| Title | : | Fiona's Flame (Cypress Hollow Yarn, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 465 |
| Publication | : | First published July 19, 2014 |
As the owner of the Cypress Hollow gas station and garage, Fiona Lynde is not one for pretty dresses or fussy make-up. In fact, most days she forgets to brush her hair. But she does have one guilty little secret—she's been in love with Abe Atwell for over ten years.
Problem is, Abe—the town's handsome harbormaster—barely knows she exists.
But then Fiona petitions the council to demolish a deserted old lighthouse, just as Abe is equally determined to preserve the local landmark.
But why does Fiona want to tear down the building that was once her childhood home? And why is Abe, whose father drowned in the lighthouse's shadow, so desperate to save it?
Battle lines are drawn—just as the spark between them is finally ignited…
Fiona's Flame (Cypress Hollow Yarn, #5) Reviews
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It's been awhile since I've read a book that has left me so unsatisfied. The reason behind my huge dislike of Fiona's Flame is the treatment of the H to his h. You know it's bad for me when you want the HEA to be the h WITHOUT the H.
Mechanic and tomboyish Fiona has been crushing on Abe for years. Abe on the other hand, has never, and I mean never ever, really seen Fiona. Even though for the last few years, he's been buying gas at her gas station (the only station in town, I might add), this guy has his head so crammed up his backside, he writes off the h without a calm.
Fiona finally makes a blip on Abe's radar when the lighthouse he wants to save is being threatened by Fiona's idea to tear it down to build a community park. So basically Abe only spares Fiona a glance because he thinks he can smooze her and get her to change her mind. He even sleeps with her and then when he finds out Fiona still wants to tear down the lighthouse, he is furious and outraged because his magic penis and nonexistent charm didn't brainwash her into taking his word as gospel.
I really disliked how manipulative he was with Fiona and detested every hurtful comment about how he never really saw/noticed/knew her in the past. Also the constant comparisons Abe and others made about Fiona looking like Rayna, Abe's ex-Fiance who ditched him at the alter was overkill. It always emphasized to me, that Fiona was second best, not just by the gossipy town but by Abe, himself.
So for the safety gang, this book should be a pass. There is so much OW drama, and in my opinion, emotional cheating by the H, because I never feel that Fiona was more important or more loved then Rayna was. I almost tossed me kindle every time I had to read how beautiful, sexy, graceful, perfect, Rayna was. And then there is the repetition of how comfortable Abe and Rayna were to each other. Gah!!!! I almost did not finish, but I thought for all the crap Abe put Fiona through, for sure there would be something epic that would turn this around. But NOPE. There was nothing. In the end, Fiona ends up apologizing and asking forgiveness. At that point this book became a one star read. Don't give me a douche H who is selfish, arrogant and straight up mean to his h and then turn around and place the fault on the h. IMO Abe effed up waaaay more then Fiona did and she deserved a begging on his knees H. Fiona ended with the short end of the stick here people, and I just feel sad for her. She deserved better. -
Fiona's Flame takes us back again to the warm and comfortable streets and beaches of Cypress Hollow, where the dear departed master knitter Eliza Carpenter's words provide a crafy backdrop to the action that takes place in the narrative. This fourth installment focuses on the romantic travails of the lovely Fiona Lynde. Not a knitter, Fiona is a mechanic who owns and runs Fee's Fills (the local garage) and makes jewellery from vintage car scraps. She has had a serious crush on the gorgeous Abe Atwell ever since she saw him rescue a kitten from a mailbox but hasn't spoken to him for years. Abe has been firmly off the market since he was left at the alter nine years ago, focusing instead on being harbourmaster and developing his whale-watching business. Their worlds collide when their development plans for the local lighthouse differ. Fiona wants it demolished and turned into an accessible park; Abe wants it restored and turned into a museum.
As the novel progresses, we find out that Fiona and Abe are in different ways driven by their pasts. Abe's father, who was much loved by Abe and Abe's mum, died in a boating accident. The lighthouse was a special place for Abe's father and it is there that each year Abe and Abe's mother celebrate his memory. When Fiona was young, she lived in the lighthouse with her father and alcoholic mother, and has only sad memories of the place. Will they be able to resolve their differences and, at the same time, deal with the ghosts of their past?
