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Celtic Journeys #1
Lady of Fire
After her boyfriend of six years dumped her, Christine Connolly thought the idea of being worshipped like a goddess wouldn't be so bad. Little did she know that a two-dollar torque bought at a tag sale would grant her divinity. No sooner had she put on the gold necklace than she found herself in ancient Ireland—and in the worshipful arms of a muscle-bound Celtic warrior.
But being idolized was hard work, as Christine soon realized, especially when her disciple truly believed she was Brighid, the goddess of fire. Christine had only wanted to be accepted for herself, not as some heavenly, flame-throwing deity. How could she have an equal, give-and-take relationship with a man who believed her to be a lady of tremendous power, a lady of unsurpassable beauty, a...Lady of Fire!
But being idolized was hard work, as Christine soon realized, especially when her disciple truly believed she was Brighid, the goddess of fire. Christine had only wanted to be accepted for herself, not as some heavenly, flame-throwing deity. How could she have an equal, give-and-take relationship with a man who believed her to be a lady of tremendous power, a lady of unsurpassable beauty, a...Lady of Fire!
314 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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110 people want to read
About the author
Janeen O'Kerry
23 books10 followersMy writing career began in 1984 when I sold the first of over 100 non-fiction articles written for the national and regional horse magazines. A few years later, a friend and I decided to try our hand at novels. We wrote three and sold the third one, APRIL'S CHRISTMAS, to Avalon Books in 1994.
My own first novel was LADY OF FIRE, a time-travel romance published by Leisure Books in 1996. I've always had a great interest in Ireland, history, horses and fantasy, and truly enjoy combining all these things in my novels. I am now working on SEVEN CASTLES IN IRELAND.
"
My own first novel was LADY OF FIRE, a time-travel romance published by Leisure Books in 1996. I've always had a great interest in Ireland, history, horses and fantasy, and truly enjoy combining all these things in my novels. I am now working on SEVEN CASTLES IN IRELAND.
"
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 10, 2025
2.5 stars
A decent premise for a wish-fulfillment Harlequin novel, but most of this plot was just word salad filler. Queue montage of the main character getting dressed, eating feasts, and being pampered ... And then complaining because she wants to be treated like an everyday girl. I wanted more plot and less filler, but also I should have seen this coming - it's pulp fiction. Pulp fiction began with authors being paid per word, so why am I expecting quality?
A decent premise for a wish-fulfillment Harlequin novel, but most of this plot was just word salad filler. Queue montage of the main character getting dressed, eating feasts, and being pampered ... And then complaining because she wants to be treated like an everyday girl. I wanted more plot and less filler, but also I should have seen this coming - it's pulp fiction. Pulp fiction began with authors being paid per word, so why am I expecting quality?
April 16, 2023
I don't remember exactly when I got this book, I picked up the paperback at a drugstore or bookstore, sometime in the late 90s. It might have been 1997. It is one of my all-time favorite romances. I only keep books I can't bear to part with. All the others I give to people through different means so they can be read but this is one that I love so much that I have had it on my keeper shelf in many different apartments since that time. This book was one of the main ones that inspired me to right ancient historical, fantasy Celtic romances. I consider this book a must-read for anyone who likes time travel romances, Celtic Romances, Irish Romances, Druid Romances, Fantasy romances, ancient historical romances, or just for anyone that likes great romance books.
October 21, 2012
So let's see... we have a woman who has been dating? Living with? A "man" for 6 years. He breaks up with her the day before her birthday. Right. (loser). Heroine stumbles across non-existent yard sale and buys a bauble. Shows it to H who realizes suddenly that she has yet to make trip. Ooops. Heroine puts bauble on later that evening and :poof: wakes up in prehistoric Ireland. Her appearance saves H from being skewered by band of outlaws. He thinks she's a goddess. Stop right there. At this point, this story was set up to be vastly entertaining and well, good. What happened?
Heroine balks at being called a goddess, feels uncomfortable with being waited on, yet at feast that night entertains thoughts that she deserved this after day she's had (entitlement much?) As days turn into months, she's seen occasionally trying to convince him that she is NOT a goddess, but she's just telling him that; not really offering an alternative that he'd believe considering he's seen her nearly disappear a couple of times when she removes or has the bauble knocked off. In addition, this dumb chick makes no effort to understand that pre-middle ages Europe in general was a group of tribes who fought each other as a way of life. She keeps the H from taking a band of warriors after the outlaws because she doesn't wish bloodshed. She tries to stop a battle of honor after he refuses another leader's daughter as wife (she's refused him several times on the basis of his refusal to accept her as a woman). This one almost bites her in the arse immediately because the champion for the other tribe grabs her and starts feeling her up. And the outlaws she wouldn't let him hunt down? They attack them on their wedding night. Tha's ok - she removes the bauble and tosses it to him. She goes back to her own time, and he follows by donning bauble himself.
