Home Fires

by Luanne Rice

Anne Davis has returned to the house where she grew up, trading her glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a harsh winter on a wind-whipped New England island. Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes--but runs back into the blaze to save something so precious that it's worth risking her life for. It is that reckless act of blind desperation that sets a miracle in motion.


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Family

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick contemporary romance read; not my usual fare but I do throw in occasionally when I need a "palate cleanser" or an easy read. This reminded me of some of Nicholas Sparks' novels.

It is a story of loss, grief, betrayal and second chances. How do we open ourselves up to life and love after enduring the unendurable? Familiar family dynamic issues between siblings, parents & children and adult spouses. All spun up in a story that is enfolded in love.

Annie & Gabrielle, two sisters who took very different paths in life find themselves in close proximity again when Annie returns to the New England island where she was raised after the death of her daughter and the collapse of her marriage, and where Gabrielle never left. Annie is hiding away from her demons.
Gabrielle's teenage daughter is painted as a typical rebellious teen who is running with the wrong crowd in her need for acceptance, love, and escape from her parent's life.

Thomas Devlin and his son Ned carry emotional and in Thomas' case, physical scars dealing with their own loss about 12 years ago that led to their own flight away from their previous lives in Boston to a much more isolated life on the island. Both guys will loom large in the lives of Annie & Gabrielle.

Both Annie and Gabrielle make decisions that will forever change their lives and those that love them.

I don't care for explicit sex scenes but fortunately in this novel those are few and I could overlook them.

[Lucinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had a great concept. But fell very short of the mark. The very explicit oral sex scene with teenagers, as if it was ok, was wrong and is not acceptable to me. In reading others reviews, I am so surprised no one else has had the same feelings about this part of the book. I guess I am in the minority but just because its "real life" I can't accept reading about it as if its ok. I cant recommend this book.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm- What to say.... It wasn't a BAD book per se , and the story moved along well, but there was something about this book that made me feel icky. It had too much of the V.C Andrews genre about it, too mush of those late teen-early adult romance feel. The story centers around a woman who has lost her 5 year old ( and there were some terrific writing examples surrounding the emotion there) who has come back home after the breakup of her marriage. She is asleep one night when a fire breaks out in her house and in the course of rescuing her dead daughter's last crayoned picture, she herself must be rescued. By a fireman. In the dead of night. With her White Nightgown pressed against her body. And he once lost his wife to a fire that he was trying to fight. It was also the story of Maggie, a teen who has been falling down the wrong rabbit hole, and after an encounter with a serial killer, decides to change her life. And to fall in love with the Fireman's son. And she is the niece of the heroine. In the dead of night. Seems trite, but it was a bit entertaining throughout. But a poorly written, hurry up ending made me feel it lost what little it had.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm tired of people finding their soulmates; time to move on to another author.

[LInda L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know we're all different, but I just loved this book. All the negative comments??? Too bad for you. I did think that Anne fell in love with Thomas quite quickly, but after what her husband did to her, who wouldn't?? And didn't HE try to act all pitiful after he got tired of his girlfriend -- I do give him credit for bowing out gracefully, but not a minute too soon. The description of the accident was so vivid I felt as if I was gasping for air -- scary stuff. I haven't loved all Luanne Rice's books, but haven't hated any of them either. Whatever -- I loved this one.

[Machel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books by Luanne Rice. I read this novel over 8 years ago, and it;s imagery stays with me. What I learned from this book is death does happen, but how we deal with it and move on and heal our lives is what is the miracle we have left when those we love die when accidents happen. I still remember a soup that was prepared in one of the scenes. A must read for anyone. m pulling this one out to read again

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was riveting. Once I got past the early exposition, I was hooked. Two flawed people with emotional and physical scars, take a chance on loving again. I hoped they would eventually end up together, but they were very involved with their families and other characters that kept the story compelling and complicated their relationship. Some disturbing events and images on the way to Paradise.

[Becki Couch tompkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unprepared for how this story moved me

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of like Harlequin Romance meets American Horror Story...in a way. I actually loved it..so many 'oh my gosh, how macabre,how sad'...and 'ahh, how did they fall in love so fast'.
I want to read her other books to see if they are like a romance..or if they also have some oddities to them

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really must stop reading these tragically sad books.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is an amazing read of family angst and getting through it. There's getting along and then not so much. The characters show such complex feelings and letting us feel too!!
Tissues required near the end.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true Luane Rice novel! Easy to read, wonderfully written. Characters full and robust. Got to know them all very well. Was sorry to say good bye to them.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you from the first page! It has a bit of everything in it, well written & I couldn't put it down!!

[Ginger Mcclintick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a good book.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically a love story involving Tom Devlin (father) and his son Ned and their respective girls Anne and her niece Maggie. Both Tom and Anne have endured the loss of a close family member and are damaged. They meet when Anne's family home becomes emblazed in a fire. Set on a New England island the story is families, small towns and getting over the pain in your life for Tom and Anne. Maggie is a teen who is running with a bad crowd and learns that she needs to concentrate on her desires, not please her friends. The other character is Anne's sister Gabrielle who many times feels out of the loop as her daughter and sister share memories and confidences. There is a scary scene with the teens while exploring off the island and a car crash which are difficult reading.

[Deb White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne and Matt have a 4 year old daughter, Karen. They live in NYC and have it all, the golden life. Then Karen falls out a window and dies! Devastated, Anne returns to her childhood island home. When her childhood home catches on fire, Anne runs back to save a drawing of Karen's. She is rescued by Thomas, a firefighter on the island. Thomas lost his wife in a fire, and he was severely burnt in the same fire.
Anne and Thomas have an immediate connection and fall in love. Thomas' son, Ned is a senior in HS at a private academy. Maggie is Anne's niece and is a junior at the island HS.
About island life, family, firefighting, teens drinking and smoking pot, peer pressure. Also, hope and love.
At the end of the book, Maggie is involved in a car accident!

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very early in the book, Anne, the main character, having just rented an apartment and needing to contact the utility companies, goes to a bank of telephones at the ferry dock. What? I search for the publication date. . . 1995; wow pre (wide spread) cell phone use. Later, having landed a job as a reservationist for a whale watching tour establishment, Anne TYPES confirmation letters. I love it; and unintentional step back in time.
The rest of the read is pure chick-lit. Don't you just hate that term? Fairly predictable romance with a little edginess written in.

[Ann Sampson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light quick read that was recommended to me.
A woman is grieving the loss of her one child and a husband that has cheating on her. She moves back to her hometown to be close to her sister and to find herself again. Through some unusual circumstances she pieces together a new life that focuses on the trust she had to gain back and the value of what she wants in life, a family. Grief is multifaceted and complicated and some people move away from loved ones to ease the pain while others cling to what they know. Not a long read.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book dealt well with the loss of a young child and the breakup of a marriage. My issue was, I never quite got the reason Anne's husband just started an affair. Was he bored with his marriage? Jealous of the attention his wife gave to their child? Got caught up in Lust? It may not be true in real life but in a book, I want a reason why. Also I agree that the developing relationship between Anne and Thomas developed too quickly.

[JoAnn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne retreats to the family home on an island off the coast of Connecticut, after suffering the death of her toddler daughter and her husband’s infidelity. She wakes to find the home on fire, and must save a precious memento. Fireman Thomas rescues her from the flames, and a relationship begins shortly afterward. Anne’s sister, niece and brother-in-law and Thomas’s son all play big parts in the book. I loved this story of Anne’s healing - who wouldn’t want a big, sensitive guy like Thomas?

[Dayveen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Home fires is a good book to read. Deals with love, loss, and family relationships. The characters were relatable, and the story really kept my interest throughout. I could have done without the explicit sex talk, but there weren't too many.The ending felt a bit rushed, but it did tie up loose ends.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was waiting for books to arrive at the library and I was so desperate to read something in the meantime that I picked this up. I kind of think reading nothing would have been better. I definitely lost a few brain cells reading this one.

[Anne Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise

This book is a great read. The characters and events are realistic. There is great sadness, joy and hope in these events. Its message is to value each day and every opportunity. Love alswys.

[Meagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. DNF, but I made it halfway so I'm counting it. Foul language, drug use, grotesque sex scenes, and it should probably come with trigger warnings. I will try more by her, and hope this was a one off. Terrible book.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best work of Luanne Rice but I still love it.
It stirs your emotions and I think the characters are relatable.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rice tells a story well, and this one was better than the first one I read by her.

[Butterflittin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting and heartbreaking. You won't be able to stop reading.

[Sharon Koboldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad but True

This story is about dealing with loss of a loved one forever. Trying to hold on to the memories of them.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by this author. The book was a little too sexually explicit for me.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't usually read love stories, but I enjoyed this.