Light My Fire [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Graves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2004

HE WAS TOO HOT TO HANDLE . . .

Defense attorney Ethan Millner is paid handsomely for his ability to charm a jury while ruthlessly slashing the prosecution. He’s living life in the fast lane, until he’s slapped with a reckless-driving charge and sentenced to forty hours of community service on a crime-watch patrol. Now he’s under the thumb of the chairperson of the city’s crime-watch council–a beautiful but no-nonsense woman determined to make him pay his debt to society.

. . . SHE COULDN’T RESIST THE HEAT

Sandy DeMarco is familiar with Ethan’s cutthroat character in the courtroom, as well as his notorious bad-boy reputation with women. Still, when the quiet of Sandy’s neighborhood is shattered by a brutal murder and an employee of hers becomes the prime suspect, Sandy knows the accused’s only hope is the man who will win at any cost. Working alongside Sandy, Ethan begins to feel sparks of attraction that ignite into love–even as a killer burns to silence those who threaten to uncover his secrets. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hidden motives lurk in a homey Texas neighborhood in Graves's deft novel of romantic suspense. Sentenced to 40 hours of community service after a DUI, slick defense attorney Ethan Millner is assigned to a neighborhood crime watch conducted by florist Sandy DeMarco. With her sympathetic heart and old-fashioned values, Sandy represents everything the cold and competitive Ethan claims to despise. Yet her warmth attracts him as much as his charged intensity does her. On patrol one night, the two discover the body of a savagely murdered woman. When a troubled young man Sandy employs is arrested for the murder and then abandoned by his only relative, Sandy persuades the reluctant Ethan to defend the teen pro bono. His investigation exposes the victim's tawdry past, but every new suspect he finds has a solid alibi; meanwhile, Sandy's home is the target of an arson attack that the couple barely escape alive. Graves (Flirting with Disaster, etc.) is a solid storyteller with a confident, convincing voice. Though the mystery is unremarkable and the idea that opposites attract is far from new, most fans of romantic suspense will find this an appealing read.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

JANE GRAVES received a B.A. in professional writing in 1978, but several years passed before she pursued her dream of becoming a novelist. Now the author of nine contemporary romance novels, she is a three-time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Rita Award, the industry’s highest honor, as well as a winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, a four-time winner of the Aspen Gold, and a three-time winner of the Texas Gold. Her first book from Ballantine, I Got You, Babe, has been optioned by an independent film production company.

Jane lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-two years and is the proud mother of a daughter pursuing her college degree. You can visit Jane’s website at www.janegraves.com, or write to her at [e-mail].

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345458419
• ISBN-13: 978-0345458414
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane Graves is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's Rita Award, the industry's highest honor, and is the recipient of two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Booksellers' Best Award, and the Golden Quill, among others. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Two of her books, Hot Wheels and High Heels, and Tall Tales and Wedding Veils, appeared on the Barnes & Noble Bestseller List. Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a crafty cat who easily rules the household with one paw tied behind her back.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid. - ** Grade: A- **, December 22, 2004

By 

MaryGrace Meloche (Ontario, Canada.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light My Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Jane Graves delivers a splendid story. LIGHT MY FIRE is a neat little package, shaped cleanly into tight form. In the end, the reader realizes the author has taken the time to plan her story. In other words, there are no loose-ends -- everything is solid and closed.

Ethan Millner is a brilliant, expensive, defense attorney and very successful at his job. He gets his clients exactly what they WANT - whether they deserve it or not! Yes, Ethan Millner is very successful, but Ethan Millner is miserable . . . ethics . . . principles . . . and all that!

Sandy DeMarco is closing in on forty and when Sandy DeMarco turns sideways, she does not disappear! NO, Sandy DeMarco has many wholesome womanly curves. The owner of a small flower shop; Sandy DeMarco lives her life looking for the good in all people. The woman is blessed. She truly likes people and people truly like her. Sandy DeMarco is a lovely, wholesome person.

Adversely, a court order forces Ethan Millner and Sandy DeMarco to spend a few LONG hours together. LONG hours? Well to wholesome Sandy DeMarco, life is half-full; to cynical Ethan Millner, life is half-empty! When a brutal murder in Sandy's quiet neighborhood forces her to ask Ethan for help, well suddenly all those opposing, dissimilar views are sidetracked . . . rapidly!

Jane Graves writes a good suspense romance, it is an impressive story. Well planned, well written, and well . . . entertaining. And isn't that why we read?

Grade: A-
MaryGrace Meloche.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder-Mystery Romance with LOTS of Twists and Turns, January 3, 2005

By 

TooManyHobbies "too_many_hobbies" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Light My Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Cutthroat defense attorney meets community activists in this romantic, legal thriller.

Kudos to Ms Jane Graves for giving us a very well written tale. Her characters are complex and believable and the plot has enough twist, turns and red herrings to keep even the most jaded murder-mystery reader glued to the page.

Curious about the title though. I can't decide if it is just a marketing ploy designed to grab the book-store browser's attention, or a sly hint by the author regarding the plot. Guess you'll have to read the book and decide for yourself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It was okay, just missing something...., June 23, 2006

By 

Sherry R. Mays (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Light My Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

I wanted to like this book more, but it was just "ok". Some of the banter between the two main characters was clever and I had hopes, but I was disappointed overall. Despite what other reviewers have said, I do not think the characters were well drawn or fleshed out in the least. The characters were not described in enough detail to form a mental picture of them. There were little or no "personal peeks" into their lives, some idiosyncrasies that help define their character, or demonstration of their emotional state. Reading the book was alot like reading a resume, dry, factual, no personality.

I thought the plot might save the day. It didn't. The ending was....messy? under-developed? lacking realism? It just had no teeth. I think the author is worth looking into later on, once she has some more experience under her belt perhaps?, but the book is a miss.