Secret Fire

by Violet Winspear

As far as Melly could see, she and the worldly Jourdan Lanier had nothing in common, except the rare blood that flowed in their veins. Yet Jourdan wanted Melly as his wife, and not because she'd just saved his life.

Melly was exactly the woman Jourdan needed at his Caribbean home to help him gain custody of his daughter. Besides, he'd never been able to resist a mystery...

So when his daughter was lost to him, Jourdan concentrated on unearthing the secret that kept Melly from being a real wife to him.

Genres: Harlequin Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Slow Burn, Hqn, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin

187 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1984

About the author

Violet Winspear was a British author renowned for her prolific output of romance novels, publishing seventy titles with Mills & Boon between 1961 and 1987. In 1973, she became a launch author for the Mills & Boon-Harlequin Presents line, known for its more sexually explicit content, alongside Anne Mather and Anne Hampson, two of the most popular and prolific British romance writers of the time. Winspear began writing while working in a factory and became a full-time novelist in 1963, producing her works from her home in South East England, researching exotic settings at her local library. She famously described her heroes as lean, strong, and captivating, “in need of love but capable of breathtaking passion and potency,” a characterization that provoked controversy in 1970 when she stated that her male protagonists were “capable of rape,” leading to considerable public backlash. Her novels are celebrated for their vivid, globe-spanning settings and dramatic tension, often employing sexual antagonism to heighten conflict between the alpha male hero and the heroine, who is frequently portrayed as naïve or overwhelmed by his dominance. Winspear never married or had children, and she passed away in January 1989 after a long battle with cancer, leaving a lasting influence on the romance genre.

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocked!

This is my take on it and I have no way to prove it because Violet Winspear has passed on to a better world, hopefully one filled with golden turrets, broody Latin Hidalgos and gigantic hives filled with bees suggestively pumping nectar-dripping, exotic flowers, so I cannot really verify that my interpretation of things is correct. But this is the only Harlequin I have read where the heroine has a masectomy. Given Winspear herself had a long battle with cancer, from which she unfortunately died in 1989, I think that this was her way of incorporating and honoring the subject in her work. And although the word cancer is never used in the story and instead, the masectomy is the result of an "accident" that the heroine had, I think this must have been the decision of the editor or the censors at the time, not the author.

Secret Fire starts off as a typical Marriage of Convenience story. The heroine is terrified of physical intimacy so she readily accepts a marriage in name only to the wealthy, widowed hero who needs a new mother figure for his child. Despite their bargain, the hero pushes for intimacy with his new wife but gets rejected. He doesn't know if the heroine is just "frigid" a favorite trope of old timey Harlequins, or she was the victim of sexual abuse/assault, or a heartbreak of epic proportions, or what.

The real reason of course, which is finally discovered in the last pages of the book, is that the heroine has had a mastectomy and because of the limitations of plastic surgery at the time this story was set, she bears what she considers a disfiguring scar on one side of her chest.

I really believe VW originally set out to write the story of a breast cancer survivor, all the more poignant as it concerns a young woman who believes this is a lifetime sentence for her that will prevent her from ever finding love, marriage, sexual fulfillment, children etc. So when you look back on the hero's initial Marriage of Convenience proposal, coming complete with a strictly platonic relationship between husband and wife and a ready made stepchild, you can completely understand why the heroine jumped at the opportunity to contrive a family for herself.

But I think the editors/publishers found the use of breast cancer in a romance at the time was too terrifyingly taboo (and I am sure that reflected societal/cultural attitudes of the times that unwittingly punished female cancer victims twice by making their amazing stories of survival something shameful and not to be talked about in public). So they must have pressured VW to change the storyline so that we do not ultimately have a breast cancer survivor heroine but some cockamamie story about an equestrian accident that caused an injury of such proportion that the heroine had to undergo a mastectomy.

Still though, it is amazing to me the chutzpah of this woman bravely writing about a Harlequin heroine who is not the perfect specimen we have come to expect in this genre, challenging the idea of conventional beauty and sexual allure of the time.

