Forbidden Fire (Harlequin Historical) [Paperback]

Heather Graham Pozzessere (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037328666X
• ISBN-13: 978-0373286669
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Illicit Passion of is Full of Forbidden Fire!, September 17, 2004

By 

Nancy Compton (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Fire (Harlequin Historical) (Paperback)

England, 1885-1905
San Francisco, 1905

Nine-year-old wild carrot red haired, green cat eyed, proud and feisty beauty Marissa Ayers first met tall, handsome and wild ebony haired Ian Tremayne while she was an orphan living with her beloved Uncle Theo in a poverty stricken English coal mining town. Marissa passionately dreamed of escaping her destiny of the coal life to become a refined lady of wealth and respectability. Marissa had her very personal reasons why this was paramount.

Almost ten years later, Marissa once again met the American Yank Ian. Marissa secured a position of a maid in the home of Squire Thomas Ahearn and his daughter Mary. Marissa and Mary became fast best friends and confidants; sharing all future hopes and dreams along with their deepest secrets. The kind and dying Squire Ahearn loved his daughter so much that unbeknownst to Mary, he secured her future life to his friend Ian. Mary would not receive her inheritance if she decided otherwise. But Mary's heart belonged to the gentle, common and hard working merchant hopeful, Irish Jimmy O'Brien. Once Mary learned of her planned future with Ian, she and Marissa devised a plan to switch places. That plan was marriage for Marissa to the brooding Ian who harbored secrets of his own. This marriage of convenience would solve everyone's problems. Mary could marry Jimmy and Marissa would escape poverty.

Can Marissa, Mary and Jimmy pull off this deception successfully? Can they all happily live their lives with these lies and treachery? What will Ian do if he ever finds out? Would he accept the facts fearing that his own secrets will be uncovered?

This pleasing, quick and easy read is full of tender life-threatening journeys of the heart and soul.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1906 San Francisco Fire...Romance to die for!, October 15, 2010

By 

Regan (San Diego) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forbidden Fire (Harlequin Historical) (Paperback)

I am a huge fan of Heather Graham Pozzessere (pen name Shannon Drake for some of her novels, and Heather Graham for others). Her talent is amazing as displayed in this story of exchanged identities of two English women, one born to wealth, one born to poverty and the marriage to an American man who is caught in between. Marissa Ayers, the red/gold haired green eyed beauty who grew up among the poor English miners but whose pride and drive kept her from falling into the mire, agrees to wed Ian Tremayne, American architect and wealthy San Franciscan (heir to the great Emporium department store), in order to allow her best friend, Mary, to wed the love of her life. But Ian who is bitter from losing his first wife and child is unaware of the deception. Still, he is passionate for his new wife as she is for him. But there are his former mistresses to contend with as Marissa poses for the lady she is not. Still she finds herself falling for her proud and honorable husband afraid he will know the lie she lives. Pozzessere does a brilliant job of describing San Francisco life in the early 1900s and of allowing us to live with those who endured the great fire of 1906. This is a splendid romance that had me crying at the end. She does it so well. You will not be sorry you got this one!

3.0 out of 5 stars the background was interesting, May 29, 2011

By 

RomReader (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forbidden Fire (Harlequin Historical) (Paperback)

Impoverished heroine works as maid for her wealthy (BFF)best friend's household in exchange for schooling & living expenses. When her best friend's father dies, she & her BFF switch identities so that her BFF can marry the man she loves but still get her inheritance. When things become more complicated than expected, heroine proposed a marriage of convenience (MOC) with her BFF's legal guardian. Due to their increasing attraction to each other, their MOC soon becomes a real marriage. But heroine still keeps her secrets from Hero. When the truth gets revealed, will heroine's fears come to pass?

This was an average read. The biggest draw of this Graham book for me is the story's background. It was interesting to read about San Francisco before & after the big 1906 earthquake. The romance itself was average & so were the pacing, sexual chemistry, &emotional involvement of the book. Sex scenes were generalized. Characters were ok. I liked heroine's survival skills, loyalty to her loved ones, & ambitiousness. Hero wasn't very memorable. His was reactive to heroine. She made him assess what kind of life & r/s he wanted in his life.

Marginally recommended.