Born in Fire (Born in Trilogy, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 1994

First in the New York Times bestselling trilogy of three modern sisters bound by the timeless beauty of Ireland. Born in Fire follows the story of Maggie Concannon, a reclusive, stubborn, and free- spirited glassmaker. Gallery owner Rogan Sweeney vows to help her-but does their fierce attraction have the power to overcome her dark past?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first in a projected trilogy about the lives of three Irish sisters, Born in Fire gets the series off to a fine start, telling the story of talented glass-artist Maggie Concannon's contentious relationship with Dublin gallery owner Rogan Sweeney. Country-dwelling Maggie is otherworldly, prickly and outspoken, while Rogan is an urban sophisticate; nevertheless, the attraction that springs up between this unlikely pair is both believable and compelling, thanks to Roberts's (Private Scandals) skillful character development. Lacking melodramatic overtones or strange twists of fate, the plot may seem less than exciting, but the conflicts Maggie and Rogan face are refreshingly realistic and the characters themselves, well-rounded and likable, will keep readers engaged.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA?Artist Maggie Concannon creates beautiful glass images through a blowpipe and with a fiery furnace, much as she herself was born and survived her mother's angry frustrations and resentment. Then Maggie falls in love with Rogan, her new agent, who brings her passion, fame, and riches. Roberts's unique characters come to life through their wordplay and tempers. A light, fast-paced novel set in the Irish countryside.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Jove (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515114693
• ISBN-13: 978-0515114690
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.3 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (97 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read October 30, 2001

By Sophie

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The first book in NR's 'Born In' series is wonderful, you don't want to miss it! "Born In Fire" focuses on Maggie Concannon, a tempermental and loyal woman who is also a gifted artist. Gallery owner Rogan Sweeney takes an interest in Maggie's fabulous glass creations, and soon after takes a personal interest in Maggie herself. Maggie is a wonderful character, stubborn and flawed, yet still caring. Nora does a fabulous job of developing Maggie, and does it in a way that she seems like a real person. Rogan is an extremely likeable hero. Maggie's sister, Brianna, is her complete opposite; quiet, sweet, and calm. The relationship between the two sisters, however, is very touching and very real. This book is full of colourful characters, some we love and some we hate. The romance between Rogan and Maggie is wonderful. Basically, I just can't say enough good things about this book. You will love it!

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Born In Fire February 22, 2008

By Kelly VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Maggie Concannon is a very gifted artist specializing in glassblowing. While her craft has taken her around the world, the untimely death of her father has brought her home to the small village in Ireland. Maggie has a very strained relationship with her remaining family. Her mother blames her for dreams not realized, and her sister is her polar opposite.

Maggie is content with her life until Rogan Sweeney barges in and tries to take charge. He is a wealthy gallery owner, and wants to represent and display Maggie's work. Rogan is sure he can make her a star and wealthier than her wildest dreams. She throws him a curve when she informs him that she loves her work and each piece is what is important, not the money. They instantly clash, but yet are still very attracted to each other. Maggie is a fiery emotional red head that is never afraid to say what is on her mind. Rogan is tall dark and very controlled. Never a dull moment for these two.

This was a good light read, but not my favorite NR book.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars great characters and chemistry...flimsy plot June 6, 2005

By avines

Format:Mass Market Paperback

this is the first in the "born in" series by nora roberts. it tells of the romance of maggie and rogan.

maggie is a red-headed irish girl who's tempermental, candid, brash at times, sexual, and afraid of marriage. she's a gifted glass blower who is on the cusp of stardom, although she's not aware of it yet, living in a small town in ireland.

rogan is a black-haired hunk with blue eyes and a focus on his business. he's the opposite of maggie in that he's more emotionally controlled, holds his tongue more times than not for appearance sake, is uncomfortable with the idea of losing control sexually (at least initially), and values marriage over just a sexual relationship. he is immediately enamored with maggie's artwork and wants to display it in his galleries. the conflict begins when he wants to take control and she doesn't want it because she's always controlled everything in her world up until then.

i loved maggie because she was comfortable with her sexuality and was committed to her art. she was outspoken and didn't hold her tongue if she felt something needed to be said. there wasn't any coy games going on with her when it came to rogan. she let him know early on she was interested in him sexually.

it was really cool watching rogan lose control of the situation, when he was so used to having control over every aspect of his life. i loved how the two characters came together sexually, too. it was definitely HOT, although i wish roberts had spent a little more time describing more of the interludes.

and the banter between the two was hilarious. maggie had an uncanny way of getting under rogan's skin, and the arguments between these two were almost as entertaining as the sexual encounters.

there were a few weak points of this book, though. for one, there was an unnecessary amount of time spent on them at work. while i understand the need to educate the reader on the process of glass blowing, sometimes i found myself wanting to skim over it so i could get to the interaction between maggie and rogan. i wish there had been more of it in the book. it wouldn't have been a bad thing if the storyline was interesting when they were apart, but it really wasn't. the only time it got interesting outside of the romance was when maggie and her mom were going at it.

if you want a strong female character who's funny and knows what she wants and like the idea of watching a man's control unravel, and you like reading about spontaneous and heated sexual encounters after reading uninteresting stuff for about thirty pages prior, this is the book for you. i thought it was aiight, but i'm not pressed to read it ever again.