Sweet Fire

by Jo Goodman

SHE LONGED TO LOVE HIM
Told all her life that she was plain, Lydia Chadwick knew no man would come courting because of her looks. So it was with some suspicion that the shy, sweet San Francisco heiress woke one morning with a tall, dark, dangerously handsome husband she couldn't recall marrying. Lydia had lost her memory, and was desperate to discover if there was truly a love to remember. For as she looked at Nathan Hunter's lean, muscular frame, she longed to abandon herself to the sensual stranger, and believe—if only for a little while—that the possessive passion in his smoky gray eyes was really for her.

HE ACHED TO HAVE HER
Business and pleasure weren't supposed to mix, but in this case Nathan Hunter was willing to make an exception. After all, it was in his best interests to keep his new bride's mind off the secrets of her past. Making sure she didn't remember her hatred for him turned out to be the easy part, as he initiated the innocent Lydia to womanhood. Not so easy was keeping sight of his own goals as Lydia's sweet surrender wove a seductive spell around Nathan's heart, arousing emotions he had thought forever buried...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Australia, Adult, Historical Fiction, Romantic Suspense

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1991

About the author

To find characters to illustrate my first family saga, I cut out models from the Sears catalogue. I was in fourth grade, but it was a start. In seventh grade I wrote a melodrama about two orphan sisters, one of whom was pregnant. There was also a story about a runaway girl with the unlikely name of Strawberry and one about mistaken identities and an evil blind date. My supportive, but vaguely concerned parents, sighed with relief when I announced I was going to write children's books. They bought me an electric typewriter and crossed their fingers, but somehow PASSION'S BRIDE came out. No one was really surprised.
I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry and some notion that I would do marine research. Years of competitive swimming didn't help me anticipate seasickness. A career change seemed in order. I began working with adolescents and families, first as a childcare worker and later, after graduating from West Virginia University with a master's degree in counseling, as a therapist. I am currently the executive director of a child caring/mental health agency and find my work and my writing often compliment each other. One grounds me in reality and the other offers a break from it.

Reviews

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman is an action-packed romance, filled with the requisite passion, but also adventure, murder mystery, and drama.

Nathan and Brigham are former Australian prisoners & best frenemies now residing in San Fransisco, California. The pair are competing for the hand of Miss Lydia Chadwick. She’s a wealthy heiress, pretty enough, but she pales in comparison to her much more sophisticated and unsurprisingly young stepmother. But, of course, stepmom is the wicked type, and she’s secretly sexing it up with Brig.

On the other hand, Lydia is a woman of social conscience, as she tries to help orphans and prostitutes better their lot in lives. Unfortunately, Lydia’s charity work gets dangerous when a killer is on the loose, killing women on the streets. Sadly, the mystery was no mystery to me, as it’s telegraphed early on who the killer was, but I went with it, anyway, knowing the love story was the real centerpiece of this book.

Lydia lets Nathan and Brigham know she’s onto their game and is having none of it! She wants nothing to do with either of those fortune-seekers and knows their flattery is false. Although, for Nathan, it’s not so false at all.

Nathan is a devil, however. When circumstances lead to Lydia getting injured, it results in amnesia. Nathan quickly takes advantage of the situation, whisks Lydia off, and married her. With Lydia’s wall of reserve removed, they embark on a passionate honeymoon. One steamy love scene follows another, as Nathan tries to cement a solid foundation if–or more likely, when–Lydia’s memory returns.

There are multiple threads woven throughout this tale. Jo Goodman skillfully created a vast tapestry of characters that led to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion.

I've read Jo Goodman's Sweet Fire twice so far, and while the second time around wasn't as exhilarating as the first, I still had a fun time. 13-year-old me loved this book, while her 35-year-old version enjoyed it very much. Because of my personal rule of always going with my more favorable opinion, be it past or present, I'm sticking to my original 4 1/2 star rating.

