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Fire's Lady
A sizzling historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Barbara Bretton
Beautiful, young Alexandra Glenn has been sent across the ocean to East Hampton to help restore the early paintings of renowned American Impressionist Andrew Lowell. Her excitement at the prospect of working with the aging master is quickly dimmed when she is confronted by Matthew McKenna, Lowell's mysterious houseguest and protector, who seems determined to drive her away.
When the blood runs hot, the risks are great
Danger lurks everywhere in the cottage by the sea, fueled by dark secrets and a need for revenge that reaches from beyond the grave and threatens Alexandra's very life. Is Matthew McKenna her sworn enemy or the only person she can trust?
But on a starry night on a desert beach in her enemy's arms, Alexandra's suspicion turns into a fiery passion that not even danger can extinguish.
From the golden meadows of Provence to the moonswept beach of East Hampton to the glittering mansions of San Francisco, Alexandra follows her heart to claim her destiny in the arms of the man she loves.
˃˃˃ Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Nominee
˃˃˃ About the authorBarbara Bretton is the best-selling, award-winning author of over fifty novels. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.
Buy your copy today!
Beautiful, young Alexandra Glenn has been sent across the ocean to East Hampton to help restore the early paintings of renowned American Impressionist Andrew Lowell. Her excitement at the prospect of working with the aging master is quickly dimmed when she is confronted by Matthew McKenna, Lowell's mysterious houseguest and protector, who seems determined to drive her away.
When the blood runs hot, the risks are great
Danger lurks everywhere in the cottage by the sea, fueled by dark secrets and a need for revenge that reaches from beyond the grave and threatens Alexandra's very life. Is Matthew McKenna her sworn enemy or the only person she can trust?
But on a starry night on a desert beach in her enemy's arms, Alexandra's suspicion turns into a fiery passion that not even danger can extinguish.
From the golden meadows of Provence to the moonswept beach of East Hampton to the glittering mansions of San Francisco, Alexandra follows her heart to claim her destiny in the arms of the man she loves.
˃˃˃ Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Nominee
˃˃˃ About the authorBarbara Bretton is the best-selling, award-winning author of over fifty novels. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.
Buy your copy today!
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1989
18 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bretton
130 books598 followersBarbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.
Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.
Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.
Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.
Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.
Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.
Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 4, 2011
This book had a more difficult plot line than most romance novels I read. I knew the outcome but how they were going to achieve it was a mystery to me, and I liked that. The villain was a little too over the top in his perseverance but still satisfactory. And all around good book.
April 23, 2018
A SOLID 3.5 STARS!
THIS BORDERED ON SWEET WITH A DASH OF IMPULSIVE PASSION. I ABSOLUTELY WAS GLUED ONTO THE PAGES WHERE THE CHARACTERS BANTERED.
OUR HERO is a married man. Yes, but for reasons mentioned in the story, I most absolutely do not feel that it is adultery. Not in the technical sense anyway, since emotions and the heart is never just a straight line. As a young boy he was picked up and basically his life was saved by Andrew, a famous painter and also the instigator of the entire story. When Andrew's nephew is obviously plotting against his uncle, he gets extremely suspicious and unfriendly with the new assistant that has been hired to help restore and catalogue the paintings. Matthew was a total grouch and lacking gentlemanly manners..but hey, nice guys finish last don't they? Besides...he's like a wounded lion with a thorn in his paw, that doesn't stop him from falling for the soft, beautiful young lady who makes him feel whole and alive again.
OUR HEROINE is lost in life. Having nowhere else to go after being let go from her job, her friend is afraid of her beauty stealing her husband and her own mother couldnt care less about her. Poor Alex is a victim of multiple circumstances and only when she was made to go to America, does her life truly begin - meeting the charming, handsome man who hired her, the aggressive but darkly attractive owner of the house and the painter whose life everyone's is revolving around.
OVERALL it may have been a tad predictable and I just wished the angst level was amped up a lil, but even so it was still an enjoyable and cute romance.
THIS BORDERED ON SWEET WITH A DASH OF IMPULSIVE PASSION. I ABSOLUTELY WAS GLUED ONTO THE PAGES WHERE THE CHARACTERS BANTERED.
OUR HERO is a married man. Yes, but for reasons mentioned in the story, I most absolutely do not feel that it is adultery. Not in the technical sense anyway, since emotions and the heart is never just a straight line. As a young boy he was picked up and basically his life was saved by Andrew, a famous painter and also the instigator of the entire story. When Andrew's nephew is obviously plotting against his uncle, he gets extremely suspicious and unfriendly with the new assistant that has been hired to help restore and catalogue the paintings. Matthew was a total grouch and lacking gentlemanly manners..but hey, nice guys finish last don't they? Besides...he's like a wounded lion with a thorn in his paw, that doesn't stop him from falling for the soft, beautiful young lady who makes him feel whole and alive again.
OUR HEROINE is lost in life. Having nowhere else to go after being let go from her job, her friend is afraid of her beauty stealing her husband and her own mother couldnt care less about her. Poor Alex is a victim of multiple circumstances and only when she was made to go to America, does her life truly begin - meeting the charming, handsome man who hired her, the aggressive but darkly attractive owner of the house and the painter whose life everyone's is revolving around.
OVERALL it may have been a tad predictable and I just wished the angst level was amped up a lil, but even so it was still an enjoyable and cute romance.
April 19, 2019
An amazing story, had me hooked from the first page. The story was compelling and I wanted to scream at Alexandra’s mother, a child should not be used as revenge against their irresponsible, negligent father. This was an emotional rollercoaster, I felt the loneliness, betrayal and loss that Alexandra suffered. However, she had such strength of character and spoke her mind. I was wishing for the stars for her and by sheer determination she got more than she ever dreamed possible.