There is a lot written in this story about the vain, superficial, rich bitches who spend so much money, time, and energy using outlandish beauty treatments and invasive plastic surgery to hold on to some superficial ideal of youth and beauty. So VW is clearly sending a strong message about her idea of real beauty and I just love her for it.

When the heroine finally gets the courage to let the hero see her body in its entirety and he bends down to kiss the scar on her chest, I tell you, it was a big get-out-your-hankie moment and really transformed what I thought all along was a rather conventional MOC plot into something really extraordinary.

[boogenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this the first romance that deals with body issues over missing a breast. VW did a great job in the limited format and of course the H loves the h, so it doesn't matter except to make him love her more.

The revelations come really late in the book, so it has all the more impact.

I suspect that VW was going through cancer treatment at the time and perhaps met ladies or maybe she herself had a breast removal - the h doesn't have cancer, she lost her breast from traumatic injury, but VW did the body image issues and the concern over a partner's reaction really well.

More proof that VW did her best to write what she knew.

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn romance with a heroine who starts out four stars and somehow after marriage turns a little bland.

Naksed and boogehagen have done comprehensive and excellent reviews on the story and character development.

What I enjoyed most was this young and innocent girl from the wilds of England holding her own against the incredibly suave and overly sophisticated French hero. He's fascinated by her and needs her for his MOC, but the h seems clear on what she needs and is willing to get from life without apologies to the hero or anyone.

Where it fell down the rabbit hole was the tension over women's right, chauvinism and a woman's place in the world. Given this was published in 1984,it rang true as women's right and women's lib was no longer an abstract, but men and women were uneasily fighting it out in the trenches in the office. Do you treat women like ladies or as men in skirts?

After the wedding, the heroine devolves from a self-assured young woman into a more conflicted and insecure figure.

Overall good story, and the issue of why she's so reluctant for real male attention was well done and believable whether by 1984 or today's standards. As women, so much of our identity comes from being attractive and maintaining that attraction.

Violet Winspear is not for the faint at heart. She takes those little tropes and beats them into something else altogether.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Secret Fire" is the story of Melly and Jourdan.

Heroine works as a maid in the hospital, and ends up saving the hero's life when he needs a rare blood group after a appendix perforation. After the surgery, he tries to thank her but she is vary. He soon asks for her help in getting custody for his daughter and they enter a marriage in name only. Ofcourse, feelings get involved, every time the hero tries to go near the heroine- she pushes him away. What secret is she hiding?

A beautiful and heartwarming tale with an ending I didnt see coming. It was sad what happened to both hero and heroine (in terms of kid and reveal)- but last chapter was very sweet. Half star just for that.

Safe
3.5/5

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd suggest you read Naksed's Review if you want a full spoiler and less biased opinion than mine:
Naksed's Review
I, however, had slightly higher expectation of the hero, which he failed to meet fully. Don't get me wrong. He's not an a jerk, however, he was too human for me, and all in all A minus. Mine also has little plot spoiler, and this more personal opinion rather than a review.
Here is why I could not give our hero full marks:
1. He knew she had reservation regarding physical side of the marriage, in fact that was the only way he convinced her to the marriage. yet he has not once refrained himself from throwing subtle insult at her suggesting she's not irresistible. This was quite unnecessary. He may have been frustrated, but it was his own creation, for his own selfish reasons, to be honest, to gain custody of HIS daughter. He doesn't really have a right to take the frustration out on her, it sort of makes you feel unwanted, even as a reader. I wish he handles her with more care.
2. He had a lot more faith on the OW than on his wife. He didn't respect his wife's discomfort with the OW's present, rather he threw his fondness of the OW at her face at a very vulnerable moment. The heroine MAY have been a little childish, BUT since the hero came over to initially apologise for the OW's behaviour, then my understanding is he knew she may already crossed the line, so why would a caring person side with the OW even after knowing their shortcomings, over their wife? They're frustrated is not really an excuse.
3. Jourdan was a complete chauvinist.
4. He took her out on the same ship for a honeymoon where he took his ex wife and very callously mentioned it. Left a really bad taste in my mouth.
5. I altogether felt a little inconsistency throughout the book, and felt, Jourdan didn't really spend enough time to connect with Melly. It felt like date, honeymoon, alone time, frustration, alone time, epiphany, HEA.
However, as I have already stated, he is not a jerk, at most he's A minus hero, here is why:
1. Even though it was a MOC with a promise of no physical advance from Jourdan's side, despite his idiotic phrases about not being physically attracted to Melly, he has also promised her a Vow of abstinence. His logic was simple, if you don't get any, I don't get any, also indicating, he doesn't ruthlessly believe he's irresistible to her.
2. There was point when Melly has implied his infidelity, despite his initial outburst, he was very patient, and he discussed and EXPLAINED. He understood her insecurities due the nature of their marriage, and also the fact that he realised he'd not have acted rationally himself, if he'd have found similar evidences that she claimed found, in her room.