[Jultri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prologue of the book sees the fourteen year old hero, Nathan Hunter, convicted of a crime and shipped to Australia alongside his older accomplice. Seventeen years later, the heroine (daughter in all ways but blood of a wealthy businessman) encounters both men as they plot and compete to win her hand through vastly different approaches. Credit to Lydia, she sees through their deceitful behaviours and gave them their dues. But there's a lot at stake and neither men are going to give up their intents after travelling half the world to target her. There's a wager at stake, a wager worth everything and neither are beyond using devious means to win. After some violent intercession, she finds herself en route to Australia, amnesiac as a result of a prior altercation and married to the attentive Nathan. Once in NSW, she soon finds out the reason why Nathan is so keen to bring her to this part of the world. As her memory returns, so does her distrust of this man who married her by ruthless deception. Even more worrisome is the trail of dead young women matching Nathan's path traversing the world over the years.

This is one of JG's earlier work and I'm sorry to say, it doesn't quite reach her high standard of story-telling skills as showcased in her more later books. The characters are not as rounded, their actions not as well justified. Why did Lydia allow both men such liberties with her within 1-2 days of meeting? It did drag on a bit in the second half. On the plus side, as a Sydney-sider, I really enjoyed the depiction of Sydney and rural NSW in 1869. It seems to be quite historically accurate, as I researched along while reading this part of the story.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thrift quite a few bodice rippers that I end up DNFing within the first chapter, or by the time the leads first meet. I have standards that not every book can live up to. Luckily, I was sucked in pretty quickly by this one. It has the sweeping and epic locations of an older bodice ripper but without all the rape, and with more nuanced characterization. A lot of action happened between the leads over the course of two days, which covered at least 100 pages. Yet it never felt like insta-love or insta-lust. The writing was quite thoughtful in regards to the interactions between the leads. WHICH IS WHAT I WANT. I need that emotional connection to be built before I can really care about characters. Jo Goodman did that admirably here. I want to try another book by her, but I'm actually afraid I won't enjoy it as much.

The latter third of the book dragged a little, but there was so much adventure and description in this book. I thought it was really good and was pleasantly surprised.

[Nabilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally well-written and a joy to read! This was only my 2nd book of Ms. Goodman and I was very much blown away.

The plot is intricate enough without being convoluted and I feel that the blurb didn't do the book justice. Ms. Goodman did a great job at keeping the reader guessing.

The characters are great. I loved the hero, Nathan. He has a terrible background, but that didn't make him a domineering asshole (not that much anyway, he still has a conscience). I think he's written as a beta hero. Lydia is a fantastic heroine. She is an heiress, but not a spoiled one. I loved her spirit. She is definitely not a TSTL heroine. The side characters added a lot to the book as they are very well fleshed out. The villain puts me in mind of Ted Bundy.

The setting is wonderful. You get a bit of London (in the prologue), San Francisco and Australia. I rarely read about Australia setting so that was a breath of fresh air. The author has included a little bit about Samoan culture (I'm not sure how accurate the representation) but I thought it's pretty neat.

The intimate scenes are a bit more than your average historical romance, but I find the intimate scenes in this book to be very sensual. It's not just the mechanics of it. These scenes are wrought with emotions. These were very tastefully done.

There's nothing that I don't like about this book. Ms. Goodman's style of writing tends to be wordy, so if you're looking for a quick read, this isn't it. The book is quite long (I noticed that the older books are longer compared to the current historical romance selections). If you're looking for adventure and mystery with your romance, I couldn't recommend this book highly enough.

[Stephanie (Jump) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Jo Goodman is the queen of understated romance. I love the way her writing to let us in on the thoughts and perspective of different characters, even minor characters, to give us a really powerful image of love of the couple. Those moments in this book are quote worthy and those lines rattle around in my head long after I finish the book. I read this one straight through in 1 sitting because I couldn't put it down.

While her most recent work to me was more a novel with a not-so-great romance thrown in, this re-release romance has everything I want from her. I enjoyed the twists and turns, all the characters even Pei Ling her maid and her biological father were interesting. I even enjoyed the parts that don't usually add any appeal to me - the suspense and killer subplot. I just wish this was the series she is currently working on so I get more of this.

Our heroine is wonderful to hear to know, described sometimes as plain and sometimes beautiful (don't we all feel that way in certain lighting), she cares about others but is not above vulenrability and vanity.

Our hero Nathan is a good guy with a bad past and an ulterior motive. I love the way he was devoted to her once that kicks in. I love how their first dance together he was counting the steps under his breath and stepped on her toes, and she didn't mind. I love how he took lessons so he could dance better with her.

