Force of Nature

I loved this book. (It's my ninth `alternative' romance) The plot and the two wonderful characters have been so eloquently described already, what can I add to the great reviews that won't give too much away? For a non-adventure book this has more nerve-wracking moments of fire/rescue suspense than you might imagine, plenty of painful heart ache (what I look for most) and the single most creative, romantic and sweetest admission-of-love scene I have ever read. I also love how the author doesn't make things all sugar- & -spice. The characters are real, and flawed. There's no little white chapel at the end. It's a perfect ending that doesn't require things to be wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it gives the reader hope. (Which is a commodity in short supply.) There is sex, and it doesn't disappoint us after we wait so long for the romance to heat up, but it's tasteful, and doesn't overwhelm the story or take over the book. I've read through all the other reviews before starting mine. Considering how much I loved this book, I was surprised to see some of the complaints. Perhaps I haven't read enough books to become jaded yet. I'm a guy, and am just getting interested in romance novels of ~any~ sort. And as for a 46 year old character in this book acting like 20-somthings in love, I'm 43, and I'm not dead yet myself. I've devoured hundreds of books, and I'm enough of an old grouch that I'm not going to coddle a book in a review if I felt it wasted my time. I gave this story 5 stars. If you are looking for a romance novel that doesn't involve starlets, spies or women in hiding, this is a great contemporary read.

Strong characters, exciting story and a beautiful backdrop The writing was excellent and there is a tremendous amount of action. It seemed so low key and natural and yet full of emotion. The characters were so strong and utterly endearing. It's not your typical romance and is quite heart dramatic - I found myself reading at a furious pace to the end of each chapter - I had to know what happened next! It's also a real heartbreaker where you feel the emotional turmoil of each character when misunderstandings occur and when it seems everything they wish for might never come to be. The writing was so excellent - don't miss the author's other book "Hunter's Pursuit" and look forward to reading more by her! from the publisher's web site - Disaster brought them together and, despite desire, may ultimately keep them apart. Wind. Fire. Ice. Love. Nothing for Gable McCoy and Erin Richards seems to go smoothly. From the tornado that sets its sights on them, to the perils they face as volunteer firefighters, the forces of nature conspire to bring them close to danger, and closer to each other.

After wowing readers with last year's thriller, HUNTER'S PURSUIT, Kim Baldwin's follow-up is a romance. But it's a romance book-ended by scenes with thriller qualities, starting with a twister. Forty-six year old Gable McCoy is employed at a pharmacy and works as a volunteer firefighter for Plainfield Township, Michigan. One evening, when her corner of the county is hit with bad weather culminating in tornados touching down, she sets out to help those in her assigned area. Little does she know that the storm will literally touch her life. "In a whirling hail of sticks and stones and leaves, she scrambled down the bank, her hands shielding her face. The wind tried to blow her off her feet, and the noise of the tornado was deafening, like a jet aircraft parked directly overhead. Squinting between her fingers, she saw the twister cut out of the woods and onto the highway a quarter of a mile away. It looked like a mammoth V-shaped plume of black smoke" (p. 15). Though Gable's life is spared, the house of a nearby resident is destroyed. When Gable gets to the decimated ruins, she can't believe anyone could still be alive. But Erin Richards did survive and is trapped in the basement bathroom. Unfortunately, Gable can't get to her. But they can still talk through the wreckage, and that they do-most of the night. Sight unseen, the two women form quite an attachment, and their friendship begins from there. Baldwin writes great action scenes throughout with just the right balance between plot tension and the character's internal thoughts. Her descriptions of the training, fire, and rescue efforts are terrific. The ups and downs of the two characters' relationship occur in a natural, yet not entirely predictable, progression. Just like a twister or a forest fire, you're never quite sure what direction Gable and Erin will go. Will they play it safe? Or give in to passion? Highly recommended to all who enjoy a good romance with rescue/action interspersed. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review

just finished reading Force of Nature, Kim Baldwin's latest book. It's a great read! Gable (yes, as in "Clark Gable" ... all is explained in the book; buy it) McCoy is a 46 yr old pharmacist and also a volunteer fire-fighter. She meets Erin Richards when she spends the night with her (no, not like that...) because Erin is trapped in the basement of her home which has been trashed by a tornado. Erin is claustrophobic *and* afraid of the dark so Gable spends the night at the blocked door, talking and singing with Erin to keep her mind off things. This was a really good technique used by Kim to introduce the characters to each other and also the reader. There's enough revealed to tell us and them a bit about each other but not so much as to spoil the path of discovery. They sorta fall out of touch as Erin leaves town until her house is rebuilt. Erin turns up at the Fire Station, having decided she too should volunteer. It's a tough time for Gable, as she feels her attraction to Erin growing, to watch her male co-volunteers attracted to Erin as well. Gable is determined to hang in with Erin though, because the friendship is so important to them both. Finally Gable risks rejection and comes out to Erin. Rather than rejection, Erin comes to see Gable in a new light. But Erin has some baggage from her miserable former marriage to overcome which could leave us with not-quite-a-happy-ever-after for Gable. Just like Hunter's Pursuit, there's alot of action in the book. I think we're on page 2 when the tornado (which is really well-described) hits, pulling Gable in to a drain-pipe for protection. Gable finds herself in a number of really tough spots as a volunteer fire-fighter and the events are so well-written you're on the edge of your seat until the full resolution. There's a couple of likeable secondary characters too; Carl, the 911 director, Earl, Stewart and I think Lindsey and Emily have their own story to be told . The book is really well paced and the segue between 'scenes' flows beautifully. The passages that describes the nature around Gable's home are so well written that you can close your eyes and hear the birds and see the northern lights. Kim grows the relationship between Gable and Erin really well. This is another jewel from Kim Baldwin. I'm really enjoying her style, her stories and her settings.

Heroes can be defined as women who do extraordinary acts in the face of danger and sometimes heroes are women who overcome adversity in their own lives. Kim Baldwin's Force of Nature encompasses both kinds of heroes. Force of Nature begins with explosive action. Gable McCoy is working as a volunteer firefighter when she is caught outdoors with a twister barreling towards her. She narrowly escapes and when she emerges from the tornado, the scene all around her is devastation. This is when Gable meets Erin Richards who is trapped in her basement shower with no house left above her, just the remains of one. Gable spends a long night on the other side of the bathroom door comforting Erin as they wait for more help. Erin and Gable become fast friends after their shared experience. As they turn into best friends, Gable finds that she has more than friendly feelings toward Erin who has recently emerged from a bad marriage. Throughout this gripping story Gable fights these feelings until she can no longer contain her powerful emotions towards Erin. As I read Force of Nature non-stop from beginning to end, the story had me on the edge of my seat with the multiple action scenes of firestorms and heroic rescues. They are descriptive, visual, and I could even feel and smell the twister coming. Throughout these search and rescue efforts, Baldwin shows Gable's continuing struggle to deny her attraction to Erin. Gable's aching desire and her attempts to hide her sexual orientation from Erin, for fear of losing their friendship, are convincing. Force of Nature has rapid-fire search and rescue scenes, and Baldwin gives the reader good insight into firefighting throughout the story. She blends the romance into the plot so it complements rather than detracts from the action while building Gable's angst so that we as the reader suffer along with Gable as she hides her torturous secret. The ending is potent and heroic while giving us sweet release. With Force of Nature Kim Baldwin has created another compelling read filled with multiple conflicts that interconnect well. With only her second novel, she is fast becoming a force as a lesbian fiction author.