The Touch of Fire [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

Annie Parker came to Silver Mesa, Arizona, because it was the only place she'd found where folks thought a woman doctor was better than no doctor at all. Her lonely life became harder still on the winter night Rafe McCay broke into her office with a bullet in his side and a bounty hunter at his back. With a gun aimed at her heart, he led her deep into the Arizona mountains, and into a world of danger and passion, for Annie discovered in Rafe not only a wounded man, but a soul betrayed...and Rafe, healed by her skill and the magic in her hands, awakened in Annie a woman's tender longing and hungry desire. Pursued by dangerous secrets of the past, they are swept into a thrilling odyssey of the heart -- a bold, exhilarating journey that rekindles Rafe's lost hope and transforms Annie's healing gift into a deep, enduring love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After four years on the run, outlaw Rafferty (Rafe) McCay's face wears "the remote expression of a man who had seen and caused so much death that it no longer touched him." Annie Parker is the lone doctor in boomtown Silver Mesa, a woman with a "worn, weary look" but with "softness in her brown eyes" and healing magic in her hands. An unlikelier pair could not be found, yet fate and a gunshot wound throw them together in Howard's ( Angel Creek ) new novel, set in Arizona territory in the 1870s . When Rafe forces Annie to come along and tend his gunshot wound, what begins as a kidnapping flowers into passion and love, but Howard's set-up is so obvious that her protagonists' coupling--the only real touch of fire in this book--is never really in doubt. Minimal tension provided by several run-ins with bounty hunters leads to the maximal tension of myriad graphic sexual encounters. Slowed down by redundancy and verbosity, Howard's tale wends its way cross-country towards its rather inevitable happy conclusion, with one truly moving segment wherein Rafe and Annie risk their lives to treat a settlement of seriously ill Apaches.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Linda Howard is an award-winning author whose New York Times bestsellers include Open Season, All the Queen¹s Men, Mr. Perfect, Kill and Tell, and Son of the Morning. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671019724
• ISBN-13: 978-0671019723
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Howard, Linda

More About the Author

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, and Dying to Please. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Moving Love Story, December 22, 2004

By 

Veronica (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Touch of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Phew! It's been a long time since I read a really, really good romance, and I'm glad to say that my dry spell has finally come to an end in spectacular fashion. The Touch of Fire is a beautiful, spellbinding love story about a decent, tough-as-nails man and a decent, compassionate woman.

The characters are wonderful. Rafe is sexy as hell, protective, and possessive and Annie is lovely, clever and kind hearted. Both have had a hard lot in life - Rafe on the run for crimes he did not commit and Annie the recipient of scorn because of her job as a doctor. When they meet sparks fly, and Rafe's rough `n' tough exterior soon slips to reveal the tenderness underneath that he feels for Annie, and Annie alone. There is no sexism either - Rafe helps with all the chores, does little kind things for Annie to make her life easier, and - get this - washed his own clothes!!! I think I'm right in saying that in 1871 that was really something!

The plot is exciting and takes place over a long period of time so you get to see Annie and Rafe in lots of different situations and see how their love blooms. When Rafe says `I love you' I was absolutely blown away and the final pages had me in tears. Rest assured there are no `big misunderstandings' here or unnecessary cruelty towards the heroine by the hero to keep the story going after 200 pages. Instead we have a simple, exceptionally moving love story about two lonely people who were meant to be together.

Linda Howard, I applaud you.

JoAnne

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SIMPLY THE BEST, April 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Touch of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

It would be hard for me to write a bad review of a Linda Howard book, but fortunately I don't have to worry about that with A Touch of Fire. It is simply the best. It is seldom you come across a good western romance that grabs you from the start and pulls you along for the ride. Great characters. Of course we have the typical Linda Howard strong male figure (always to die for). The love story/scenes sizzle (this is a Linda Howard book!), you get plenty of adventure, and a satisfying end. Who could ask for more? You won't be disappointed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good but not quite as exciting as Linda is capable of., April 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Touch of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read several of Linda's books - "Son of the Morning","Angel Creek", "Lady of the West", etc. She never fails to engage my imagination. Each of her characters is in a struggle with outside and inside forces and she gives them a run for their money. This book is somewhat like the others, but she did rush the story and the characters aren't quite as fleshed out as I believe she would have liked. I think someone at the publishing house rushed her to get this to print.