Lydia and Nathan started off on the wrong foot but the sparks and chemistry were immediate. He had an ulterior motive which she figured out and bested him in later. In a turn of events she has amnesia (not from the cliche knock on the head) and he gets a chance at a different future with her, but one where he dreads losing her when she regains her memory.

This happens and they have some time to figure out themselves and solve the issues plaguing them.

My favourite of 2019 so far! Some of my favourite quotes

With so much of her past erased from her memory, Lydia lived almost exclusively in the present. [..] Nathan lived there as well, but for different reasons. He hated the past and dreaded the future. There was no other place for him.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman

This was a good story.

The description of the book I am listing below is from the back jacket of the book. I'm adding it because I believe the one on the Goodreads page does not depict this story.

SHE LONGED TO LOVE HIM
Told all her life that she was plain, Lydia Chadwick knew no man would come courting because of her looks. So it was with some suspicion that the shy, sweet San Francisco heiress woke one morning with a tall, dark, dangerously handsome husband she couldn't recall marrying. Lydia had lost her memory, and was desperate to discover if there was truly a love to remember. For as she looked at Nathan Hunter's lean, muscular frame, she longed to abandon herself to the sensual stranger, and believe—if only for a little while—that the possessive passion in his smoky gray eyes was really for her.

HE ACHED TO HAVE HER
Business and pleasure weren't supposed to mix, but in this case Nathan Hunter was willing to make an exception. After all, it was in his best interests to keep his new bride's mind off the secrets of her past. Making sure she didn't remember her hatred for him turned out to be the easy part, as he initiated the innocent Lydia to womanhood. Not so easy was keeping sight of his own goals as Lydia's sweet surrender wove a seductive spell around Nathan's heart, arousing emotions he had thought forever buried....

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good read! The story moved along at a fast pace and was set in a variety of interesting places. They descriptions really set the scene. Nathan was such a likeable character, even though he had a tough life, he was still an honourable person at heart. Lydia was stronger than she first appeared and was full of caring for others less fortunate. There were a number of interesting secondary characters. There were a number of twists to the story and this will keep you reading until the end. I received a copy via EBooks Discovery and have voluntarily reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mary23nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Some angst, but not over the top. 4 3/4 stars.

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've despaired of ever getting to read this book. It's not available on Kindle or iBooks, and I can't find it in any of the bookstores here. So when I finally found it on Openlibrary yesterday -- I let out a whoop that alarmed my mother. :)

I wanted to read it desperately (I just finished, and I'm still starry eyed) because I often saw it on "plain heroines lists". It turned out that Lydia is NOT plain, she's actually quite beautiful -- at least according to the few good men in the novel whose opinions actually matter. But I still like her very much, because unlike some other paragons of beauty in the genre, she wasn't preoccupied with her looks, and she didn't bore us with details on her clothes and shoes and hair. Also, unlike other "gorgeous-but-made-to-believe-she's-plain" heroines, she didn't wallow in self-pity, she didn't go on and on about her poor homely face, and most importantly, she didn't waste hundreds of pages wailing about how she didn't deserve the hero's attention. She's under the impression that she'll never be known for her beauty, and she's rather fine with that. In that regard, she reminds me a bit of Zoe from RL Mathewson's Perfection.

But what made me quite enamored with this book (and a bit sad that I only have 13 days left with it) was the way Nathan and Lydia loved each other. Nathan didn't subject Lydia to long-winded, feverish speeches declaring his all-consuming love for her, and yet it's obvious he did. It was even obvious to Lydia, who - God bless her - didn't play coy and pretend she didn't know. Not bad for a woman who spent her life believing she had lackluster looks, right? Especially considering how devastatingly handsome her Nathan was.

Oh, I could go on and on about how entertaining this book is ... and I shall, after I come down from my high and after I finish another Jo Goodman book I unearthed from openlibrary (Only in My Arms). Thank goodness Ms Goodman has other books available on Amazon!

[Karen Boruff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better book than the cover suggests. I liked the twists and turns. The book kept me interested and I found some of it really well done, some was a little predictable. I would recommend this book to anyone, who wants a good, enjoyable read.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Hunter grew up in the streets of London doing what he had to do to survive. His “friend” and mentor Brigham Moore is right there with him when they are robbing a place and find a dead body. Of course the evidence that they were there suddenly ended up in Nathans shoe and he is arrested and convicted of Murder. Brigham ends up making it so he gets convicted too and they are both sent to Australia to work camps. Next thing we see they are both in America in San Francisco trying to win the heart of Lydia Chadwick. Brigham plays both Lydia and her mom and tries to win everyone over pretending to be someone he is not. Nathan is brutally honest and gruff at time. He is very guarded for the most part. Lydia is a very insecure woman because her mother is intimidated by her and puts her down at every moment she can. Lydia also is used to men trying to attach themselves to her because her dad owns a very successful gold mine and she has money. They also try to get closer to her mother. After the courting by Nathan and Brig she figures out that they are up to no good and sends them away. Someone tries to black mail her and she ends up blacked out on the ground. She wakes up married to Nathan with no recollection of her past. She goes to Australia with him. She does recover her memory. More interesting things happen but I would give away too much if wrote about it.
This book was a good length. It was not too hard to read. I liked it. I liked Nathan and Lydia. Although she seemed taken in by Brig right away and then all of a sudden knew exactly what kind of person he was. It was quite a change over.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Suspenseful Historical Romance

Though raised as an heiress, society would be scandalized by Lydia Chadwick's devotion to St. Andrew's orphanage. She even frequents the seedier side of San Francisco when necessary in order to save a prostitutes newborn.

They grew up in the slums of London and climbed the ranks of the street gangs. But life took a decided turn when Nathan Hunter and Brigham Moore were transported to the penal colony in Australia.

What happens when two such diverse segments of society collide is the lengthy plot of Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman. Although the pace is a bit slow, this saga that spans two continents is very well written with just the right balance of historical descriptions, private thoughts, believable dialogue and complex characters. At first it seemed that events of this novel would be pretty predictable, then the came the first of a number of twists and turns. True, I knew the identity of the true villain, but how true love would survive and find a happy-ever-after kept me reading. I was rewarded with a satisfying ending that even included a smile-worthy epilogue.

Content alert: In addition to some swearing (d*mn, h*ll, g*d), there is some very passionate kissing and some very descriptive sexual intimacy.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an imaginative plot compared to most romances though convenient temporary amnesia was part of it. The characterization of the heroine Lydia was so inconsistent it was hard to root for her, at times clueless, then suddenly insightful. Was she plain or was she beautiful? And if she wasn't plain, what kind of wimp was she to let her classically beautiful mother convince her she had no looks? Hero Nathan had an unusual background as a convict transported to Australia but otherwise was standard issue handsome, dark haired with "wolf" grey eyes.

Coincidentally, I had just read another book containing a similar irritating scene in which a woman who has no idea how to handle a gun waves it around at an unarmed man she's angry at with no care that it may go off accidentally and result in death for mere pique. Everyone knows you should never point a loaded gun at anyone you don't intend to shoot so this kind of dramatics points to very poor judgment, not a good look for a heroine. (Note, I'm talking about the first time Lydia totes a gun in this book, not the second when it's used in self defence).

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a bit torn about this story. The overall plot I thought was interesting and drew all the times, locations and characters together. Lydia, Nathan and Brighton were also unique, yet I don’t think I was able to empathize with any of them. In fact, so little was revealed at times that I wasn’t really rooting for anyone in particular. Nathan was secretive and distant, Brighton behaved like a scoundrel and Lydia waffled between bossy bluestocking prude and wanton submissive mouse. I guess more/better character development is what I missed the most. Yes, all the pieces connect in the end with a HEA, but it still felt like something was missing. Anyways, 3 stars for the story and 2 stars for characters. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A plot that takes one across three continents, this dramatic story of murder, betrayal and a love that grows out of deceit, keeps one on tenterhooks throughout. Being of a squeamish disposition, I personally found the book horrifying in parts, but the romance that slowly grows between Lydia and Nathan does touch one's heart. Motivated by a wager, Nathan and Brigham set out to win Lydia's heart. She isn't the beauty that her mother is, but she has a generous heart and an intelligence that thwarts her suitors on more than one occasion. Nathan has also been the victim of manipulation and Brig's desire to win at any cost, almost costs him his life. The novel is generally well written, but not for the faint of heart. It is a standalone and does finally come to a successful close. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Coral · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sure I bought this because of the magnificent cover (even better in person) and because it takes place in gold rush San Francisco and Australia.
The plot is bonkers. Totally banana-pants bonkers. I don’t even want to go into it because it’s just too off the chain. My favourite is the middle where the heroine conveniently gets amnesia so she’ll agree to go with the hero to Australia. He effectively kidnaps her. Ah old school romance.
I did love the heroine. She is smart and takes no shit, not even from the hero. She’s lived a sheltered life with an emotionally abusive mother, but still manages to figure out and foil all of the insane plots going on around her (not including convenient amnesia). The scene when she makes the hero and his accomplice jump out of her window into manure is 😙🤌

