Corrine L. (celromance) reviewed on 1/10/2008 + 3 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

Coralee Whitmore, a viscount's daughter, is used to ferreting out the truth in her job at Heart to Heart, the ladies' gazette she edits, so when her half-sister supposedly commits suicide, Coralee will except no less than the truth. Her quest takes her to Castle-on-Avon and into the home of primary suspect Grayson Forsythe, Earl of Tremaine, a reknowned rake whose wife was killed in the same river as Corrie's sister. Posing as a poor relation whose older husband has abandoned her, she moves in, much to the chagrin of Gray's sister-in-law Rebecca. Gray, a brooding widower, is intrigued by his distant cousin's country wife, and offers to make her his mistress, which she declines. When her true identity is revealed, however, they both have to resign themselves to the fact that the people they believed they cared for weren't real as they are forced into marriage.

On paper, all of the proper elements are there and had this just been a stand-alone, I would say it was decent, but not a keeper. However, for those who have read Heart of Honor, Krista & Leif's story, when comparing the two I feel that Heart of Fire feels almost forced and falls flat. The chemistry at the beginning of the story is wonderful, but once Gray and Corrie marry, the awkwardness between them isn't resolved well and ruins the last half of the book. Also, there were a few plot elements that bothered me and made the supposedly intelligent Corrie seem TSTL. For instance, when your life is in danger, you probably should not strike out for London at night just because your husband has injured your feelings. Though I realize that pivotal parts of the plot take place in London, it seems that Ms. Martin could have found a smarter way to get them there. Over all, an okay book that you don't necessarily have to read to follow the series.

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