[Melanie♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely classic Violet Winspear.

[Daisy Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a bit boring, quite sad and a little bit odd in places the h starts of with a spine but alas it had brittle bones and is soon exuding gelatinous tendencies.
MOC's have been done before but this one saddened me as the H didn't get what he wanted - his child from his first wife - in fact she seems a bit bratty and doesn't want anything to do with soldier SAS type dad. This made me sad as it was not at all HPlandia rainbows and unicorns if i am expecting a HEA I want it all, daughter with dad and more babies not soz pops I've got a new daddy now and he has a boat!
h falls pretty quickly into lurve with her H but resists consummating the deal as she is hiding the fact she is missing a breast due to a horse kicking her. This novel seemed quite dated because of this because modern surgery techniques would have has that rebuilt PDQ.

[K.kissee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. The mystery of Melly's secret kept me interested up until the end. It had a surprise ending, was not expecting that.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent writer. All her novels are great but this one was really wonderful♥.

[MaryD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all, I really liked this story. Others have done a great job on the summary and analysis, but I have a few thoughts.

1) Even though Jourdan promised a "marriage in name only", he kept pushing Melly.
2) But, even when he was being an a**, there were times when he showed great sensitivity.
3) Sometimes Melly came across as being very self-confident, but then she'll turn around and act like a wimp.
4) The conversation on board the ship about "women's lib" was strange, almost a throw-away section. It rubbed me the wrong way that the woman proposing equality was portrayed as "a man in a dress", very gruff and outspoken.
5) I wish we would have had Jourdan's POV when he found out what was wrong with Melly, but I loved the way he was so gentle with her.
6. I disliked the way the issue with his daughter was handled. I sort of understand, but he should have persisted in keeping in contact with his daughter, not writing her off.
7. How could he say that the baby he'd have with Melly would take the place of his daughter?!

Hmmm...... I'd given it 3*'s, bumped it up to 4 because of the ending, but after re-reading the above points, I brought it back down to 3.

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a waste of time! Not only did the author make up a phony "rare" blood type, but she also has a h who keeps pushing the H away and refusing to consummate their marriage, making him feel terrible and not giving him (or the readers) a reason! I thought she had been raped, which would explain her behavior, but not why she wouldn't tell the H. The real reason isn't revealed until the very end, and ironically, I had just finished a book where the h had a similar reason, and while the story was flawed, it was written a lot better than this one! In that other book, you care about the h and sympathize with what she went through, while here, you feel sorry, but with all the procrastinating that went on, it just loses too much.

Take my advice and skip it.

[RomLibrary]

As far as Melly could see, she and the worldly Jourdan Lanier had nothing in common, except the rare blood that flowed in their veins. Yet Jourdan wanted Melly as his wife, and not because she'd just saved his life.

Melly was exactly the woman Jourdan needed at his Caribbean home to help him gain custody of his daughter. Besides, he'd never been able to resist a mystery...

So when his daughter was lost to him, Jourdan concentrated on unearthing the secret that kept Melly from being a real wife to him.

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