Ember’s Fire

I am a big fan of this family based trilogy that features three siblings in a small Canadian town who have a love of family, a love of the land and wonderful memories of the place they call home. Ember has studied hard to become a doctor, but she's still reeling from a betrayal that has haunted her for ten long years when she's dispatched to aid an injured resident in her community. When she and Jace are reunited after ten years they realize that forces unknown to them tore them apart. Ember is a brilliant, beautiful and feisty heroine, dedicated to her career and still in love with Jace after all these years. Jace is a business man following in his father's footsteps but haunted by his past. I genuinely liked both characters and hoped they would find a way to be together, but Norah Wilson's well written and emotional storyline is brimming with secrets, lies and a new misunderstanding that could blow Ember's world apart. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Ember and Jace’s story, and look forward to reading about Scott in the third Standish Clan book

Ember, the red-headed spitfire of the Standish clan, does not disappoint. She’s feisty! But, as one would expect, she’s a bit spirited and doesn’t exactly have an even temper. So, naturally, she’s quick to respond… whether it be to fly off the handle or across the country, lending her training as doctor to strangers in a car wreck or fiery passion.

Jace is pretty steadfast, lucky for her. He’s also quick witted, clever and despite a severely sprained ankle fast enough to catch Ember. He was her bestie and then male her teenage heart adored and waited to giver her virginity to.

Too bad neither of them was quite mature enough at 18 and 19 to stand the pressures of their age and circumstances. Their love wasn’t either, and they broke up. …

Ember hightails out of their hometown right after her 18th birthday after receiving photos of Jace in his bed with another girl plastered all over him in compromising positions. And Jace, a step away from following her across the country to college, is reined in by his stepbrother, who shares that his perfect girl consoled herself and spited Jace in Terry’s arms the night before she fled.

In the intervening years, Ember finished college and went on to earn her medical degree. She’s poised to decide which of the choice positions offered to her she’ll take, but she’s leaning toward joining a pair of friend in a clinic in California.

Jace remained in the area, joining the family business lead by stepbro after their dad dies. But Terry has controlling majority, so he pulls rank. Jace is tasked with acquiring land in the area for one of his brother projects. The Standish farm that’s been in Ember’s family for two generations is the perfect location.

When Ember’s older brother Titus approaches him about buying the property so he can leave and join the RCMP, Jace has no choice but to move on it. But, the Standishs later learn of Terry’s plan to turn their organic farm into a site for a toxic waste dump after they’ve signed on the dotted line.

So, Titus calls siblings Ember and Scott home to join him and Arden for one last Thanksgiving, so he can tell them together, in person the property’s been sold and they have to vacate at the end of the month. Before he can give them the big news, however, he’s called to the mountain to locate a local girl and Ember’s dad sends her to Old Man Pickard’s cabin to help someone who has injured his ankle.

Instead of a stranded business man and stranger, Ember finds Jace. Despite a rather volatile beginning, what Arden has really given the pair is a second chance. They begin to realize maybe things didn’t go down the way they thought and follow the trail of crumbs to the truth. But, is this new start enough to overcome the land deal Ember has yet to learn about?

That’s what they have to figure out. Just as there were things in play neither Jace nor Ember knew about in their teens, machinations few know about are already actively engaged.

I really enjoyed Ember and Jace’s story, and look forward to reading about Scott in the third Standish Clan book. Thanks Norah for giving us just a tiny peak at who those elusive calls from Montreal (mentioned in Titus’s book, Fall From Yesterday) might be from. Have been tempted since the beginning to learn more about this aloof Standish.

And, oh my, could we please have more Ryker? Be still my heart — who could resist this gruff, caring mountain of a man. An amazing friend which such a BIG heart. Can’t help falling a little more each time I read about this Joe Manganiello ringer.