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Forbidden Fire
Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN 0373707983.
There were two great loves in her life . .
Louise's love for her beautiful home, Queen's Dower, was as solid and unchangeable as the house itself.
But her love for her stepbrother, Daniel, had subtly evolved over the years. While she had adored him during her childhood, she now loved him with a woman's passion.
She couldn't let Daniel hold her at arm's length, shut her out of his life. She didn't want any other man. She belonged with Daniel, just as she belonged at Queen's Dower. And it would always be that way!
There were two great loves in her life . .
Louise's love for her beautiful home, Queen's Dower, was as solid and unchangeable as the house itself.
But her love for her stepbrother, Daniel, had subtly evolved over the years. While she had adored him during her childhood, she now loved him with a woman's passion.
She couldn't let Daniel hold her at arm's length, shut her out of his life. She didn't want any other man. She belonged with Daniel, just as she belonged at Queen's Dower. And it would always be that way!
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
15 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books313 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 13, 2021
What a shit show. I need a cigarette. Or a velvet buzzsaw. If you know what I mean. What made the story an epic shit-show? 1...2...3... go!
This is the conversation between the hero and the heroine that took place right after she barely escaped the rape attack by her sort of love interest №2 aka the male she was toying with to make the hero jealous:
Daniel was silent and she looked at him unhappily. 'It was my fault,' she whispered. 'I let him kiss me before.'
'I warned you,' Daniel said flatly. 'He had a bad case, and you were blind not to see it.'
'I'm sorry,' she faltered, beginning to cry again.
Says the dude who started developing sexual attraction to her since she was a 14-year-old kid? RIGHT.
So the major question is... 40-50 years ago, if you let a guy kiss you, did it really mean that in case the said guy raped you, it was automatically your fault? Even if so, do I want to root for Daniel who slut-shames her for being almost raped throughout the second half of the book? Do I want to see how the word "poor" is conveniently paired with the rapist's name? Sounds like A BIG FAT NOPE.
'I hated it, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me.' She shuddered, 'I can hear him breathing now . . . horrible!'
Daniel surveyed her oddly, his eyes narrowed. 'His technique
was obviously faulty,' he said drily.
She looked at him incredulously, 'It isn't funny!'
Daniel was watching her, his face unreadable. 'When I made love to you I got a response like a tidal wave,' he said coolly.
I CANNOT EVEN URGH:/ The guy needs to read a book Bragging: When Is It OK and When Is It Not OK? right after the book Cultivating Compassion: Simple Everyday Practices
I expected a unique stepbrother romance as it was written by the vintage Queen Ms. Lamb before the trope became overhyped by everybody and their mother but instead I got DANIEL THE PRICK LORD OF SCOUNDRELS AS A HERO???
Ms. Lamb's writing style is exceptional, as usual, but the story itself was boring me to death, that's until all the shit broke loose and my mind started wandering through the darkest corners of my subconscience while picturing different scenarios of how to slaughter fictional dudes;/
This is the conversation between the hero and the heroine that took place right after she barely escaped the rape attack by her sort of love interest №2 aka the male she was toying with to make the hero jealous:
Daniel was silent and she looked at him unhappily. 'It was my fault,' she whispered. 'I let him kiss me before.'
'I warned you,' Daniel said flatly. 'He had a bad case, and you were blind not to see it.'
'I'm sorry,' she faltered, beginning to cry again.
Says the dude who started developing sexual attraction to her since she was a 14-year-old kid? RIGHT.
So the major question is... 40-50 years ago, if you let a guy kiss you, did it really mean that in case the said guy raped you, it was automatically your fault? Even if so, do I want to root for Daniel who slut-shames her for being almost raped throughout the second half of the book? Do I want to see how the word "poor" is conveniently paired with the rapist's name? Sounds like A BIG FAT NOPE.
'I hated it, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me.' She shuddered, 'I can hear him breathing now . . . horrible!'
Daniel surveyed her oddly, his eyes narrowed. 'His technique
was obviously faulty,' he said drily.
She looked at him incredulously, 'It isn't funny!'
Daniel was watching her, his face unreadable. 'When I made love to you I got a response like a tidal wave,' he said coolly.
I CANNOT EVEN URGH:/ The guy needs to read a book Bragging: When Is It OK and When Is It Not OK? right after the book Cultivating Compassion: Simple Everyday Practices
I expected a unique stepbrother romance as it was written by the vintage Queen Ms. Lamb before the trope became overhyped by everybody and their mother but instead I got DANIEL THE PRICK LORD OF SCOUNDRELS AS A HERO???
Ms. Lamb's writing style is exceptional, as usual, but the story itself was boring me to death, that's until all the shit broke loose and my mind started wandering through the darkest corners of my subconscience while picturing different scenarios of how to slaughter fictional dudes;/
August 12, 2016
Harlequin at its most gloriously non-p.c., taboo, hot mess, bad (or good, depending on how you choose to view it). Sustained by CL's beautiful, elegant writing, it is an eerie tale of obsession, not so much between a man and a woman, but between a man, a woman, and a spooky, old, haunted, castle perched above one of those idyllic English villages that only CL can conjure up with this much dreaminess.
This the story of two step-siblings (with no blood relation but with a quasi father-daughter relationship) who torture each other with jealousy by dangling hapless mates before their respective noses, until passion can no longer be tamed.
Both protagonists are bat shit crazy and they definitely deserved each other. I can see, fifty years from their HEA, their mummified corpses being dug up from under tons of antique tchotkes piled up to the ceiling of their spooky mansion. Their ghosts will no doubt haunt Queen's Dower grimly as dozens of generations of their ancestors before them have, like in Stephen King's Overlook Hotel.
Some barftastic moments include H's confession that he wanted h since she was 14, and he keeps calling her "baby" and "child." h, not to be outdone, tells him to take what has been his since she was 8 years old. I can't even. If I could take this story seriously, I would be horrified, but it is too damn OTT for me to do anything but to chuckle and let the nausea pass.
This the story of two step-siblings (with no blood relation but with a quasi father-daughter relationship) who torture each other with jealousy by dangling hapless mates before their respective noses, until passion can no longer be tamed.
Both protagonists are bat shit crazy and they definitely deserved each other. I can see, fifty years from their HEA, their mummified corpses being dug up from under tons of antique tchotkes piled up to the ceiling of their spooky mansion. Their ghosts will no doubt haunt Queen's Dower grimly as dozens of generations of their ancestors before them have, like in Stephen King's Overlook Hotel.
Some barftastic moments include H's confession that he wanted h since she was 14, and he keeps calling her "baby" and "child." h, not to be outdone, tells him to take what has been his since she was 8 years old. I can't even. If I could take this story seriously, I would be horrified, but it is too damn OTT for me to do anything but to chuckle and let the nausea pass.
February 12, 2018
Charlotte Lamb's original "stepbrother romance" novel ! Yep ! Good old Charlotte wrote about the stepbrother taboo romance LONG before many others even thought of it. Readers either hate this or love it. A few share a middle perspective, because I suppose we do need some minds that are willing to be politically correct while simultaneously appreciating that the novel is in fact quite entertaining at times. I've read this a few times and hey, I loved it. I read it as a teen and then later on as an adult and the whole stepbrother taboo element mesmerised me because Charlotte L does it in her own inimitable style. One is able to feel the passion and the angst so strongly because of the power of Charlotte L's prose. Some people may think the heroine Louise is a bit too precocious at 17 going on 18, to feel such a passion for her 34 year old stepbrother Daniel. But I think adult women sometimes tend to forget the way they used to feel at that age.
When I was 16, the movie "Batman Begins" was released and if I had a hot stepbrother like Christian Bale you bet I would have wanted to jump on him like a roller coaster ride ! I didn't care that Christian Bale was already a grown man over the age of 30. Lol. Teen girls feel very passionately ( maybe it's the hormones ) and Louise is no exception. She's on the brink of womanhood and has been in love ( first puppy love and now real love ) with Daniel for a long time. Daniel, to give him fair credit, has always acted like a guardian to her. He never molested her or acted upon the temporary lust he had felt for her when he had seen her sleeping in her nightgown at the age of 14. I don't hate Daniel because he never acted on his temporary insanity. Daniel's not a pedophile. That much is clear in the novel. The taboo element does come in a bit strong because Louise is only 18 when they consummate their relationship.
Is it politically incorrect for me to say how much I enjoyed the way Louise actually used her Lolita tactics to tempt and torment poor Daniel ? The guy really tries hard to ignore all the forbidden feelings he has for his temptress stepsister. He even goes as far as inviting his former girlfriend Barbara over to act as a buffer. Barbara's a jealous bitch because she cannot deal with the strength of the bond she sees between Daniel and Louise and she often belittles the heroine. But Louise is no pushover. She might be just 18 but the girl has got a backbone of steel. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Louise actually invites her school friend Sally and Sally's brother Peter to spend the summer with them. Peter has a crush on Louise and his continuous lustful adoration of the heroine keeps angering Daniel and sparking his jealousy. Things eventually come to a head when Peter tries to rape Louise but she manages to fight him off and escape. It's after this point that things heat up between Daniel and Louise.
The romance between the MC's was very intense and I believed they truly love each other. I enjoyed the way Daniel was so besotted and possessive. The only thing that I wonder about a tiny bit though is whether, in the future, Louise will be happy with her decision to settle down so early. However, we don't get any distant epilogue but the novel is written in such a way that I do believe that these two will have a wonderful HEA.
When I was 16, the movie "Batman Begins" was released and if I had a hot stepbrother like Christian Bale you bet I would have wanted to jump on him like a roller coaster ride ! I didn't care that Christian Bale was already a grown man over the age of 30. Lol. Teen girls feel very passionately ( maybe it's the hormones ) and Louise is no exception. She's on the brink of womanhood and has been in love ( first puppy love and now real love ) with Daniel for a long time. Daniel, to give him fair credit, has always acted like a guardian to her. He never molested her or acted upon the temporary lust he had felt for her when he had seen her sleeping in her nightgown at the age of 14. I don't hate Daniel because he never acted on his temporary insanity. Daniel's not a pedophile. That much is clear in the novel. The taboo element does come in a bit strong because Louise is only 18 when they consummate their relationship.
