Kathleen O'Reilly

I love fairly tales, and Touched by Fire was a novel with a sweet fairy tale quality to it. The hero, Colin, has dreamed of being a DragonSlayer since he was a mere boy, and the heroine, Sarah, has been dreaming of a “gallant knight” with sherry-colored eyes who would come whisk her away from her loneliness and love her for who she is. Colin and Sarah had a magical first meeting and an instant attraction, which is something I usually don't care for much, but it really worked for me here. show more I think my liking of it was partially due to the enchanted atmosphere, but mainly because although they may have been instantly in lust with one another, they took the time to build a relationship instead of heading straight for the bedroom. I love the way that Colin and Sarah were always looking deeply into each other's eyes. I thought it was very romantic and helped to build that magical attraction even more. It also became a primary mode of communication between them. Sometimes it was difficult for them to communicate verbally, especially Colin, but their eyes always spoke volumes to each other. Both Colin and Sarah tend to hold back quite a bit, especially early on, because neither one really feels worthy of the other. I usually prefer for one character to be a bit more overt and persistent, and Sarah finally started actively pursuing Colin about a third of the way into the book but still doubted herself at times. It was definitely a difficult, uphill battle for her, but one that was well worth the fight.

Colin's biological father was a notorious and violent highwayman who had raped his mother. The old earl had claimed Colin as his son to preserve some dignity for his wife and spare her further disgrace, but he despised Colin and made sure that he knew his real parentage by constantly telling him that he carried the same evil that was in his father. Having had these lies drilled into him from the time he was just a boy and seeing the fear and grief that his mother suffered, left Colin fearful of himself and determined that he should never marry or have children. In fact, he had spent the better part of the last ten years as a soldier and spy in the Peninsular War, in hopes that he might die a hero's death and end his bloodlines. Now he is back in England and being forced to marry to save the beloved orphanage of which he is the patron, and that he felt was the only way to redeem himself. I really liked Colin's hobby of studying dragon lore, and how the dragons became a metaphor not only for the physical dangers in his life, but also for his emotional demons. Initially, I thought that Colin was a beta, because he is such a sensitive and wounded individual who truly believes that he will hurt the woman that he marries. As I read further though, I could definitely see alpha tendencies as well in his extreme protectiveness of Sarah and others. He was willing to sacrifice himself to save the orphanage, and didn't hesitate to rescue a young girl who had been sold into prostitution. He also has the heart of a lion and the courage of a warrior to have put himself on the line as a soldier. It takes Colin a long time to realize the truth and understand that his fears of propagating evil are unfounded, but when he finally does it's a beautiful thing.

Sarah is the daughter of a gambling hell owner who has her own share of demons to battle. She is a wealthy woman, but has lived with the censure of society all her life because of who she is. All she has ever wanted is be a part of the glittering social set, but girls like her don't get invited to balls and parties. After her father died, Sarah became very lonely, but the only men who come to call on her are nothing but fortune hunters. She dreams of a man who will simply love her for herself. When Sarah meets Colin she is convinced that she has found that man, but when Colin seemingly rejects her at every turn or sends her mixed messages, Sarah doesn't know what to think. She spends quite a bit of time going back and forth between thinking she isn't good enough for him but not being able to stop dreaming about him. Sarah sees something in Colin's eyes and actions that tell her there is more to him than he lets others see and that he truly does care for her. The one thing that Sarah's father, the consummate gambler, had taught her was that a Banks never looses, so she finally sets out on a determined quest to win his heart.

I loved that Colin and Sarah were both virginal characters, a rarity in romance. Their first love scene was far from idealistic, but it was realistic considering that both of them were very inexperienced. Colin also allowed his fear of himself to get in the way, causing him to make a highly unusual and unromantic request of Sarah which made the scene all the more uncommon. However, the experience changed Colin's whole outlook on life, and made him absolutely determined to pleasure Sarah the next time, and him taking the time to learn what he needed to know was quite romantic as were their remaining love scenes together. Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed about the story was Colin's butler, Giles, who was more of a father to him than a mere servant. It was hilarious how he was trying to covertly play matchmaker, and then coerced Sarah's funny little maid, Iris, to get into the act as well. Giles was probably the most well-rendered secondary servant character I've read since George Kemball from Liz Carlyle's books.