I highly recommend this beautifully written story.
I highly recommend this beautifully written story.
December 28, 2021
I really liked this! A good old school historical romance with all the qualities. Horrendous wife, a lover, tragedy, villains and more. It is a little slow at first though. It’s on KU right now.
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January 13, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/13/2022)! 🎁
November 14, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally the Eroticism is not Smeared on with a Trowel
It was actually stunning to find a romance novel that did not reek of sex. Nor did it prompt me at the beginning and end to chain myself to a chain of series that would make me want to go blind and never read again. Instead of that, Barbara Bretton wrote a love story that found itself nestling nicely between the 1800's and the early 1900's in style. I can't say I openly loved it, but I definitely liked it and would recommend it to those who love this genre.
Fire's Lady was written around a concept of family dysfunction, an ailing family patriarch, money, bastards, alcohol, the tragic death of a child, a constant war between two men, and a search for happiness by a woman. One man was loved by the magnificent artist who was the patriarch as if he were his own child; the other despised, but related by birth. Into this maelstrom comes the bastard grandchild of the patriarch and the battle for control of both the money and Alexander heats up between the antagonists. A grand beginning for an excellent romance novel.
The strength of Bretton's ability to conceptualize and bring to life characters is to be applauded. They were strong, clear and the battles each one was battling were precise. There was no muddling of the mind as to who was whom and what what going on. Alexandra, Matthew, Dayla and Janine were the good guys. Madolyn, Matthews much hated wife, and Stephen were the constant threat. The battle was on and the winner would end up with all. If not that, they would end up with evil satisfaction. This book was a clear case or good vs. evil in romance form. Hardly the first, but well done nonetheless.
It was actually stunning to find a romance novel that did not reek of sex. Nor did it prompt me at the beginning and end to chain myself to a chain of series that would make me want to go blind and never read again. Instead of that, Barbara Bretton wrote a love story that found itself nestling nicely between the 1800's and the early 1900's in style. I can't say I openly loved it, but I definitely liked it and would recommend it to those who love this genre.
Fire's Lady was written around a concept of family dysfunction, an ailing family patriarch, money, bastards, alcohol, the tragic death of a child, a constant war between two men, and a search for happiness by a woman. One man was loved by the magnificent artist who was the patriarch as if he were his own child; the other despised, but related by birth. Into this maelstrom comes the bastard grandchild of the patriarch and the battle for control of both the money and Alexander heats up between the antagonists. A grand beginning for an excellent romance novel.
The strength of Bretton's ability to conceptualize and bring to life characters is to be applauded. They were strong, clear and the battles each one was battling were precise. There was no muddling of the mind as to who was whom and what what going on. Alexandra, Matthew, Dayla and Janine were the good guys. Madolyn, Matthews much hated wife, and Stephen were the constant threat. The battle was on and the winner would end up with all. If not that, they would end up with evil satisfaction. This book was a clear case or good vs. evil in romance form. Hardly the first, but well done nonetheless.
June 30, 2016
There was much to love about this book. The storyline is interesting, and I loved the hero and heroine. I did struggle with the hero's situation. Adultery does not sit well with me, especially when one of them does not know that the other is married, even if that person is estranged from said spouse for a number of years.
There is a great set of secondary characters in Fire's Lady, making this a very enjoyable read. If you can overlook the modern theme in a period novel, and focus on the romance, then you will like this book. Happy reading!
There is a great set of secondary characters in Fire's Lady, making this a very enjoyable read. If you can overlook the modern theme in a period novel, and focus on the romance, then you will like this book. Happy reading!
June 3, 2015
Did return the audiobook...really didn't like the narrator.
AUDIOBOOK:Listen to from May 21st to June 3rd 2015
Narrator:Madison Brightwell...Really not captivating at all. I had put it aside and at the end of 2 weeks force myself to finish it...Didn't like Madison Brightwell's narration, to whiny. She gave all of the characters the same type of flat monotone voices, except for the grouchy father/artist that is.
The storyline wasn't that bad. It needed a lot more work.
AUDIOBOOK:Listen to from May 21st to June 3rd 2015
Narrator:Madison Brightwell...Really not captivating at all. I had put it aside and at the end of 2 weeks force myself to finish it...Didn't like Madison Brightwell's narration, to whiny. She gave all of the characters the same type of flat monotone voices, except for the grouchy father/artist that is.
The storyline wasn't that bad. It needed a lot more work.
February 21, 2016
This was 5 stars all the way until the soft deadpan ending.
Writers are often pushed to get their new work out to the public.
This sometimes shows a weakness in the characters at places where they should not have been seen as weak.
This is what transpires at the end of this book with our main villians.
Sorry, great story killed by one of the worst endings I have ever come across.
Writers are often pushed to get their new work out to the public.
This sometimes shows a weakness in the characters at places where they should not have been seen as weak.
This is what transpires at the end of this book with our main villians.
Sorry, great story killed by one of the worst endings I have ever come across.
April 12, 2014
very good book
July 2, 2014
Is a great book to read
July 6, 2014
Fire's Lady
I gave this book five stars because it is the type of book that you will hold your interest. I lost sleep reading it at night. It is a great love story.
I gave this book five stars because it is the type of book that you will hold your interest. I lost sleep reading it at night. It is a great love story.
February 15, 2015
Great story
nice story, good book and I loved it!! Looking forward to reading some more of this writer's books. Thank you!
nice story, good book and I loved it!! Looking forward to reading some more of this writer's books. Thank you!
September 16, 2021
Good story!
I really enjoyed this story. Love the characters, they were strong and likeable. Held my interest til the end. Really enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this story. Love the characters, they were strong and likeable. Held my interest til the end. Really enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews