RIDE THE FIRE

Author: Pamela Clare ISBN: 0843954876 3/2005 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Leisure
Time Period: French and Indian Wars, 1757 - 1863

There was only one rule on the frontier survival. So when a wounded, buckskin-­clad stranger appeared at the door of her isolated cabin, Elspeth Stewart felt no qualms about disarming him and then tying him to her bed. Newly widowed and expecting her first child, she had to protect herself at all costs. And Nicholas Kenleigh threatened not only her safety, but her peace of mind. The terrible scars on his body spoke of a tor­tured past, but his gentle touch and burning gaze awoke longings she had never expected to feel. Bethie had every in the world to distrust men; the cruelty she had suffered at their hands had marked her soul, though her blonde beauty showed no sign of it. But little by little she found herself believing in Nicholas, in his honor, his strength. As he brought her baby into the world, then took both mother and daughter into his care, she realized this scarred survivor could heal her wounded spirit, and together they would...Ride the Fire.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Elspeth Stewart is a pioneer woman in every sense of the word. Living in the Ohio Wilderness during the French and Indian War, she lives a life filled with hardship and toil. When her husband dies leaving her pregnant and alone on their struggling farm, Elspeth must muster all her courage and quick thinking if she and her child are to survive. Mistreated in the past by the men in her life, traveling back east to her parent's home and the deplorable childhood memories she has left behind is not an option. It is not until she takes in the wounded Nicholas, who treats her with tenderness and caring, that Elspeth learns to trust again, to move beyond what seems an improbable future filled with impossible choices.

As a young military man and the sole survivor of capture and horrific torture by Wyandot captors, Nicholas brings into this relationship his own insecurities and extra baggage. As his feelings for Elspeth intensify, he too envisions the possibilities of a future he once thought all but lost. However, when the warring escalates and their very survival becomes jeopardized, like Elspeth, Nicholas must reevaluate his past and make peace with his demons, if he, and those he loves, are to have any kind of future. There are many things he loves and hates of both cultures he resides in, many things he's done that he regrets, but it is through his love for Elspeth and her child that he manages to find his place and way back home.

RIDE THE FIRE reminds me a lot of THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Filled with loads of historical figures and events, and set among the turbulent times before the American Revolution, Pamela Clare has pulled off a romance filled with plenty of action, plot twists, historical details and finely honed characters. The amount of detail Ms. Clare devotes to the portrayal of the historical figures that populate this story, as well as how skillfully she's woven the two fictional main characters, Elspeth and Nicholas, and their romance, into many of the events such as the siege of Fort Pitt, is one of the things I enjoyed most about this book. Their participation and the roles they play are not only plausible, but make perfect sense. More than once I found myself lost in the place and time of this book, which is exactly where I wish for an author to take me.

However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that RIDE THE FIRE is no lightweight romance. It is gritty, violent, and often times very graphic in its depictions of both Indian customs and warfare, and is definitely not a romance read for the faint of heart. However, if, like me, you are a lover of romances written in a realistic light and obviously well researched, then you won't want to miss picking up this latest offering by Pamela Clare.