This is a romance novel, so of course they will, but not until after the requisite misunderstandings and make-ups have occurred. As with all of Herron's books, there are nice secondary characters and a good sense of place. This book is an enjoyable visit to a familiar, comfortable place.
I have two minors quibbles the book though. My first the random explicit language. For example, Fiona and her friend Daisy are discussing the cuteness of Abe's friend Zeke and Daisy drops into conversation how she "get[s] wet" when guys talk about budgets on dates. Obviously it's part of a joke between Fiona and Daisy but the phrase is really out of context with the gentleness of both the genre and the conversation. (I should note here that I had the exact same criticism about her last book, so it's clearly an author quirk, but I don't like it. Not because it's explicit, but because it's jarring because it feels so out of context). Secondly, I wish there were at least one LGBT character. But these are very minor concerns, so please don't let them put you off.
A nice, quick easy read. -
This is a fun read. For those already enjoying Cypress Hollow, Fiona is a little "different." For one, she is not a soft knitter--up til now we have had those who are making their living by knitting, or simply knitters of soft things, that other knitters can relate to. Fiona is a mechanic who makes jewelry, and when she does knit, it's with wire. I think this adds something to the legacy of Cypress Hollow, in that not all its denizens are knit-obsessed woolites...some are living there who don't knit!
Once again, Rachel's characters are well fleshed and relatable. Her plot in this one was a little more straightforward, but if you are an escapist reader (as I am) you will enjoy it. Parts of it were a bit of a slog for me, but that may have been my own outside influences while reading. Once again, a well-written romance journey, NOT for those fans of clinical, sex-free stories, but enjoyable for most any romance reader. -
Fiona's Flame by Rachael Herron was an interesting read from start to finish with volumes of emotional baggage and ghosts from the past. The added characters of the townsfolk of Cypress Hollow makes for an entertaining read throughout the story.
Abe and Fiona have boundless attraction and their numerous attempts to be together and the antics that follow are entertaining and heartbreaking all at the same time. The will they - wont they scenarios are sometimes distressing and sometimes comical. The reader is drawn to both characters with their strengths and weaknesses and vulnerability in the story's challenges. Entertaining, emotional, witty and at many times hilarious, Fiona's Flame will delight many a reader.
*ARC received from the Publisher for an honest review -
I got drawn into this story and enjoyed it. The fact I'm a knitter may have made the quotes from the knitting guru of Cypress Hollow more enjoyable. People who don't knit, however, can appreciate the philosophy Eliza shares.
The heroine is unusual in her occupation...owns a gas station and is a mechanic and the hero is a harbormaster who owns a boat that takes people out for fishing and whale watching. -
I came back to this series after really enjoying the first couple of books. This one, however, was a huge disappointment. The writing was great, the secondary characters were a hoot, as always. Fiona was pretty awesome, Abe, however, infuriated me. What it came down to for me, is that I was never sold on Abe having fallen in love with Fiona. She deserved a better Hero and at the very least one who was into her.
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🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/17/2020)! 🎁
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Another highly enjoyable read from Rachael that kept me up late and then, as my eyes had been too tired the night before, in bed the next morning until I'd finished reading it!
These characters are not perfect, they're not even always nice and a couple of times I wanted to slap them both, but it was interesting and engaging to watch them sort themselves out and figure out how to get beyond their problems, whilst having some very steamy moments along the way!
Rachael is one of the few authors I'll shell out full price for a printed book for rather than waiting until it's on sale at 99p for the Kindle and once again it was worth the money! -
Fiona's Flame did not fail to delight. Once again Rachael Herron has taken her readers back to Cypress Hollow and knit us back into the heart of another rugged cowboy, but this time the cowboy is Abe Atwell, Cypress Hollow's harbor master and his steed is a boat rather than a horse.