[Bigedsgirl1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes even though my interest is immediately captured by the first page of a book, the story can lose its momentum for me if it takes awhile for the motive and the identity of the murderer and key elements of the murder mystery to unfold. What saved that momentum in Sweet Fire was Jo Goodman's uncanny ability to elicit my anger, tears, fear and joy at the unfolding romance between Lydia and Nathan. The San Francisco and Australian backdrops as well as the many extraordinary colorful secondary characters also kept my attention riveted to each and every page. I received this book for free from ebook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Toyenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book is intriguing and suspence filled. I enjoyed it immensely. Lydia is the daughter of a wealthy business man who is constantly being put down by her mother. She's of age to get married but find it difficult to trust men and constantly think they are after her money. When Nathan and his friend Brig (both convicts) , appeared in the picture, with the intention of wooing and marrying her but both had an ulterior motive, she was able to see through them and dealt with them but that is only the beginning... "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review ".

[TeriD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libby is a San Francisco socialite and Nathan is a lovely anti-hero. He's not a good man by any means, but he's good to Libby and much to his surprise, he still has a bit of a conscience. There are machinations that Libby is unaware of which jeopardize our couples happiness, a villain who gets what he deserves instead of walking away with a promise to never return (like a lot of HR have), a bout of amnesia, a trip to Samoa and Australia and a sensual love story between two wonderful MCs culminating in a bittersweet but much deserved HEA. Definitely going into my reread pile!
I absolutely recommend!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really captivating

I have ready a million romances and am familiar with all the normal tropes: marriage of convenience, wounded hero, off putting first meeting , etc. This story was very unique and very well written. It opens in San francisco, with a heroine who is lovely, rich and treated poorly by her mother. Two suitors vie for her hand but they are not who they seem. Eventually she leaves with one for the Australian outback and the plot as they say thickens. Intrigue and well written characters make this a total gem

[Joycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely tale! Two tortured individuals essentially healing each other even if neither thought they deserved it for themselves.

I enjoyed the “visit” to the outback and Sydney, and the brief “tours” of San Francisco and Samoa.

I appreciated that the baddies got their comeuppance at the end, but I especially like that it didn’t come at the hands of the folks I thought ought to have delivered it.

All’s well that ends well. Thanks for another engaging novel, Ms. Goodman.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Fire is a sexy historical romance that takes place on three continents. The story has its share of twists and thrills. The scenery, particularly in Australia, also plays an important part in the plot.

Contains graphic sexual content.

"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's start with a love triangle, move on to amnesia, abduction, and finally a HEA?! Yes please!

This book many popular tropes in some form or another and the bodice rippery goodness we expect in books published in the 90s.

The beginning was a bit convoluted and a tad slower than what you see in current HR but once I settled into the story, I was completely hooked.

[Sarah]

Did not finish after 50% mark.

And this is surprising because I thought I like Jo Goodman's writing. The book even started out promising.
But along the way the hero makes some very morally questionable decisons/actions that I just couldn't continue reading.

Even stopped and tried a few days later. But nope. It just wasn't doing it for me.

[Kasey Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story…

I enjoyed parts of the story, but I just couldn’t like the MC’s. None were people that I could understand or respect. Add to that the author’s habit of “head-hopping” and I ended up not finishing the book. When I need to read scenes more than once to know who is talking…sorry - I have other things to do.

[Bronte Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and interesting! Goodman does a fantastic job of creating deep, heartfelt characters who work so beautifully together. The historical detail of San Francisco and Australia is accurate and intriguing without weighing the story down.

[Alda Delicado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but a bit long.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just wasn’t interesting enough to finish. Read to 224.

[merilie Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet fire

The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that there was a little too sex scenes. Otherwise the plotting was great and it does have a happy ending.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It was a good book, and I would definitely reread!