The Fire in Ember-DiAnn Mills

The Fire in Ember
DiAnn Mills
Zondervan, Jan 27 2011, $14.99
ISBN: 9780310412397

In 1888 Colorado, Wide O ranch hands grab Bert. They argue with one of their party Ted Hawkins whether a boy, even a horse thief like him, should be hung. As blood flows in her mouth and one eye is shut from the beating, Bert thinks “A hanging is no place for a woman”. She especially wonders about doing the right thing by returning a horse her brother Simon stole months ago from Victor Oberlander owner of Wide O. Upset Ted tells the others they are wrong before leaving

The oldest of five brothers, 5T rancher John Timmons likes working the land. Ted tells John about the hanging. A deputy marshal as well as a rancher, John, with Ted at his side, prevents the hanging. John and Victor negotiate a deal in which the 5T rancher gets the kid and the Wide O owner gets $100 and breeding rights. Frustrated with an unwanted mouth to feed, John reads the eleven years old boy the riot act and how he will behave while paying off his debt to John. A needed bath after mucking leads to the gender truth and Bert is seventeen years old Ember who works at the house with the Timmons’ matriarch Leah. Ember prefers to leave, but the family will not allow her to go. Meanwhile the second oldest sibling Evan can’t take his eyes off her while John and Ember fall in love. However, besides his sibling problems, her sibling problems will soon arrive.

This is a great western romance starring two wonderful protagonists and a strong supporting cast. Fast-paced from the opening hanging line and never slowing down as family troubles brew. Readers will appreciate the first Timmons tale and look forward for more action and romance starring John’s younger brothers.