Is it politically incorrect for me to say how much I enjoyed the way Louise actually used her Lolita tactics to tempt and torment poor Daniel ? The guy really tries hard to ignore all the forbidden feelings he has for his temptress stepsister. He even goes as far as inviting his former girlfriend Barbara over to act as a buffer. Barbara's a jealous bitch because she cannot deal with the strength of the bond she sees between Daniel and Louise and she often belittles the heroine. But Louise is no pushover. She might be just 18 but the girl has got a backbone of steel. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Louise actually invites her school friend Sally and Sally's brother Peter to spend the summer with them. Peter has a crush on Louise and his continuous lustful adoration of the heroine keeps angering Daniel and sparking his jealousy. Things eventually come to a head when Peter tries to rape Louise but she manages to fight him off and escape. It's after this point that things heat up between Daniel and Louise.
The romance between the MC's was very intense and I believed they truly love each other. I enjoyed the way Daniel was so besotted and possessive. The only thing that I wonder about a tiny bit though is whether, in the future, Louise will be happy with her decision to settle down so early. However, we don't get any distant epilogue but the novel is written in such a way that I do believe that these two will have a wonderful HEA.
December 13, 2025
Dark romance doesn't hold a candle to 70's vintage romance, does it
I don't ever want to hear dark romance is ruining young girls if this is what those people were growing up with 🙃
But since I'm already ruined ~~~ (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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I don't ever want to hear dark romance is ruining young girls if this is what those people were growing up with 🙃
But since I'm already ruined ~~~ (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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July 2, 2013
Story is about a step sister and brother falling in love. The hero resists her because he feels he is too old for her and suffers from jealousy watching her kissing various guys even after they get married. Another book got ruined because of the heroine. She was an idiot acting like a spoiled brat and I must like her because she is the book heroine? I hate heroines who are spoiled (or act like this if they don't get their way), selfish, and never answer for their wrongdoings!
October 15, 2018
I hated H. The dialogue between him and the heroine after she was assaulted was H O R R I B L E !
“I'll never let a, man touch me again,' she whimpered, leaning against him.
Daniel gave a soft sound of dry amusement, his lips brushing her cheek. 'There's no need for such extreme action. Just give yourself a breathing space before you make any drastic decisions like that.'
'I mean it,' she said fiercely. The wild blue eyes were glittering in her pale, tearstained face, 'I hated it, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me.' She shuddered, 'I can hear him breathing now . . . horrible!
Daniel surveyed her oddly, his eyes narrowed. 'His technique was obviously faulty,' he said drily.
She looked at him incredulously, 'It isn't funny! '
Daniel was watching her, his face unreadable. 'When I made love to you I got a response like a tidal wave,' he said coolly.”
Of course h was immature, she was only seventeen. He was twice her age. I’m not prude, I don’t condemn older Hs, in fact, the more cruel H the better the book for me, but H was not human enough for me. And H used the OW shamelessly. She might be a gold digger but for years he was with her and made her believe that after the h would be eighteen, they would have wedded.
Anyway it was well written and I’m a masochist, that’s why I am still giving 3 stars.lol
“I'll never let a, man touch me again,' she whimpered, leaning against him.
Daniel gave a soft sound of dry amusement, his lips brushing her cheek. 'There's no need for such extreme action. Just give yourself a breathing space before you make any drastic decisions like that.'
'I mean it,' she said fiercely. The wild blue eyes were glittering in her pale, tearstained face, 'I hated it, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me.' She shuddered, 'I can hear him breathing now . . . horrible!
Daniel surveyed her oddly, his eyes narrowed. 'His technique was obviously faulty,' he said drily.
She looked at him incredulously, 'It isn't funny! '
Daniel was watching her, his face unreadable. 'When I made love to you I got a response like a tidal wave,' he said coolly.”
Of course h was immature, she was only seventeen. He was twice her age. I’m not prude, I don’t condemn older Hs, in fact, the more cruel H the better the book for me, but H was not human enough for me. And H used the OW shamelessly. She might be a gold digger but for years he was with her and made her believe that after the h would be eighteen, they would have wedded.
Anyway it was well written and I’m a masochist, that’s why I am still giving 3 stars.lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2016
Ay caramba.
This should either be a 1 star or a 4 star. I'm wimping out at a 3 star.
May-December, step-sibling, un-requited love kind... of.
This whole love story was kind of icky as the h, who's 17, comes home from boarding school, and the H, who's 35, picks her up with his ex-maybe current mistress in the car. Nice.
Punishing kisses, threatening glances. In a bleak attempt for some kind of supremacy and self respect, the h asks a brother/sister duo to visit. The brother falls for the h with very bad consequences as he tries to rape her. As a result, the H marries the h and then...ravishes her? NO. Ignores her and flees from the marriage bed.
Eventually consummation occurs and all is explained.
4 star rationale: This couple is destined to be together despite the fact that he was nowhere near faithful, but he is 17-18 years older than her so what'cha you gonna do....Which leads us to the 1 star portion...She's a baby at 17. Lowest point is when she tells him she was his at 8, as in eight-years-old. Hmmm.
P.S. I do believe they are in love, but there is some discomfort in the training of a nubile newbie to be your wife so young.
This should either be a 1 star or a 4 star. I'm wimping out at a 3 star.
May-December, step-sibling, un-requited love kind... of.
This whole love story was kind of icky as the h, who's 17, comes home from boarding school, and the H, who's 35, picks her up with his ex-maybe current mistress in the car. Nice.
Punishing kisses, threatening glances. In a bleak attempt for some kind of supremacy and self respect, the h asks a brother/sister duo to visit. The brother falls for the h with very bad consequences as he tries to rape her. As a result, the H marries the h and then...ravishes her? NO. Ignores her and flees from the marriage bed.
Eventually consummation occurs and all is explained.
4 star rationale: This couple is destined to be together despite the fact that he was nowhere near faithful, but he is 17-18 years older than her so what'cha you gonna do....Which leads us to the 1 star portion...She's a baby at 17. Lowest point is when she tells him she was his at 8, as in eight-years-old. Hmmm.
P.S. I do believe they are in love, but there is some discomfort in the training of a nubile newbie to be your wife so young.
January 26, 2012
Wow. This was SO un-PC! A seventeen-year-old girl marrying her 35-year-old stepbrother who has raised her alone since she was 8 years old. And if the bare facts weren't enough, the things they say!! -- But, still an ok read if you like the basic story line of English landed gentry or whatever living on an estate in the country -- there is some fantasy imagining her life -- horseback riding, going shopping, being kind to your devoted servants, etc. A decent read if you don't mind the old-school ridiculousness.
August 10, 2020
Ever since Daniel Norfolk was 22 years old, he has been the older stepbrother of the lovely Louise. After their parents died he has been her guardian and they both have this incredible love for their magnificent home, Queens Dover. CL describes their home with a glittering prose that i just imagined myself living in it.
When their emotions gets out of control the now 17 year old Louise decides to win the one man she has always loved and uses hilarious attempts to seduce him and get him crazy with jealousy. I loved it!And their bond are so tight that i simply understood how they came to fall in love. Daniel had always loved Louise, her soul he knew at heart, so when he came to desire her it all came falling down..and he became a fallen man madly in love with his Louise. But their Love-Story are so romantic- i adore its passion and beauty. Daniel and Louise are true soulmates i have come to adore-they are so right for each other!
I only hope Louise won`t let other men kiss her EVERY time she gets hurt by Daniel, poor Daniel would get arrested for murder someday, haha! But yeah, i think that won`t happen again as she now are at peace knowing that Daniel are LOCA AND MADLY IN LOVE WITH HER!
When their emotions gets out of control the now 17 year old Louise decides to win the one man she has always loved and uses hilarious attempts to seduce him and get him crazy with jealousy. I loved it!And their bond are so tight that i simply understood how they came to fall in love. Daniel had always loved Louise, her soul he knew at heart, so when he came to desire her it all came falling down..and he became a fallen man madly in love with his Louise. But their Love-Story are so romantic- i adore its passion and beauty. Daniel and Louise are true soulmates i have come to adore-they are so right for each other!
I only hope Louise won`t let other men kiss her EVERY time she gets hurt by Daniel, poor Daniel would get arrested for murder someday, haha! But yeah, i think that won`t happen again as she now are at peace knowing that Daniel are LOCA AND MADLY IN LOVE WITH HER!
August 10, 2023
Back to my dear ms Lamb.
She gives us this beautiful and kinky love story between step siblings bordering on incest.
The heroine is only 17 and the hero is much older than her.
He basically saw her since she was a lil girl of five and he was already in his twenties, their parents died and he was more than a brother I would say he was quite mother father and brother all in one, so the feeling is weird…
He can’t stop thinking of her as a child while she has had feelings for him that are not very brotherly since she was a teenager, a very young teenager… which was weird, again.
Now she’s 17 going to 30, she’s back from school for her summer holidays and the hero can’t help but having raging erections each time he’s near her.
It’s really a kinky vibe here, with him always thinking at her as a child and how he read her fairy tales when she was a child and feeling so guilty because now he is like a dog in heat near her. They are not related by blood but he feels guilty all the same.
He also has a fuck buddy that he flaunts in front of the heroine to avoid any temptation.
The heroine doesn’t feel guilty at all.
She’s been in love with him since forever and now she’s bent on taking what she considers as hers: the poor hero.
She’s a tease and actually i pitied the hero because she’s flirty, teasing him with her behavior and he’s so clueless and unable to resist her.
He’s madly jealous of her and when she invites two friends of hers he doesn’t want them there.
The heroine flirts like mad with a young man, her friends brother, and the hero I must admit acts like a stupid teenager flirting back with her friend, I only make some concessions because he was pussy whipped and was unable to function properly. His brain is misted with the fog of desire and he really is ridiculous. But cute, anyway.
There’s a lil drama when om tries to rape the heroine and she hides in the woods.
The hero saves her and then proposes.
He marries her but acts like he’s her bff and she’s quite perplexed since she loves him and thinks he only sees her as a friend.
Ow and om drama again but eventually all is well and the hero declares his love for her. Everyone understood he was crazy for her but the heroine herself, as it usually happens.
It was quite an entertaining story, very old school and very CL since the characters are definitely crazy and unable to control their emotions.
I liked that the hero was completely besotted with her, just stupid besotted and so passionate.
Ow and om are only there to make the other jealous, nothing serious happens.
Of course the hero had women when the heroine was growing up, thank god because I’m not into pedophily and I don’t like when a man grooms a young girl thinking of her as a future partner. Disgusting.
