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Federal #5
Controlled Burn
A freak accident takes away every memory of Allison Adams's life for the past decade. It also leaves her sightless. She isn't sure of anything, not even who she has been for the past ten years, but when the man claiming to be her husband holds her, it feels familiar and right. How can she be certain this is where she belongs?
Sharing his life with the woman he adores and their two children has given A.J. Adams the strength to keep his demons buried. When a murderous specter from the past rises, igniting new challenges, everything A.J. cherishes hangs in the balance. To win Allison's love again, he'll battle those demons. Fortunately, surrender has never been in his vocabulary.
Is there any chance to regain sight of their past and see a way to a shared future?
Sharing his life with the woman he adores and their two children has given A.J. Adams the strength to keep his demons buried. When a murderous specter from the past rises, igniting new challenges, everything A.J. cherishes hangs in the balance. To win Allison's love again, he'll battle those demons. Fortunately, surrender has never been in his vocabulary.
Is there any chance to regain sight of their past and see a way to a shared future?
- GenresHistoricalRomance
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2019
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 12, 2019
When an old enemy, captures his wife and two children, A.J. must surrender in the hopes of exchanging his life for theirs. But when a horrible accident takes away the memory and sight of his beloved wife (Allison), A.J. must do everything in his power to protect his children and the woman he loves.
Allison wakes up with no memory of the past ten years and is blind. A strange man claims to be her husband and the father of her two children. She has no choice but to believe him. What’s happened to her? Why can’t she see and how is she ever going to reconcile her new life? Her heart tells her to trust A.J. but can she?
A heart-wrenching story about second chances, living each day to the fullest and the power of love. Controlled Burn captured me from the very first page. The action and the drama of life in a wild west township add depth to the story. A.J. and Allison are honestly drawn characters with demons and insecurities to overcome. Hope and love against a backdrop of hate are portrayed brilliantly. Lynda Cox uses such descriptive language, it was easy to be transported back in time. I’m not a western romance reader but I thoroughly enjoyed Controlled Burn. I can’t wait to read more from Lynda Cox.
Favorite Character/Quote: A.J. is my favorite character in this story. Why? Due to circumstances beyond his control, he must start again with Allison. He has to take on the role of both husband and wife with their two children as well as Allison while she heals. She’s blind but that doesn’t matter to him. His struggles are real and my heart went out to him so many times.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Allison wakes up with no memory of the past ten years and is blind. A strange man claims to be her husband and the father of her two children. She has no choice but to believe him. What’s happened to her? Why can’t she see and how is she ever going to reconcile her new life? Her heart tells her to trust A.J. but can she?
A heart-wrenching story about second chances, living each day to the fullest and the power of love. Controlled Burn captured me from the very first page. The action and the drama of life in a wild west township add depth to the story. A.J. and Allison are honestly drawn characters with demons and insecurities to overcome. Hope and love against a backdrop of hate are portrayed brilliantly. Lynda Cox uses such descriptive language, it was easy to be transported back in time. I’m not a western romance reader but I thoroughly enjoyed Controlled Burn. I can’t wait to read more from Lynda Cox.
Favorite Character/Quote: A.J. is my favorite character in this story. Why? Due to circumstances beyond his control, he must start again with Allison. He has to take on the role of both husband and wife with their two children as well as Allison while she heals. She’s blind but that doesn’t matter to him. His struggles are real and my heart went out to him so many times.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
February 13, 2019
I've never read or heard of this author, but I loved this story so hard. I am watching an older western type show so it tied in well for me. The love in this book is so great, and I loved how it turned out. I can't wait to read more from this author. She is a solid writer and you know how it felt in the characters shoes.
February 9, 2019
this was a really good book! i just thought it was to long and dragged out. she lost her memory and sight. cant remember being married or having kids. her husband will do anything to get her back where she belongs.
February 10, 2019
Really enjoyed this trip to the west. Beautiful love story full adventure and suspense. Wasn’t familiar with the author before reading this story but definitely will look for more of her work.
February 20, 2019
I really enjoyed this western type story and its a first for me and Im looking forward to more from this Author .It was full of intense suspense and so much love where you have to have trust and prove yourself once again that love and feelings are everything and to rely on someone you have no idea about right or wrong right there is a big challenge. I loved the characters and description I thought it was a beautiful story.