I honestly didn't realize until about halfway through the book that Touched by Fire was essentially Kathleen O'Reilly's debut novel (she had previously authored only one short story in a Harlequin Duet that was released one month earlier), and in my opinion, it was a very worthy early effort. There were a few minor things here and there such as wording and transitions that showed a bit of greenness but nothing that really detracted from my overall enjoyment. Ms O'Reilly has a very subtly emotional writing style that seems to speak volumes. It moves a little slowly in places, and I can see how it might not be for everyone, but her writing really pulled me into the story and wouldn't let go. It was rather like watching a richly drawn dramatic indie movie, punctuated with moments of humor and levity. Touched by Fire was my first read by Kathleen O'Reilly, but I enjoyed it so much, it earned a spot on my keeper shelf. I'm a little disappointed to say that it is her only historical romance to date, but in spite of that, I'm eagerly looking forward to diving into her contemporary backlist soon. show less

A Snowball's Chance by Nikki Rivers - Normally, I'm a big fan of romance heroes and heroines being stranded together, but in A Snowball's Chance, this theme just didn't work well for me. Unfortunately, the story became a prime example of why I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with the contemporary romance genre. It had at its center one of those insta-lust/love plots that I rarely find believable, and in this case, it was even more implausible than most. The hero and heroine fall show more immediately in lust with one another right from the moment she accidentally falls into his lap on the airplane during heavy turbulence. Then they both begin thinking how they've fallen in love after having sex one time approximately twelve hours later, and declaring that love within the day. I just found this scenario too far-fetched to buy into, and can't help wondering whatever happened to good old-fashioned relationship building. It also bugged me that they did not engage in any sort of safe sex or even mention birth control which is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially in contemporary romance where the protagonists are virtual strangers.

As to Rory and Sunshine themselves, I never really related very well to either one of them. Rory is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners, high-powered real estate developer who is trying to get back to Chicago to close a deal on a building that will allow him to keep a promise he made to the grandmother who raised him before she died. The fact that Rory was attempting to fulfill that oath was one thing I liked about him, but of course he's going about it all wrong until Sunny comes into the picture and sets him straight. Rory was also an arrogant alpha who acts like a bit of a caveman when he insists that Sunny call off her non-existent nuptials after their sexcapades. I also had a hard time respecting Rory, because even though Sunny wasn't actually going to marry another man, he didn't know that at that time and essentially, in my mind, became a "cheater" when he made love to her. I guess he mostly redeemed himself though, when he risked his business deal to make sure that Sunny made it to the wedding.

Sunshine is an interior designer who is every bit as exuberant as her name might suggest. I liked her positive attitude but sometimes she didn't entirely seem to be living in reality and was a bit too perky for my taste. She is rather tall for a woman and somewhat Rubenesque in her figure with a healthy appetite to match, which I'm sure some readers will find relatable. Sunny is trying to get back to Chicago in time for her parent's wedding, and a misunderstanding between her and Rory leads him to believe she's going to miss her own wedding. I thought that Sunny's reasons for continuing to allow Rory to believe that fallacy were rather weak, and of course, when the truth came out, it led to some silly bickering. Sunny is also one of those girls who can wrap almost any man around her little finger and get him to do anything she wants without hardly even trying, which made me wonder if Rory wasn't just one of those men who happened to fall for her charms. Overall, Rory and Sunny weren't exactly dislikable, but neither did they stand out to me, and I just wasn't able to buy into them having any sort of genuine, lasting feelings for one another in such a short time.

The entire narrative of A Snowball's Chance takes place in a mere 24 hours. One might think that this would make the pace pretty snappy, but I thought it was rather slow and plodding at times. I think this was owing to Rory and Sunny constantly being delayed, which made it seem like they would never reach their destination or that I would ever reach the end of the story. Admittedly, a string of ridiculous scenarios kept happening to them which I believe were meant to add humor and interest to the story, but once again, I had a hard time buying the idea that the same two people could have that much bad luck in just one day. I'm sure that some readers would find it quite funny, but absurdist humor isn't one of my favorite types. There were a few mildly amusing moments that made me smile, but nothing funny enough to really make me laugh out loud. In fact, having everything be so silly, made me feel like I was watching a B-comedy movie.

In my opinion, the overall plotline was a bit lacking too. I could see how Rory might have a deadline on a business deal, but Sunny's parent's wedding seemed like a rather small affair that they might have been able to postpone until she arrived. After all, one would think that they would want to keep their promise to her, not to mention it was a little odd to still be having the wedding outdoors the day after a huge blizzard. I also felt that there was perhaps too much dialog and too little description. It was sufficient enough for me to generally imagine things, but the settings and the hero and heroine's feelings, among other things, were sometimes rendered in a very simplistic way, when I think richer prose would have enhanced the story. As a side note, and contrary to what the book cover might suggest, A Snowball's Chance is not a Christmas-themed tale, just a cold-weather story that takes place in April during a freak snowstorm. A Snowball's Chance was my first read by Nikki Rivers, and overall, it wasn't terrible, but it didn't exactly float my boat either, which makes me undecided as to whether I will try anything else by her in the future. Star Rating: **1/2

A Christmas Carol by Kathleen O'Reilly - A Christmas Carol was a sweet, sexy, friends-to-lovers romance that really tickled my funny bone and warmed my heart all at the same time. I had previously read just one other book by Kathleen O'Reilly, her only historical, Touched by Fire. Although that book had some humor in it, I never would have guessed that she could be so LOL funny. One of my favorite scenes is when Carol is trying to seduce Mike by reciting some of the worst purple prose ever to be penned, from crib notes scribbled on her hands no less. It made me nearly die laughing. Carol is also a list-making fiend, and when she invited Mike over with the intention of having a night of "scheduled seduction," it turns into a riotous disaster with Mike repeatedly asking her if she's drunk. I loved the double-date that had Carol with her high society airhead boyfriend, and Mike with one of Carol's equally ditzy co-workers which ended with each of them secretly setting up their dim-bulb companions with each other. I could completely relate to Mike and Carol tiring of the lack of brains between their date's ears and deep down wanting to be with each other. Carol's elderly Aunt Eleanor is an absolute hoot with her not-so-subtle matchmaking and her Viagra-laced nursing home boyfriend. I haven't yet had the opportunity to read Sandra Hill's Cajun series, but from what I've heard about Tante Lulu, she and Aunt Eleanor would probably get along quite well. I also enjoyed the spoofy rewrite of The Twelve Days of Christmas that began each chapter. There were just so many funny moments in this story, I probably had a goofy grin on my face nearly the whole time I was reading it.

That's not to say that it was completely lacking in seriousness, because Carol does have some issues to overcome. Part of why I think I liked the book so much is because it deftly blends the humor with touching emotion. Carol is a smart career woman who has made a niche for herself in the marketing world, but lacks the self-confidence to break free from her controlling, meddlesome mother. Carol's mom is one of those perfect June Cleaver types who actually cooks and goes shopping in her high heels and pearls, and has a schedule constantly filled with society functions and token charitable endeavors. She wants Carol to be just like her, the perfect Texas society belle, and is always trying to fix Carol up with her rich friends' sons. Carol consciously thinks this is the life she wants, but somehow deep down, knows that she doesn't fit into that world. It takes her a while to realize that these things aren't her and the best thing for her is Mike, even if her mother hates him. Although there were times I wished Carol would have stood up to her mother sooner, I could still sympathize and relate to her feelings and fears. It was all about her growth process and her coming to terms with not needing to please anyone else but herself and the idea that she and Mike could have a romantic relationship without loosing their treasured friendship. By the end, she had made a dramatic turnaround as well as a bold statement that had me cheering for her.

Mike is pretty much my idea of the perfect hero with just the right combination of good looks and intelligence. He is a computer geek with a great butt that looks hot in jeans. (Um um good! In my book) Rather than being the shy, socially inept type of geek, he is more the goofball prankster, who gets along well with just about everyone except Carol's mom, who doesn't think he's good enough to run in their hoity-toity circles. Mike is just a really laid back, easy going guy, who wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth and is far more comfortable in Levi's and t-shirts than expensive suits. He and Carol have been best friends since the second grade, 18 years in all. They have always been there for each other, but their long-term attraction has been more of an unrealized, sub-conscious one until Aunt Eleanor's matchmaking awakens their dormant feelings and scares them both to death. I love that Mike put his fears to rest pretty quickly, and just decided to go for it. When Carol naively thinks that she can get Mike out of her system with a quick roll in the hay, Mike shows that he is a real relationship kind of guy by pursuing her and not letting her take the easy way out. He's always been supportive of Carol no matter what, but now the stakes are much higher, so he let's his alpha possessiveness out to play for a little while, by giving Carol an ultimatum that's for her own good.

I absolutely loved Mike and Carol as a couple. Theirs reminds me in many little ways of my relationship with my own husband. I enjoyed their playfulness even in the heat of passion, their appreciation for each other's sense of humor, and most of all their comfortable trust in one another. They also make the pages sizzle with their steamy looks and tender touches. Kathleen O'Reilly is masterful at creating exquisite sexual tension that builds beautifully throughout the story, making the consummation very sweet and heartfelt. The other story in this Harlequin Duet may have left me feeling rather cold, but this one warmed me up in all the right places and really put me in the holiday spirit. Ms. O'Reilly has restored my confidence that some authors do know how to write a convincing and emotionally satisfying contemporary romance. This was her first published romance, and in my opinion it is an excellent debut. With two winners in a row, she has definitely earned a spot on my favorite authors list, and I can't wait to dive into the rest of her backlist. Star Rating: ***** show less

I just got back from a spring break trip. The week before our trip, I was really tense and stressed, and my mom suggested I take some fun reading along. At the time, all that was left unread on my e-reader was classics (a LOT of them), and some dense fantasy, and while I'm sure I'll enjoy them when I read them, my mom was right--this wasn't the time.

So I went shopping at the Sony Reader Store, and a few minutes later had five new books ready to go. (Have I mentioned how much I love my show more e-reader?) I haven't bought new books other than nonfiction for so long that I had no idea what was out there, so I just searched for authors I trusted and came up with Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Anne Stuart (a.k.a. Kristina Douglas), and Kathleen O'Reilly.

from the back of the book:

When midnight strikes...The last thing temp agency owner Ian Cumberland expects on an icy New Year's Eve is a little magic. But when a stunner of a woman plants a sizzlin' kiss on him in the middle of Times Square, Ian's world explodes. A moment later, she's gone....But as much as Ian shakes Rose Hildebrande to the tips of her designer shoes--and a few other choice places!--she can't afford to fall for a charming pauper instead of Prince Charming. Still...there's something about Ian, his sexy good looks, his charming kindness, that inspires Rose to find him and seduce him. But will their naughty fling still be blazing come summer?

One thing about e-books is that you don't really see the cover, which is a good thing. This would have irritated the heck out of me. Ian Cumberland does not own a temp agency. He works for an employment agency, and has since he was laid off from his prestigious job as an investment banker. It's a big step down, and part of his personal journey.

But Ian is not the primary focus of this story--it's Rose. Gutsy move on O'Reilly's part, I have to say. Readers love damaged heroes. Damaged heroines, not so much. Unless the heroine is damaged in a way that makes her ultra-lovable. (insert eye-roll here) Unlike the other reviewers I read, I was captivated by Rose from the start.

It was clear from the beginning that Rose had Issues, and pretty serious ones. I loved how she had to fight herself, how she struggled between what she believed she should want and what she did want. Even better was how the origins of her issues came out a little bit at a time. Each chapter I knew her a little better. And it was never all laid out like "Rose was screwed up because of X, Y, and Z," not even when she finally came clean with Ian. It was very well handled.

Midnight Resolutions demonstrates exactly why Kathleen O'Reilly was one of the first authors I looked for. She's a master of category-length romance, a difficult length for many authors. Both characters grew and changed, the conflicts were real, and the secondary characters were three dimensional and their challenges added to the main conflict.

One more reason to like my e-reader: Midnight Resolutions, being a Harlequin Blaze, is already out of print in paperback, but it's still available in e-format. show less

I just finished Touched by Fire. I'll have to agree with the comment from Julia London on the cover:

A wonderfully charming and poignant romance.

To start at the beginning, I was so angry with the old earl, and just wanted to take 8-year-old Colin home with me. Then seeing how his cruelty had affected the grown-up Colin, I wanted to dig him up & strangle him.... er.... I don't know where this bloodthirstiness comes from, really I don't.

Anyway, Colin was such a tragic figure, determined to do show more right and to live without love.

Sarah was perfect for him. Both were outsiders because of their fathers, but she was less willing to accept what fate had given her. Rather than use her fortune to make a socially acceptable marriage, she waits for the man of her dreams--a man with "sherry-colored" eyes. Colin, on the other hand, resigns himself to marrying a woman he's not attracted to so that he can save the orphanage without unleashing the beast he's sure lives within him.

I like the twist that makes the man the one who's afraid of his own passion. You seldom see virgin heroes, especially without them being emasculated, but Colin managed to seem even stronger for being able to deny himself, because he was doing it to (as he believed) protect others.

Sarah says that she wants someone to take care of her, but she's stronger than that. She takes care of herself, and when she sees what she wants, she goes after it, braving social censure and risking her heart.

I loved watching these two go back and forth. He's fighting his attraction for her, but at the same time he won't hurt her, even to protect her from himself, so his growing attraction to & affection for her is more & more evident. She keeps thinking he's pulling away because of her position in society.

Fortunately, Giles & Iris are there to nudge things along. Giles in particular was very entertaining. I loved his sarcastic, insubordinate remarks to Colin. I thought I saw sparks between Iris & Giles---

And of course there's nothing like a couple attempted murders to force a couple to admit how much they care for each other.

All in all, an entertaining, engrossing read. Thanks, Kathleen! show less