While Fiona seems hard and cold on the outside, inside there is a soft flame waiting to be ignited, and Abe is just the one to crack that exterior and let her shine so wonderfully. Their lives are more entwined than they could imagine and when it all comes to an end, they are a gloriously knit cabled sweater rather than a messy knot. -
It took me a moment to get into this book, but once I did I was completely hooked! Fiona and Abe can't seem to get out of their own way in this story, and as much as you're rooting for them, you kind of want to yell at them half the time as well! It was a captivating story of loss, love, hope and learning to change. Really enjoyed the emotional ride it took you on and was completely sold on the romance between the charters.
So glad I won* this one - it was a great read!
*I received this book for free as part of a First Reads promotion. My opinions are purely my own. -
I received an ARC from Rachael Herron, and let me tell you, the time between downloading and opening the Kindle book was much too long. Herron has a wonderful way with words, but also with character development. I truly enjoyed this book, and will probably read it again just to see who and what I missed. After all, Cypress Hollow is now peopled with friends from former books. It's too bad that it's not a real place.
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I read an advance copy of this and I'm so thrilled with how much I loved it. Cora's Heart (the previous CH novel) didn't quite hit me as well as the previous Cypress Hollow books so I'm super happy that Fiona's Flame ticked all of the boxes for me in terms of a lighthearted read. Herron has a talent for writing characters that are flawed in real ways, rather than feeling contrived.
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Rachel Herron never fails to make me laugh and weep, usually within the space of about 4 pages. Loved the book.
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Once again, I loved it! Never disappointed with a Rachael Herron novel, and can't wait to get into Pack Up The Moon!
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Wonderful
I was surprised by the main character, Fee. I loved her, she was very well written. The whole book was really good. -
The longer this went on, the less I liked it. In the first half, I was still thinking this could be a four- or even a five-star read, if it stuck the landing, but it all fell apart so disastrously by the end.
I have so much to complain about that I'm not even sure I can put together a review with coherent flow. Bullet point time!
The Good:
* Even without having read the first four books in the series, Cypress Hollow is a town with a lot of personality, and this work felt very different from other "small town" romances I've read. Points for originality.
* Both Abe and Fiona start out as quirky but believable characters, and believably compatible. There was a reason I was on board with this story early on, and it's because they do have real chemistry at first. There are cute moments, and I did like Abe at the beginning, though it didn't last.
The Bad:
* Abe is hung up on his ex who left him at the altar eleven years ago, to the point where the first time he hops into bed with Fiona he calls her the wrong name. I'm not annoyed about this because it makes him a jerk, I'm annoyed with the author because it's really stretching. Eleven years ago? Is he still pining for her or not?
* Fiona is ALSO hung up on Abe's ex, because when she's prettied up apparently she looks enough like the ex to draw comparisons from random townsfolk. Which sends her off into an inferiority spiral that is just exhausting to read.
* Abe's ex then manages to get herself cheated on by her husband, the man she left Abe for, and in retaliation she blatantly tries to seduce Abe, but that plot line never goes anywhere, and no character ever seems to acknowledge her behavior. Abe doesn't fall for it but also doesn't call her on it, and Fiona, despite the inferiority complex she's developed, is mildly annoyed at the time but never brings it up again, EVEN WHEN THE WOMAN LATER BEFRIENDS HER. Really, Abe's ex just takes up way too much of the story.
* Fiona's intermittent "swearing" using entirely nonsense words isn't cute and quirky, it's just dumb. It makes her sound like a child learning to talk badly. They're not even the same words, it's a new one every time and they're all awful. They chipped away at what liking I had for Fiona every time they appeared.
The Ugly:
*The first time Fiona nearly died was understandable because of a semi-heroic rescue attempt and some extenuating circumstances. The second time? Definitely Too Stupid To Live Syndrome. And why does she need to nearly die twice? Isn't that excessive? Is nearly killing Fiona again really the only way to erase the idiocy (see my point below) of the final conflict?
