Through the Fire

This book is phenomenal. I commend the author for creating a romance story that is profound and endearing. With both Brandt and Willow battling their own personal demons, in additon to their feelings for eachother, you can't help but root for them. I love balanced romance stories that are based on so much more than lust and superficial conflict. Ms. Glass is gifted and tells this story so that you genuinely understand each character's past, flaws, and motives. I would LOVE to see sequels to this book and hope that the author writes stories for Mack and Antonio.

THis is my 3rd book by Seressia Glass and she is fast become one of my favorite authors! After first reading Three Wishes, I was psyched when I saw that she'd written a 'sequel' to it focusing on the brother of Maya - Brandt. In Three Wishes, he intrigued me... and did Ms. Glass fulfill my fantasies in "Through the Fire"! This very well written book focuses on the lives of two hurting people tortured by the painful events of their pasts. Brandt's son and wife had died four years ago. This had been revealed in Three Wishes... but the details had not been. We come upon Brandt and he's on the edge, about ready to relinquish his hold on life and eat a bullet, thus ending his inner torment, nightmares, and self-loathing. A phone call from an his old military sargeant Mack gives him an out, and he jumps at the chance for a change of pace. Assignment, renovate a historic mission chapel owned by psychologist/self-help guru Willow Zane, writer of "The Phoenix Priciple" - the book Maya gave Brandt to read in Three wishes that gave him a little bit of peace, for a time. (Great tie-ins to first novel really made this a treat!) Willow is successful, sought after, and striving to make her vision of Phoenix Haven, a retreat/center of healing for hurting people, a reality. She is also Mack's sister... a fact he neglects to mention to Brandt when he asks him to come to Serena Bay, FL to work on the mission. She's a SURVIVOR.. but at a cost. Underneathe the professional exterior, she feels she's a hypocrit, because inner demons from her past (abandonment, abuse, and betrayal) still haunt her. She's emotionally bound, sexually traumatized, and though she doesn't realize it, aching for release from her own torment. You KNOW these two wounded heroes are bound to fall for eachother HARD, and they do, but in the way of hurt people, they stumble over bombs of misunderstand - which of course add to the drama! But I loved how Brandt helped Willow through her fears, and eventually allowed her to help him with his own. WARNING: LOVE SCENES DO NOT DISAPPOINT! The realism of these wonderful characters was portrayed so well, so in-depth and believable. I felt their pain. I felt their passion. I felt their ultimate hope for a future together. GREAT JOB, Ms. Glass!! Again, YOU ROCK! I highly recommend that anyone looking for a satisfying, exciting, dramatic read, READ THIS BOOK.. you will NOT regret it! I enjoyed it so much, I'm reading it again!

Readers would have met Brandt as the brother of the heroine Maya in the author's book Three Wishes. He had lost his wife and child and was grieving. However it is only in this his own story that we really get to see the depth of his despair at losing his child and how much emotional baggage he carried over this. Brandt is a skilled carpenter and his friend Mack ( and former Commanding officer) asks him to work on the restoration of an old church as well as look out for his sister Willow who has been receive death threats. Willow is a self-help guru and best selling author, who likes to help people and is in the process of building a sanctuary where people can come to get help. But she herself is fighting her own demons by herself. Their journey of getting to know each other, becoming friends and falling in love is a passionate and very emotive one. Brandt and Willow learn to trust each other and that they can depend on each. Along the way each helps the other to deal with their own personal demons and heal.

It's wonderful when I come across an author with whom I immediately connect. One such author is Seressia Glass and her book "Through the Fire" was a pure delight. This book is the sequel to "Three Wishes" and gives us Brandt Hughes' story. When I first read about Brandt in "Three Wishes" I knew he was something special. Since the tragic death of his wife and son, life for Brandt has been a gamble, with the painful toss-up of which would win -- life or death. Except for the love and support of his family, he muddles through life -- barely seeing, feeling or caring. On the anniversary of his deceased son's eighth birthday, an old army friend from Serena Bay, Florida calls in a favor. Brandt accepts. Dr. Willow Zane, famed psychologist and self-help guru, returned to her hometown of Serena Bay, to open a clinic for those in need of help. However, Willow has been living with demons of her own and at times finds it hard to move on. When she meets Brandt, not only do they feel a deep attraction toward each other, but an intense source of comfort as well. He gives her the courage to try to rid many of her demons, and in turn she helps set him on a path of forgiveness and living. I loved this book! The love scenes were touching and simmering. The relationship between Willow and Brandt was heart wrenching and tender. Ms. Glass really delved in the psyche of the characters and you were able to understand why they behaved as they did. Mack, Willow's brother and Tony, her best friend were wonderful secondary characters. I would love to see their stories in a future book. (I hear there's a sequel to "Through the Fire" coming soon.) I also enjoyed catching up with Maya (Brandt's sister from "Three Wishes") and her family. This is the fourth book I've read by Ms. Glass. She is a talented, creative writer. Her other books, "No Apologies," "No Commitment Required" and "Three Wishes" are definitely worth reading.

Dr. Willow Zane, a famous self-help guru to the stars is about to realize her dream for Phoenix Haven, a refuge for those needing help getting through grief and guilt. Returning to Serena Bay, Florida was Willow's chance to help more people and be closer to her brother. However, she feels like a hypocrite because she has not faced all her past demons and continues to harbor grief and guilt of her own. Even with the building of the new sanctuary, there is someone out there trying to derail her dream and it puts Willow's life in danger. With only a few weeks left to complete renovations on Phoenix Haven, Willow needs a master carpenter to finish the restorations of the mission and in steps Brandt Hughes. Brandt has nothing to live for and the day he got the call to help with the final renovations for Phoenix Haven saved him. With something to keep his mind occupied, Brandt embarks on the task of renovating the mission. However, he is also there at the request of his best friend to protect Willow from the increasing threats on Phoenix Haven and her life. Yet, what he finds besides a woman who is not only a celebrity, and whose book gave him the ability to live day to day, is a woman who he emotionally connects with. For him, Willow is an enigma but one he cannot stay away from or deny his need for. Will he be able to protect Willow from her unknown aggressors as well as from his own inability to let go of his past? THROUGH THE FIRE is a wonderful title for this love story because both the hero and heroine had the ability to rise above their pasts in order to find true love. The characters were well-developed which allowed readers to understand and feel their pain. The compassion both main characters possessed was very remarkable and made them engaging. The build up to the romance and scorching intimacy is a definite plus for this story. The author also does a good job in the suspense area as she kept me guessing on who was trying to destroy Willow and what really happened to Brandt. Overall, this was a really good novel with the right mixture of suspense, romance and intimacy. I also was able to take some gems of advice from this story about the ability to move past guilt and grief because we all deserve happiness. Reviewed by Cashana Seals of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers