightmare of war, the consciousness of the Finns, and the far reaches of the human personality under stress.

I write about music regularly and was quite impressed with how fluently Trotter makes the musical side of his book into something that a layman can read with understanding and a musician can read with deep appreciation.

The book took a while to hook me, but once it did - after about 100 pages - I could scarcely put it down. I think it will haunt me for some time. Certainly, I will never hear the bell part in Sibelius's Fourth Symphony quite the same way again.

I have seldom finished a novel thinking "Wow, this is a wonderful story". That's how I felt when I finished this. I also felt moved and as if I had been on a voyage into a strange and fascinating world.

Don't miss this one.

New Idea.......2002-04-18

This is an interesting story not normal for World War 2 fiction. There is more music then weapons fire and more conversations then action scenes. It might even be called the thinking man's World War two novel. You have a full time conductor that is a part time German Nazi due to the war who is sent to Finland to work on convincing the local population that Hitler is one of the good guys. The author gives us a great view of Finland and details on the war effort with Russia.
It is a well-written book that has a difficult to pull off story line (by this I mean to keep it interesting for 350 pages), but the author gets it done. If you find a copy of the book it is interesting and different from the normal fair in the category.

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