* The central conflict that sets up Abe and Fiona talking--should we save the lighthouse or tear it down--is ignored for most of the book while they deal with more personal issues of personality, Abe's ex, family drama, etc. Then at the very end it's trotted back out for one last showdown where BOTH leads act like irredeemable idiots, no better than viciously mean children, and I'm supposed to believe a) they got that worked up over the lighthouse only to have it not matter at all to them anymore after Fiona nearly gets killed again, and b) that either of them can forgive the horrible things they said to each other in front of half the town?
* Knitting is a central theme of this series, and I'm keenly aware of this because many, many years ago when I was a die-hard knitter and was much more involved in the online knitting community, I "knew" the author as a knit blogger. When I saw this book available for free and recognized the name, I grabbed it on that strength alone, because her blog was charming and personable and I got kind replies the few times I left comments. But this book has NOTHING to do with knitting, until very late in the story when someone tries to make Fiona learn to knit again after doing poorly at it as a child, so the constant chapter-intro knitting quotes from the fictional town's fictional knitting goddess supreme felt wildly out of place. Had I read the first four books I doubt I would feel as strongly about this, but when the individual books are designed to be able to be read as stand-alones, this kind of tonal clash doesn't work, and can't be carried on the backs of the other books being more knitting-related. This one isn't. This one barely has a thing to do with knitting for 95% of the story and that five percent that touches on it can't support the weight of cutesy thematic chapter openings. -
Read the first chapter. You'll be hooked!
Fantastic story! The characters are real people with not only their own histories over 20 years, but the histories of their parents. The lighthouse debate, change v history, is always relevant, wherever the setting. Small towns are small towns. The plot moves along well, as did the romance. Secondary characters are interesting; heck, tertiary characters are interesting!
The opening scene is hilarious! City Clerk Hazel Montrose may be one of my favorite characters; that epilogue is fabulous! Then there's a crochet pattern for snowflake earrings at the end! Ok, yes, I crochet and may be getting my hooks out.
Do I need to read books before this one: no, I wasn't lost at all, and didn't feel like I'd missed anything
Would I read more of the series: yes
Cliffhanger: no
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS
Sex: lots, imagined and real
Language: 20 F words, 91 Lord's name in vain, 32 S words
Violence: I don't recall any
FAVORITE QUOTES
The sheep your wool came from was exposed to sun, rain, starlight, and moonglow. Do yourself the same favor.
Some people are lucky enough to have their mothers be their first knitting teachers. If you’re not as lucky as others, the ones with mothers, come sit by me. We can listen with empathetic joy—no jealousy, never jealousy, that’s the surest way to lose your favorite cable needle—as our friends talk about sweaters their mothers and grandmothers made. Then you and I will sit next to each other, pleased with the families we’ve chosen for ourselves.
Forgiveness is like knitting backwards—a little tricky to learn and very uncomfortable at first—but when you need to know how, it’s best to have already had practice.
Be fearless. Not all of life is safe; not all of it can be undone. Enjoy the stitches dancing on your needles even if they do the wrong steps. Even the undoing of them is pleasurable, if seated next to the right person.
The grace of knitting is its forgiveness. The grace of your soul is the same.
CRITIQUE (spoilers)
In Fiona's mind, he rebuffed her in the caves. Why does she go to the Cowboy Ball with him? And then she thinks he's ashamed of being seen in the stall with her. But she invites him into her home less than an hour later? And goes to yahrzeit with him after what he did? I don't think anyone's that careless with their heart.
It's disconcerting that they think of their parents by their first name, but not every time. -
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
She's carried a torch for him for years. Now they're both feeling the heat.
Fiona Lynde is a fairly straightforward girl. As the owner of the Cypress Hollow gas station and garage, Fee's Fill, she's not one for pretty dresses or fussy make-up. In fact most days she forgets to brush her hair. But she does have one guilty little secret - she's been in love with Abe Atwell for over ten years...
Problem is, Abe - the town's handsome harbormaster - barely knows she exists. Until...
Fiona petitions the council to demolish a deserted old lighthouse, for Abe is just as determined to preserve the local landmark.
But why does Fiona want to tear down the building that was once her childhood home? And why is Abe, whose father drowned in the lighthouse's shadow, so desperate to save it?
