Review: Firelight

This book doesn't fit in one simple category. It's historical... with elements of the paranormal. It's gothic, dark, dangerous and romantic. It was completely enthralling and I absolutely could not put it down.

It's been three years since the mysterious Lord Archer first met Miranda. She captivated him with her fearlessness and fiery disposition. Now he has made arrangements with her father to marry her. Miranda doesn't realize that Archer is the same man she encountered that night in the alley all those years ago. He is simply an imposing man, who wears a mask covering his entire face.

No one knows what lies beneath Archer's mask. But Miranda falls for the man underneath the disguise. And he falls for her. The love story is only the beginning, though. Archer is working tirelessly to find a cure for his disfigurement. He's part of a mysterious organization of immortality questers. Someone is gruesomely killing off his associates and framing him for the crimes. Archer is full of secrets, which are slowly revealed over the course of the book.

The slow unraveling of Archer's story is amazing. It's second only to the phenomenal love story between him and Miranda. Kristen Callihan takes sexual tension to an entirely new level. I have never hungered for a single kiss between two characters as much as I did in this book. Just a kiss and I was breathless.

Slowly, she cupped his cheek. The air grew heavy, her chest tightening with each draw of breath. Archer closed his eyes, seeming to steel himself, and she knew he meant to pull away again. The idea of it slashed at her breast. Suddenly, everything became quite simple.

Her hand slid to his neck as she closed the gap she could no longer tolerate. Archer's eyes snapped open, and a tremble ripped through him. "Don't..." The protest died as her mouth fitted to his.

A shock of feeling coursed through her limbs at his touch. His breath caught sharply as though he too felt the shock. His body grew taut as a bow, quivering with barely held restraint. And she knew then that as much as he desired it, he feared touching her.

Every tiny piece of Archer that is unveiled was like a small victory. Every touch, every emotional connection between him and Miranda was a gift for my greedy eyes. And believe me, I felt greedy... for every crumb. In most books, I would frustrated or annoyed at how long it took for the couple to get together, but here, it's done so well, it's like magic.

I did have a little trouble keeping all the men straight in Archer's club, especially when we were dealing with fathers & sons and courtesy titles mingled with real names. But it wasn't too overwhelming. The villain, once revealed, was not a huge surprise... but the "why" part of it was something I didn't see coming.

Archer is a fantastic tortured hero. Miranda is the one happiness he has found in so many long, miserable years. And she is a worthy and loyal heroine. She has secrets and strengths of her own, like an ability to wield a sword and to control fire.

The book is really quite extraordinary. It's different... something shining, sparkling, and unique in a sea of familiar and predictable paranormal and historical romances out there. I loved it. 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Firelight

by Kristen Callihan

Release Date: February 1, 2012

Publisher: Forever (GCP)