He basically loved her as a sister and as his only family and was conflicted since she was really very young especially in comparison to him, he only started to think of her as a very desirable woman when she was 17. During the summer he wasn’t with ow anymore, even if he let the heroine think he was.
She gives us this beautiful and kinky love story between step siblings bordering on incest.
The heroine is only 17 and the hero is much older than her.
He basically saw her since she was a lil girl of five and he was already in his twenties, their parents died and he was more than a brother I would say he was quite mother father and brother all in one, so the feeling is weird…
He can’t stop thinking of her as a child while she has had feelings for him that are not very brotherly since she was a teenager, a very young teenager… which was weird, again.
Now she’s 17 going to 30, she’s back from school for her summer holidays and the hero can’t help but having raging erections each time he’s near her.
It’s really a kinky vibe here, with him always thinking at her as a child and how he read her fairy tales when she was a child and feeling so guilty because now he is like a dog in heat near her. They are not related by blood but he feels guilty all the same.
He also has a fuck buddy that he flaunts in front of the heroine to avoid any temptation.
The heroine doesn’t feel guilty at all.
She’s been in love with him since forever and now she’s bent on taking what she considers as hers: the poor hero.
She’s a tease and actually i pitied the hero because she’s flirty, teasing him with her behavior and he’s so clueless and unable to resist her.
He’s madly jealous of her and when she invites two friends of hers he doesn’t want them there.
The heroine flirts like mad with a young man, her friends brother, and the hero I must admit acts like a stupid teenager flirting back with her friend, I only make some concessions because he was pussy whipped and was unable to function properly. His brain is misted with the fog of desire and he really is ridiculous. But cute, anyway.
There’s a lil drama when om tries to rape the heroine and she hides in the woods.
The hero saves her and then proposes.
He marries her but acts like he’s her bff and she’s quite perplexed since she loves him and thinks he only sees her as a friend.
Ow and om drama again but eventually all is well and the hero declares his love for her. Everyone understood he was crazy for her but the heroine herself, as it usually happens.
It was quite an entertaining story, very old school and very CL since the characters are definitely crazy and unable to control their emotions.
I liked that the hero was completely besotted with her, just stupid besotted and so passionate.
Ow and om are only there to make the other jealous, nothing serious happens.
Of course the hero had women when the heroine was growing up, thank god because I’m not into pedophily and I don’t like when a man grooms a young girl thinking of her as a future partner. Disgusting.
He basically loved her as a sister and as his only family and was conflicted since she was really very young especially in comparison to him, he only started to think of her as a very desirable woman when she was 17. During the summer he wasn’t with ow anymore, even if he let the heroine think he was.
July 23, 2017
"Forbidden Fire" is the story of Louise and Daniel. It explores a passionate stepbrother/ sister romance in old school HQN manner.
Tbh I bought this book because I loved the cover.. and mistake!
We have a heroine who loves and is devoted to the hero, and a hero who is reluctant because of the age difference- he's 35 and she's 17.
Now my issues come because both of them constantly went out with other people to make each other jealous- the H has a girlfriend and flirts with heroines friend, the h has admirers in friends brother and a distant relative.
Also the fact that the heroine knew of the hero's sexual life was discomforting because she saw him coming back post coitus and making out with other women.
Finally the nail in the coffin was "I've been attracted to you since you were 14".
Okaaay
Unsafe
2/5
Tbh I bought this book because I loved the cover.. and mistake!
We have a heroine who loves and is devoted to the hero, and a hero who is reluctant because of the age difference- he's 35 and she's 17.
Now my issues come because both of them constantly went out with other people to make each other jealous- the H has a girlfriend and flirts with heroines friend, the h has admirers in friends brother and a distant relative.
Also the fact that the heroine knew of the hero's sexual life was discomforting because she saw him coming back post coitus and making out with other women.
Finally the nail in the coffin was "I've been attracted to you since you were 14".
Okaaay
Unsafe
2/5
August 10, 2012
There were two scenes which had my stomach churning...
'I first knew how I felt about you on your fourteenth birthday,' he said abruptly, his mouth grim. 'I came into your room with your birthday present. You remember that new saddle I bought you?'
'You left it on the end of my bed while I was asleep,' she said with a happy smile.
'You were fast asleep when I came in,' he said thickly. 'You'd been excited about your birthday. You always slept restlessly when you were excited, and you'd kicked off all your bedclothes ... I looked down at you with a grin, then suddenly it hit me, like a tidal wave. You were wearing a ridiculous short nightie, some blue nylon thing ... I found myself looking at you and feeling this terrible hunger. I threw down the saddle and cleared out, hating myself. I walked around the garden for hours, telling myself it was a brief madness. When you came down to break¬fast in your jodhpurs you looked a child again, and I breathed easier. I still felt sick whenever I remem¬bered the way I'd felt, but I thought it was just a touch of lunacy.' Louise watched him gravely, reading the scratched lines of pain in his hard face.
***************
She looked at him through her dark lashes, her mouth curving. 'You darling idiot!' she whispered. 'Do you really think I'd have run from you?'