Battlelines are drawn - just as the spark between them is finally ignited
I am going to start by saying that this book is pretty predictable and could have simply been another 2-star book, quickly forgotten...
...but, as the saying goes, it's not about the destination, it is the journey getting there. And that's what this book has in spades - a journey.
It would be easy to dismiss this book as "X and Y are sworn enemies. Without doubt, X and Y will end up together by the end of the book." And that would be a fair estimation of the depth of this book. But it is so much more than that.
For a start, you need the characters to be good. Not just the protagonists but the supporting cast as well. And that is the strength of this book. Abe and Fiona are good characters but, in isolation, would have become very boring. Enter the background cast - lots of different people from different walks of life and lifestyles. Everything feels real as far as the people go.
Also, you need a storyline that is not only believable but can also carry itself across more than 450 pages - and this does that pretty well. It did have some moments where I thought it could have done away with the continual "will they, won't they?" plot device. I think that went on just a tad too long.
Characters and plot - the two most essential things in any genre (for me) and this book does them both very well. I have no trouble at all recommending this book!
Paul
ARH -
This was a fantastic read which I highly recommend if you like country romance.
Fiona Lynde is the owner of Fee's Fill Service Station in the small coastal town of Cypress Hollow. She's hard-working, goes about her day without fuss, and her secret obsession is she has been hot for the Harbourmaster, Abe Atwell, for the past ten years. Only problem is Abe comes to the service station and pays at the bowser, rather than coming in to pay.
When Fiona goes to the Council meeting to petition for the old de-commissioned lighthouse to be demolished to make way for a park, her opposition is Abe. He is calling for the lighthouse to be restored and used as a museum. The Mayor suggests that the two of them should go away and have a chat and submit their reports to Council.
This is where things get interesting and sparks fly. Will they or won't they be able to come to an understanding and maybe form a relationship? -
Sorry. This is the book where I break up with Rachael Herron. I was really disappointed with Wishes and Stitches, and if I hadn’t been reading this book on my phone, I would have thrown it at the wall.
Writing is hard, and I don’t want to knock her effort but there are So. Many. Things. that I intensely dislike about this book.
Instalove. A hero named Abalone. TSTL. He calls her by his ex girlfriend’s name in bed. She reveals his deepest, most upsetting secret in front of the whole town. He is totally manipulative, selfish, awful. She makes jewelry and furniture out of car parts, which would be cool if it didn’t feel like it was trying too hard. -
Surprised by how much I liked this. Steamy in the right places, however I feel that the female protagonist, was prone to "forgive" a little too easily given the rest of her character development, for the sake of moving the story along. The knotting/yarn Alec seemed a little forced, but it is book 5 of a series and I haven't read the others yet, but it was a good story on its own. I might go back and check the others out. It comes with a pattern, too!! Surprised me, especially since this one was a crochet pattern.
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This story kept me awake last night
What starts as a straight forward romance takes a dark turn as the details of the characters’ lives are revealed. Rachel Herron sucks you right into the story. Her command of characters and place are so strong that you feel like you know these people and are surprised and saddened by their early lives and the impact of that on the present day. She skillfully keeps you hanging for the denouement. Not what I would recommend as a vacation read, but a compelling story nonetheless. -
My main issue with contemporary romances is the "small town". While Fiona's Flame was a small town romance, it wasn't too obnoxious for me. Except for the epilogue. This was a very long story, but the pace was quick. But I'm glad I'm done with the book. Fiona's Flame did make me nostalgic for the contemporaries that paved my way into a love of reading romance novels though. I won't read any more in this series because of the "small town" schtick. But this one was good.
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Fiona and Abe have lived in the same town for years. Fiona has a crush on Abe, but he doesn't know that she is alive. But when she opposes him on what to do with the abandoned lighthouse he does start to notice her for the first time. Can people with different opinions find love.....read and see!
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So much heartache
There are so many lessons to be learned in this book. Both the H/h had endured so much heartache.
Their relationship was just one misstep after another until the final betrayal.
Get your tissues ready.
I don’t k ow how but love does conquer all.
