Gemfire

by Robin Lee Hatcher

Fiery Gem McBride was hardly more than a child when Chase Dupre won her in a lucky hand of poker. She was only fifteen, but one look in his startling sapphire eyes made her yearn to be woman enough to hold him.

Left behind at Chase's sprawling cattle ranch, Gem dreamed of the day he would come back to rescue Four Winds from the rustlers, and claim her yearning body in his hard-muscled arms. But never did she imagine he would return with a sultry Latin beauty clinging to his side. Chase belonged to another woman now, but his flesh still burned to possess the innocent girl he had abandoned, and his heart longed to awaken in her the shimmering ecstasy of GEMFIRE

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Westerns, Western Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988

About the author

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 95 novels and novellas with more than five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA® Award, Christy Award, Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award, and she is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America®. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog.

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Reviews

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best romance novels I've ever read. I absolutely loved it!! A young girl is been thrown into a bet during a poker game by her own father. Her father gets killed and the young man who won the game takes her home. The young girl falls fast and hard for the young man but he loved her only as his cousin. He takes off to find his fortune and the scrawny, sharp tongued young girl develops into a beautiful woman. At the young man's return, he is enchanted by his young cousin but unfortunately he didn't return alone. He had wedded someone else. The novel really had the readers empathy for the young woman who was obviously pained at the platonic love she saw in the young man's eyes. Then the tragedy only increases when she gets a hint of attraction from him, only to find out his heart supposedly belongs to another woman. The plot was stirred up by other minor characters. A man whose obsession with fire brimmed with madness and his horrid love affair with a married woman. Lives were lost, love was found and when finally the young woman married her love, a bigger tragedy hit. The story just brimmed with adventure, love and pain! Beautiful read :)

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gem has been in love with Chase Dupre almost from the moment he won her from her father in a poker game but Chase’s eyes are firmly fixed on the horizon and not on 15 year old Gem. He thinks her a kid and a year later he’s off chasing his fortune returning some five years later to a waiting Gem but to her shock and horror he’s not alone. His wife, the stunningly beautiful Consuela is on his arm. Gem doesn’t recognise the once carefree Chase, he’s bitter and withdrawn. Consuela is pampered, spoiled, vicious, vindictive and unfaithful and she’s not above showing Chase by word or deed how much she resents being forced by her father to accompany him to his ranch house that is well below the grand mansion she grew up in in Texas. He can’t forgive her for his stillborn son either. Her days are spent in idle contemplation of self, amidst bitter arguments with Chase for abandoning her every day to work the ranch.

“Is this the ranch you were so proud of…did you drag me across this wretched country for this?...you are nothing Chase Dupre. I spit on you. Go! Chase your stupid cows! Get out! Get out of my room. Get out of my sight! And don’t think I’ll ever invite you back into my bed! You are not man enough for me…Do you understand me, Senor Dupre? I won’t have your hands on me. I never wanted you. Never!”

Chase stormed out of the room to see a mortified Gem on the landing eavesdropping.

Ouch.

In complete contrast Chase is stunned that Gem has grown into such an innocent beauty. She’s always on the move, she can ride, shoot, play cards, ride the trail and she nursed him back to health after the bear attack. Consuela wants nothing to do with his recovery instead she mysteriously disappears for hours at a time. It is here Gem and Chase forge an unbreakable bond and despite himself he’s fighting feelings for Gem he has no right to feel. And Gem doesn’t make it easy for him. She loves the guy and she’s not above falling into his arms if the opportunity presents. It’s a tick in Chase’s favour that he resists her, determined not to betray his marriage vows, completely blind to the fact his wife is having another affair with a madman, Chase’s childhood nemesis Powell Daniels. Consuela believes Powell is like all men, like Chase, easily manipulated and gullible and makes the mistake during one of their assignations of taunting Powell that Chase has returned to her bed. Powell in a murderous rage and distracted realises too late that the fire raging through the tinder dry land is very close, dangerously close. After seeing that Gem is safe Chase goes in search of Consuela and comes across Powell holding his dead wife in his arms. Chase comes to the inevitable conclusion and returns with her to the ranch and a severely scarred Powell goes into hiding biding his time for revenge on all who bear the name Dupre. Soon Chase visits the Daniel’s ranch to meter out a bit of justice of his own but leaves when Powell’s father, to protect his son wrongly informs Chase that Powell died too. '

Moving along.

Chase is suddenly free but he’s haunted by the nightmare of his marriage and he constantly pushes Gem away afraid to open his heart again. Which was completely baffling since he knew Gem loved him to the point of making some ridiculous choices. But Gem is determined to get her man who is denying all feelings for her except those of a sexual nature and Chase tells her so but Gem wants much more and in a heated moment of frustration and anger he explodes.

“All right, damn it! I’ll marry you.”

Wow. The sort of proposal every girl wants to hear. Becoming his wife is all Gem’s ever wanted and she’s not above holding him to that reluctantly drawn proposal and hold him she does. But there’s one final tragedy to overcome before they get their HEA.

Okay. I felt for Chase sure I did he made a dud choice and he was suffering for it and Gem wasn't helping by hanging round mooning over him, tempting him. For half the book she'll take what she can get then suddenly he's free and now she's holding out for marriage. Ugh. It would have shown real courage if Gem had taken her love struck self off the ranch completely and let Chase live out the consequences of his own choices instead of hovering like a voyeuristic vulture.

[Jill Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a light romance, judging from the cover, but no. From the first chapter, when Gem McBride is won in a poker game, it is a tale with fast-moving action most of the time. Gem, of course, falls in love with her new "owner", Chase Dupre, but he is totally unaware of this. It is a story of betrayal, heartbreak, disasters, tragedies and love.
An easy read that keeps your interest throughout.

[C.A. King · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay romance. I didn't feel for Gem by the end of the book as I thought I would.

[Emi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5

[NorthernLightsGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

He wins a kid in a poker game.

[Greeneyes Belle28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i like this author but did not really enjoy it

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

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