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Hearts Aflame
Real estate guru Krista Wyler is soon at the mercy of the Arizona desert when she learns she has inherited her family's business, Wyler Ranch. Krista reluctantly moves in, but her plan is to sell the ranch as soon as possible. Vet Rae Jarrett objects to her selling and offers her aid.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2007
About the author
Ronica Black
42 books145 followersRonica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 14, 2018
Who doesn’t like a good lady cowboy out on a cattle drive? Both main characters had some past life events to overcome, but I liked the resolve and the way the story evolved.
April 28, 2020
Wow!
This story was placed under the erotica genre, but it was so much more that that.
At first, I didn't care for Krista and her personality, but soon after, she escaped her city life and realtors job and rejoined her family on the ranch, and my feelings toward her changed. My heart broke for Krista at the first reunion with her family. Having experienced Alzheimer's disease first hand and watching a loved one pass away right before your very eyes, I completely sympathized with her. Black had me welling up, and the next thing I knew, I was wiping away those damn tears. However, don't let this part of the story ruin it for you, because however horrible the sorrow and heartache was, was matched with just as much heat, passion, and the oh-so-sexy butch on a horse.
Rae!
Well, yes, I giggled or blushed the first few pages at the mention of her name, but I tend to do that with any woman named Rae. However, the only similarities between cowboy Rae and my biker Rae are they are tall, strong, and both ride powerful beasts between their legs. This Rae was a lot more laid back, reserved, and musical. What more can a girl want? Cowboy butch who writes tender love songs who not only plays the music on her guitar but sings them, too!
Oh, God bless the writers who can create such enticing butch women. *swoon*
This story was placed under the erotica genre, but it was so much more that that.
At first, I didn't care for Krista and her personality, but soon after, she escaped her city life and realtors job and rejoined her family on the ranch, and my feelings toward her changed. My heart broke for Krista at the first reunion with her family. Having experienced Alzheimer's disease first hand and watching a loved one pass away right before your very eyes, I completely sympathized with her. Black had me welling up, and the next thing I knew, I was wiping away those damn tears. However, don't let this part of the story ruin it for you, because however horrible the sorrow and heartache was, was matched with just as much heat, passion, and the oh-so-sexy butch on a horse.
Rae!
Well, yes, I giggled or blushed the first few pages at the mention of her name, but I tend to do that with any woman named Rae. However, the only similarities between cowboy Rae and my biker Rae are they are tall, strong, and both ride powerful beasts between their legs. This Rae was a lot more laid back, reserved, and musical. What more can a girl want? Cowboy butch who writes tender love songs who not only plays the music on her guitar but sings them, too!
Oh, God bless the writers who can create such enticing butch women. *swoon*
November 13, 2016
https://inkmarksonemptydreams.com/201...
„Hearts Aflame” is a beautiful Bella Books style lesbian romance that this time involves a ranch in Arizona that one of the main characters inherites, it’s a cute Western tale with many cowboy’s metaphores and glimpses of their lives.
Our two main characters are : Krista Whyler and dr. Rae Barrett.
Krista is has a real estate business that’s working very well in the big city, yet she works to much and has no one to share with her success nor her auburn beauty, but her friend Suzanne. She had a wonderful childhood at the Whyler ranch thanks to her aunt Judith and uncle „tio” Clinton, yet on her road to success she forgot to come back to her roots and hasn’t been visiting her uncles’ for fifteen years and now she comes back because her aunt Judith is really sick and asked for her help. She leaves her business on Suzannes’ hands and finds the ranch have gotten old, her aunt quite bad and her uncle seems to have memory leaks, while the financial situation looks pretty bad and Krista thinks of selling it, but her aunt Judith doesn’t want to hear about it, yet asks Krista to work together with a stranger, Rae –dr. Rae Barrett.
Rae is a veterinarian and has worked for the Whylers for five years now and cared very much about their horses and cattle, yet they have gotten old and cannot take care of the ranch, that’s why judith asked her to work together with her niece, Krista, to save it from being sold or becoming a ruin.
Rae is the typicall cowgirl style, an athletic body, cowboy clothes like : worn jeans and cozy shirts and boots and hat, her life has been good, professionaly she’s doing very well, helped by her assisstant Lindsay, yet her private life was bad, especially when her former girlfriend Shannon has lost her life during a car accident while they were fighting and she drove. Rae didn’t loved Shannon, yet she cared very much about her and felt very guilty about what had happened, she felt vulnerable and hasn’t been into a relationship for three years.
When Rae and Krista first met, fireworks sparkle through daylight, because Krista doesn’t want Rae involved in her family business and because Krista feels so much sexually attracted to Rae has the opposite reaction : she rejects her and treats her pretty harsh, so that Rae believes she hates her,while Krista feels something she has never felt before and runs away from it.
After a sexual endeavour with a stranger, Krista comes up with the idea to make the ranch a dude ranch, so people from all over the country come there and have the chance to live the life at a ranch for a couple of days with real cowboys and real cattle and farm horses. It does work, but Krista needs Rae along especially because of her fear of horses after a childhood accident and because she hasn’t enough cowboys to help through. The group has various members and of course one is very attracted to Rae and Krista is very much jealous, yet her feelings for Rae grow stronger, but she behaves worse because of the jealousy.
Rae seems to have singing talent and I loved the image where Rae sings at night in the forest and Krista watches her incognito.
They have a bad cowboy that had issues before and have incidents, also Krista walks on Rae with the other woman, but Rae denied her proposal, because of her own feelings for Krista, yet three years is a long time and she finds release in the other woman’s hands, short live though. After the incident with the cowboy and because aunt Judith is feeling worse and seems to be in a coma, Krista and Rae head back to the ranch, leaving one cowboy in charge with the group. Rae’s tent was cut by the problematic cowboy and somehow they need to sleep in Krista’s tent. They are to close and cannot deny their feelings at this point, they kiss, lean into each other and make love, Rae starting it all, yet afterwards she runns away and sleeps in the rain, because she’s afraid of commitment and because of the scars of the past. Krista doesn’t know nor understand and cries and their relationship grows colder.
They arrive at the ranch and Judith dies a couple of days later and Krista needs Rae so much now that Rae cannot deny and thanks to the nurse taking care of uncle Clinton they are able to go and take the group back to the ranch safe and sound, yet Rae keeps running away from Krista, even when Lindsay tells her she’ll go out with Krista if Rae is not interested, Rae sees them on the date and grows jealous,yet Lindsay knows the two of them are very much in love with each other and she does it on purpose to make Rae jealous and realize her feelings for Krista and get over Shannon’s death.
Lindsay one day takes Krista to Rae’s home and leave them both to talk. Surprisingly or not, Krista seems more earthgrounded and bolder and asks Rae to speak about Shannon and her fears and reassures Rae she’s not going anywhere and prepares a bath for Rae and washer her hair and then of course, they end up in the bedroom and spend the night and the morining after together. Many happy endings.
I loved the novel, very romantic and erotic and loved Krista’s uppsettings and Rae’s good manners, yet I expected Rae to take the initiative, especially at the end, i know she needed to be rescued and to show that stuborness of cowgirls, yet Krista seemed more real and knowing what and whom she wants as she gives up her big city life and moves at the Whyler ranch for good and for Rae.
„Hearts Aflame” is a beautiful Bella Books style lesbian romance that this time involves a ranch in Arizona that one of the main characters inherites, it’s a cute Western tale with many cowboy’s metaphores and glimpses of their lives.
Our two main characters are : Krista Whyler and dr. Rae Barrett.
Krista is has a real estate business that’s working very well in the big city, yet she works to much and has no one to share with her success nor her auburn beauty, but her friend Suzanne. She had a wonderful childhood at the Whyler ranch thanks to her aunt Judith and uncle „tio” Clinton, yet on her road to success she forgot to come back to her roots and hasn’t been visiting her uncles’ for fifteen years and now she comes back because her aunt Judith is really sick and asked for her help. She leaves her business on Suzannes’ hands and finds the ranch have gotten old, her aunt quite bad and her uncle seems to have memory leaks, while the financial situation looks pretty bad and Krista thinks of selling it, but her aunt Judith doesn’t want to hear about it, yet asks Krista to work together with a stranger, Rae –dr. Rae Barrett.
Rae is a veterinarian and has worked for the Whylers for five years now and cared very much about their horses and cattle, yet they have gotten old and cannot take care of the ranch, that’s why judith asked her to work together with her niece, Krista, to save it from being sold or becoming a ruin.
Rae is the typicall cowgirl style, an athletic body, cowboy clothes like : worn jeans and cozy shirts and boots and hat, her life has been good, professionaly she’s doing very well, helped by her assisstant Lindsay, yet her private life was bad, especially when her former girlfriend Shannon has lost her life during a car accident while they were fighting and she drove. Rae didn’t loved Shannon, yet she cared very much about her and felt very guilty about what had happened, she felt vulnerable and hasn’t been into a relationship for three years.
When Rae and Krista first met, fireworks sparkle through daylight, because Krista doesn’t want Rae involved in her family business and because Krista feels so much sexually attracted to Rae has the opposite reaction : she rejects her and treats her pretty harsh, so that Rae believes she hates her,while Krista feels something she has never felt before and runs away from it.
After a sexual endeavour with a stranger, Krista comes up with the idea to make the ranch a dude ranch, so people from all over the country come there and have the chance to live the life at a ranch for a couple of days with real cowboys and real cattle and farm horses. It does work, but Krista needs Rae along especially because of her fear of horses after a childhood accident and because she hasn’t enough cowboys to help through. The group has various members and of course one is very attracted to Rae and Krista is very much jealous, yet her feelings for Rae grow stronger, but she behaves worse because of the jealousy.
Rae seems to have singing talent and I loved the image where Rae sings at night in the forest and Krista watches her incognito.
They have a bad cowboy that had issues before and have incidents, also Krista walks on Rae with the other woman, but Rae denied her proposal, because of her own feelings for Krista, yet three years is a long time and she finds release in the other woman’s hands, short live though. After the incident with the cowboy and because aunt Judith is feeling worse and seems to be in a coma, Krista and Rae head back to the ranch, leaving one cowboy in charge with the group. Rae’s tent was cut by the problematic cowboy and somehow they need to sleep in Krista’s tent. They are to close and cannot deny their feelings at this point, they kiss, lean into each other and make love, Rae starting it all, yet afterwards she runns away and sleeps in the rain, because she’s afraid of commitment and because of the scars of the past. Krista doesn’t know nor understand and cries and their relationship grows colder.
They arrive at the ranch and Judith dies a couple of days later and Krista needs Rae so much now that Rae cannot deny and thanks to the nurse taking care of uncle Clinton they are able to go and take the group back to the ranch safe and sound, yet Rae keeps running away from Krista, even when Lindsay tells her she’ll go out with Krista if Rae is not interested, Rae sees them on the date and grows jealous,yet Lindsay knows the two of them are very much in love with each other and she does it on purpose to make Rae jealous and realize her feelings for Krista and get over Shannon’s death.
Lindsay one day takes Krista to Rae’s home and leave them both to talk. Surprisingly or not, Krista seems more earthgrounded and bolder and asks Rae to speak about Shannon and her fears and reassures Rae she’s not going anywhere and prepares a bath for Rae and washer her hair and then of course, they end up in the bedroom and spend the night and the morining after together. Many happy endings.
I loved the novel, very romantic and erotic and loved Krista’s uppsettings and Rae’s good manners, yet I expected Rae to take the initiative, especially at the end, i know she needed to be rescued and to show that stuborness of cowgirls, yet Krista seemed more real and knowing what and whom she wants as she gives up her big city life and moves at the Whyler ranch for good and for Rae.
May 8, 2010
Pretty good. See my review at www.lezficrev.bloodspot.com
August 14, 2019
3.5 star rating
Good storyline with reasonably memorable secondary characters.
For the main characters though, Rae's story was somewhat weak for the kind of reaction the author was gunning for.
Good storyline with reasonably memorable secondary characters.
For the main characters though, Rae's story was somewhat weak for the kind of reaction the author was gunning for.
November 23, 2020
Really good book with a story that galloped along - read in 2 sittings. Excellent back story with real characters. Highly recommended.
June 9, 2018
Hearts Aflame by Ronica Black stirs many emotions as the main characters, Krista and Rae each deal with their individual demons. It isn't easy for either woman to keep those demons at bay, while wanting to pursue the mutual attraction they feel for each other. Black creates stories that are filled with complex and colorful characters, and thought provoking content, as with Krista's first person self evaluation. I have enjoyed every book I've read by Ronica Black, and Hearts Aflame is no exception. Reading Hearts Aflame is an entertaining escape into a world that is limited only by your imagination...driving down a gravel road, listening to the crunch beneath the tires, walking into a home that takes you back to your childhood, the onslaught of memories brought on by competing smells of animals, hay, a typical country ranch. These and many more drew me into the book, that was engaging and addictive. I found myself wishing that the book would have continued on with the next group of wranglers, and developed more with Krista's relationship with her Uncle and with Rae. Just a really great read.
March 16, 2021
Successful real estate agent Krista Wyler is called to return to the family ranch. Her beloved aunt is dying and her uncle is having memory issues. The ranch is run down and needs help. When her aunt resists selling Krista comes up with the idea of run a dude ranch with others paying to help gather cattle. Rae the local veterinarian and close friend to the aunt ends up going on the cattle drive with Krista when a couple of hired hands fail to shop up. Seven days on the open range allows for lots of attraction and misunderstandings. For me it was over the top dramatic especially Rae's perpetual running and the reasons for it. Of course there is going to be a HEA. (Written 2007)
April 27, 2018
City-slicker returns to her Aunt & Tio's ranch to help resuscitate it as they are in failing health. Falls for the broody/loner but super-sweet local vet. But they've both got to overcome some past traumas to find their HEA.
