I got this as a free e-book from the University of Chicago Press - thank you! This is a weird, wacky book; historical fiction—with an emphasis on fiction— where true-to-life luminaries touch the peripheries of the lives of our main characters. As far as I can tell, there is only a tiny bit of truth regarding Gordon McKay here, and it comes only at the end of the story in a wrap-up. But honestly, who cares? This is a tale of westward migration with Geraldine Brooks' attention to detail and eye for quirky facts, along with the unnerving sexuality of an old VC Andrews story (If I say that a Sister and Brother - twins - figure into the plot, you'll know which one I mean.) I learned about bee-keeping, kiln making, and a bunch of other things I never would have googled until now; McMahon packed a lot into this slim volume, which is totally worth the time if you are up for an adventure.

Most days Kathleen O'Leary is a penniless maid. But tonight she takes a risk and masquerades as a glamorous heiress, thanks to a borrowed gown and her friends' sense of adventure. To her surprise, the ruse succeeds--even Dylan Kennedy, Chicago's most eligible bachelor, seems enraptured.

 

But like Kathleen, Dylan isn't who he says he is. And before their true identities can be revealed to one another, fire erupts, sending rich and poor alike running for their lives. Now, though virtually strangers, Kathleen and Dylan must rely on each other for survival. And when the embers cool, they'll find that the greatest risk has been to their hearts....

Deborah Sinclair is a beautiful, accomplished young heiress with a staggering dowry. But her fortune does her no good when, one horrible night, Chicago is engulfed in flames.

 

Tom Silver will walk through fire to avenge a terrible injustice—and he may have to. But when he makes Deborah a pawn in his revenge, the heat of the inferno fades next to the attraction he feels for his captive. And the further he takes her from everything she's known, the stronger their passion grows, until it threatens to consume them both.

3.5 Stars

Definitely a whole lot of sparking going on in this one!


An entertaining plot, kinda like Chicago Fire meets Notting Hill with a good dash of cute & fluffy and a heavy dose so smexy.

The chemistry between Molly and Wyatt is off the charts and while at first I was quite taken by it I found myself kinda wondering if Wyatt is just, well the designated brooding hottie. And then around halfway we get to see another side to stoic- and everything get much, MUCH better.
The character building in the for half was great for Molly, only in the second half did I finally feel like I got Wyatt.
Just like in the previous books, Molly is a strong and interesting female lead. I have to say, Meader writes brilliant women characters. I love the entire female cast- and we have quite a few of them now.
The males are just a wonderful. In this series all of them are complete alpha, bossy boots with mellow gooey centers.
It took a while for Wyatt to bloom in my opinion. At first he was just this stoic, broodig guy who seemed to just make sure he doesn't get in too deep. I couldn't gage him very well. Couldn't connect, considering that the story is told from both Wyatt and Molly's POV, I found it a bit disconcerting. He felt superficial and flat. Well, until it all changed. Somehow we suddenly get to see another side of him. And boom. I totally fell in love with Wyatt, got where he was coming from, my heart broke for him, I was rooting for him and well just plain out adore him.
This has a quite extensive support cast. It's wonderful to revisited the madness that are the Dempseys. I think if one does read this as a standalone, it might however be a tad confusing. In fact I had to check who was who at first (I got the worst name memory ever).
Amazingly we get to see a different side to each Dempsey. Each of them being totally unique and having their own little idiosyncrasies.

Meader is an excellent romance writer. We get lots of cute dialogues and funny little intricacy between couples. Her descriptions of Chicago are wonderful and the smut... is sizzling. I have read quite a few of Meader's novels before this and have come to expect a well crafted story from her. Her writing style is straight forward and to the point. She does convey the depth of the job of a firefighter, the responsibility and their braveness, even if this is in a way a quite light-hearted romance.

A great installment in a hot and fabulous series.

3.5 Stars

Definitely a whole lot of sparking going on in this one!


An entertaining plot, kinda like Chicago Fire meets Notting Hill with a good dash of cute & fluffy and a heavy dose so smexy.

The chemistry between Molly and Wyatt is off the charts and while at first I was quite taken by it I found myself kinda wondering if Wyatt is just, well the designated brooding hottie. And then around halfway we get to see another side to stoic- and everything get much, MUCH better.
The character building in the for half was great for Molly, only in the second half did I finally feel like I got Wyatt.
Just like in the previous books, Molly is a strong and interesting female lead. I have to say, Meader writes brilliant women characters. I love the entire female cast- and we have quite a few of them now.
The males are just a wonderful. In this series all of them are complete alpha, bossy boots with mellow gooey centers.
It took a while for Wyatt to bloom in my opinion. At first he was just this stoic, broodig guy who seemed to just make sure he doesn't get in too deep. I couldn't gage him very well. Couldn't connect, considering that the story is told from both Wyatt and Molly's POV, I found it a bit disconcerting. He felt superficial and flat. Well, until it all changed. Somehow we suddenly get to see another side of him. And boom. I totally fell in love with Wyatt, got where he was coming from, my heart broke for him, I was rooting for him and well just plain out adore him.
This has a quite extensive support cast. It's wonderful to revisited the madness that are the Dempseys. I think if one does read this as a standalone, it might however be a tad confusing. In fact I had to check who was who at first (I got the worst name memory ever).
Amazingly we get to see a different side to each Dempsey. Each of them being totally unique and having their own little idiosyncrasies.

Meader is an excellent romance writer. We get lots of cute dialogues and funny little intricacy between couples. Her descriptions of Chicago are wonderful and the smut... is sizzling. I have read quite a few of Meader's novels before this and have come to expect a well crafted story from her. Her writing style is straight forward and to the point. She does convey the depth of the job of a firefighter, the responsibility and their braveness, even if this is in a way a quite light-hearted romance.

A great installment in a hot and fabulous series.