Veena’s review of Consumed By Fire (The Fire Series, Book 1) by Anne Stuart
Romantic Suspense published by Montlake Romance 26 May 15

This book wasn’t quite what I expected from the cover and the back blurb. The story is actually far more complex and exciting than I expected. I enjoy romantic suspense and this one had just enough chill to make me shiver.  When James and Evangeline first met in the little old church in Tuscany and he protected her from his partner who did not want to leave any witnesses to their perfect crime, I expected James was a black hat looking for redemption. But even I did not expect the interesting twists and turns the story takes as it moves on from the church or the scintillating conversation over dinner at their hotel later…

When we meet up with Evangeline again after her disastrous European working trip, she’s definitely moved on from any romantic attachment she might have once entertained about James Bishop. In fact, she’s even moved on from a disastrous marriage post that vacation. Now she’s working on a dissertation, traveling through the Canadian wilderness in a beaten-up camper with only her dog for company. The last person she expects to encounter is her nemesis from Europe whom she’s never quite gotten over.  It seems he’s back trying to be a white hat where she’s concerned, offering her protection she’s convinced she doesn’t need.

The relationship between these two is definitely not warm, except near the vicinity of a horizontal surface when it quickly warms up to red hot.  I enjoyed the abrasive dialogue between them as danger stalks them and poor James does what he does best, to the dismay of his traveling companion.  There are some interesting characters that support our two protagonists. I like the irony of it all beginning in a church and in many ways ending in a church.  The entire church scene and dialogue in the ending chapters is superb and the end is so unexpected that it had me on the edge of my seat biting my nails wishing for the right outcome.

There are references to some of James’ colleagues and their fall from grace as they each seem to have found love. I am not sure if these characters have their own books, though I have to admit I could not find other books in this series when I looked at the author’s web site. I am adding Ms. Stuart to the list of authors I’d like to continue reading more from.

Grade: A

Summary:

Evangeline Morrissey remembers the last time she saw her husband: it was during their honeymoon, right before he stole her elderly aunt’s earrings and abandoned her. Now, five years later, the enigmatic man who’d broken her heart and destroyed her trust is back. But she’s not the same naive young woman who fell for him so easily.

Marrying Evangeline and letting her think he was nothing but a common thief had been James Bishop’s plan all along. As an assassin for the Committee, a covert agency dedicated to stamping out international crime, he had no business even thinking about marriage. But it was the only way to protect Evangeline after she’d unwittingly wandered into his operation against a group of human traffickers, placing herself in grave danger. And now that James’s vigilant watch over Evangeline’s life has revealed to his enemies that she’s his one true weakness, he must set out to have, to hold, and—above all—to protect his bride.

No excerpt available.