The Fire's Center by Shannon Farrell, Book One of The Fire of Love Series

Unemployed governess Riona Connolly is willing to do anything to save her family from starvation during the Irish Potato Famine. When she meets the handsome Dr. Lucien Woulfe, who offers her post at his clinic, it seems a dream come true.

No man has ever stimulated Riona so completely, in mind and body. Yet she knows her burning attraction to her sensual employer is forbidden in the straight-laced, class-conscious society of Victorian Dublin.

Lucien never imagined he would ever meet a woman who could share his life so perfectly. A dedicated doctor who has been wounded by love in the past, he has no time for relationships. Yet one look at Riona, and he burns with a passion which soon grows all-consuming for them both.

But as the Famine rages, and brings a deadly series of fevers with it. Riona and Lucien must walk through the fire's center to secure their happiness before it is destroyed by the enemies aligning themselves against the unsuspecting couple, and by the vagaries of Fate.

Can their fiery love win through to a bright future, or will it too become yet another casualty of the Great Blight?

After an hour of quizzing her verbally, Lucien pronounced himself more than satisfied with her medical knowledge, and decided to give her a slide test.
"Here, you keep looking down the microscope, and I'll hand you the slides one by one, so you can't peek at the labels," he suggested.
"All right," Riona agreed, and soon began rattling off the names of the samples he handed her.
Lucien stood close bedside Riona, as if drawn there by some magnetic force. Try as he might, he couldn't take his eyes off the tempting flesh of her arms and the shadowy curve of her breasts as they worked side by side.
Though surrounded by flowers in the study, which the maid had put there to brighten up the otherwise rather dull room, Lucien could also smell her own distinctive perfume, fresh, wholesome, and infinitely more alluring that the Parisian concoctions his female acquaintances practically bathed themselves in for formal functions.
Suddenly she held out her hand and asked, "Next one, please?"
Lucien jumped out of his reverie for a moment to hand her the glass slide, but all of a sudden he found himself grasping her fingers tightly instead.
As Riona looked up from the microscope in surprise, Lucien took a step closer to her and pulled her into his warm embrace.
Riona's lips parted with a gasp, so that Lucien had free access to the tempting delights of her mouth, and the hungry kiss they shared soon left them wanting more.
Lucien ran his hands up and down the length of Riona's spine, and he thanked God silently that she wore no corsets as he caressed her feminine fullness above and below.
Riona for her own part tried to remain stiff and unyielding in his torrid embrace, but the heat of his passion melted her reserve. She soon found her arms creeping around his neck, while her lips slanted across his mouth to deepen the kiss even further.
Lucien laced his fingers through Riona's hair, scattering pins and her silk ribbon all about the room as her auburn locks tumbled down around her shoulders. He began to kiss her face and neck then, nuzzling her hair, before whispering, "Lovely, so lovely," in her shell-like ear.
Lucien knew he ought to stop. Had to stop. But the vibrant woman he held in his arms worked on him like some powerful drug. The more he took liberties with Riona, the bolder he became. The more she matched his caresses, and the more inflamed he grew...

The Fire's Center
Book 1 of The Fire of Love series
Shannon Farrell
Genre=Historical Romance
Setting= Victorian Ireland, Irish Potato Famine
Rating: Very sensual
Word Count=78,300 words
Price: $4.99

OR
by THREE books for the price of one with the Shannon Farrell Book Bundle:

I think continually of those who were truly great,
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre,
Born of the sun they travelled to the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with their names-
Stephen Spender

Chapter One

March 1847

Riona Connolly trudged along the muddy road, shifting the bundle on her back slightly to ease its drag on her thin shoulders. She managed to pull her shawl up over her thick auburn waves just before the torrential downpour began.

Looking left and right through the pelting rain with her large sapphire blue eyes, Riona sought in vain for any sign of shelter. There were no cottages, no trees on this barren stretch of road of southern Donegal. So far as she knew, the next town wasn't for miles yet.

She debated as to whether or not she should turn back to Letterkenny. At least there she would be certain to find a stable to bed down in for the night. She had no idea what awaited her up ahead.

But the pressing need to help her family and find her father caused her to put one foot in front of the other with dogged determination. At least she had wrapped her bundle up well in an old waterproof cloth, she thought optimistically. It would keep the worst of the rain off her back until she could find a place to take refuge.

As darkness descended rapidly over the bleak northern landscape, the deluge continued unabated, drenching the sedge and gorse. She prayed the land would blossom and grow again once more soon. That the pestilence which had caused the dire Famine would at last ease its strangehold upon the countryside.

