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Wildfire
Heading west by wagon train after her loved ones are killed and her home taken by the Yankees, Serena Bain finds her heart betraying her resentment for the darkly handsome wagon master, a northerner whose passions she vows to resist.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
66 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Norah Hess
52 books95 followersAlways a daydreamer, and often scolded for it by the grandmother who raised her, Norah Hess always wanted to be a writer. At eighteen, she was sent to Chicago to live with an aunt after her grandmother's death. It was there that she met her husband. After raising three children, Norah decided to write her first novel, and since then has had fifteen published romances. After her husband passed away, she and her two cats moved to Palm Springs, where the desert and mountains inspire her to write her Western romances.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 17, 2022
Amateur hour once again. It is taking serious effort on my part to continue with this story. The female lead character, Serena, is a stupid spoiled b*tch. The only comment I have about the male lead character Josh, is that his last name is Quade and I keep thinking about "Total Recall" (Arnold Schwarzenegger movie) and the freaky thing that popped out of that guy's stomach. Neither character is impressing me here.
The story started to get better, still far from being good mind you, when they start on the Oregon Trail. However, the story still couldn't hold my attention as I kept thinking about the old computer game "Oregon Trail" and how much damn fun it was to play.
When they ford the river in the story I thought back sadly to numerous oxen over the years I had lost fording my own river in the game.
Alright, so their first booty scene came out of nowhere, like different universe nowhere, and was sucky.
Hey shout out to Ft. Kearney! I use to live about 30 miles north of there and I wasn't aware there were any mountains in that area or any part of Nebraska. Ok what in the holy hell is going on. Ms. Hess has the wagon train just entering NE then just a week later arriving at Ft. Laramie! WTF, yes in 1864 Wyoming didn't exist (it was considered Idaho) but it's sheer dumbness to say a wagon train could cross all of NE (or what was called NE territory but basically the same borders during this time as the current state has ) and make it to Ft. Laramie in a week. Maybe I know to much about this (being from NE and being hammered down with its one claim to fame, the Oregon Trail) but come on!! Research Ms. Hess, research.
I'm not usually a proponent for domestic violence but when Josh slapped Serena across the face I was jealous I couldn't do the same thing.Uuugggghhh! I just read that they traveled 40 miles in one day in a covered wagon! And here I was under the impression the average was around 10 miles a day. Jesus, get me some of whatever they were feeding those oxen.
This book was so bad it got my competitive juices flowing and it was me against the book to read the whole thing, which I did. It never got better and where the hell was the editor on this one? This book was so bad I don't know if I should laugh or cry over how it wasted time from my life to read it.
The story started to get better, still far from being good mind you, when they start on the Oregon Trail. However, the story still couldn't hold my attention as I kept thinking about the old computer game "Oregon Trail" and how much damn fun it was to play.
When they ford the river in the story I thought back sadly to numerous oxen over the years I had lost fording my own river in the game.
Alright, so their first booty scene came out of nowhere, like different universe nowhere, and was sucky.
Hey shout out to Ft. Kearney! I use to live about 30 miles north of there and I wasn't aware there were any mountains in that area or any part of Nebraska. Ok what in the holy hell is going on. Ms. Hess has the wagon train just entering NE then just a week later arriving at Ft. Laramie! WTF, yes in 1864 Wyoming didn't exist (it was considered Idaho) but it's sheer dumbness to say a wagon train could cross all of NE (or what was called NE territory but basically the same borders during this time as the current state has ) and make it to Ft. Laramie in a week. Maybe I know to much about this (being from NE and being hammered down with its one claim to fame, the Oregon Trail) but come on!! Research Ms. Hess, research.
I'm not usually a proponent for domestic violence but when Josh slapped Serena across the face I was jealous I couldn't do the same thing.Uuugggghhh! I just read that they traveled 40 miles in one day in a covered wagon! And here I was under the impression the average was around 10 miles a day. Jesus, get me some of whatever they were feeding those oxen.
This book was so bad it got my competitive juices flowing and it was me against the book to read the whole thing, which I did. It never got better and where the hell was the editor on this one? This book was so bad I don't know if I should laugh or cry over how it wasted time from my life to read it.
June 30, 2014
I think I've officially decided that Fancy is the only really good book Norah Hess ever wrote. Although, that doesn't mean I won't weaken and try another in hopes of finding another. Dammit.
Hess' settings are not your typical glamorous romance novel settings. Her heroes are working men (trappers, loggers, frontiersmen etc). It's a nice change of pace from all the titled gentleman and Greek tycoons. At least it can be when she does it right. This time she did it wrong in several ways. I'm only giving it a 2 because I managed to struggle through and saw some potential.
This isn't your typical Yankee/Southern Belle romance. Even though the war is still going on, the action takes place out West. The book opens with the heroine, Serena, struggling to survive in her decimated plantation as the old South is destroyed around her. She loses her childhood sweetheart in the war and has no loved ones left aside from the slave who was her Mammy and her sweetheart's widower father. Then she receives a letter from her brother who she'd feared was dead. He was actually captured by the North and given freedom for agreeing to swear an oath of loyalty to the Union and work out west (not sure if that's an historically accurate possibility or not). He's settled in Oregon territory and wants her to join him.
Serena decides it's as good an option as any since the South is declining by the day. She talks her dead fiance's father, Paw, into going with her and they head west.
The hero, Josh Quade, turns out to be the wagon master leading the emigrants west. He is a Yankee deserter and trapper by trade. Of course there is an instant attraction, but he thinks she's a snooty Southern Belle and she thinks he's a damn Yankee. So they have an on-again off-again sex fest intertwined with arguing, trying to make one another jealous, fighting off Indians, and dealing with her crazy cousin who has deserted the Confederate army and is following after them hoping to marry Serena.
Like the crazy mess Caleb's Bride there is far too much disturbing crudity and peripheral sex going on between secondary characters. If Hess was trying to insert realism with her portrayal of the treatment of Indian women, she failed. It came out as a porny, voyeuristic, train wreck of racism. As did the crazy side story of the ex Southern gentleman turned secretly gay cattle rancher who joined their wagon train. He wanted to marry Serena because she was beautiful and would be a big feather in his cap, but really was only interested in Indian boys.
There was no depth whatsoever to any of the characters and the fact that everyone was so openly crude in front of Serena and she didn't seem too shocked and was throwing words around like 'whore' was ridiculous. She was supposed to be a southern lady from a plantation. As the unofficial aristocracy, those women were practically as sheltered as their counterparts in England at the time. Chaperones everywhere and no talk of body parts, etc. I know she'd seen some hardship with the war, but find it hard to believe that she suddenly using the language she did and her dead fiance's father found it acceptable to talk of the men going to see the women in the pleasure wagon like it was not inappropriate at all. So stupid.
Hess' settings are not your typical glamorous romance novel settings. Her heroes are working men (trappers, loggers, frontiersmen etc). It's a nice change of pace from all the titled gentleman and Greek tycoons. At least it can be when she does it right. This time she did it wrong in several ways. I'm only giving it a 2 because I managed to struggle through and saw some potential.
This isn't your typical Yankee/Southern Belle romance. Even though the war is still going on, the action takes place out West. The book opens with the heroine, Serena, struggling to survive in her decimated plantation as the old South is destroyed around her. She loses her childhood sweetheart in the war and has no loved ones left aside from the slave who was her Mammy and her sweetheart's widower father. Then she receives a letter from her brother who she'd feared was dead. He was actually captured by the North and given freedom for agreeing to swear an oath of loyalty to the Union and work out west (not sure if that's an historically accurate possibility or not). He's settled in Oregon territory and wants her to join him.
Serena decides it's as good an option as any since the South is declining by the day. She talks her dead fiance's father, Paw, into going with her and they head west.
The hero, Josh Quade, turns out to be the wagon master leading the emigrants west. He is a Yankee deserter and trapper by trade. Of course there is an instant attraction, but he thinks she's a snooty Southern Belle and she thinks he's a damn Yankee. So they have an on-again off-again sex fest intertwined with arguing, trying to make one another jealous, fighting off Indians, and dealing with her crazy cousin who has deserted the Confederate army and is following after them hoping to marry Serena.
