Jack moved easily to talk of love, to flowers and other reminders of his feelings. Tess, however, felt it would be foolish to take her growing attraction to Jack seriously. She had a 21-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter, after all. Surely Jack didn’t really want to be stuck with a middle-aged woman, even though she had kept her looks and wasn’t brainless. No, she had to shut him out now, while she still (barely) could.

Her daughter pushed her to see Jack, to let herself fall in love. Her son was repulsed by the idea of his mother with a younger man – especially one who so clearly wanted to take over their family business. Between the children and the business and – most of all – 22 years of being told she was worthless, Tess had a terrible time accepting Jack’s love for her and even more trouble admitting her love for him.

Tricia McGill’s Autumn Fire is a fast-paced story of slow decisions after instant attraction. Many women dream of a man like Jack but never meet one, much less get to love and be loved by him. The spring of Tess’s life had lacked passion, but she and Jack lit and learned to tend an Autumn Fire for the ages.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Very Sensual

Reviewer: Chas Ridley
June 23, 2003