Secret Fire

This was the very first romance novel I ever bought or read. I was stuck in the subway and bought a paperback at the newspaper stand - this was it. I've been hooked ever since. The sexy Russian prince who meets his match in a sensuous-under-her-corset English miss is pure fun. Dimitri is at his wit's end - but Katherine is always true to who she is.

"Secret Fire" is definitely an eye-opening experience. The writing is explosive, filled to the brim with memorable scenes and outstanding characters.It's the story of Russian Prince Dimitri, who sees English aristocrat Katherine on the street in disguise as a maid and decides to have her for the night. His personal manservant Vladimir won't let her refuse, and kidnaps her. From that point on, "Secret Fire" is a breathless romp between two stubborn, passionate people aching to be with one another.The love scenes alone are original. Yes, she's drugged - but not by Dimitri (at first). However, I've never read anything sexier than what happens when these two are together. Later, Katherine's imperial temper and scathing wit collide with Dimitri's tyrant of an aunt, which results in an absolutely shocking punishment, followed by one of the coolest rescue scenes ever (in a kitchen, no less).I love this story. Dimitri and his "Katya" are hot together, and their story is wickedly delightful and totally unforgettable. The only true criticism I have is that Lindsey spends one or two chapters solely discussing Russia and Russian history, which was not as interesting as Dimitri and Katherine's love lives. If you are a history or culture buff, this won't bother you; if you just want to see the two get it on, it won't hurt you to skip these passages."Secret Fire" is one of Lindsey's more risque and fascinating stories. I highly recommend it!!!!

This novel is set against the background of 1840's London and Russia. The first chapters knock one's socks off, they are so powerful. They describe how an earl's daughter is kidnapped, drugged, and against her will, driven by the drugs to submit to the passionate love-making of a Russsian prince. It is one of the most explicit such scenes that Ms. Lindsey has written. While the plotline that follows is interesting, the first chapters are just so extraordinary,that the rest of the book seems to drag in places. Ms. Lindsey's humor and wit are rife throughout, and the book pulls at one's heartstrings. There does not appear to be a sequel to this story, even though the secondary characters in this novel could carry a sequel--Dmitri's sister Anastasia, his friend Vassili etc. This is well worth reading, especially at this time in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on America, it is welcome respite.

Out of all of Johanna Lindsey's novels, I feel that this one is the most satisfying to read. I've read a lot of her books, and I found that most of them were either horribly written or lacking enough suspense or excitement to make me want to keep reading. Not so with Dimitri and Katherine's story... Dimitri is the typical God's gift to women... breathtakingly handsome, perfect body, and wealth to boot. He sees Katherine, an extraordinarily plain looking woman with am explosive personality, and decides he just HAS to have her. Immediately the sparks fly, for who would have thought that Katherine wouldn't want him?What follows is a clever plot that had me rolling in laughter at times and on the brink of tears at others. Lindsey somehow manages to write a romance novel not just aboutsex, but also provides two fantastic characters and their story together. For those Lindsey fans out there, a must-read. And for those don't particularly care for this author's past works such as myself, I suggest you try this one. It just might change your mind as it did mine.

Secret Fire is one of several Johanna Lindsey stories that I just love. It is so hard to name just one absolute favourite of Johanna Lindseys, but Secret fire comes pretty close. Secret Fire was very well written and the characters, Katherine and Dimitri, were wonderful to read about. The magic and passion between them was a delight to read. This is a wonderfully sexy and partly erotic story, when you take onto account that manner in which Katherine is drugged for Dimitri's pleasure. This is a story that I read over and over again, however I'm still waiting for the story about Dimitri's sister, Anastasia.