Love's Secret Fire is a romantic suspense set in the fictitious City of Benton Falls, PA., and it's about fire, the kind that destroys buildings and fuels passions.
The biggest story of reporter Valerie Daniels' career could be the one that kills her.
Valerie is determined to prove her twin brother is not responsible for the rash of suspicious fires in Benton Falls, despite all the evidence that leads undercover investigator Adam Michaels to believe he's caught his arsonist -- Valerie's brother.
Arson turns to murder and sparks fly between Adam and Valerie. But the real arsonist has his own plans to heat things up. To defeat the killer and his deadly trap, they must learn to trust each other. When they do, they also learn to love.
Excerpt
"I like the shoes. They're hot. You look great. Please relax. I want us to have a good time tonight.”
He put his hand on her arm to move her toward the door but she didn’t budge. She focused on his face, her own as set as a statue's.
“That’s the problem, Adam. I can’t relax. This doesn’t feel right.”
Adam cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. He slowly ran his thumb along her jaw line to her bottom lip, caressing her mouth gently, keeping his eyes locked to hers.
“It does feel right, darlin',” he whispered. “That’s the problem.”
Professional Reviews
Love's Secret Fire
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love's Secret Fire, October 14, 2012
By Amy J -
This review is from: Love's Secret Fire (Kindle Edition)
I'm a pushover for a good romantic suspense and in Rena Koontz's debut novel, Love's Secret Fire, I was not disappointed.
Valerie Daniels did not have an easy childhood. Between an absent father and an alcoholic mother, she could only rely on her twin brother Vince. Now she is working hard to be taken seriously as a reporter at the radio station where she works. When a rash of fires start happening in the town where Vince works as a firefighter, Valerie starts investigating.
Adam Michaels is an FBI agent who works undercover more often than not and does not have a serious woman in his life. The number one rule he has to follow is to not break cover for anyone. Currently, he and his partner Gina are posing as an engaged couple. Normally this wouldn't cause a problem until Adam is thrust into Valerie's life. He is attracted to her immediately, but he can't let her know that he is available. Of course, conflict and misunderstandings abound.
Sometimes, romantic suspense is heavy on the mystery and light on the romance, but this was not the case for Valerie and Adam. Many of the strongest points of the book include Adam's attempts to help Valerie recover from a traumatic experience (don't want to give too much away here).
I really, really liked Adam. He is an agent, so he could handle himself, but isn't over-the-top-alpha for me. He was endearing. Maybe it was the fact that he is a country boy who lives in the city. My opinion is well-fitting jeans and a pair of cowboy boots can be in any type of story, especially on an attractive and sweet hero like Adam.
I would have finished this book in one sitting if I didn't have to get up to go to work the next morning. As it was, I stayed up until midnight reading it and went bleary-eyed to the office. That to me is the sign of a good suspense book.
Oh, and since this book is about stopping an arsonist, there are also firemen too! Come on, how can this not be a winner!
Sizzling From Start To Finish
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sizzling from start to finish, September 27, 2012
By Becky Lower
This review is from: Love's Secret Fire (Kindle Edition)
Love's Secret Fire, a romantic suspense by Rena Koontz, had me on the edge of my seat from page one. I was convinced I knew who the bad guy was early in the book, but Koontz is much too clever to give up the goods so quickly. She did a great job of misdirection. There were enough twists and turns to rival the best roller coaster. The added touch of country to the story was icing on the cake. Adam's the kind of man we all wish we knew, and Valerie's got enough spunk that we don't even begrudge her getting him instead of us. It's a true page turner, and one not to be missed. This book was provided to me by the author for review. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Sizzling Suspense
5.0 out of 5 stars Sizzling Suspense, September 26, 2012
By Jan Mathew -
This review is from: Love's Secret Fire (Kindle Edition)
As the title suggests, "Love's Secret Fire" is hot. And author Rena Koontz fans the flames from start to finish, with twists, turns, and characters that leap from the pages and lodge themselves in the reader's psyche.
Valerie Daniels -- reporter and rising radio broadcast star with sass and smarts to spare. Will she solve a string of arsons throughout Benton Falls, Pennsylvania, and thereby clear her firefighter brother Vince, who's under the shadow of suspicion? "Adam Mitchell" -- he's working undercover as a fire investigator, but there's nothing covert about his country charm, which oozes from his leather boots to his cowboy hat. He's trying to smother his attraction to Valerie, but will he cross the line from nemesis to hero and lover?
"Love's Secret Fire" delivers dialogue that's rich and real. Some scenes break your heart; others send it soaring; and many make it race. And just when you think you might have picked the right, "whodunit," Koontz throws another log on the fire, so to speak.
A page-turner that hooks you from page one and never loses its grip, you're likely to "live" in Benton Falls with this extraordinary cast of characters long after the epilogue.
