Shannon C.’s review of Moonfire (Pure Wildfire Series, Book 3) by Lynne Connolly
Contemporary paranormal romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Nov 08

I like Lynne Connolly’s Pure Wildfire books. They’re probably my favorite series she’s got going at the moment, as each of the stories that I’ve read has been consistently readable. Moonfire is no exception, and while it isn’t my favorite entry in the series due to a villain who was so obvious he should have been wearing a neon sign proclaiming, “I AM THE VILLAIN!” it is still a nice addition to the canon. 

Like all of the Pure Wildfire books, this one stands out on its own very well. Up to this point, readers of the series didn’t know much about Jake Keys, the bass player for rock sensation Pure Wildfire, a band composed of talents — this world’s paranormal beings. But this is Jake’s story. He is called back to Springwater, Texas, a town he’d left over a hundred years ago, when his wife is murdered. He doesn’t know much about who killed Cheryl at first, but he does know her sexy yet vulnerable business partner, Teri, didn’t do it.

I usually like Ms. Connolly’s heroines, and Teri was no exception, although I did have a few problems with her. I liked that she is suitably overwhelmed with all the stuff that’s going on around her, and in particular her feelings for Jake. I also liked that she was determined not to be a notch on his bedpost. That seems like a very realistic romantic conflict, and it comes together surprisingly well. My problem, though, is that I thought she veered a bit too much into martyr heroine territory. I understood her reasons for not clarifying that she and Cheryl didn’t have a sexual relationship, but I still found the reasons a bit silly and I thought they added a needless layer of complication. Also, I kind of lost some respect for her due to her relationship with the villain, who, as mentioned above, is not subtle. At all.

Jake is much more likeable, but then, I like Ms. Connolly’s men. Jake is easygoing and a genuinely nice guy, and I loved that he fell head over heels for Teri very quickly, and allowed her her independence without crowding her. Also, the story of Jake as it relates to the town of Springwater was quite sad, and there were a few moments, like when he thinks he’s got to leave Teri forever, where I wanted to reach into the book and give him a hug. Also, I thought his arrangement with Cheryl was interesting, and I felt his grief at losing such a good friend.

The plots in the paranormals I’ve read by Ms. Connolly all tend to lead up to the same thing. The terrorist group out to destroy talents suspects someone, they move in and threaten the heroine, and the hero comes to the rescue. This was no exception, but for the most part I liked it in a comfort-read sort of way. I did, however, have issues with the villain, who is so creepy/obsessive that I couldn’t believe the heroine never once picked up on how obvious he was being about it. And the actual history of the villain made me roll my eyes. A lot.

This is one of the more original paranormal romance series I’ve heard about, and I am sad that there’s only going to be the one more book for me to enjoy. If you’re like me and enjoy a meatier ebook for your money, this is definitely one to try. And, having written this review, I just noticed that Thunderfire, the last book in the series, was recently released! I know exactly what my book budget is getting spent on!

Grade: B

Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on its tag.

Summary:
One look at Teri Gilpatrick and Jake Keys wants her so bad he can’t think straight. The trouble is, she’s in prison, accused of the murder of his wife, Cheryl. He has to get her free before the people who killed Cheryl come for her too.

But can a shape-shifting firebird, a member of the hottest rock band on the planet, persuade a sassy, independent woman to take a chance on him? Once, that is, she’s not under sentence of death. From the law and from the hidden group seeking to destroy Jake’s band, Pure Wildfire.

Teri’s only salvation is the incredibly sexy Jake Keys, but she wants far more from him than that. Maybe more than he wants to give. And she won’t settle for second best. She wants Jake, and everything he has to offer. Fiery passion and everlasting love. And the amazing Talent he holds.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Shannon C.’s review of Icefire (Pure Wildfire, Book 2) by Lynne Connolly
Paranormal romance published by Ellora’s Cave 30 May 2008

One of the best surprises I’ve had this past month has been Lynne Connolly’s paranormal books. With the second book in her Pure Wildfire series, Ms. Connolly continues her winning streak. Pure Wildfire is a rock band, consisting of firebird shapeshifters, and given that I love me some musicians, this is absolutely one of my favorite premises for a series.

The first book in the series, which I reviewed on my blog featured the lead guitarist for the band, Aidan Hawthorne. This book features his brother, Ryan, the band’s vocalist and songwriter. Ryan is a tortured soul, having lost Maria, the love of his life, five years ago to a drug overdose. He’s never gotten over her, nor has he gotten over the fact that it seems that Maria’s death via a drug overdose wasn’t precisely accidental.

Now, Maria’s stepsister, Gina, is hired to work as Pure Wildfire’s PR person. Gina hasn’t gotten over Maria’s death either, and she blames Ryan for causing it. Then she meets him at a concert, and the connection between them positively sizzles. But the road to true love never has run smoothly, and someone still wants Ryan and Gina dead.

Ms. Connolly takes her time to introduce us to these characters. She doesn’t rush anything, which is a refreshing change from a lot of ebooks. We slowly become aware of just how complicated Ryan and Gina are, and though they have an instant connection and are in bed rather quickly, they have a long way to go and a lot of issues to work through before they can have their HEA.

I really did love both of these characters. Gina is a strong heroine, fully capable of taking care of herself and pretty sure that she’s going to end up having a quick fling with Ryan and that’s it. She is conscious of not wanting to be another groupie in a long list of groupies, and she is capable of doing her job even while she is in the middle of a relationship. It would have been really easy to turn Gina into an outlet for a lot of female fantasies about sleeping with rock stars, but she’s a well-developed character on her own so I didn’t think she came across that way at all.

Ryan was awesome, too. As with a lot of Ms. Connolly’s heroes, he’s not this larger-than-life beefcake. He is described as being slender but strong, and that was a really nice change of pace from hulking brutes. I also really loved him as a character. He’s been through a lot, some of which was pretty much self-inflicted, but he doesn’t wallow in his own angst. When he decides that he wants Gina, he’s very grown up about it, accepting, at least for a while, that she probably won’t want a future with him, but then gradually insinuating himself into her life anyway.

The romance between these characters was well done. I thought that their progression from hostility to lust to friendship to love was very well-drawn, and it moves along at a believable pace. None of the sex scenes felt gratuitous or forced, and all of them were intense.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think that the rest of the plot surrounding the story worked quite as well. I never really felt much of a sense of danger from any of Ryan and Gina’s enemies, and when the villain of the peace was eventually revealed, I thought it was pretty obvious it had been him all along. I also thought that some of the scenes had a tendency to drag just a bit.

Overall, this is a nice addition to Lynne Connolly’s work, and I am looking forward to reading more. I think it should also be said here that I probably would have graded this book a bit higher if I hadn’t read a *lot* of Lynne Connolly books this month. Doubtless if I ever do a reread, this grade will go up. But I still recommend her books to anyone looking for fun, interesting paranormals.

Grade: B

Summary:

Ryan Hawthorne, brother of Aidan, the hero of Sunfire, is in New York with the band, promoting the release of their second studio album. While he’s there, he plans to uncover the person who killed his lost love Maria, five years ago. The death was attributed to a drugs overdose, but Ryan’s always had his doubts.

He meets Maria’s stepsister Gina (Angelina) who has always hated the band for corrupting and ultimately killing her sister. However she is forced to rethink her assumptions when she meets Ryan. Together they try to uncover the PHR cell that is still persecuting the band Pure Wildfire, but in doing so they discover a lot more.

Read an excerpt.

Read an excerpt here.

Nikki’s review of Sunfire (Pure Wildfire, Book 1) by Lynne Connolly
Paranormal erotic romance ebook released 18 Jan 08 by Ellora’s Cave

Aidan is a rock guitarist who is contracted with John Westfall. As their manager, Westfall gets Aidan to play on a charity album with his three daughters. The oldest daughter, Corinne, is an accomplished, talented classical guitarist. The younger twins are talent challenged pop singers. Aiden falls for Corinne immediately and hard but he has a secret. Will Corinne accept him once she knows he is not just a shapeshifter firebird but the one and only phoenix?

I was sucked into Connolly’s version of the phoenix legend. I wasn’t sure if a bird could be masculine enough for me but I shouldn’t have worried. He’s powerful and sexy in whatever form he takes. He isn’t aloof, though. He has a need for Corinne that touched my heart.
I loved Corinne, too. She’s frustrated and unfulfilled as a musician because her father has shaped her career for popular consumption. She’s lost her passion for her art but she isn’t a fool. She knows her father is just using her. She’s drawn to Aiden because he still has that love for his music. With him, she recaptures her own fire, as well.

Sunfire burns quick and hot but it isn’t fleeting. This is a full length title and the characters are solid, the plot developed. I expected the heat but I was pleasantly surprised to get laughs and tears as well.

Secondary characters are excellent. I can’t wait to get more of the band… or Ryan. Which is a good thing since he’s the hero of the next book. So, I’m holding up my cell phone hoping for a quick encore.

Grade: B+

From the backcover:

Rock meets classical. Paranormal meets mortal. Will anybody get out alive? The members of rock band Pure Wildfire are firebird shape-shifters. Manager John Westfall will sacrifice anything for the power they wield, even his daughter Corinne.

Corinne attracts Aidan in a way he’s never known before. He’ll do anything to release her from Westfall’s trap. He offers her marriage, but Aidan wants more from Corinne — he wants her heart. And he’ll give her his in return.

Classical guitarist Corinne is desperate to escape her father’s control. She loves Aidan but craves her freedom — can she trust him to give it to her? Can she trust the wild man of rock with her heart? There’s only one way to find out. Dive into the wildfire!

Publisher Note: This book was previously released under the title Wildfire. It has been expanded for publication at Ellora’s Cave.

Read an excerpt.