Winter Fire

The books in Elizabeth Lowell's "Only" series (to which "Winter Fire" is loosely related) are the best of the western romance genre, and "Winter Fire" amply proves this point. This is the story of Sarah Kennedy, a young woman who had to sell herself into marriage at the age of 16 to an abusive old man in order to support herself and her brother. After becoming a widow, Sarah continues to try to support herself, her brother and a few other strays she has picked up in the harsh Utah territory. One of her friends brings her Case Maxwell, a Civil War veteran seeking vengence against the Culpeppers, a rogue clan that tortured and murdered the young members of his family during the war. When Sarah meets Case, he has been badly shot in a showdown with some of the Culpeppers, and she nurses him back to health. Case has been so emotionally taumatized by what happened to his nieces and nephews that he has completely shut down emotionally. Much to his disgust, he finds himself becoming attracted to Sarah. Sarah's horrible experience with her dead husband made her disgusted with men and sex, and she also does not welcome the attraction she feels for Case. The two struggle to build a relationship while continuing to fight the Culpeppers and while searching for silver Sarah hopes will guarantee her future. Lowell deftly handles the emotional drama in this story, not to mention sexual tension, without making all the characters so angst ridden that their eventual emotional reconciliation isn't believeable.

Elizabeth Lowell once again works her special magic. Sarah is a woman who has seen the darker side of life, but she is determined to hold on to her property and ensure that her brother receives an education. Case is disillusioned with the world, and reluctant to love again after the Culpeppers destroyed his neice and nephew. The two come together in a beautiful and well-written novel. Once Sarah realises that she loves Case, she gives him her all, while he (like all men!) is a bit slow on the uptake. Nevertheless, you're left with the definite feeling that these two will be together well into their twilight years.I especially enjoyed the way Case slowly introduced Sarah to passion, carefully erasing her fears and teaching her the pleasure that can be experienced between two lovers. An abusive older husband made Sarah wary of sex, but Case heals her in the same gentle way that Sarah heals the wounded animals that she finds.Sarah in turn teaches Case to love again, a realisation that hits him especially hard when he realises that he cannot live without her. In a harsh land where eking out a living is practically all-consuming, the fragile love that blossoms between these two is poignant and touching. Naturally, a keeper.

A great book! Full of emotion and tenisons that happen in the real world, Lowell's book is believable and full of life! Case Maxwell swore to himself that he wouldn't love anything that could die. He told himself it wasn't worth the agonizing pain that it caused him. He also swore that he would see every last Culpepper in hell ...Sarah Kennedy heals hawks and then releases them to fly free and wild ... as she herself wishes she could do. She also heals anything that's hurt ... inculding people. Her fiercest desire is to find the spanish silver that her dead husband had known about so she can send her brother, Connor to get an education. The Culpeppers are deadly, cunning, greedy, and don't care what they kill or torture as long as they can get what they want. Their aim- the spanish silver.By chance ... or is it? Case is wounded and ends up in Sarah's care. She helps to heal his flesh wounds and he slowly heals her wounds that don't show, the inside bruises that have darkened her life. Passion and desire flare throughout the story. Lust is one thing but love, another. Sarah knows Case has wounds that her hands could never be able heal. Case swore he wouldn't love again, their promises to themselves and their actual decisions will change their future together ... only they can decide.

I cannot recall a book by Lowell / Maxwell that I have not liked. "Winter Fire" is no exception. The plot seems straight forward enough: Sarah Kennedy ownes some land that a group of bad guys, better known as Culppepers, covet. Case Maxwell -love the name- has been hunting this particular bunch of outlaws for some time, seeking revenche for the murders of his niece and nephew. Together hero and heroine will defeat evil and find true love and happiness. What makes this book remarkable, in my opinion, is that the main and secondary characters are well developed. The dialogue is fast and smooth. The love scenes are, as always, well written -hot and sensual, gentle and sweet-. The much-maligned happy ending is satisfactory in many ways. There is a sense of growth for the main characters and a sense of closure for the reader when reading the Epilogue. This is one of those books you read that make you feel good about life without being mushy or syrupy.

When I first heard about the book Winter Fire, I wanted to own it. It first got my attention when one chapter of the book was included in the back of another one of my books. A superb continuation of the book Autumn Lover. It is a beautiful love story about Sarah and Case, who meet by chance when Sarah goes for a walk in the middle of the night and nearly stumbles right into the Culpepper's camp. When it mentioned that Sarah had been married at the age of thirteen, it caught my attention. When it talks about her younger brother that's dependent upon her for his well-being, I was intrigued. When it says, outright, that Case had been the one to give her her first real kiss, I was hooked. It's always like that with Lowell's books. Every one of hers is a must-have, must-see, must-read book if ever there was one. Once again, well done, Lowell!