February 20, 2019
***3.5 stars ***
This is a new to me author and I really enjoyed this book. At times it was slow going and for me and IMO it was b/c of the historical western era and description of things. I really like the story line and the Adams family. (LOL) I would definitely read another book by Lynda J. Cox
This is a new to me author and I really enjoyed this book. At times it was slow going and for me and IMO it was b/c of the historical western era and description of things. I really like the story line and the Adams family. (LOL) I would definitely read another book by Lynda J. Cox
February 23, 2019
It’s been quite a while since I read a western and I really enjoyed this story.
In a freak accident Allison loses her sight and her memory. Can their love be strong enough to get them through this?
This is a well written story with believable and relatable characters.
I’ll certainly be looking to read more from this author in the future.
In a freak accident Allison loses her sight and her memory. Can their love be strong enough to get them through this?
This is a well written story with believable and relatable characters.
I’ll certainly be looking to read more from this author in the future.
February 20, 2019
This was a really nice read. I haven’t read a western romance in a long time and I really enjoyed it. The characters where well defined the story flowed nicely and it kept me engaged. I do d revive this book free from the author but this in no way clouded my judgement.
February 21, 2019
If you like a romance story with a western theme you will enjoy this book. This was just not the book for me not a big fan of western themes and the book dragged on for me a little. Not bad writing just not the story for me
February 20, 2019
This is not my typical genre of reading but I liked it. It was a little to long for me but it kept my interest. I enjoyed it
December 11, 2022
DNF
I just couldn’t keep all the characters straight. There’s no backstory given on who everyone was and then the author kept introducing newer characters.
I just couldn’t keep all the characters straight. There’s no backstory given on who everyone was and then the author kept introducing newer characters.
January 27, 2020
Love trumps the struggles trials of AJ and Allison. They both have stubborn and strong personalities with a heart for each other, as well as those around them. The story line twists and turns and doesn’t disappoint.
December 30, 2019
Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For once I’ll start with a rant. When a book is part of a series, it would be better if it was said at least on the author's website, for the reader to know he/she has probably missed things by not reading the first volumes. And even more when the book is the sequel of another book. Because here I passed a lot of time wondering why some details of the lives of characters, main as secondary, were only mentioned, before I went to the author’s website and read all her books’ synopsis and discovered the facts. So here we have the sequel of the story for the main couple in Smolder on a Slow Burn, and we also meet the couples from West of Forgotten, Seize the Flame, and A Long Way from Yesterday.
Another drawback, nowhere it’s written when the story is meant to take place. It’s only after twenty pages or so that the hero’s past as a Confederate soldier is mentioned and I was finally able to situate the story in the time.
The story begins with the heroine, Allison, being kidnapped by the accomplice of a man who bears her husband a grudge because he put him in prison, and who has also kidnapped her children. During their rescue, Allison is hit on the head with a cattle brand. When she wakes up sometime later, she’s blind and she has forgotten the last ten years, and also her husband and her children. At this period there was no question of letting the amnesiac remember by herself, and the least that can be said is that at first she doesn’t take well to learn she’s married and a mother. Blindness doesn’t help like you can guess.
Allison is a strong heroine with a big heart, always ready to see the good in people but without letting people walking all over her. When she met the hero it seems she was teaching to children not allowed to go in the local school because of their ethnic or social background. She refuses to dwell at length on her blindness and her amnesia, trying to find ways to manage with the first, for instance by counting the steps from one room to another. The fact she feels a strong attraction for her husband and all the details about her that he knows allows her to quickly understand he doesn’t lie by pretending they are married.
A.J. is a kind man, deeply in love with his wife, who bears the physical and mental wounds of his past. He walks with a cane, he regularly has invalidating back pains, he’s covered with scars, and he has nightmares. He has a lot of patience and is very attentive to the heroine, to the point he goes and lives at the hotel for her not to feel like he’s pressuring her to accept him. At the same time he wants to protect her at any price from anything that could threaten her and he takes impulsive decisions for that, and she reproaches him for them later.
I liked the couple’s story, how she relearns her life and her love for her family, but you must disregard all these details that are only mentioned as they’re part of another book. What’s more, a lot of things (too many?) happen in this book: the kidnapping and the rescue at the very beginning, the heroine’s amnesia and blindness have a central place of course, but also the rescue operation of the prostitutes of the saloon by the hero’s brother, the threat on the couple by the saloon’s owner because they took in one the girls, and finally an almost fatal snowstorm!
What’s more sometimes the author’s style disturbed me but I wasn’t able to pinpoint why. All in all an average rating for me in spite of real qualities.
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For once I’ll start with a rant. When a book is part of a series, it would be better if it was said at least on the author's website, for the reader to know he/she has probably missed things by not reading the first volumes. And even more when the book is the sequel of another book. Because here I passed a lot of time wondering why some details of the lives of characters, main as secondary, were only mentioned, before I went to the author’s website and read all her books’ synopsis and discovered the facts. So here we have the sequel of the story for the main couple in Smolder on a Slow Burn, and we also meet the couples from West of Forgotten, Seize the Flame, and A Long Way from Yesterday.
Another drawback, nowhere it’s written when the story is meant to take place. It’s only after twenty pages or so that the hero’s past as a Confederate soldier is mentioned and I was finally able to situate the story in the time.
The story begins with the heroine, Allison, being kidnapped by the accomplice of a man who bears her husband a grudge because he put him in prison, and who has also kidnapped her children. During their rescue, Allison is hit on the head with a cattle brand. When she wakes up sometime later, she’s blind and she has forgotten the last ten years, and also her husband and her children. At this period there was no question of letting the amnesiac remember by herself, and the least that can be said is that at first she doesn’t take well to learn she’s married and a mother. Blindness doesn’t help like you can guess.
Allison is a strong heroine with a big heart, always ready to see the good in people but without letting people walking all over her. When she met the hero it seems she was teaching to children not allowed to go in the local school because of their ethnic or social background. She refuses to dwell at length on her blindness and her amnesia, trying to find ways to manage with the first, for instance by counting the steps from one room to another. The fact she feels a strong attraction for her husband and all the details about her that he knows allows her to quickly understand he doesn’t lie by pretending they are married.
A.J. is a kind man, deeply in love with his wife, who bears the physical and mental wounds of his past. He walks with a cane, he regularly has invalidating back pains, he’s covered with scars, and he has nightmares. He has a lot of patience and is very attentive to the heroine, to the point he goes and lives at the hotel for her not to feel like he’s pressuring her to accept him. At the same time he wants to protect her at any price from anything that could threaten her and he takes impulsive decisions for that, and she reproaches him for them later.
I liked the couple’s story, how she relearns her life and her love for her family, but you must disregard all these details that are only mentioned as they’re part of another book. What’s more, a lot of things (too many?) happen in this book: the kidnapping and the rescue at the very beginning, the heroine’s amnesia and blindness have a central place of course, but also the rescue operation of the prostitutes of the saloon by the hero’s brother, the threat on the couple by the saloon’s owner because they took in one the girls, and finally an almost fatal snowstorm!
What’s more sometimes the author’s style disturbed me but I wasn’t able to pinpoint why. All in all an average rating for me in spite of real qualities.
March 1, 2019
This lovely book was my very first western novel. It was way out of my comfort zone, and well worth my time. It was written in a lush, magical way, with lots of deep description to keep you in the moment.
"She moved closer to the back wall of the cell, scanning the shapes in the rock. A backbone , albeit a twisted and broken spine, ran a good length of the wall. The lantern secured outside their prison washed the shapes in writhing shadows. What she believed to be vertebrae jutted from the exposed rock layers, each larger than her head. If it was a spine of some creature, long concave structures remained attached to the skeletal remnants, only to disappear into the depths of the stone."
I found that even though the description was expansive, it flowed fast and furiously for me. The action started right away, with real life consequences on The line. I was pleasantly surprised how fast I got into this kind of world I had never read before. Cox builds it carefully, with love and emotion. Even the children have fully rounded lives in this story, leaving you caring about what happens to them all.
While the story was action packed, I found Cox to be more invested as a character driven writer intent on dragging us millennials back to a time when life was much rougher and we lived closer to our humanity.
"She moved closer to the back wall of the cell, scanning the shapes in the rock. A backbone , albeit a twisted and broken spine, ran a good length of the wall. The lantern secured outside their prison washed the shapes in writhing shadows. What she believed to be vertebrae jutted from the exposed rock layers, each larger than her head. If it was a spine of some creature, long concave structures remained attached to the skeletal remnants, only to disappear into the depths of the stone."
