Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare

KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER!!

Uh, did I mention it's a keeper?

Thank you to Keishon for ever establishing the TBR Challenge and to Angie for picking up the torch. I love you both. To Kristie, I give you my first born.

What? Too much?

I picked this one out of the TBR pile because Kristie had hinted *cough* in a few places that she rated this book as the best book of last year. It's a good thing every once in a while to pick up someone's favourite book because it helps you determine if their tastes are like yours.

Kristie is my long lost sister.

My only regret is that I already sent in my AAR ballot and I can't put Nicholas in as best hero OR put it up in the best western category OR in the most tortured hero category! Amazing how one book can change all that!

I don't like to post spoilers or even much about the plot of the book and even though I was going to post the blurb it sounded same old, same old so I winged it ;). I didn't read the backblurb before I read the book but, I do remember a dust up over at the AAR boards over the summer about Ride the Fire and I bought it because I needed to see for myself. So I went in knowing it was dark and it was a western. Good enough.

SumUp:

Extremely tortured hero (in every sense) believes he is not only dead inside but a danger to those around him so he leaves everything and everyone behind to lead the solitary life of a trapper in the most volatile area on the frontier. Six years later he is wounded and is forced to seek sanctuary in the cabin of a pregnant widow named Bethie.

To say she ain't happy to see him, understatement.

To say he was smooth in his appeal, overstatement.

Thus begins the story of two people who slowly learn to trust each other enough to want to live and fall in love for the first time. For those afraid the story only takes place in a cabin, rest assured there is plenty of movement and action but it thankfully, does not overtake the romance.

Nicholas is one of the best heroes I have ever read. He harkens back to some of the rough men I encountered early in my reading experience but who never quite made it to hero status. He makes it to hero status and it is wonderful! He is so far from perfect and his past is haunting and painful in it's reveal. There were things that he did that did not seem even remotely heroic but understanding the situation he was in, made it forgivable.

I'm not sure how to explain it but he didn't wallow in his guilt even though some might say he did. He just couldn't be around people so he left all he knew and loved to be out on his own for six years before fate pushed him towards Bethie.

Bethie is so sweet and smart and open. Her fear of men is well founded and not once did I find myself questioning her stance in the many situations she found herself in.

Get this, there was even a baby in the book!

I didn't blanche or wince or anything. Belle was in the book for all the right reasons and was dealt with realistically. There was also none of those painful moments of 'mommy-lust' where the mom gazes at her newborn like she is the only reason to keep breathing. No offense to the moms out there but, moms are people too!! She loved her daughter and that was enough. Nicholas loved her daughter and it made him even more of a hero because nothing about the baby was an issue for him.

Although this book is a keeper I would grade it a B+ in recommending it to other people because even though I loved it, I am able to see the imperfections.

Here's the thing.

The book was perfect until the last 60 pages. Until then story was about two people (and a baby - whatever) facing the harshness of the world together. They were each other's salvation and I was in this cocoon with them for most of the story. Yes, there were other people along the way, but it was Bethie and Nicholas' story.

Then they arrive at their final destination and the cocoon burst. I get that it shows how Nicholas has come full circle but the story became something else. I realized that *maybe* this book was from a series. There were character's that came on the scene that seemed to want my recognition and I didn't have it to give. Suddenly the cozy atmosphere is opened to a plethora of people and a kind of fairytale-ish ending.

That's all I'm going to say because I won't spoil it for others. So there. Oh, I will say that up until that point, the grittiness of the book was perfection. (It's a Chandler thang)

With all that said, I have to address the problem some people might have with this book.

It's not for the squeamish. Hell, it wasn't really meant for me! (I'm still struggling with visuals) I'd still suggest that it can be read. The opening bits can be skimmed and the final reveal - and you'll know it cause you see it coming - can also be skimmed so I am confident that someone could enjoy this without too much trauma.

When a western is well done there is nothing quite like them. I'm not even sure these kind of books should be called westerns because there isn't a cowboy in sight! Maybe it should be called a settler.

Yeah.

Something that doesn't invoke rawhide and cowpatties.

Even though I know that conditions were harsh, it is fascinating to read about people who could have existed and maybe even did, settling a land that was so very unforgiving.

Makes me realize we can do incredible things when we put our minds to it.

Too bad I can't get my mind on cleaning my house. No, no, it's now on tracking down every book by Pamela Clare. I can only hope that this was not a one hit wonder but I can't imagine someone with this amazing ability getting it right only once.

I'm all a twitter! I'm unsure what that means but, I think I'm feeling it!