AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Love's Secret Fire
2018 - re-released
First published in 2012 by Crimson Romance
The biggest story of reporter Valerie Daniels’s career could be the one that kills her. A part-time news reporter, Valerie is determined to prove her twin brother is not responsible for the rash of suspicious fires in Benton Falls, despite all the evidence that leads undercover investigator Adam Michaels to believe he’s caught his arsonist - Valerie’s brother.
Adam Michaels relies on the facts when he is working a case but on this one, his instincts, and his heart, tell him there is more behind this story. And there’s a lot more he wants to know about Valerie Daniels, a woman who makes no bones about the fact she doesn’t like him - or what he’s doing to her brother.
Arson turns to murder and sparks fly between Adam and Valerie. But the real arsonist has his own ideas about the heat between these two. To defeat the killer and his deadly trap, they must learn to trust each other.
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Customer Reviews
Rena Koontz's Love's Secret Fire is a page-turning whirlwind of firemen, undercover police officers, journalists, family ties and a myriad of suspects all tied in a string of arsons and a forbidden romance. She writes in a clear and confident voice as she drops hints and clues in this curiously attracting mystery.
As a writer, Koontz does a great job with male point of view and dialogue. She leads us through an undercover police operation using Adam Michaels who poses as a fire inspector. He's a smart, cocky, intuitive cop with a touch of cowboy who would turn any woman's head. Valerie Daniels is a suspicious, quick-witted journalist who is too busy with her own troubles to be one of those women. They cross paths in a number of random scenes until they find themselves head to head.
-R.T. Wolfe, Author of Black Creek Burning, 2012
This book is just one word FANTASTIC! I started this book while vacationing at the beach and could not put it down. I could only read it while in the condo since I didn't want to get sand in my kindle. I found myself going back to the condo early because I couldn't wait to get back to it. I was so impressed with the accuracy of the firehouse situations. My husband was a firefighter for 25 years so I know firehouses. I just loved Adam how could you not. One night I was reading the book before I went to sleep and found myself back up at 2:00 a.m. because I just had to finish it!! I hope we will see more books from Rena Koontz. She is an excellent writer!
Undercover agent Adam Michaels (a.k.a. Mitchell) has been sent to a fire station to out a firebug. Who is targeting news reporter and radio personality Valerie Daniels with frightening emails. And Valerie's beloved twin brother is a rookie fireman who just happens to be in all the right places at the right times to make him a prime suspect.
Sparks immediately fly between Adam and Valerie that have nothing to do with the scary fires being set.
But this book is more than just suspenseful. It subtly explores the strong bonds between brother and sister and between friends. The forbidden romance that blooms between Adam and Valerie is strong and full of feeling. Their country western date night was so satisfying and emotional it actually had me in tears. You can feel them falling in love and it's a wonderful ride.
From the first page where Valerie forms the peas on her plate into the letter "D" to describe the dull date she has, the language in this book caught me. And this sentence describes perfectly the chemistry between Valerie and Adam: "`Mitchell,'" Adam's deep voice oozed through the phone, sending a wave of heat through her like hot chocolate at a Friday night football game." Love it!
Rena Koontz's reporting background is evident in this suspenseful, well-researched book with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end. There is a believability to the fire station protocol, intense relationships between the fire fighters, and the realistic crime details.
This was a great debut and I can't wait for more!