Hidden Fires

After she runs from a possible scandal and religious foster parents who don't believe her Lauren goes to seek out a long time family friend, Ben. He recently had visited the family and extended an invitation to young Lauren to see Texas, a land only seen in her dreams. It's beautiful, and rough. It's the perfect place to start over. The only thing that isn't perfect is that her host,Ben... What is Lauren to do now? The son of the family doesn't want her there, but he needs her. Jared, slowly discovers that his contempt for Lauren is unfounded and turns into..LOVE? LUST? It couldn't be..he knows what this tempest is all about..getting ahead and taking advantage. He's been around Texas for a while, he knows what women want, what they're like, what they're after. All Texas women want the same thing...but Lauren isn't from Texas! This was my first Sandra Brown book and although there were some confusing parts and parts that seemed to happen out of no where it was truly a good read. Pick it up if you are interested in historical romances and want a nice mindless read for the weekend.

I have read other Sandra Brown novels, but this was the first of her "classic romance" novels that I have read, and my first historical romance. This novel did a great job of taking me back in time, and I really felt like I got to know the characters well. This book really elicited emotion from me...I hated Olivia and Kurt, I rooted for Lauren and Jared to work out, etc... I read this book in one day because I could not put it down. The plot of this book was not as predictable as other romance novels (like a lot of NOra Roberts books, etc), and there were some elements of suspense near the end. I will definitely be reading other Sandra Brown romance novels based on this book.

This is my first American Historical Romance book & my first of Sandra Brown's as well. I am happy to say that I am not disappointed at all! This book kept me up most of the night. The story is so exciting, each page makes me squirm in wonder to read what's next. In the beginning, I was frustrated in Jared's attitude towards the sweet, beautiful & innocent Lauren. Eventually, as I read along, I understood his indifference towards her, yet I still feel sorry for Lauren. I was relieved to see improvements in their relationship as the story progressed... this is also when the love story twist becomes heart warming. This book doesn't only concentrate on the hero/heroine alone. It contains many unique characters that surrounds the couple. Each character is described realistically & it makes you understand the hero more... In my opinion, the additional interesting characters makes the book more appealing. I can't wait to read more of SB's book. This one is definitely one of my best books to reread many times in the future.

This book is just wonderful, and keeps its emotional brilliance time after time of re-reading.There was magic in the story of naive, sweet Lauren and playboy Jared. This book was set in the 1800s in a vilgalante style Texas, adding to the romantic aspect, but still left the reader completely feeling for and identifying with the believable characters.Character development was wonderfully done, not only for the personalities and background of the lovers, but the suporting characters were so important. They were believable, and real. They played a part in the story's plots: each character's individual story, the romantic plot of Lauren and Jared, and the business-oriented plot of a railroad and the surprising turns that plot took.All in all, I can't think of a single complaint for this book. It is suspenseful, sexually electric, believable, well developed, and leaves you with a good feeling afterwards, and a desire to reread and relive the tale all over again.

I have only recently started reading romance novels. I stumbled upon S. Brown and found several of her books "typical". This one is no exception. Yet, I was absolutely engrossed in it. I really felt the pain Jared heaped on Lauren, and in return, himself. I enjoyed the dialogue, the tension, and the sweet gestures between the main characters. All scenes were tasteful and erotic. I will definately recommend this particular novel to anyone with a romantic heart.