Like the crazy mess Caleb's Bride there is far too much disturbing crudity and peripheral sex going on between secondary characters. If Hess was trying to insert realism with her portrayal of the treatment of Indian women, she failed. It came out as a porny, voyeuristic, train wreck of racism. As did the crazy side story of the ex Southern gentleman turned secretly gay cattle rancher who joined their wagon train. He wanted to marry Serena because she was beautiful and would be a big feather in his cap, but really was only interested in Indian boys.
There was no depth whatsoever to any of the characters and the fact that everyone was so openly crude in front of Serena and she didn't seem too shocked and was throwing words around like 'whore' was ridiculous. She was supposed to be a southern lady from a plantation. As the unofficial aristocracy, those women were practically as sheltered as their counterparts in England at the time. Chaperones everywhere and no talk of body parts, etc. I know she'd seen some hardship with the war, but find it hard to believe that she suddenly using the language she did and her dead fiance's father found it acceptable to talk of the men going to see the women in the pleasure wagon like it was not inappropriate at all. So stupid.
November 18, 2017
Unnecessarily long and tedious. MCs could have resolved their feelings earlier than the last page.
Their relationship was always extreme, either scorching hot as they couldn't stop themselves from pulling all-nighters or chillingly cold as they stayed months apart after every marathon lovemaking sessions when both refused to say the three words. Hero was however a treat as he never treats anyone poorly throughout the book. Also helps that he's deliciously manly alpha. The heroine was a sheltered southern teenager, who never came across true passion until she meets the hero. She seemed a rather bland character beyond her beauty.
Usually her novels have decent secondary characters whose relationships are also explored. Even with a wagon train full of people, no secondary character was really explored.
Their relationship was always extreme, either scorching hot as they couldn't stop themselves from pulling all-nighters or chillingly cold as they stayed months apart after every marathon lovemaking sessions when both refused to say the three words. Hero was however a treat as he never treats anyone poorly throughout the book. Also helps that he's deliciously manly alpha. The heroine was a sheltered southern teenager, who never came across true passion until she meets the hero. She seemed a rather bland character beyond her beauty.
Usually her novels have decent secondary characters whose relationships are also explored. Even with a wagon train full of people, no secondary character was really explored.
June 11, 2022
Loved it
December 14, 2023
Same plot as the others
I’ve read a few of Norah Hess’ books now, and they seem to have the same plot structure: extremely attractive female and ruggedly handsome man can’t seem to physically resist one another. They meet, something is said or seen that is misunderstood, they get together for sex, another argument and misunderstanding, more sex, repeat. Then at the very end, they clear the air and finally get together for good. The End. No follow up, no epilogue. The writing is good at least.
I’ve read a few of Norah Hess’ books now, and they seem to have the same plot structure: extremely attractive female and ruggedly handsome man can’t seem to physically resist one another. They meet, something is said or seen that is misunderstood, they get together for sex, another argument and misunderstanding, more sex, repeat. Then at the very end, they clear the air and finally get together for good. The End. No follow up, no epilogue. The writing is good at least.
April 15, 2019
Wildfire
I loved this story, I recommend ever one to read her books, I look forward to reading more of her books KATTIE.
I loved this story, I recommend ever one to read her books, I look forward to reading more of her books KATTIE.
September 20, 2020
Wildfire is a really good book!!
I enjoyed reading this book and I definitely would read it again. I would also recommend this book to anyone.
I enjoyed reading this book and I definitely would read it again. I would also recommend this book to anyone.
March 2, 2020
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars because I actually liked the characters, Serena Bain and Josh Quade, and enjoyed most of the storyline. However, I feel like at least one character was unnecessary to the storyline (keep the horrible women beating cousin, lose the pedophile rancher, or make them the same character).
I do wonder of the historical accuracy of the story- Serena's brother was captured by the North, and then offered freedom if he went out West and promise loyalty to the Union (does anyone know?, resource?)
Disliked Serena's bitterness towards Josh because he was a Northern soldier, she seems to forget that her Southern fiance probably killed plenty of fathers, brothers, and loved ones of Northerners before he himself was killed in battle.
