Ride the Fire

by Pamela Clare
Book 3 (final) of Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy

 

 

Whether it was because of the non-stop action, or the survival story line, Ride the Fire ended up being my favorite of the three Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy books.  Nicholas ended up being my favorite of the three heroes presented in this trilogy.  Bethie, on the other hand, was really standard for a romance novel heroine, as a damsel in distress, and the kindhearted, innocent angel.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the romance in this book more than I did the previous two books.  In a way, the two main characters were more on equal footing at the beginning, with Bethie not knowing Nicholas's true identity, only knowing that he's a trapper and frontiersman.  Unlike the previous two books, there was no sense that one party had more power than the other, that one side was more subordinate to the other.  Aside from all the kept secrets, the two of them seemed to get along quite sincerely and honestly.

Meanwhile, Ride the Fire also seemed more like an adventurous journey, as we followed our main couple through the frontier towards the east back to safer ground, away from the wars and battles between the Indians, the frontiersmen, and the British army.

In spite of the book being first and foremost a romance, this was also quite fun to follow.  In a way, it also kind of reminded me of one of Pamela Clare's contemporary romantic suspense novels, Breaking Point, if only because the main couple spends a good chunk of time trying to survive the harsh wilderness while avoiding human predators.  And the danger just never seemed to let up.

As I'd stated the adventure part really drew me in, and to be frank, after the two reach civilization, the book kind of plateaus.  And the battle scenes were pretty well-outlined, to be honest.  The romantic angst might have been overdone a bit.  And finally, the ending managed to wrench some FEELS out of me.  The reunion scene between Nicholas and his family was all sorts of heart-warming--kudos!

I really, really enjoyed reading this book.  And a lot more of the typical Pamela Clare style is starting to shine through--at least what I'm familiar with from what I've already read of her books.

 

 

San Diego, where I reside, has endured several terrible fires in October. This year we have been lucky and the fires of the summer and last spring much smaller than they could have been. 

 

Each October, I think of my friend's wife who was lost when flames jumped the road and engulfed her car. I think of my cousin's home, the family quits, the baby photos all gone when the wind blew embers and then a wall of fire through the neighborhood.  I think of the firefighters I know working long dangerous shifts away from their families for too many days. 

 

Here is a list for the women firefighter out there in the stations and on the line. Thank you. 

 

1. All Summer Long  by Susan Mallery

 

Former underwear model turned entrepreneur Clay Stryker has loved, tragically lost and vowed that he'll never risk his heart again. After making his fortune, the youngest of the rugged Stryker brothers returns to Fool's Gold, California, to put down roots on a ranch of his own. But he's frustrated to discover that even in his hometown, people see him only for his world-famous…assets.

Firefighter Chantal (Charlie) Dixon grew up an ugly duckling beside her delicately beautiful mother, a feeling reinforced long ago by a man who left soul-deep scars. Now she has good friends, a solid job and the itch to start a family—yet she can't move toward the future while she's haunted by painful memories.

Clay finds an unexpected ally, and unexpected temptation, in tomboyish Charlie, the only person who sees beyond his dazzling good looks to the real man beneath. But when Charlie comes to him with an indecent proposal, will they be able to overcome their pasts and find a love that lasts beyond one incredible summer?

 

2. Hidden Crimes by Emma Holly

 

Cats and dogs shouldn't fall in love. Like any wolf, RPD detective Nate Rivera knows this. He can’t help it if the tigress he’s been trading quips with at the supermarket is the most alluring woman he’s ever met—sassy too, which suits him down to his designer boots. 

Evina Mohajit is aware their flirtation can’t lead to more. Still, she relishes trading banter with the hot werewolf. This hardworking single mom hasn’t felt so female since her twins’ baby daddy left to start his new family. Plus, as a station chief in Resurrection’s Fire Department, she understands the demands of a dangerous job. 

Their will-they-or-won’t-they tango could go on forever if it weren’t for the mortal peril the city’s shifter children fall into. To save them, Nate and Evina must team up, a choice that ignites the sparks smoldering between them . . .

 

3. Sex and the Single Fireman by Jennifer Bernard 

 

The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the "Bachelor Firemen" media hype. But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it's going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay.

 

But there's even more Sabina isn't telling him. Before dedicating herself to battling blazes, Sabina led a very different life, one that made her famous. The last thing she wants is to have her secret exposed. The papers, bloggers, and TV gossips will have a field day with that—expecially when they sense the obvious sexual heat between Sabina and Chief Roman, who's torn between firing her . . . and falling in love with her!

 

4. Ride the Fire  by Jo Davis 

 

After he lost his wife and children to a tragic accident, Captain Sean Tanner drowned his pain with alcohol. Now, fresh from rehab, he wants to regain the trust of his team and begin again. The last thing he needs is to have feelings for beautiful firefighter Eve Marshall. But even as they dare to explore their growing desire, Sean learns that his family may have been murdered. And that a shadow from his past has returned to finish off Sean--and anyone he loves...

 

5. Burns So Bad by Anne Marsh 

 

ONE JUMP PUTS IT ALL ON THE LINE… 
Summer is heating up in Strong, California. The jump team’s bad boy, Rio Donovan is one hundred percent pure, sensual trouble. He never backs down from a fire or a dare and he loves putting it all on the line when he parachutes into the heart of the fire. When the fire camp gets a much-needed new player, however, Rio lands in uncharted territory. The jump team’s newest member is sexy, strong—and female. She’s supposed to be just one of the boys, but Rio burns to claim her one heated kiss at a time. This jump, Rio Donovan’s putting it all on the line. Body and heart. 

INTO THE FIRE… AND INTO LOVE 
Kissing a fellow smoke jumper would be career suicide and Gia Jackson has worked too hard and too long to earn her spot on Strong’s jump team to jeopardize it all now for a man. The love-em-and-leave-em boys of summer aren’t her type and she’s hiding a few secrets of her own, but, when her chute tangles with Rio’s on a jump, he’s thrown into her arms. Literally. She’s held firm on the fireline for years—but can she hold the line now against Rio’s seductive charm? 

 

6. Flirting with Danger: A Firefighters of Adelaide Novel by Claire Baxter 

 

Firefighter Jasmine Mackinnon has always just been one of the guys. So no one’s more shocked than she is to find herself kissing fellow firefighter and all-around sinfully handsome playboy Aaron Parkes after a friend’s wedding. Jasmine knows she can’t risk an emotional connection with a colleague—a potentially dangerous entanglement when fighting fires together—and nothing's more important to her than her job.

 

Aaron never noticed how beautiful Jasmine was until he saw her out of her firefighter duds, but there’s something about the fiery woman that tempts him. Though he knows pursuing a real relationship is out of the question for a serial dater like him, when their casual flirtation builds into something more serious, it's not just their jobs or their safety on the line. It's their hearts.

 

7. Sparks by Sharon Horton 

 

All her life, Callie O'Rourke wanted to be a firefighter. A lifelong nightmare of being in a fire has driven her to pursue a career to fight fires and save lives. She won't let being a woman stop her from achieving that goal. When her determination and training land her a job, Callie has no idea being the city's first female firefighter will gain the attention of more than just its citizens.

Although haunted since childhood by the fiery death of his father, firefighting is in Danny Redmond's blood. He comes from a long line of firemen, all the way back to his great-grandfather. 

Callie's refreshing candor ignites Danny's interest. With her ability to fight fires, combined with the way she puts him at ease, it's not long before they become friends. Focused on being the best firefighters possible, neither is looking for romance. Yet the more they're together, the more they realize firefighting may not be their biggest challenge.

 

8. After The Fire (Hidden Cove Series Book 1) by Kathryn Shay 

 

Three firefighters from the Malvaso family are trapped in a burning building and almost lose their lives. After they are rescued, they decide to change the way they’ve been living. Mitch, the eldest, wants to make some decisions about his dysfunctional marriage and spend more time with his kids. Jenn decides to have a baby—with her best friend, Grady. And Zach, the bad boy of the group, vows to make up for his past sins and become a better man. 

 

9. So This Is Love (Callaways #2) by Barbara Freethy 

 

For Max Harrison, love seduces and then destroys. His brother went to prison for love. His father left his family for love. And Max is determined not to follow in their footsteps, until he meets Emma… 

Emma runs into burning buildings without an ounce of fear and embraces life as if every day is a new adventure. But while she's fearless on the job, Emma is a coward when it comes to love. Betrayed by an ex-boyfriend, Emma has no intention of putting her heart on the line again, until she meets Max… 

As the fires around the city rage, the heat between them ignites in a blaze of passion that's far more dangerous. Will it destroy them or will they finally get everything they ever wanted… 

 

10. Fully Engaged by Eve Gaddy 

 

Their passion is one fire they can’t put out.

Nine years ago, he left her alone and pregnant. Now he’s back.

When hotshot firefighter Callie Kilpatrick gets a new partner, he’s the last man she ever wanted to meet again: Rick Montana, the man she once loved and planned to marry, the man who left her without explanation. Rick resurrects all the old, unresolved feelings she had for him. Though she never told him about her pregnancy, she blames him for the loss of their child. 

As for Rick, he's never forgotten Callie. But as her anger singes him, he wonders if he’ll ever be able to get past the walls she’s built around her heart. When they must work together to discover a murderer, they discover that passion still burns hot between them.

 

Do you have any favorite Firefighter Heroines? Let me know!

 

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Firefighter Romance Heroines. 

Opening Line: "Nicholas leaned back in the wooden tub, closed his eyes, let the hot water soak the chill from his bones."

Well, that's it I'm no longer a Pamela Clare virgin. Although I may just become an addict now. And lucky me, I have SO much good reading to look forward to.

This was easily one of the best historical romances I've read. Now I know why everyone keeps recommending Pamela Clare. I just can't seem to bring myself back from the frontier of 1763, nor do I want to, and then there’s Nicholas... Sigh

There isn’t much I can say really that hasn’t been said already, Ride The Fire is an epic read, with characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished. By the end I couldn’t believe how far they’d come and what they’d been through. And the detail paid to historical accuracy here is simply amazing. Down to the smallest of facts, including actual soldiers, battles, forts, and sieges. You’ll have no trouble being transported away and imagining yourself there. And how fun was the inclusion of “Ben” in the closing chapters?

In regards to the romance (big sigh) Bethie and Nicholas are just perfect; with a realistic, slow building love forming between two equally wounded souls. I love a tortured hero and Nicholas is about as good as it gets without being a bully (as most tend to come off before they fall in love) and I appreciated how his dark secrets weren’t given away all at once either. I was on pins waiting to hear exactly what had taken place after he was tortured and why he continued to live amongst the Wyandot. Surprisingly though it wasn’t his brutal torture but the scene where he drops to his knees in front of his mother and begs forgiveness that got to me. There were no TSTL moments on the heroine’s part here, no dumb misunderstandings to plod through or exaggerated conflict it was all just beautifully done.

I should also mention that while this is the third part of a trilogy I read it as a stand alone with no problems whatsoever. I have of course just ordered the first two books because I can’t seem to find anything else to read that even comes close to capturing the magic I found here. Cheers

I think this one is the best of the series!

I just loved Nicholas! He's such a wonderful character! He's suffered so much, he's lost, he's sexy!

Wow, the scene when Bethie sees him nude the first time when he's bathing in the creek!!! OMG!!! That description!!! WOW!!!

Bethie too is a wonderful heroine! She has suffered too at the very young age!

I wanted to kill her mother and dismember her step-father!And I just cheered when Nicholas beat her step-brither!! I just wanter to yell: "Go on, kill the bastard!!" Bloodthirsty, I know, but I just hate pedophiles!

The back-story was really interesting and I didn't know whose part to take! I loved that Nicholas too didn't know it. The compassion he had for the colonist, for the indians... it was soo very well explained! It could be felt! Not at the beginning, when he didn't feel anything at all, but after haveing met Bethie he changed gradually and become a batter person! Very good job, Ms. Clare!

There's no need to say that the scorching lever is high! Just read the quote in my status! *wink*

Excellent book! Go and read it, you'll not regret it! :D

Sorry to say, but this story was too long. And while the female lead started out well, she turned into a TSTL that I wanted to slap the shit out of. I mean, when a man has been unconscious for a day or two due to a blow on the head, what is the first thing you should do when he wakes up? Yell at him? When your man tells you to go to your rooms with your INFANT to stay safe and instead you ignore him and go where you could be KILLED, is that the act of a smart person with an INFANT? She acted like an idiot time and time again. By the end I was SO annoyed and sick of that woman. I couldn't wait for it to be over. 2 stars.