Nights of Fire
Leonie DanielsHistorical erotic romance
Available from Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1-84360-770-0
March 2004
| Normandy, France June 3, 1944: He wakes up with an ache all over and he can tell he's being moved in a wagon covered with hay or straw. When a soothing voice shushes him, he knows he must obey. Later, he wakes up to a Frenchwoman dragging the straw off him. At first, he thinks he's been discovered by someone dangerous until she starts calling him "Paul" and telling him to calm down. She's upset by his beaten condition, gets him to a relatively safe place, and nurses him. She knows him, and seems to care for him, yet he has no idea who he is, much less who she is. After tells her of his loss of memory, she cries over the fact that he forgot her, his own wife. Yet his nightmares tell him he forgot her to protect her. As his memories begin to slowly return, he also recalls that he was on a mission when he was arrested, and that whatever that mission was, it was important enough to warrant a beating and torture. And also important enough that he had to keep it from Gabrielle to protect her. I expected this book to focus a lot more on the plot involving World War II and the Nazis because of the sypnosis. The subplot involving that was almost nonexistent, which I preferred over the possibility of possibly disturbing subject matter, in that no Nazis made an appearance and there was no torture beyond what happened before the story began, which wasn't detailed. It did have suspense involving Paul's absent memory and worry over why the Germans let him go, but the book actually focused almost entirely on Paul and Gabrielle, their romance and their passion. The love scenes within Nights of Fire were beautifully erotic, and often romantic, and they sometimes showed the deep feelings and loyalty between the characters. The emotional conflict caused by Paul not being able to remember Gabrielle was heart-wrenching and the author depicted all the characters' emotions stunningly well. Yet the mood and tone of the book was often lightened by Paul's playful teasing of Gabrielle, something the kept the book from being depressing. Yes, it was sad sometimes, but it never left me feeling down. The lovemaking between Paul and Gabrielle was wonderfully hot and genuine and Paul is one of the sexiest heroes I've read in a while. He was not an intense over-the-top Alpha male; he was a laid-back, loving, amazingly sexy hero with a wicked sense of humor. Though I loved the erotic parts of the book, the romance was central to the story, rather than the love scenes, and I think the book would appeal to romance readers in general, rather than just erotic romance readers. And though the story took place in 1944, the characters did not have the same stiffness I've found in some historical romances; the writing style was what I'd expect of a contemporary. Nights of Fire was both an incredible romance, without relying on the historical era for the story, and a very hot erotic romance.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Tara Black |