December 19, 2020
I loved it. The highs and lows of both Krista and Rae. I loved their coming together and finally ❤ love winning out. Wow the story was top class and gripping. I give this book 10 out of 10 and will be reading 📚 it again and again 💋
September 10, 2019
great novel, found it terrible to stop reading when I had to sleep!
November 5, 2013
A whole collection of personal crises coalesce around two critical situations against the backdrop of the current difficulties for Arizona ranching, giving this book an amazing set of dynamic situations for one outstanding love story to stumble forward. However, the pacing is gentle but intensely relentless. I was so captured by everything happening and I hurt for the key gals to break away from the years of entrapment their very different forms of purgatory ensnared them, keeping love and warmth a distant and seemingly unattainable goal. Oh, the ending was never more satisfying, salubrious, or sublime. Do join these folks for a wonderfully satisfying trip from hell to heaven!
Krista Wyler is an extremely driven and successful woman in her field. In comparison her current love life is simply pallid to non-existent. A totally unexpected family crisis takes her back to her aunt and uncle's ranch where she spent many fabulous summers until her ‘accident’. She is rather quickly swamped and nearly drowned in the awfulness of their situation. She comes up with a well thought-out solution that is trashed by her aunt, a woman whom no one countermands. Oh my! Then, her aunt introduces the ranch’s veterinarian to her niece as the solution to their problems. Krista can only look heavenward. Krista is one amazing gal!
Dr. Rae Jarret is the veterinarian savior whom Krista’s aunt has gently folded into the mix of catastrophic proportions by which the ranch hangs by a thread. Rae is very well established in this area and a woman with many hidden talents and hidden pain. Rae is willing to invest in the ranch as she seemingly has great love and respect for Judith Wyler, Krista’s aunt. However, Krista has a different idea and Krista’s aunt ropes Rae into helping with that. Rae may seem like a bit of a patsy, but in actuality she is very strong and is simply unbelievable supportive of Judith Wyler. I loved Rae!
There is a six-day trail outing that is the main part of Krista’s plan to save the ranch. All manner of amazing things happen on this outing. It was such a delightful and amusing centerpiece. I would have read this book just for that six-day outing, but the book has much, much more going for it. Become a cowboy or cowgirl for a little while, and fall in love with these most amazing people. I did. This book most assuredly has my recommendation!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Krista Wyler is an extremely driven and successful woman in her field. In comparison her current love life is simply pallid to non-existent. A totally unexpected family crisis takes her back to her aunt and uncle's ranch where she spent many fabulous summers until her ‘accident’. She is rather quickly swamped and nearly drowned in the awfulness of their situation. She comes up with a well thought-out solution that is trashed by her aunt, a woman whom no one countermands. Oh my! Then, her aunt introduces the ranch’s veterinarian to her niece as the solution to their problems. Krista can only look heavenward. Krista is one amazing gal!
Dr. Rae Jarret is the veterinarian savior whom Krista’s aunt has gently folded into the mix of catastrophic proportions by which the ranch hangs by a thread. Rae is very well established in this area and a woman with many hidden talents and hidden pain. Rae is willing to invest in the ranch as she seemingly has great love and respect for Judith Wyler, Krista’s aunt. However, Krista has a different idea and Krista’s aunt ropes Rae into helping with that. Rae may seem like a bit of a patsy, but in actuality she is very strong and is simply unbelievable supportive of Judith Wyler. I loved Rae!
There is a six-day trail outing that is the main part of Krista’s plan to save the ranch. All manner of amazing things happen on this outing. It was such a delightful and amusing centerpiece. I would have read this book just for that six-day outing, but the book has much, much more going for it. Become a cowboy or cowgirl for a little while, and fall in love with these most amazing people. I did. This book most assuredly has my recommendation!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 27, 2015
I really wanted to like this book, but about halfway through I wanted to bail. I think it is just the writing style I disliked. I'm a big fan of strong butch characters, but small things in the writing made me forget the good bits. I have never read anything by this author and though I'm sure this book appeals to some it just wasn't one of my favorites.
September 3, 2010
F/F erotic romance. Good story with sexy characters.
January 19, 2016
Wonderful book. Have read it multiple times.
December 8, 2007
Modern western
March 5, 2016
Good plot. Enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews