Widow, Wisconsin ~~ Present Day

Reclusive artist Serene Fremont can't believe the nerve of some people. A realtor is after Serene to sell her prized property out in the woods, but Serene isn't having any of that. She loves her isolation away from those who always looked down on her because of her family, and she's not about to give up the one haven she has left, no matter the price. What's worse is that the realtor has a secret weapon: Brice Wintre...a charming, handsome businessman who's been sent to negotiate with Serene. But she can't let her emotions for him sway her firm resolve. No matter how much she's beginning to care for Brice.

Brice Wintre left his hometown without a moment's hesitation, and never felt the need to return. Due to his mother's illness, though, Brice feels he has an obligation to come home for good. He's also got a job opportunity with an old friend from college. Apparently Philip needs Brice to sweet-talk some woman out of her home, and that's what Brice does best. But when he realizes it's the woman who's been haunting his dreams since he saw her when he was hunting the last time he visited, Brice has some reservations about seducing Serene Fremont out of her property.

But Brice isn't the only one after Serene. Someone is stalking her, and Brice will have to convince her to trust him if she wants to stay alive.

Let me first say that I did have some reservations about a hero whose sole goal is to seduce the heroine out of her property. That's not very heroic to me. Luckily, Brice sees the error of his ways quickly, and SMOLDERING EMBERS becomes a taut, romantic suspense. Serene and Brice are both complex characters; she has allowed the past to shape her, while he has tried to separate himself from who he truly is. Together, they realize they can't hide from who they are, and they also learn that love can heal a lot of wounds. There are a few secondary characters who have their own motives, so the suspense builds slowly, then ends in a heart-stopping climax that some may not have seen coming.

For a well-drawn love story with a nice mystery to it, Christine McKay's SMOLDERING EMBERS is just right.

Courtney Michelle