Hearts of Fire
A Spinoff of Six of Hearts
By L. H. Cosway
Synopsis
***A contemporary romance***
The Circus Spektakulär is proud to present Jack McCabe: Fire-breather, knife-thrower, risk-taker.
My house burned down when I was just a boy, robbing me of both my parents.
Now I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me.
Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life.
I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook.
My brother doesn’t know me, and if I have it my way he never will.
Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her.
I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of the ring. In truth, I could be considered one of them.
We were fashioned from different cloths, never intended to mix. So I watch her. I try not to touch, even when her eyes invite me.
Join us in the Spiegeltent and let us give you a show. Allow my Lille to draw a picture for you in paint and sweat and skin.
The truest love is always the hardest to let in.
**This is a standalone romance that tells the story of Jack McCabe, Jay Fields’ long lost, presumed dead brother. It is not necessary to have read Six of Hearts in order to enjoy Hearts of Fire.**
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Smashwords
Excerpt
“Oh,” I said and tightened the towel around me again. When I turned, Jack’s gaze wandered from my wet temples, along the side of my cheek, and down my neck before finally settling in the region of my chest. I felt touched. Hot and flushed. I looked up at him from under my lashes and he met my eyes then. There was something intense about the way he looked at me, but again, it could have all been my active and fatally hopeful imagination.
“Got a nice little look at you earlier,” he said and I seriously thought I might die of mortification. My skin prickled with awareness.
“What?” I replied, my voice so, so quiet.
He didn’t say anything for a second, just hummed low in his throat and it was the sexiest sound I’d heard, possibly ever. Then he took my hand into his. I’d taken the bandage off, but I still had a red burn mark down the centre of my palm. Holding it up, he seemed fascinated as he ran a finger down it gently. It only stung a tiny bit, and the combination of him touching me and the sting caused a strange tingling between my legs. Yep, my vagina was definitely on Team McCabe, even if my brain was waving around big red BEWARE signs like a maniac.
His mouth moved and there was something intrigued in his expression, like he just figured out he’d aroused me and it both interested and surprised him. He moved closer, eating up my space…and just stared at me.
And man, could he stare. I felt like he was telling me a silent story and it was captivating.
“Could I get by you, please? I need to go get dressed,” I said, breaking the quiet. It could have been minutes or hours that I was standing there, but I’d never know. Time moved in strange patterns when I was around this man.
Robin’s Review
Author L. H. Cosway thrilled me with magical illusions performed by Jay Fields in her novel Six of Hearts. Jay is charismatic. Descriptions of his performances are colorful and energetic. Full of electricity. The writing in Six of Hearts was so realistic that I felt like I was sitting in the audience during his performances. It was such a unique novel, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Jay Fields and Mathilda Brandon. When I wrote my review for Six of Hearts, I was completely unaware it was the first novel of a series. I was pleasantly surprised to learn Cosway has now written a novel about the brother of Jay Fields. Although it may be read as a standalone novel, Hearts of Fire is the second contemporary romance in the Hearts series.
Jack McCabe is just as charismatic as his older brother. He lost his family to a house fire when he was a child. Jack was abandoned by his uncle because he was so badly burned. He grew up in foster care. Now he throws knives and breathes fire for a circus that travels across Europe. He is handsome. Dark. Mysterious. And Jack is the exact opposite of Lille Baker. Lille is twenty-one-years-old. She’s kind. Craves adventure. She has a bucket list of things she would love to do. But more than anything, Lille is desperate to get away from her controlling and abusive mother who dictates her life with rules.
Marina is the owner of Circus Spektakulӓr. She and Jack visit the small diner where Lille works as a waitress. On the last day the circus is in town, Marina invites Lille to come see their show. She notices just how much Lille enjoys painting faces on children who come to eat at the diner, and she makes Lille an offer she can’t refuse – “come to France with us.” Marina offers Lille a job to paint the faces of the children who visit the circus.
How often have you read a novel where the characters never truly grab your attention? Or the characters are dull or lifeless? Cosway gives her characters plenty of personality – they practically leap off the page! Jack McCabe is intriguing. Mysterious. Broody. He’s full of energy. Darkness. He loves fire. I was definitely drawn to Jack, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about him. Lille is finally experiencing adventure. She is quirky and so easy to love. It didn’t take long for me to connect emotionally with her character. I thought Marina and Lola were full of vitality, and they each added to the quality of the story. Even King, the circus alcoholic, was intriguing.
Hearts of Fire has an artistic feel to it. It’s suspenseful. Sexy. Romantic. It’s a story about forgiveness and healing. Reconciliation. You will find darkness in Hearts of Fire. Crime. I love mysteries, and my favorite scene in Hearts of Fire is how the crime is solved. I feel the writing is solid throughout the entire story. It flows extremely well, which makes Hearts of Fire a quick and entertaining read. And if you loved Jay Fields and Mathilda Brandon in Six of Hearts, you will be excited to learn they are guest stars in Hearts of Fire! I am delighted to give L. H. Cosway a 4.5 star rating!
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads
Giveaway
The author is giving away (open internatonally):
1st prize: Hearts of Fire tote bag
Signed copy of Six of Hearts
Signed copy of Hearts of Fire
Hearts of Fire pocket mirror
2nd prize: Signed copy of Hearts of Fire
Hearts of Fire pocket mirror
Saucy Southern Readers 