So...h = TSTL H...I'm still trying to decide. I initially thought him dumber than a box of hammers but after thinking about it, I just think the h never gave him a suggestion that he could accept. Oddly enough, the rest of the tribe? Clan? accepted that she was a woman sent by the goddess rather than the goddess herself.
Continuity issues - h goes back in time and knows language immediately. H comes forward in time and has to learn it. h has to wear bauble to remain in H's time, H does not to remain in h's time.
Heroine balks at being called a goddess, feels uncomfortable with being waited on, yet at feast that night entertains thoughts that she deserved this after day she's had (entitlement much?) As days turn into months, she's seen occasionally trying to convince him that she is NOT a goddess, but she's just telling him that; not really offering an alternative that he'd believe considering he's seen her nearly disappear a couple of times when she removes or has the bauble knocked off. In addition, this dumb chick makes no effort to understand that pre-middle ages Europe in general was a group of tribes who fought each other as a way of life. She keeps the H from taking a band of warriors after the outlaws because she doesn't wish bloodshed. She tries to stop a battle of honor after he refuses another leader's daughter as wife (she's refused him several times on the basis of his refusal to accept her as a woman). This one almost bites her in the arse immediately because the champion for the other tribe grabs her and starts feeling her up. And the outlaws she wouldn't let him hunt down? They attack them on their wedding night. Tha's ok - she removes the bauble and tosses it to him. She goes back to her own time, and he follows by donning bauble himself.
So...h = TSTL H...I'm still trying to decide. I initially thought him dumber than a box of hammers but after thinking about it, I just think the h never gave him a suggestion that he could accept. Oddly enough, the rest of the tribe? Clan? accepted that she was a woman sent by the goddess rather than the goddess herself.
Continuity issues - h goes back in time and knows language immediately. H comes forward in time and has to learn it. h has to wear bauble to remain in H's time, H does not to remain in h's time.
June 28, 2025
This started off really well I was hooked from the beginning but idk what happened it just crashed and burned. Overall it was just ok.
April 5, 2023
Broken hearted after being dumped by her ex-boyfriend, the heroine secretly wishes for a man who will treat her like a goddess. The ancient necklace bought at a garage sale suddenly thrusts her back in time to Ireland and into the arms of such a man. The hero has known of his love for the goddess of fire and calls out her name for aid when his village is attacked. Behold, she appears. She's everything he imagined her to be and more and even though she insists that she's not the goddess he thinks she is, he blatantly ignores her protests. He showers her with gifts, expresses his devotion to her and his love for her but to her it's all in a mist.
How can you truly love someone whom you've set up high on a pedestal? How can you love a goddess whom you believe is more than you and whom you feel you must slave to? That was the theme of this book and I thought it to be a good one. Sure, the hero is uber sexy and super manly as he seeks ways to show his love for his goddess but it was flat. He wasn't able to love the heroine for herself until the end because she was a golden statue in his eyes, something to be worshiped but never something he could truly have for himself. That being said, the love the hero did feel for the heroine was passionate and without equal. The scene of his possessiveness and almost killing a man to defend her honor made me a little hot under the collar. But I never really got to know the hero as a character. Most of the book is written from the heroine’s perspective and based so much around her experiences that the hero became just the token warrior. I was sad about that because I really liked him. This book was very basically written however and no really deep emotions were expressed between the characters beside they're all consuming love for one another. I like it when the two characters can banter and argue and develop a true romance not the magical everything works out so easily fairytale. But I did enjoy this book, despite the multiple spelling mistakes. It's an old book after all and with my spelling I'm certainly not one to judge.
How can you truly love someone whom you've set up high on a pedestal? How can you love a goddess whom you believe is more than you and whom you feel you must slave to? That was the theme of this book and I thought it to be a good one. Sure, the hero is uber sexy and super manly as he seeks ways to show his love for his goddess but it was flat. He wasn't able to love the heroine for herself until the end because she was a golden statue in his eyes, something to be worshiped but never something he could truly have for himself. That being said, the love the hero did feel for the heroine was passionate and without equal. The scene of his possessiveness and almost killing a man to defend her honor made me a little hot under the collar. But I never really got to know the hero as a character. Most of the book is written from the heroine’s perspective and based so much around her experiences that the hero became just the token warrior. I was sad about that because I really liked him. This book was very basically written however and no really deep emotions were expressed between the characters beside they're all consuming love for one another. I like it when the two characters can banter and argue and develop a true romance not the magical everything works out so easily fairytale. But I did enjoy this book, despite the multiple spelling mistakes. It's an old book after all and with my spelling I'm certainly not one to judge.
January 29, 2014
I enjoyed how Christine time traveled back in time. Ailin thought she was a goddess or sent by the goddess. Christine really seemed to adjust to the time period. She tried to convince Ailin that she really wasn't a goddess. These two were meant for each other except neither of them could get past the whole goddess thing until they finally took the time to think about how the other one was viewing things. The ending was really sweet.
March 29, 2013
Time travel to viking days! Im not a fan of that time period, but it was a pretty good story!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews