Yet another romance book finding itself on my "read" shelf... my mother will be so proud of me. Firelight was definitely a spur of the moment read. I had finished up The Golem and the Djinni and was staring Slaughterhouse Five in the face when a sudden urge to read something light and romance ridden overtook me. A few genre searches later and Firelight was on my ipad and I was deeply engrossed in reading it, Slaughterhouse Five staring angrily up at me from the couch. I'm truly sorry, Slaughterhouse Five. I swear I'll read you next.Firelight is definitely a lighter book than I'm accustomed to reading. And by "lighter" I mean lacking in deeper substance. I don't necessarily intend that to be an insult (although I understand it's hard not to take it as such) because I really did enjoy reading the book and enjoyed Miranda and Archer's romance. But the grand majority of the plot was simply on the surface level with not much else to it.So. Things I did like. Well, for one thing, despite it being a period piece (with fantasy elements thrown in there) Miranda is NOT a subservient woman, who allows men to walk all over her. The literal first scene to which we are introduced to Miranda she is standing up to two threatening men. Her interactions with Archer thereafter continue establishing her strong sense of self and self worth. I really appreciated that.Miranda is also is portrayed to be as into Archer sexually as he is with her, and she is not ashamed of it. This might seem like a little thing but it made all the difference to me. I'm sure some readers enjoy the forbidden "so right but so wrong" nature that arises when the one lover is ashamed of their wanting of the other, but I often find it tiresome. To have Miranda actively want Archer and not feel guilt over that desire made their romance much more enjoyable for me.Archer was a pretty good male romantic lead. It's almost impossible not to get a Phantom of the Opera vibe from him, but thankfully he is not as creepily stalker-ish as his inspiration counterpart is. He, however, does feel guilt over his desires for Miranda, deluding himself into thinking that she could never return his emotions .....even though she's very clearly into him and eagerly is responding to his advances. But the guilt he feels comes more from fear of rejection than belief that their romance is not a thing to be enjoyed so he gets a pass.The romance between Miranda and Archer is definitely the best part of the book. The non romance plot is what I felt made the book feel overly light. Without getting into spoilers, it's basically a plot to figure out why Archer wears the mask he does and if he is responsible for the gristly murders of his compatriots. There's also a jealous ex-lover subplot that plays a major part of the story that I didn't really care for. The final climax and reveal is kinda meh. Although, Miranda continues to be an active presence throughout the climax which was really refreshing to see.Thinking back on it, I enjoyed this book more than I initially thought I did. I stand by my claim that the non romance plot is subpar and shallow, but it wasn't egregious or insulting. I loved the characters (even if Archer is a bit of a stereotype, he's one I enjoyed) and Miranda was a great female lead. I'll probably read the next book in the series at some point and see how things move forward in the future. Lord Benjamin Archer first meets Miranda while on his way to kill her father. He happens upon her practicing her sword fighting late at night, then follows her back to her home when she is confronted by a pair of hoodlum boys looking to get a little action. Archer can't help but step in and save her, and he is drawn to her fiery spirit and beauty. He vows that he will have her, and leaves that night with a plan.Three years down the road and Archer's plans have finally fell in place. Miranda's father used to lead a life of luxury, but has now fallen on hard times and Miranda has been forced to turn to thievery to put food on the table. She feels that her father's misfortunes are her fault and has been paying penance ever since. When she returns home from her latest jewelry theft, her father tells her that he has made a contract with a rich Lord for Miranda's hand in marriage. Miranda is at first outraged, but then resigns herself to the fact that she has been bought and sold like cattle. Upon her wedding day, she receives an unusual request from her groom to meet for a few minutes in private before they make it official. When she first glimpses her husband-to-be, she sees a man with a body built like a god, but a face that's fully covered by a mask. He felt she should know what she's getting into before she becomes his wife, and not one to go back on her word, she still goes through with the wedding even though she has no idea what her husband looks like. Miranda hides her own secrets, and she wonders if Archer is the one man capable of handling them. Archer and Miranda begin their slow journey to love and when Archer gives into his curse in order to save her life, Miranda realizes that she'd rather be dead than live without him. Firelight is a unique take on the old classic of Beauty and the Beast. I loved the fantasy and magic elements that Kristen Callihan wrote into the story to make it that much more interesting. Miranda and Archer aren't your typical wealthy aristocrat and penniless beauty. They each have secrets and are hiding things from the other. The pair dance around each other, slowly revealing little bits and pieces, all while longing for the other to give in and share all. Even though the story centers on them, I didn't think the pair had enough page time together. They always were off doing their own thing, trying to solve the mystery of the murders by themselves instead of working together. It didn't make the love story as great, I thought. The time they did spend together was only mentioned in passing, but I didn't see them together. And I was a bit frustrated with how slow the secrets were revealed, and Archer and Miranda's lack of communication with each other. But that's really just personal preference, as I always want to know everything right away. I felt that Archer and Miranda were great characters, and together made a couple that I cared about and wanted them to succeed. Archer was very sexy and broken, and I admit that I teared up a bit when he finally took off the masks and showed her what he looked like. It was very sweet and emotional, and the joy he felt when Miranda didn't turn away from him practically jumped off the pages. As per my usual, I fell in love with Archer a bit more than Miranda. I just can't resist those lonely, broken heroes y'all. My Summary: Firelight was such an enjoyable read. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that this is the author's debut novel, and I'm definitely impressed with her ability to weave a tale. The book was exciting, passionate, and the characters were well written and became real people to me while reading the story. Even with the small issues I mentioned previously, I loved the story and can't wait for the next book in the series!My Rating: A
Do You like book Kuss Des Feuers (2013)?
A thoroughly enjoyable romp through the gaslight era of London, with magic, romance and mayhem.
—Jarrod
Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. I am glad I finally got a chance to read it.
—yummyyummybooks
Really enjoyed this one. Definitely worth checking out.
—Connie
