Customer Reviews

A Fire in the Blood (Leisure historical romance)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book starts out with Melissa Jacobson (Lissa) a cattle baron's daughter having an attraction to Jesse Robbins (Jess) a half breed part greaser gunman that her father has hired to take care of rustlers. Soon Lissa catches Jess's attention and their relationship begins. They're many people and obstacles the couple has to overcome to be together. The racism and bigotry of Lissa's family and "friends" causes problems from the beginning. But there are a few true friends that help along the way after they are won over by the love the couple shares. The love scenes alone are worth the read! Shirl Henke has written a real winner.

In my opinion this was the best book that Shirl Henke ever wrote! Lissa & Jess were explosive together. Their love scenes have you frantically turning the page wanting more! But what excited me the most was Lissa's determination to have Jess at all cost... even being labeled "a fallen woman" because of her love for him. Trials after trials mostly because of Jess stubborness eluded this couple. But love conquered all in the end. It's a buy and keeper!

I was irritated by the Prologue which is a snippet from the middle of the story and I think best avoided. Simply start at Chapter 1 and enjoy the flow of the story.

The main characters are Jess and Lissa, but there are several other players with depth to add to the story.
Lissa is the daughter of a rich rancher. She is indulged, used to the finer things in life and generally getting what she wants. There is so much more to her though as we see throughout the story. She is fearless to the point of being reckless. She is courageous and honest and willing to fight for what she believes in. Her initial infatuation with Jess may be the lure of the forbidden, but it develops into a Romeo & Juliet grand passion (without the tragic ending).

Jess is definitely from the wrong side of the track, a bounty hunter and gunman with Indian and Mexican blood. He is paid by Lissa's father to solve a serious rustling problem. Jess is comfortable in his own skin and the insults and rudeness of the supposedly better white society slide off him like water off a duck's back. He has had his share of heartache and disillusionment and now single-mindedly pursues his goal of setting up a small ranch of his own. That is...until Lissa breaks into his life like a thunderstorm.

Lissa is determined to get his attention and he is equally determined to avoid her and the trouble inevitably involved in crossing any society lines.

The attraction starts like a game of cat and mouse but develops to become a `Fire in the Blood'. They are drawn to each other despite the opposition around them. The biggest battle, however, is Jess' internal battle with himself.

The love story faces a rocky ride, with plenty of tension in the relationship and the events and characters around Lissa and Jess. This is not a simple historical western romance, but a story of love, bigotry, racism, greed and social hypocrisy.

A page-turner and a story I will definitely revisit. I was sad to reach the last page and would have loved to spend more time with these wonderful characters.

Classic Shirl Henke historical romance.

I knocked off a star though, because number one, it was repeated and repeated constantly that Lissa was spoiled. But I never saw any evidence of that. She wasn't spoiled, or selfish, or bratty at all. And number two, if the hero calls the heroine a "bitch," uh uh. No no. That is not right. More than once he did it, too. So, I had to lower the rating because that's just cruel. She wasn't even a biotch in the first place.

This is one of the best Western romances out there. Sexy hero, innocent heroine, and the wild wild west. What more could anyone want?

Lissa & Jess are both characters you want to root for throughout this entire book. And the love scenes are worth reading repeatedly! Lissa is a strong heroine and her past only makes her a more colorful character. Shirl Henke hit the mark with this one!

the characters were not nice. the heroine was too brazen and she forced herself on the hero. the hero did not love her and he kept telling her. he did not have any feelings for his son either. at the end he had to accept them.