Customer Reviews

Secret Fire

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"Secret Fire" is definitely an eye-opening experience. The writing is explosive, filled to the brim with memorable scenes and outstanding characters.

It's the story of Russian Prince Dimitri, who sees English aristocrat Katherine on the street in disguise as a maid and decides to have her for the night. His personal manservant Vladimir won't let her refuse, and kidnaps her. From that point on, "Secret Fire" is a breathless romp between two stubborn, passionate people aching to be with one another.

The love scenes alone are original. Yes, she's drugged - but not by Dimitri (at first). However, I've never read anything sexier than what happens when these two are together. Later, Katherine's imperial temper and scathing wit collide with Dimitri's tyrant of an aunt, which results in an absolutely shocking punishment, followed by one of the coolest rescue scenes ever (in a kitchen, no less).

I love this story. Dimitri and his "Katya" are hot together, and their story is wickedly delightful and totally unforgettable. The only true criticism I have is that Lindsey spends one or two chapters solely discussing Russia and Russian history, which was not as interesting as Dimitri and Katherine's love lives. If you are a history or culture buff, this won't bother you; if you just want to see the two get it on, it won't hurt you to skip these passages.

"Secret Fire" is one of Lindsey's more risque and fascinating stories. I highly recommend it!!!!

Secret Fire is one of several Johanna Lindsey stories that I just love. It is so hard to name just one absolute favourite of Johanna Lindseys, but Secret fire comes pretty close. Secret Fire was very well written and the characters, Katherine and Dimitri, were wonderful to read about. The magic and passion between them was a delight to read. This is a wonderfully sexy and partly erotic story, when you take onto account that manner in which Katherine is drugged for Dimitri's pleasure. This is a story that I read over and over again, however I'm still waiting for the story about Dimitri's sister, Anastasia.

The very first romance book I ever read was JL when I was 13 years old. This book was a very emotional book, but it wasn't a favorite of mine. I found a lot of what happened in the book either very disturbing or it doesn't seem to go with the times. Since when does "no" mean "yes drug me" and How could Katherine return to the "ton" with a baby and no recriminations??Everyone was ok with this?? I understand that this is a book so an author has the liberty to do what they will, but it was just a bit harsh to me. I still love JL and I still love her books. This just wasn't one of my favorites!!

Lady Katherine St John is dressed as a maid making her way through the streets of London when she is suddenly plucked off the street by a Russian at the order of his master, Prince Dimitri, simply because he must have her. She is unwilling to give herself to Dimitri for any price and therefore the Russian servant drugs her with some sort of date rape drug of the 1800s. Due to the drug, she is in firing need for a man's touch. Enter Prince Dimitri at the rescue to douse her flaming body. After the hot sexual encounter, Dimitri decides that he must return her to Russia with him in case a scandal breaks out. He doesn't believe that she is a lady because she was dusguised in a maid's clothing. Once in Russia, Katherine tries to plan her escape without much success.

I must say the sex scenes were hot although it is slightly scandalous that Katherine was in effect drugged and raped in her first meeting with Dimitri. However, if you can put aside the raping incident, the book is really quite a good read and the interaction between the two main leads is fun. I did find the ending a little bit rushed though.

Lealing

The characters in this book are interesting, but a little hard to believe. The main character, Lady Katherine, is kidnapped, drugged and basically assaulted by her admirer, a Russian Prince. Yet she amazingly overcomes this, and the fact that she is kept as a slave and is beaten by his aunt. It is trying to be a love conquers all sort of novel, but I personally don't think it conquers the stupidity and lack of human decency of the "hero." Even when you try to shroud it in aphrodisiacs, it is still really what it is.

Hmmmmm, looks like many people have strong words about this book, mainly disgust and repulsion of lack of moral and resonableness of the plot. The story was a little forced and sort of assumed we would not have a sense of logic to spot the far-fetched plot of the story. Dimitri's behaviour was certainly outrageous, no matter how permissive his lifestyle. Sexual satisfaction or rather, unsatiable sexual need, was the first and most important attraction. But then, we read romance novels for romantic and sexual fantasy. Katherine first had sex with Dimitri because she was drugged and dying with need. Well, it was not morally right. (...) At least Katherine abstained from Dimitri since then till she was drugged again, and Dimitri did not force her, so I gave some credit for their moral and character. But Katherine did not seem as intelligent as she was made out to be, kind of naive in some ways though I found her stubborness quite entertaining to read about. A complaint would be that the ending appeared to be hastily written. To those who complain loudly about the logic and moral loopholes of this book, well, just take the story as a pinch of salt, we read such novels for fantasy, no point killing our brain cells to agonise the sense and sensibility of it.

This book really GOT to me. The only reason I didn't give it one star is because this is Johanna Lindsey, and I usually love her books.

So, let's get down to it, shall we? Some arrogant prince who is too cocky (yes, down there and up in the head, too) for his own good decides that the streets of London is a wonderful place to kidnap a sex slave, so he has Katherine plucked out of the street and brought to his pleasure. Since when did the streets of London become an open marketplace for sex slaves for Russian royalty? I wasn't aware that diplomacy extended THAT far, lol.

This book was too much for me. I know Lindsey has a history of creating males who are gorgeous, strong, and wise (but also arrogant as heck), but usually the male has some qualities to redeem himself. I found Dimitri irritating and too sure of himself.

This is the first romance novel I ever read. I picked it up by recommendation of my mother, a long time Lindsey fan. This, of course, was several years ago and I have read more in the genre. When I first read it I was shocked and horrified. Recently I decided to reread it and see if it was as bad as I remembered. I still hate it!
The Basic Plot goes Lady Catherine, a forceful, competant earl's daughter of impeccable moral character, disguises herself as a maid to spy on her sister. When she goes out into London, she ends up belting an oaf who makes passes at her. This is something she regrets later on for the action amuses Prince Dimitri of Russia. Dimitri is a drop-dead-gorgeous stud who mission in life is to bed many beautiful women. His level of studliness is so high that maidens fall at his feet and beg him to relief them of their virginity. Catherine isn't the drop-dead-gorgeous vixen often found in pulp romance, but still she made him laugh, causing the prince to decide HE MUST HAVE HER! (What a plot twist.) So she's kidnapped and drugged with Spanish Fly in her tea to make her comply to his will. But raping her isn't enough for our dear prince charming. He decides to take her on his sea voyage to Russia while locked in a trunk. He can't have insane peasants who claim to be earl's daughters making waves during the Tsar's visit to England. So begins a turbulent lust -er- love story. Dimitri and Catherine hiss and spit at one another alot. (Dimitri trying to get her into bed again and Catherine adamantly refusing even though he makes her tremble with desire, making him angry which makes her angry ) But that doesn't stop them from reaching their quota of hot sex.
Here are the complaints:
1. Catherine's rape (any court would agree with me here) is too asily put on the back burner. It's like drugging someone into having sex is dismissed as if its not wrong. Even if the moral/ethical aspects aren't dealt with, Catherine doesn't worry being pregnant or that losing her virginity can bar her from marriage and make her a social pariah. This was set in 1844, y'know, but I guess Lindsey figured it didn't matter since she's going to end up with Dimitri anyway.
2. Dimitri has no illigitamate children! How can I believe this given Dimitri's high level of sexual activity. This guy probably thinks two days without a woman is a long period of celibacy. He should have enough kids to double the population of Bulgaria! Unbelievable!
3. Catherine realizes she loves Dimitri during a fit of lust induced by being drugged... yet again... on his order.That's just sick and wrong.
4. The Lust Potion itself sounds like Spanish Fly even though they never actually call it that. Just for your information, Spanish Fly is highly toxic, so you just have wonder what kind of hero is willing to poison a woman just becuase he's feeling frisky.
5. And perhaps most unbelievable of all is when Catherine returns to England with a child yet no husband... and the Ton welcomes her back and assumes her husband died while she was abroad. Huh!? Every other novel I've read depicts English high society as a malicious bunch of gossips who love nothing more than to destory people on the barest breathe of scandal. She dissapears out of the blue for months and comes back from Russia with a baby with her and yet her character remains untarnished!? Sounds pretty juicy to me.
Final Grade: F

one of the best JL story I've ever read. Though I am strongly against of pushing men's needs to women in matters so....you know what.....I find this story very funny and not so degrading to read. I love the heroine on how she did fight Dmitri in many ways. Yes. That is one of the ingredient of being a strong woman. Though she's not the best faces in the crowd, she got him in her strong characteristics/personalities. Go girl! AT least, you won't get disappointed that the heroine in this story is not much of a poor victim. She depicts the strong women today even though her time is far from us, our way of liberal thinking in matters of women rights. Good work JL.

SPOILER ALERT!!

This book was utter crap. Dimitri was a rapist! He may not have drugged Katherine the first time, but he sure as hell took advantage of the fact that his servants did the dirty work for him. He also knew that she didnt want him, his servant made him aware, and yet he even considered allowing his guards to satisfy her fever when he was done with her, at least until he himself raped her and realized she was a virgin and he didnt want to share. Hello!! Am I the only person disturbed by the fact that the "hero" condones gang rape? I know this is supposed to take place in the 1800s when women were considered chattel, but I fortunately do not live in that time period, nor do I want to read about so called heroes who believe that. Romance novels are supposed to be fantasy, and none of my fantasies star heroes with those kinds of attitudes. If I wanted to read about how real men felt about women back then, I would read some boring non fiction about suppression.

Anyway, I was also severly offended when the heroine, who was described as smart, feisty, and independent decided she was in love with Dimitri after he drugged her for the second time in order to rape her! No independent woman would fall in love with a man who drugged and raped her not once, but twice. Even then, he still wouldnt marry her because she wasnt good enough! I fail to see how this book is romantic at all. Just because at the end, the extremely attractive wealthy guy tells his victim that he loves her? I think not!

This is the fourth Johanna Lindsay book I have read, and it is definitely my last. Her use of rape as a driving force is ridiculous in a romance and infuriates me. There is nothing romantic about rape and drugging a woman with a powerful aphrodisiac to have sex with her, even if you feel badly about it later, is disgusting, and constitutes rape in a court of law. If I could, I would have rated this book zero stars.