Sandy M’s review of Wild Heat (Northern Fire, Book 1) by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary Romance published by Forever 28 Apr 15
While I enjoyed a good portion of this book, I have to admit it’s just not the Lucy Monroe I’ve come to love and read. I like her romantic suspense and paranormals so much more. That being said, though, this story does have its high points in its sweetness and look at abusive relationships.
Kitty and Tack were best friends in their small Alaskan town, even went off to school together in the lower 48. That’s where things went a bit wrong, Kitty up and marries someone else, leaving Tack confused and resentful. She’s home now after finally escaping the abuse of her ex, and while it’s comforting to be back with family, she still has to face the rest of the town and Tack.
Maybe he took their relationship for granted, but Tack was shocked when Kitty chose another. Since that time he’s been content with life with his successful wilderness tour business and keeping the ladies on those tours happy. But seeing Kitty, beautiful but gaunt and hiding something, takes hold and he eventually figures out all she’s been through. He’s determined to help her heal, all the while thinking they’re only friends and nothing more. Poor man. He doesn’t let his heart engage for much too long.
I do like how Tack prepares meals to help Kitty gain weight and other sweet gestures, but withholding sex until she does eat? Not sure that works for me. She not only needs the weight gain, but she also needs love and comfort and trust, so even though his manipulation isn’t as bad as the ex-husband’s, it’s still manipulation. That’s my one big nitpick. However, Ms. Monroe does a great job of spotlighting domestic abuse and eating disorders. It’s not easy to bounce back from either, and you can feel Kitty struggle to do so.
The pace of this book is just slow compared to Ms. Monroe’s other books. Also in those other books, we get to know secondary characters a bit better than those in this story. I would have loved to know more about Kitty’s aunts, even the town they live in, where there’s a lot of history.
I’m not sure who’s up next in the series, not recalling anyone of that much interest, unfortunately. So this one is just an okay read for me.
Grade: C+
Summary:
Sometimes old flames are the hottest of all…
In the quaint little town of Cailkirn, Alaska, it’s impossible to keep a secret, especially one as juicy as the unexpected return of Kitty Grant. Tack MacKinnon remembers her wild red curls and even wilder spirit-and still feels the sting from when she shattered his heart in college. But there’s a pain in Kitty’s gorgeous eyes that guts him to the core and Tack is determined to do whatever it takes to see the woman he still loves smile again-even if it means taking on her demons as his own.
After fleeing an abusive ex-husband, Kitty decides that the best way to heal her broken heart is to come back home. But she gets a whole new shock when she sees how undeniably sexy Tack has become. More handsome, more muscular, more charming-more everything-he’s impossible to resist. Before she knows it, they’re reigniting sparks that could set the whole state of Alaska on fire. Yet trust doesn’t come easy to Kitty anymore, and as things heat up between her and Tack, she can’t help but wonder if one of them is going to get burned…
Read an excerpt.
