Flames of Winter

Sarah Mortensen, daughter of Baron Hartmore, is afraid of everything because of an accident she suffered as a child. She doesn’t want to disappoint her parents, but they have gone too far in forcing her to marry Lord Blackmore to pay off Hartmore’s gambling debts. She fears Lord Blackmore most of all, which is what he prefers. Feigning a kidnapping, Sarah runs away the night before the wedding straight into the arms of Keir MacKinnear—all at the direction of Grandma Eddie, a Dowager Countess and grandmother of Sarah’s closest friend. Though not related, Grandma Edie is the only one with Sarah’s best interests at heart and is quite the matchmaker! Will Keir and Sarah be able to survive the faux kidnapping? Will they be able to reunite afterwards and find each other?

From a shivering coward to a fierce heroine, Sarah moves through a tale with an imaginative Stockholm syndrome vibe. And who wouldn’t fall in love with Keir! Sarah’s transformation is incredible in such a short time, much like a caterpillar to a butterfly. Grandma Eddie is the ultimate schemer and matchmaker and delights in keeping everyone on their toes while keeping all the cards to herself. The characters are well written, especially Loki the humanlike cat who even saves Sarah from Lord Blackmore. Keir has the patience of a saint while building up Sarah’s confidence and trust in him as well as leading her back to her love of horses. Sadly, the ending comes too soon and without final closure given the cliff hanger, but there will be more stories to devour and see where the couple goes.

Amy Rubottom