Josh Quade was a deserter- did not like that part of his character, yes war is horrible, the Civil War one of our most horrible wars, but he should have been able to resign commission or something- again not sure how it worked back then, it seemed like he just left his group and I guess they assumed he was dead, didn't bother looking for a body.
I do wonder of the historical accuracy of the story- Serena's brother was captured by the North, and then offered freedom if he went out West and promise loyalty to the Union (does anyone know?, resource?)
Disliked Serena's bitterness towards Josh because he was a Northern soldier, she seems to forget that her Southern fiance probably killed plenty of fathers, brothers, and loved ones of Northerners before he himself was killed in battle.
Josh Quade was a deserter- did not like that part of his character, yes war is horrible, the Civil War one of our most horrible wars, but he should have been able to resign commission or something- again not sure how it worked back then, it seemed like he just left his group and I guess they assumed he was dead, didn't bother looking for a body.
April 14, 2013
synopsis:
serena is just making ends meet after the civil war. her husband was killed, and her cousin is on the run. she hears from her brother, who has settled in oregon and decides to join him. along for the ride is her father-in-law. josh deserted the union army and returns home. a lot of people in his hometown have decided that they want to head west, and he is asked to come along to provide protection. when josh and serena first see each other, serena hates him, as she hates all yankees. as they struggle through the difficult months on the trail, they get to know one another better, but insecurity still keeps them apart.
what i liked: the fact that life on the wagon train wasn't glossed over; that they didn't make it there in a couple of months. i liked the fact that they had to spend the winter in a settlement before they went over the pass.
what i didn't like: the book. i rolled my eyes and banged my head several times while reading this. i just couldn't care about either of them; serena was whiny and almost bitchy, and josh was ignorant and insecure.
serena is just making ends meet after the civil war. her husband was killed, and her cousin is on the run. she hears from her brother, who has settled in oregon and decides to join him. along for the ride is her father-in-law. josh deserted the union army and returns home. a lot of people in his hometown have decided that they want to head west, and he is asked to come along to provide protection. when josh and serena first see each other, serena hates him, as she hates all yankees. as they struggle through the difficult months on the trail, they get to know one another better, but insecurity still keeps them apart.
what i liked: the fact that life on the wagon train wasn't glossed over; that they didn't make it there in a couple of months. i liked the fact that they had to spend the winter in a settlement before they went over the pass.
what i didn't like: the book. i rolled my eyes and banged my head several times while reading this. i just couldn't care about either of them; serena was whiny and almost bitchy, and josh was ignorant and insecure.
June 24, 2013
Really great story but definitely one that frustrated the heck out of me that Serena and Josh couldn't get their act together until like the last two pages. I really liked the build up of the story though. These two would have been great together. Would have been nice to read a bit after they finally acknowledged their love for one another. Serena was a very frustrating person. She fell in love with Josh right from the start even though she loved to say that she hated him for what his country men did to his fiancé. Even when Josh would come to her with a want and need for her something would happen that would cause her to doubt the way Josh was feeling for her. That I can understand though, being afraid to tell some one that you love them and not have them reciprocate those feelings and that is exactly what scared Serena the most. Even falling pregnant with his child she still longed for him to love her not want to propose just to the fact that she was having his baby. Still great ending but would have liked to have read more.
November 5, 2013
Ok story. Drug on unnecessarily which made the story tedious. I found myself skimming through and not feeling like I missed much in the process. I have one more book to read of Norah Hess's and then I won't be reading anymore of her books. I just do not care for her writing style.
April 11, 2016
2.5 stars. This book took to long to come to a not so satisfying conclusion. I scanned the second half and still fill like I wasted my time.
April 8, 2017
I really enjoyed thi
I really enjoyed this book. The heroine was a very strong, down to earth woman even though she had been raised with money. I like that she fell in love with someone for who he is not what riches he may possess.
I really enjoyed this book. The heroine was a very strong, down to earth woman even though she had been raised with money. I like that she fell in love with someone for who he is not what riches he may possess.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews