Price: $7.99
A classic Christmas story back for a new season. New York Times bestselling author Jo Beverley returns to the Georgian period and the irresistible Malloren clan in this sumptuous historical novel of sizzling tension, powerful attraction, a false and forced engagement-and the lavish use of mistletoe and rather well-spiked eggnog.
User Reviews
Jo Beverley has done it again. This romance will keep you turning the pages to find out how Genova and Ash overcome their problems! With intriguing characters, a vivid setting, plot twists and turns and an exciting romance, Jo Beverley proves again she is a fabulous writer. -- Intriguing and Romantic
I rarely consider a book worthy of 5 stars, but this one deserves it. The characters are so beautifully crafted and as a reader I'm shown how they come to fall in love. The relationship develops on the pages and the reader understands why these two people should be together.
I was a bit concerned because often these 'family' books tend to tire, with the same characters giving repeat performances. And while the Mallorens are present, they don't overwhelm the story. The focus is definitely on the hero and heroine and their relationship.
-- This is what a romance should be all about
I don't really get how this book got more than one star! The writing in this book was very weak compared to other romance authors out there. The sentences were short. The paragraphs were short. The descriptions of the people were short. Maybe it's just this book that Jo Beverley wrote that was boring, but I don't recommend this one. -- only one star
As those who have read my other reviews are aware, I read many literary genres, not just romance novels, and I try to hold romances to (nearly) the same standard by which I judge other novels. Jo Beverley's works are a bit problematic for me, as I think she has become a very talented writer who seems to struggle with the plots of her novels. "Winter Fire" is no exception to my opinion -- the characters are engaging, but the mystery element is slight, and the rather simple plot becomes as convoluted and twisted as the contents of a spaghetti bowl.
If you have not read the proceeding books in this Georgian England series, you may find yourself struggling with the many characters and their relationships to each other. Our hero, the Marquis of Ashart, and his cousin, Lord Rothgar, are mortal enemies due to a feud that started over 30 years prior to the opening of the book. Genova Smith is a young lady whose family circumstances have caused her to become the paid companion to two elderly aunts of both the men. One of the mysteries of the novel is the paternity of a baby who is thrust upon Ms Smith and the aunts while they are on their way to spend Christmas at Lord Rothgar's. Everyone, with the exception of one of the aunts and Ashart himself, believes the child is the bastard son of Ashart. The other mystery has to do with the death of Rothgar's mother when he was just a child. It is this death that percipitated the family feud. Neither of these "mysteries" will hold your attention for more than a few minutes -- for example, the parentage of the child will be easily figured out by anyone who regularly reads detective fiction. The other flaw has to do with Rothgar and his change of heart regarding his cousin, which drives much of the plot: I found it a little hard to accept such a drastic change of character. And, as in most of Ms Beverley' novels, you must believe in love at first sight...or something close to it to suspend disbelief at the outcome.
The charm of the book is in the characters, although I would have liked seeing the character of Genova Smith more fully developed. The aunts seemed to be straight out of central casting for any period piece movie from the 1930s through the 1940s -- Edna May Oliver instantly came to mind whenever the "crusty aunt" spoke -- but were amusing and touching. In "Winter Fire" the female characters who are the most finely drawn; however, Ashart's confession to Genova of his miserable childhood with Rothgar's bitter maternal grandmother was very touching to read. The book also introduced a new character in the person of a minx named Damaris Myddleton, who appears in the next book in the series, "A Most Unsuitable Man." The book itself has an attractive stepback cover, which is not always the case with Beverley's books. If you take this book as a light read (perhaps on a cold winter's day with a pot of tea) you won't come away enthralled but more likely slightly amused. -- Appealing Characters Make Up for Some Plot Flaws
Winter Fire may not have been up to the previous Malloren books for intensity and romance but it still is better than most books available. The main rouge is Ashart a nephew of Rothgar and he has the usual rake qualities but deep down is a sensitive with a very good heart. The female is Genova, companion to Ash's elderly aunts - daughter of a naval captain with a wealth of life events to make her far more interesting and challenging than Ash's usual female companions. The story is set over the Christmas holidays at Rothgar Abbey and fortunately you get to revisit some of the Malloren clan again. I could have enjoyed a little more into the newly married Bey and Dianna but of course this was not their story. My only real complaint was the use of to much reference to mythology and old myths that became to confusing and not at all plot worthy to even read!! Basically it was a great Malloren novel - so if you enjoy this family as I do - you will enjoy Ash and Genova as a compliment to the "falling in love" Mallorens!!!!!! -- Another Malloren - another fine romance!!