I found that even though the description was expansive, it flowed fast and furiously for me. The action started right away, with real life consequences on The line. I was pleasantly surprised how fast I got into this kind of world I had never read before. Cox builds it carefully, with love and emotion. Even the children have fully rounded lives in this story, leaving you caring about what happens to them all.
While the story was action packed, I found Cox to be more invested as a character driven writer intent on dragging us millennials back to a time when life was much rougher and we lived closer to our humanity.
February 20, 2019
The old west comes alive as you are taken on a journey full of suspense, revenge and a family trying to hold together through it all. This author's descriptive writing is so amazing because I felt like I was watching a real western unfold and had a great picture of the scene.
A J Adams had a past that caused him to constantly try to hold at bay. But when a vile man comes and takes his family to punish him for past hatreds, everything comes back. Then when his wife Allison loses her sight and memories due to an unforeseen accident, everything for AJ hangs on by a thread. She and the kids were his strength and he had to win her back, even if she did not know who he was without being told.
A story of survival, a deep love and forgiveness for the past. I was so pulled into this story and invested in the outcome as I turned the pages. I truly loved these characters and they deserved happiness. But could they find it again? I cannot wait to read more from this author and I recommend this story highly!
A J Adams had a past that caused him to constantly try to hold at bay. But when a vile man comes and takes his family to punish him for past hatreds, everything comes back. Then when his wife Allison loses her sight and memories due to an unforeseen accident, everything for AJ hangs on by a thread. She and the kids were his strength and he had to win her back, even if she did not know who he was without being told.
A story of survival, a deep love and forgiveness for the past. I was so pulled into this story and invested in the outcome as I turned the pages. I truly loved these characters and they deserved happiness. But could they find it again? I cannot wait to read more from this author and I recommend this story highly!
February 24, 2019
This is my first book by Lynda J Cox. This book is set as a western and I loved it. Allison and A J are married with 2 children and 1 on the way. A bad guy named Oakten is out to get his revenge on the couple. They did something to him years ago that he can't forget. He kidnappes their kids and then Allison. A J finally learns where they are and goes to rescue them. Allison falls and hits her head trying to shoot Oakten. Later they realize Allison lost her memory of the past 10 years of her life and her sight is also gone. They take in young girls who were being treated like crap, and things get wore. The guy who the girls belong to want them back. Well that's not going to happen. After Allison and A J are intimate Allison regains her memory. After a scare that her husband may be dead her sight returns. This is a romantic heartfelt book and I really enjoyed it. In the end when Allison went into labor I was shocked at what happened.
June 2, 2019
This is a page turner, despite me not reading heavily into this genre, the author grabs you right away and you are thrown into the old west. The scenes and people leap off the pages as if you are there with them. The author breathes authenticity to the era – in a way that keeps us grounded in the fact that even though life was harsher back then, the power of love has never changed.
This is a story about second chances, and holding on to the strength of the love that both A.J. and Allison have for each other. They will need to overcome a lot of hurt and past issues along with their latest setbacks to fall in love again, and to get their HEA. If you normally don’t read this genre, this author may make you a fan. Reviewed by Cyrene
This is a story about second chances, and holding on to the strength of the love that both A.J. and Allison have for each other. They will need to overcome a lot of hurt and past issues along with their latest setbacks to fall in love again, and to get their HEA. If you normally don’t read this genre, this author may make you a fan. Reviewed by Cyrene
February 21, 2019
Sometimes in life a story comes along that touches your heart and effects you so deeply.
Ms Cox, writes a compelling story of the lives of A.J. and Allison aka Alli. The story will take you through the trials and tribulations of the remarkable family. It leads the reader wanting the very best outcome that could occur. This book is a slow burn love story that leaves you hanging on the edge until the final page.
Ms. Cox’s characters are well drawn and it clear the roles that they play. The scenery is magnificent, and the plot is perfect. She is phenomenal with her creative writing style.
Ms Cox, writes a compelling story of the lives of A.J. and Allison aka Alli. The story will take you through the trials and tribulations of the remarkable family. It leads the reader wanting the very best outcome that could occur. This book is a slow burn love story that leaves you hanging on the edge until the final page.
Ms. Cox’s characters are well drawn and it clear the roles that they play. The scenery is magnificent, and the plot is perfect. She is phenomenal with her creative writing style.
February 27, 2019
This book, being a western, was not my normal genre but I decided to go outside my comfort zone.
This is the story of Allison Adams a woman who met and fell in love with A.J. Adams. They had overcome problems but now their life was good and due to get better with the up coming birth of their third child.
They had enemies from their past life's and they had a way of catching up with them.
Neither Allison or A.J. had ever stepped away when a challenge faces them and they were not about to start now. Could they overcome the problems that lay before them.
This is the story of Allison Adams a woman who met and fell in love with A.J. Adams. They had overcome problems but now their life was good and due to get better with the up coming birth of their third child.
They had enemies from their past life's and they had a way of catching up with them.
Neither Allison or A.J. had ever stepped away when a challenge faces them and they were not about to start now. Could they overcome the problems that lay before them.
February 22, 2019
This is a slow-burn historical western romance with a good amount of suspense. Alli and A.J.'s children are kidnapped, and they will stop at nothing to save them, even risk their own lives. I liked the story line, although it was a little bit slow for me. I thought it was a fairly smooth read, and I do enjoy western romances, but this one took me a little while to get into. It's worth getting to the finish to find out what happens between A.J. and Alli, so stick it out!
March 8, 2019
Another fantastic western from Lynda J Cox!
It takes a strong man to be a cowboy judge in the wild west. It takes an even stronger woman. Alli and a.j. 's love story is continued in this book. Never one to rest on her laurels, alli attempts to save her children and her husband when an accident turns everything tipsy turvy. Struggling to find their new " normal" alli and a.j. Have to find their way back to each other. It won't be easy but it will be so worth it.
It takes a strong man to be a cowboy judge in the wild west. It takes an even stronger woman. Alli and a.j. 's love story is continued in this book. Never one to rest on her laurels, alli attempts to save her children and her husband when an accident turns everything tipsy turvy. Struggling to find their new " normal" alli and a.j. Have to find their way back to each other. It won't be easy but it will be so worth it.
December 30, 2019
Un livre qui est la suite directe d’un autre sans que ça soit indiqué nulle part, même sur le site de l’auteur, si bien qu’il y a plein de détails qui ne sont qu’évoqués. Il se passe également beaucoup (trop) de choses et ça m’a semblé partir un peu dans tous les sens. Mais j’ai aimé l’histoire du couple et la force de caractère de l’héroïne.
Avis complet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Avis complet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 30, 2025
This story blends emotional depth with suspense in a way that’s instantly gripping. Allison’s memory loss and blindness create a vulnerable yet compelling journey of rediscovery, while A.J.’s struggle with his past adds intensity and heart. Their relationship feels tender and raw, balancing love, trust, and survival. With the added danger of a haunting threat, the book promises both romance and edge of your seat tension, perfect for fans of romantic suspense.
February 27, 2019
Have nothing to compare this book to as this is a first western read for me and this author is a new one to me as well... I enjoyed the writing and the story from this author ...will most certainly be reading more from her as well as more westerns for sure!! Thank you Ms. Cox for opening up a new genre for me ...Well Done!
October 10, 2019
This book went back to the west. Controlled Burn is action packed with mystery and romance. I've never read anything by this author before, but the book is well-written. If you love all this, Controlled Burn is the book for you.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley of this book. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley of this book. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.
March 20, 2019
OK, this is my very first western book and my first time reading this author's work and I really like it.
Good story, great characters, sometimes a little slow in the flow, but I recommend this book if you want to read a good western.
Good story, great characters, sometimes a little slow in the flow, but I recommend this book if you want to read a good western.
February 24, 2019
A western period romance story that is heart wrenching but heart warming too. Totally intriguing characters and events will keep you turning those pages in this compelling story. So well written that this story became an emotional read and one I became totally immersed in.
February 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I don't usually like stories set in the old West but I thoroughly loved this one. It had a great story and made one really appreciate
everything we have now. It brought home how tough the world was even after the Civil War had ended. I highly recommend this book!
everything we have now. It brought home how tough the world was even after the Civil War had ended. I highly recommend this book!
April 5, 2019
There is barely a moment to pause and breathe throughout this fast-paced Western, historical fiction.
Read full review in the 2019 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
February 23, 2019
Been long time I have read this kind of book. I really enjoyed it and reads so easy. Once started didnt want to stop.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews