Winter Fire

by Jo Beverley and Teresa Bodwell

Book Overview

New York Times bestselling author of St. Raven returns to the Georgian period and the irresistible Malloren clan in this sumptuous Christmas romance.

Genova Smith accompanies the elderly Trayce ladies and their handsome nephew Ash to a Christmas party at Rothgar Abbey, the home of the Marquess of Rothgar, the man Genova mistakenly believes to be her father. But when she and Ash are caught in a comprising situation, Genova...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451210654
• ISBN13: 9780451210654
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Intriguing and Romantic

Jo Beverley has done it again. This romance will keep you turning the pages to find out how Genova and Ash overcome their problems! With intriguing characters, a vivid setting, plot twists and turns and an exciting romance, Jo Beverley proves again she is a fabulous writer.

This is what a romance should be all about

I rarely consider a book worthy of 5 stars, but this one deserves it. The characters are so beautifully crafted and as a reader I'm shown how they come to fall in love. The relationship develops on the pages and the reader understands why these two people should be together. I was a bit concerned because often these 'family' books tend to tire, with the same characters giving repeat performances. And while the Mallorens are present, they don't overwhelm the story. The focus is definitely on the hero and heroine and their relationship.

Fabulous Georgian Period Malloren Family Addition

Setting - England 1763 --- In an effort to escape the home of her father and his new wife, Genova Smith found herself accompanying the elderly Trayce ladies, Lady Calliope and Lady Thalia to Christmas revelries at Rothgar Abbey as their companion. The tedium of the journey ended abruptly as they stopped to aid another carriage on the road. Requesting assistance, the woman, identifying herself as Mrs. Dash, requested that Genova transport the woman's child and his wet nurse to the next inn to await the arrival of Mr. Dash. Mr. Dash turned out to be the dashing and devastatingly handsome Marquess of Ashart, who just happened to be the great nephew of the Ladies Calliope and Thalia. Handsome as he was, Genova was disturbed that he refused to acknowledge the child as his and seemed more intent on vexing her with some very disturbing kisses. After discovering that his Aunts were on their way to Rothgar Abbey to visit his mortal enemy and cousin, the Marquess of Rothgar, Ash agreed to accompany them the following morning. Unfortunately, through a series of mishaps, the next morning found both both Ash and Genova in a compromising situation, which was witnessed by two other travelers. Lady Thalia quickly covered up the imminent ruin of Genova's virtuous reputation by claiming that Genova and Ash were secretly engaged. Agreeing to carrying out the façade of a loving couple for a few days before a public breakup, Genova found that there was more to the man than his purposeful attempt to destroy his mortal enemy. While playing at pretending to be in love, Genova discovered that her feelings for him had changed. Freeing him would be the right thing to do but it would leave her with a broken heart as she had fallen hard and deep in love with the dashing devil.Although, this was Ashart's story, featured prominently as a secondary but important player in the story, was Rothgar and of course, he was as intoxicating and sexy as always. So, in effect, what the author has given us are two heroes in one amazingly wonderful story! Discovering and proving paternity of the child was secondary to the building of a peaceful pact of peace between the cousins and the dialogs and verbal duels were fabulous with all three players taking part - Ash, Genova, and Rothgar in this fully robust and skillfully plotted confrontation. Beverley is a remarkable storyteller who once more brings Georgian England to life with golden prose and emotional feeling into one more beautifully written romance. Awesome stuff from one of the stellar authors in this genre! --- Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

More Mallorens! Christmas with the cousin who loathes them

Genova Smith, spinster daughter of a naval captain, is befriended by the Ladies Trace and taken with them as their companion to spend Christmas at Rothgar Abbey, home of their great-nephew the Marquess of Rothgar. On the way, they are obliged to take a baby into their care, to be handed to its father at the next inn. The `father' turns out to be the Maquess of Ashart, their other great-nephew, who strenuously denies all responsibility for the child. Genova doesn't believe him, however - and Ash's behaviour is very strange, given that he freely admits knowing and having been intimate with the child's mother.Ashart, who has been in some disfavour with the king of late, suspects a plot to discredit him - and he thinks that the plot originates with Rothgar. So he takes advantage of having been caught in a compromising position with Genova to claim that they are engaged, since this gives him an excuse to accompany his great-aunts to Rothgar Abbey.Readers of the Malloren series will be aware that Rothgar's mother went mad and strangled his younger sister. Ashart is the nephew of the late Marchioness of Rothgar, and his grandmother, by whom he was brought up, was her mother - and it is the Dowager Marchioness of Ashart who feeds the hatred within Ash for the Malloren clan. So Ashart is far from kindly-disposed towards his cousin.Rothgar, on the other hand, sees his cousin's presence in his home as an opportunity to heal the rift, putting past enmities behind them. As he says to Bryght, he wants to make a proper cousin out of Ash. But will he succeed?As for Genova, while on the one hand Ash infuriates her, on the other hand she has never before been so attracted to a man. The kisses he trades with her for guineas (for the child's upbringing) make her burn in a way she has never experienced. Yet he's a marquess and she's a nobody. He also confesses to her, as they become closer and become friends, that he has to marry for money - in fact, she's well aware that his chosen bride is also at the Abbey. So their relationship has no future - unless she's prepared to accept his offer to make her his mistress. This is another excellent book from Beverley, offering what many of her loyal readers have been asking for: a further visit to the Malloren clan. It was good to see many of the family in their married state - again, disappointingly, Fort has a very minor role. Given his animosity to the Mallorens, I've always wanted to know what made him change his mind and tell Elf that he loved her. Ash is a worthy new hero, and Genova just the match for him. Again, however, I wanted to know why Ash changed his mind in the end, something we just didn't get to see. Still, highly recommended!wmr-uk

Mhhh...

Set in 1763 England, Jo Beverley's Winter Fire tells the story of Genova Smith, an impoverished companion, and the Marquess of Ashart. He is a womanizing, "tortured" nobleman, who apparently is dominated by his grandmother. His plan in this book? Destroy the Malloren's, Beverley's characters from previous books. I can't say I loved this book, but neither did I hate it. The beginning is a bit complicated, with too many things happening at once, and the author does not manage to describe the scenes well. Once I passed page 30, things started to make sense. If you enjoy explicit sex scenes, this is not for you, there is one, almost at the end. But if light romance is what you are looking for...go ahead, and buy it.