She crossed herself and offered up a quick prayer for the thousands of victims who had been claimed since the Potato Blight had struck, and another prayer for her lost loved ones.

Suddenly, Riona paused and turned her head back in the direction of Letterkenny. In the distance, she thought she could hear the clatter of horses' hooves on the rough road. Soon she espied a dim light heading towards her.

The rain was still coming down in torrents. Did she dare try to get their attention, and ask for a lift? Surely if they were decent people, they wouldn't mind her riding on the back or top of the coach?

She wouldn't even leave a dog out on a night like this, she thought with a shiver as the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, and the chill spring evening tightened its icy grip.

Mustering her courage and optimism, she stood by the side of the road and waved. To her relief, the huge black carriage drew to a halt next to her, and the door swung open.

"Get in quickly, before you drown," a deep voice commanded.

"No, really sir, I can always ride on the back," Riona protested, stepping back from the circle of light the coach lanterns gave off.

"Nonsense, child, come inside at once before you catch your death. I'm a doctor. I have no desire to end up with a corpse in the luggage boot. Now get in," he ordered.

He reached out to pull her up by her wrist as though she were as light as a feather, and deposited her in the seat across from him.

Then he pulled the door closed, and banged on the roof of the carriage with his knuckles to signal to the driver to move on.

"Well, Miss, what's a tiny slip of a girl like you doing walking on the road at this late hour, and in the pouring rain?" the dark-haired stranger inquired, his unusual golden eyes resting upon her dripping form speculatively for a moment.

"I'm looking for my father, sir. The last I heard from him, he was working in Dublin for a family called Trevor. But we haven't heard from him for so long now, I'm beginning to wonder if he's fallen ill, or lost his place."

His elegant black brows drew downwards over his rare eyes. "I see. How long has it been since you last had word?"

"Since before the winter," she said, settling back into the leather seat a bit more comfortably now that she could see her companion appeared kind and not liable to scold her for soaking the interior.

"He'd been sending us money, but without his assistance, and the huge rise in the price of food, well, my family and I have had a terrible winter."

"I can see that. You're skin and bone, lass."

She blushed at his assessing look, but reminded herself he was a medical man. He was certainly all man, she thought suddenly, trying not to stare at his spectacular dark good looks.

"So why are you on the road now?"

"I need to find him. We've been coping the best we can, but we need to know what happened to him. As soon as the weather improved and the roads were free of snow, I began my journey from Dunfanaghy, about a week ago. So far the weather hasn't been too bad. That is until the sky opened up about an hour ago." Riona grimaced as she took off her dripping shawl to reveal her masses of auburn hair, and removed her parcel from her back.

"I take it you haven't eaten for a while, then?" the stranger asked as he continued to stare at her pitifully thin appearance, not entirely with a professional interest, he had to admit. She was breathtakingly lovely despite her pallor, with hair like living flame.

"No, I haven't," Riona said with a blush.

"Then will you do the honor to dine with me when we reach Strabane?"

"But sir, I'm soaked through, and I have no wish to embarrass you."

"Damn the embarrassment, child, you need to eat. But if it will make you feel better, I shall take you into a private room at an inn where you can get warm and dry. No one will see you there," the stranger said gruffly.

In truth he had been going to stay the night with his old friend the Earl of Abercorn at his estate Baronscourt, but he didn't want to overwhelm the girl entirely.

Furthermore, he was eager to be home in Dublin, where he was just about to open a clinic for the poor in the Liberties area of the city. If he went to see the Earl, he might be forced to linger for days for politeness' sake.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Lucien Woulfe, of Merrion Square West. And you are?"

"Riona Connolly, former governess to Mr. Charles Woodham of Dunfanaghy."

"A governess. I see. And what other skills do you possess?"

Riona shrugged. "Cooking, cleaning, sewing, tending the garden, growing herbs. Why?"

"Because it seems to me that you'll need a post when you get to Dublin. I may be in a position to help."

"No, really, sir, once I find my father..."

He quirked one arched dark brow at her. "Try to be realistic, Miss Connolly. What will you do if you don't manage to find him? Starve in the streets of Dublin, instead of the streets of Dunfanaghy? Live in a workhouse?"

Riona blushed to the roots of her hair. "I wasn't telling you my story to ask for charity, sir, merely to pass the time engaged in conversation," she said shyly. She lapsed into silence in the corner, hugging her arms against her chest for warmth.

She suddenly began to doubt the wisdom of having accepted a lift from him. What if she had fallen into the hands of some vile seducer? Ever since she had entered the brougham he had done nothing but stare at her.

And what woman wouldn't fall prey to his charms? He was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her twenty-two years on the earth. How could any female fail to be moved by his good looks?

Lucien's black hair fell in thick, lush ebony waves over one eye, swept over from the side, and it shimmered so darkly it was almost blue in color. His raven brows were moderately heavy, and arched gracefully over the most unusual eyes she had ever seen, tawny gold in color, which gave Riona the distinct impression of a tiger stalking its prey.

The nose was thin, particularly narrow at the bridge, and the tip was almost razor sharp. It was not, however, too large, and suited his thin cheeks, which were completely clean-shaven. He was without the heavy sideburns which were so fashionable amongst the Victorian gentlemen she had seen.

She noted a firm jaw and chin, which possessed a deep cleft. He had even white teeth which glinted when he spoke, and his rich sonorous voice added to his already ample attractions.

His stock was of the finest linen, snowy white. Indeed all his clothing was rich, but by no means gaudy. His coat and trousers were black, his waistcoat burgundy silk, but with no fancy embroidery, merely a paisley embossed pattern. The trousers were sleekly cut, and molded against his muscular legs to perfection.

Here was a man who led a busy, active life. He was, no doubt, an excellent horseman, and a wealthy, successful doctor, Riona judged from his magnificent hands, huge and capable-looking.

"Do I pass muster?" Lucien asked with a gentle smile.

"I'm s-sorry for s-taring," she stammered with cold and shyness. "I'm must admit, I'm trying to think what could possibly be your motives for helping me."

No man under the age of ninety could be oblivious to Riona's ample feminine charms, Lucien thought with a small smile. Her heart-shaped face alone would launch two thousand ships, especially with her wide blue eyes and patrician features which would rival that of any bust he had ever seen in a museum.

But he was not about to point this out, for she would be out of the coach like a shot. He tried to view her with what he hoped was clinical detachment. She was lovely, but far too thin. Despite her beauty, at the moment she most closely resembled a sodden scarecrow rescued from a mud bath.

"I've told you, I'm looking for someone to help at my clinic. With your knowledge and skills, you might be just the right person," he found himself saying, though his original intention had been to find her a position as a governess amongst his circle of acquaintance.

Riona frowned, and huddled more tightly into the corner of the seat. "What knowledge and skills do you think I possess that would be of any use to you?"

"For one thing, Miss Connolly, you can obviously read and write. You can cook and sew, and you told me that you've grown plants and herbs. I'm willing to wager that you've knowledge of all sorts of useful remedies I could use in my new clinic."

She nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it, before she passed away my mother did teach me a great deal of what she'd learned over the years."

Lucien smiled, rendering his stunning face even more incredible. "You see, I knew it. What could be more perfect for you than working at my clinic?"

Riona considered all he had said in silence for a moment before replying, awed by this dazzling man and her incredible good fortune. At length she admitted, "Well, if I can't find my father, I suppose I shall have to find a post somewhere as governess in order to send money home to my brothers and sisters. We've been doing our best to live frugally, but it's so hard with all of them to feed and prices being what they are for the little that's to be had. I didn't take more than a pound out of our funds, just in case they should need anything."

He sat back with his arms folded, as if the matter were completely resolved. "If you give me the name of the establishment and their address, I shall send money to the bank in Dunfanaghy for them. That way they needn't wait. In exchange, all you have to do is promise to work for me for a month.

"At the end of that time, if you've found your father, all very well and good. If not, then you can stay on with me if you like. Or I can make enquiries for you for a post as governess, if the work I give you doesn't suit," he proposed.

It sounded wonderful. Perhaps too good to be true? "Oh really, sir, I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. I shall give you food and lodging, and some clothes for work, so you may keep your pound for any little necessities you might need. I shall send the rest to your family. If you earned, say, sixty pounds a year at your old job," Lucien said, quoting an impossibly high figure, "I shall send five pounds, which will represent one month's salary."

Riona laughed incredulously. "Really, sir, I've never earned that much in a year in my life."

His brows knit slightly. "Your honesty does you credit, even if it is a bit foolish given your current plight. You'd earn that in a good family in England. And I don't cheat my workers," Lucien said.

He now resolved to send not just five pounds but twenty-five. He hated to think of her family worrying, scrimping and saving. It was a miracle as many of the Irish lower classes had survived as they had, if all the reports he had heard about the severity of the Famine were true.

Reluctantly, Riona agreed to his proposal. "Well, thank you, sir. I'll do my best to please you."

"I warn you, though, I have only a humble bachelor's establishment."

"No family?" she asked shyly.

He shook his head. "My mother died when I was small. My father passed several years ago and left a couple of properties to me and my brother. My old uncle Oliver lives in the family home down in Wicklow, and I have a town house. My aunts have a property north of the capital. My brother has a family, but I don't really see them very much. Always busy with work, you know," he explained.

