OK, it's official. After looking through my spreadsheet I have concluded that this is the best 2005 book I have read this year. I loved it. Set in pre-Revolutionary War America Ride the Fire tells the story of two very tortured people. But I must first issue a warning. The prologue was so gruesome and graphic that I had to read it with my eyes closed. You know what I mean. I had to skim through parts of it, but it was worth persevering.Elspeth (Bethie) is a recently widowed and hugely pregnant young woman left alone in the wilderness of the Ohio valley when her older husband dies. She knows she cannot go back to civilization until after her baby is born. Nicholas has been living in the wild for six years after his torture at the hands of the Wyandot Indians. He severely injures himself and finds Bethie's homestead in the woods. He demands she help him and then passes out at her doorstep. Bethie stitches him up and nurses him back to health. Nicholas repays her while he heals by protecting her, helping with the homestead, and delivering her baby. The love that develops between them is sweetly erotic with lots of sexual tension.
Bethie is haunted by her abuse at the hands of her step-brother and step-father. Nicholas is haunted by his abuse and torture at the hands of the Wyandots. Both of them must overcome their fears and learn to trust the other. Bethie is a strong, wonderful heroine. But Nicholas is a hero to die for. When he thinks that her dead husband had abused her, he wanted to dig up his bones and kick them around. Right there he completely won my heart. There is lots of action based on true events which I found fascinating since I'm a bit of a history buff. But the action takes second place to this wonderful story of healing love. Nicholas' final speech to Bethie is heart stopping and will make you sigh in contentment. I think I'll go read that again.
My Grade: A
I have one quibble that does not effect the grade. The cover is so wrong! For two reasons: 1) covers with bare-chested men should go the way of the dinosaur, and 2) Nicholas was cruelly tortured and horribly scarred on his chest. Every time I looked at the cover I wanted to put a shirt on this guy. But don't let this stop you from getting this book.
AAAARRRRRGGGGG &#$&##%%# Blogger - This is the second writing of this review. Blogger ATE it. And the first one was SO much better *cries*. It's 1:00 am and I'm bleary-eyed. OK, Rosario, what was the name of that program??? You know what I'm talking about.
Additional note: I corrected the crappy spelling in this thing. I don't write well a one o'clock in the morning.
4 comments:
Oooo, this sounds great. I've never read Pamela Clare. Next trip to the UBS I'm looking for her books.
well, let's try this again. First one didn't work.
Isn't this book wonderful??? I was so glad to see you like it as much as me. I've already read it 3 times and feel a 4th coming on soon.
As far as blogger, what I do is do my topics in word doc and save it. Then just paste it in. I've learned through bitter experience also to do it this way.
Oh, and congratulations on your coronation.
"I knew it too," she muttered "But I wasn't fast enough."
Tara - Go forth, seek, and find. You won't regret it (says her baroness-ness).
Kristie - I have read the last chapter 3 times and I think I'm in love with Nick.
Oh, and congratulations on your coronation.
Thanks! I need to perfect my curtsey. I just got lucky.
BTW, I think I read on Blogger help that they have a MSWord plug-in that you can use to edit and post directly to blogger. I'll check it out.
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