Give me a moment to fan myself and cool down. Whoa. I’m giving Heart of Fire five stars because for my first ‘modern-day bodice-ripper’ as I should probably call it, the novel wasn’t bad at all. I was well aware of the cliches that awaited me in this book, and there were many, but there were also several surprises which made it a better and more interesting read.
I enjoyed the hero and heroine, who were fairly well developed, even if they were a bit stereotypical at times. Jillian was intelligent, independent, and no-nonsense. She was not vain, frilly, prissy, or self-absorbed in the least. Her greatest asset was her intellect, and that made her interesting to me. I could also relate with her love of learning, archaeology, history, etc.
Another nice thing that was non-cliche was that the author did not constantly tell us how beautiful she was (well, she was beautiful, but we weren’t bombarded by descriptions of her beauty). I was surprised at how passionate and strong Jillian was, so that was excellent.
Ben Lewis, the hero, was a walking cliche (a tall, dashing, handsome, cocky, muscular, perfect specimen of man), but in these types of romance novels you have to expect that. Tough-guy-macho-mystery man turns out to be quick-witted, intelligent, and an impenetrable protector. And handsome, handsome, handsome, as we continually find out. What a surprise. That was the bit that was a little overdone, if anything.
While he really infuriated me several times throughout the story, taking advantage of his dashing good looks and confidence, he turned out to be a nice guy, and in the end I pretty much liked him or at least accepted him (even though the author made him retain some of his egotistical charm). Also, Linda Howard was consistent in her character building, and none of the characters did anything out of what was to be believed.
The supporting cast were cookie-cutter names and faces there to fill space, and served as typical extras that just moved the story along for better or worse. At least she described what they looked like. I hate it when you have a supporting character and no idea what they look like. Linda Howard was very descriptive in general, with everything from the characters, setting, the journey, and more.
The villain was yet another walking cliche, but bad as bad can be. His motivations were obvious but created the suspense needed to get the characters to the resolution of the story. So, Dutra served his purpose, but in the end I was not truly worried for our characters. I knew he would go down in an epic fight, and he did.
Some of the events were pretty contrived and some things just happened as plot devices, as I expected. Some things were overly convenient, but it’s a romantic adventure, so I kept that in mind. Not ‘realistic adventure’. Romantic adventure.
This novel reminded me of ‘Romancing the Stone’, almost as if Linda Howard had taken the idea and made it her own. Anyone who liked that movie would probably like this novel. It has some language and there are constant innuendos and references to sex. Ben does not mince his words or hide his feelings for Jillian. There are several very descriptive, s-t-e-a-m-y scenes which make this for mature audiences only.
I read this book to enjoy it, and not pick it apart for its plot and/or character construction. It gave me what I wanted: a standalone romantic and suspenseful adventure through the Amazon Rainforest. I was able to immerse myself in the quest for the Stone City and also got to know some fascinating characters who happen to have a lot of chemistry.
Heart of Fire was a delightful read and that’s all I was looking for. I probably will read more Linda Howard books if I get the chance, because they are so much fun to escape into.
- Goodreads rating – 3.96
- SUMMARY – Amanda