Daniel caught his breath, staring down into her eyes. 'Louise,' he said hoarsely. 'Dearest ... I'll try to be gentle, but I'm afraid I'll lose control. I've needed you for so long. If I frighten you or hurt you, stop me...'
She slid her arms around his neck, her eyes a brilliant, melting blue. 'Take what's been yours since I was eight years old, Daniel,' she whispered.
'You siren,' he muttered, burying his face in the warm white throat, his mouth sliding over her skin hungrily. 'Oh, God, I want you.'
July 20, 2022
I was moderately enjoying the shit-show dramatics until the weird-ass confession by the 35yr old hero to his 18 yr old step sister and ward….
Basically he’s been lusting after her since she was 14. 👀🥴😵💫 That was a creeptastic way to declare himself at the end the book. 😐
It should be a lower rating but I was enjoying all the vintage throw-back mansplaining and jealousy and victim blaming…. It was entertaining in the way you can’t look away from train derailments. 🤷🏼♀️ 😬
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- cheating- not in the technical sense… but safety purists will be upset that he sleeps with OW (plural) even though he’s got the hots for the h - he was a grown man who was trying to resist his inappropriate (and illegal) feelings for a minor, so he sought out women who were in his age group so that he didn’t do something gross to his UNDERAGE WARD… so he gets a pass on “cheating” from me
- no sharing
- dubcon- the H forces several rough kisses on the h - h also fights off an attempted SA by OM
- OW drama - the H has a longtime lover hanging about - she’s jealous of the h and causes her lots of angst
- OM drama - the h has 2 different OM sniffing about and kissing her… making the H’s head explode
- one low-detail sex scene at the end. - no protection used or discussed
Basically he’s been lusting after her since she was 14. 👀🥴😵💫 That was a creeptastic way to declare himself at the end the book. 😐
It should be a lower rating but I was enjoying all the vintage throw-back mansplaining and jealousy and victim blaming…. It was entertaining in the way you can’t look away from train derailments. 🤷🏼♀️ 😬
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- cheating- not in the technical sense… but safety purists will be upset that he sleeps with OW (plural) even though he’s got the hots for the h - he was a grown man who was trying to resist his inappropriate (and illegal) feelings for a minor, so he sought out women who were in his age group so that he didn’t do something gross to his UNDERAGE WARD… so he gets a pass on “cheating” from me
- no sharing
- dubcon- the H forces several rough kisses on the h - h also fights off an attempted SA by OM
- OW drama - the H has a longtime lover hanging about - she’s jealous of the h and causes her lots of angst
- OM drama - the h has 2 different OM sniffing about and kissing her… making the H’s head explode
- one low-detail sex scene at the end. - no protection used or discussed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2021
I was looking for a guardian/ward trope, and this book fits it to a T. A short read. Lovely writing, although the theme is a bit of a taboo (step-siblings and the age gap thing, Daniel was 35 to Louise, 17). Daniel has been Louise guardian since she was 8 years old, ever since the day that his father and her mother died in a car crash. Ms. Lamb's heroes have always been an alpha asshole and Daniel is no different. I find it disturbing when Daniel threatened Louise with violence for provoking him. Hey, for some people, that's foreplay, for me, that's just deranged. If you're looking for a short read, you don't mind the problematic themes and you're used to Ms. Lamb books, go for it. This was a riveting read.
February 22, 2018
4.5🌟
This was really good book better than I anticipated from the mix reviews. The question did creep up about were it in distant future she might regret settling down so young but she is deeply in love with him you just don't consider it! It was beautiful story and lamb just makes it that way!
It was funny how she she used her femininity and charm to rile Daniel to get his response. She had backbone and I felt that she went out I win his heart and she was truly deeply in live with Daniel. Memorable book.
This was really good book better than I anticipated from the mix reviews. The question did creep up about were it in distant future she might regret settling down so young but she is deeply in love with him you just don't consider it! It was beautiful story and lamb just makes it that way!
It was funny how she she used her femininity and charm to rile Daniel to get his response. She had backbone and I felt that she went out I win his heart and she was truly deeply in live with Daniel. Memorable book.
June 21, 2017
Not as much angst as I expected. You could see some social changes. For example the heroine is accused of leading on the OM so when he tries to force sex on her, it is perceived as being a bit of her fault. She even says just because I kissed him doesn't mean I agreed to anything else does it? And the hero was like well you led him on. This was all mixed up in the idea that she was a young girl stretching her grown up woman wings for the first time. However, I don't think that any of the themes involved here were presented strongly enough. Fun on the whole for the crazy of it.
January 24, 2016
An absolute corker of a vintage Mills & Boon. Virginal schoolgirl bride, endless smouldering sexual tension and an angry older alpha man-of-the-world struggling to control himself. Plus a wonderfully silly plot where after nearly ravishing her every few pages he marries her, and then tries to remain celibate because "she's not ready for marriage". You can imagine how long that resolve lasts!
There are a lot of similarities to Return to Santa Flores but this is much more enjoyable. The heroine, although perhaps disappointing to a modern emancipated woman of the 21st century, is pleasant enough. The hero is arrogant and rich and sexy and dominant and a complete male chauvinist, but hey, this is Mills & Boon and this is the 1970s. Just: 1979.
Now the caveats: if you're someone who takes "offence" to certain themes or has "triggers", skip this book. There are a couple of scenes of sexual assault (low grade, no actual rape). The hero-heroine sexy bits, mainly just kissing, are very mDom. And if you're repelled by an adult male confessing arousal at the sight of a teenage girl (in fairness: he does not act on it and castigates himself for it, and it's something that happened in the past) then again, this is one to skip.
While the hero and heroine are step-siblings, to my mind the author would have written them as half-siblings if she could have got away with it. It frankly feels like she's paying lip service to the step thing: they're pretty much presented as half-siblings for the majority of the plot, and other people mistake them for full-siblings. The subtext is pretty clear!
For me, I found it a glorious, sexy, vintage romp, with plenty of those wonderfully cringeworthy vintage M&B moments when an author is trying to write about "bright young people" without really having much of a clue about contemporary youth culture.
My edition had a far nicer cover than the one shown here:
There are a lot of similarities to Return to Santa Flores but this is much more enjoyable. The heroine, although perhaps disappointing to a modern emancipated woman of the 21st century, is pleasant enough. The hero is arrogant and rich and sexy and dominant and a complete male chauvinist, but hey, this is Mills & Boon and this is the 1970s. Just: 1979.
Now the caveats: if you're someone who takes "offence" to certain themes or has "triggers", skip this book. There are a couple of scenes of sexual assault (low grade, no actual rape). The hero-heroine sexy bits, mainly just kissing, are very mDom. And if you're repelled by an adult male confessing arousal at the sight of a teenage girl (in fairness: he does not act on it and castigates himself for it, and it's something that happened in the past) then again, this is one to skip.
While the hero and heroine are step-siblings, to my mind the author would have written them as half-siblings if she could have got away with it. It frankly feels like she's paying lip service to the step thing: they're pretty much presented as half-siblings for the majority of the plot, and other people mistake them for full-siblings. The subtext is pretty clear!
For me, I found it a glorious, sexy, vintage romp, with plenty of those wonderfully cringeworthy vintage M&B moments when an author is trying to write about "bright young people" without really having much of a clue about contemporary youth culture.
My edition had a far nicer cover than the one shown here:
April 24, 2013
GUILTY PLEASURES CHECKLIST
:
Forbidden Love : CHECK!
Jealous Hero: CHECK! CHECK!
Brutal Passion: TRIPLE CHECK!
Concealed PassionL CHECK!
HAHA....So, that explains the five stars¬
Forbidden Love : CHECK!
Jealous Hero: CHECK! CHECK!
Brutal Passion: TRIPLE CHECK!
Concealed PassionL CHECK!
HAHA....So, that explains the five stars¬
October 4, 2018
A realistic portrait of a teenager in love. The h is newly grown-up and has decided that it's time for her to be with her much-older stepbrother, with whom she has been in love for most of her life. He is very attracted but rightly knows that she is quite emotionally immature. The h decides to use the tools that she has at her disposal -- her beauty and her sexual attractiveness -- to land the H. She has marvelous moments of adolescent ruthlessness and illogic. She's not super-likable, and neither is he, but it's fun to watch her put her mind to the challenge of getting what she wants, while the H either outplays her or is completely undone by her tactics.
February 7, 2014
Wicked! It was a bit taboo in places but absolutely thrilling to read. I have to admit, this is definitely one story that turns me on and it isn't even graphic! It's just so intensely powerful!
October 11, 2025
Re-read. Third re-read. :)
There’s a lot to say about this book and the author but right now I want to make one point.
We have moved to a more equal society and yet... why is it that only in 70s and 80s books do you see really flawed heroines? I love Lamb for that. Her heroines do crap. They kiss the OM, they dump men, they break people’s hearts, they cheat, they are vindictive, they are HUMAN.
Contrast with today’s authors who will (a) have a flawless Mary Sue or (b) a flawed PC heroine, the too independent / too honest / too unconventional type of flaws. And heavens forbid ANY heroine acts like a ‘bitch’ or does something like decide to be a housewife! The HORROR! That’s for the other woman! Not so with Lamb.
Simply put: I’m sick and tired of admirable heroines. Give me real women with real flaws.
I love Charlotte Lambs writing. Surprisingly refreshing.
And yes as another reviewer said the heroine here is crazy. So is the hero. Wtfery central! :D
There’s a lot to say about this book and the author but right now I want to make one point.
We have moved to a more equal society and yet... why is it that only in 70s and 80s books do you see really flawed heroines? I love Lamb for that. Her heroines do crap. They kiss the OM, they dump men, they break people’s hearts, they cheat, they are vindictive, they are HUMAN.
Contrast with today’s authors who will (a) have a flawless Mary Sue or (b) a flawed PC heroine, the too independent / too honest / too unconventional type of flaws. And heavens forbid ANY heroine acts like a ‘bitch’ or does something like decide to be a housewife! The HORROR! That’s for the other woman! Not so with Lamb.
Simply put: I’m sick and tired of admirable heroines. Give me real women with real flaws.
I love Charlotte Lambs writing. Surprisingly refreshing.
And yes as another reviewer said the heroine here is crazy. So is the hero. Wtfery central! :D
July 1, 2013
Bitch, bitch, bitch,
bitch
,
BITCH!!!
January 15, 2010
As the name suggests, this does seem quite incestuous in spite of the lack of blood relation between Daniel and Louise, but somehow the age difference and Daniel's horrid behaviour still make this relationship possible. The power of Mills and Boon.
February 2, 2016
Now, this book is a bit tricky to rate. It goes like this:
First 25% of the book => 5 stars!
It starts very well with lots of promising possible plots. I always love a story with older male, especially when his initial role is more like a guardian. The borderline incest adds extra flavor to it as well.
The next 40% of the book => 2 stars :(
This part of the story is quite frustrating and I found myself skimming most of the pages and even skip lots of them. The most annoying part is Louise's personality. It keep switching from somehow 'mature' to very immature and childish. The way she takes out her anger, hurt, confusion, and frustration makes me almost put the book down.
The rest of the book => 3.5 - 4 stars
Despite the unbelievable and quite abrupt way of , the rest of the story is sort of fall under hm... expectation. It's nicely warped up and makes the story ok.
Forbidden Fire is a good book, but I feel like it can be so much better. I probably has too much expectation over the synopsis and first part of the book though...
First 25% of the book => 5 stars!
It starts very well with lots of promising possible plots. I always love a story with older male, especially when his initial role is more like a guardian. The borderline incest adds extra flavor to it as well.
The next 40% of the book => 2 stars :(
This part of the story is quite frustrating and I found myself skimming most of the pages and even skip lots of them. The most annoying part is Louise's personality. It keep switching from somehow 'mature' to very immature and childish. The way she takes out her anger, hurt, confusion, and frustration makes me almost put the book down.
The rest of the book => 3.5 - 4 stars
Despite the unbelievable and quite abrupt way of , the rest of the story is sort of fall under hm... expectation. It's nicely warped up and makes the story ok.
Forbidden Fire is a good book, but I feel like it can be so much better. I probably has too much expectation over the synopsis and first part of the book though...
June 29, 2012
Okay. I really enjoyed reading the book, but the ending was SO SQUICKY. I expected it, yet the author totally went the route I didn't want her to with it. Instead of exploring the relationship and how the brother/father figure turned into a lover...she basically had them totally okay with it and admitting that they loved each other for a long time. The heroine is 18. Basically, the dialogue post-marriage in this book (which is the last 40 pages) makes you wish you really didn't have the curiosity to see how Lamb would handle it all.
October 22, 2019
This book kind of reminded me of This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas, if only because of the endearing dialogue that isn't intended to be funny (but still made me laugh hysterically). So if you liked that book, you'll probably enjoy this one.
Forbidden Fire is a very simple romance about a girl who falls in love with her much older stepbrother who raised her after their parents died in an accident. It's slightly taboo and very character driven as opposed to plot driven. Honestly, it was just what I needed to get me out of my book slump, so I'm giving it four stars with no regrets.
Forbidden Fire is a very simple romance about a girl who falls in love with her much older stepbrother who raised her after their parents died in an accident. It's slightly taboo and very character driven as opposed to plot driven. Honestly, it was just what I needed to get me out of my book slump, so I'm giving it four stars with no regrets.
December 27, 2010
The un-PC plot didn't bother me. What ruined the book was the heroine's idiotic, TSTL and childish behavior. She's only 17 but acts like 10, I seriously wanted to smack her. If TSTL heroines who bursts into tears every few pages because of their own idiotic behavior wouldn't bother you, you might like it. After all, Charlotte Lamb is an amazing HP author.
Love scenes: barely 1 and if you blink you'll miss it.
Love scenes: barely 1 and if you blink you'll miss it.
May 8, 2008
I loved this book. Its about a step sister and brother falling in love as the step sister becomes an adult. There is a 15-17 year age difference between the two. This book is not very PC, so beware.
October 5, 2025
In the 1967 film "Valley Of The Dolls," 'nice girl' Anne frets to her lover Lyon about the unmarried status of their relationship: "Don't tell me I knew what I was getting into!" Lyon responds frankly: "But you did. You knew." And so did I when I picked up this 1979 Harlequin Presents about the forbidden love affair between step-siblings. Now, I'm all for a little healthy kink and you'll never hear me trying to impose 21st century values on a 46-year-old book (although the leading man's behavior is especially galling). But I do reserve the right to complain about unlikeable characters, cringe-worthy declarations of love and pervy lust, as well as an insipid heroine.
Given the book's plot and subject matter (centuries old estate, innocent young girl, and possessive older brother), Charlotte Lamb would've been better off submitting this to Avon Gothics than to Mills & Boon.
Given the book's plot and subject matter (centuries old estate, innocent young girl, and possessive older brother), Charlotte Lamb would've been better off submitting this to Avon Gothics than to Mills & Boon.
September 16, 2021
I like the stepbrother - stepsister trope.
It seems to be more of a vintage trope. They don’t write about this anymore, I think. Political correctness has taken over HP-landia.
Charlotte Lamb is one of the least political correct HP writers. She just wrote about cruel H’s and tropes like this. She was an extremely gifted writer. I’m a fan. L
It seems to be more of a vintage trope. They don’t write about this anymore, I think. Political correctness has taken over HP-landia.
Charlotte Lamb is one of the least political correct HP writers. She just wrote about cruel H’s and tropes like this. She was an extremely gifted writer. I’m a fan. L
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