"One brother?" Riona asked, marvelling at the small family.

"Yes, two years younger than myself, called Quentin. He's married to Antoinette. They have two children, a boy, Neville, who is eight, and a girl, Lisette, who's seven. Who knows, perhaps they might need a governess one day soon? The woman they have now is fine for the moment, but she is rather old and cranky," Lucien said with a laugh.

"Well, perhaps. That would be a wonderful chance for me. I'd love to go back to Donegal, of course. But at the same time, there might be all sorts of opportunties for me in the city if I work hard."

She looked so earnest and innocent, he didn't dare remind her that there would also be plenty of opportunities for women who didn't wish to pursue manual labors...

"Tell me about your family," he requested, leaning back against the leather seat as he continued to gaze at her exquisite face.

"I wouldn't like you to think that we're all feckless, not willing to work hard," she said promptly. "It's just that I'm the eldest now, out of the twelve of us, and with Mum gone and Pa away I had to do something."

His brows lifted. "Twelve?"

"Yes, with me in the middle."

"You said the eldest now. Can you tell me about it?" he probed gently.

Riona looked out the window, feeling as though she could barely breathe. But something about this man by her side was so compelling, she could hardly refuse his request. She took a deep breath, and began.

The Fire's Center
Book 1 of The Fire of Love series
Shannon Farrell
Genre=Historical Romance
Setting= Victorian Ireland, Irish Potato Famine
Rating: Very sensual
Word Count=78,300 words
Price: $4.99

OR
by THREE books for the price of one with the Shannon Farrell Book Bundle:

Reviews:

"This is another beautifully sensual historical novel by the remarkably talented Ms. MacMurrough." -- Carolyn Stone, Under the Covers Book Reviews

Ms. MacMurrough's ability to depict people, settings and events is remarkable, making every word of this novel a pleasure. -- Evelyn Trimborn, Harlequin Hearts

Passionately intense, this a book you will savor every word of, and remember long after you have finished it. -- Jacinta Carey, The Starbuck Series

The Fire's Centre

Top 50 ebook at Amazon

Reviews from bn.com and Amazon

Captivating

During the time of the Irish Potato Famine, young Riona Connolly takes a post at the clinic of handsome doctor Lucien Woulfe. She is overwhelmed by his kindness to her; he is awed by her intelligence and beauty.

But their growing friendship and attraction to each other is frowned upon in the straight-laced society of Victorian Dublin, where social status is everything, and the plight of the poor of little concern to the upper classes.

Riona shakes the very foundations of Lucien's world as one by one she exposes his sister-in-law Antionette, (Lucien's former fiancee), and many of his colleagues, as the selfish and deceitful frauds they really are.

Even more cataclysmic, though, is the fiery passion the two of them share. Appalled at his lack of control around Riona, Lucien tries to resist her charms. But the fire between them and within Riona's heart refuses to be quenched.

From the moment the couple meet amid a huge storm, we know they are made for one another, but will have a tempestuous road ahead of them. The author takes us with the couple every step of the way, drawing a fascinating portrait of one of the darkest times in Irish history, and the brightest love between two captivating characters.

The author's ability to depict people, settings and events is remarkable, making every word of this novel a pleasure to read.

A mesmerizing romance

Riona Connolly is determined to help her impoverished family by going to Dublin to look for her missing father and find work. A chance meeting with Dr. Lucien Woulfe changes the course of her life forever.

Lucien is willing to see her as more than just a poor woman, recognizing her intelligence and courage. Asking her to become his nurse and assess the needs of the poor may not be the right thing to do in the eyes of stuffy Victorian society, but as the Famine rages, Lucien decides propriety be damned.

Riona is thrilled at the opportunity to help others and study with such a fine doctor, but her interest in her employer goes from professional to personal as they spend more and more time together. Soon the passion simmering between them bursts into a full conflagration.

Lucien, shocked at the depth of his love for Riona and need for her, tries to pretend that none of it ever happened. Riona, hurt but also determined to make something of her life with or without Lucien's help, forges a career for herself despite the limited opportunities for women, and especially women of her class and religion, in 1840s Ireland.

Lucien soon realizes that he has underestimated Riona and the genuine love they shared. Can he win her back before it's too late?

This is a mesmerizing novel of love, loss, suffering and redemption, with a spirited hero and heroine center-stage, drawing the reader into a remarkably well-drawn world. Passionately intense, this a book you will savor every word of, and remember long after you have finished it.

A beautiful and compelling novel

Riona Connolly, desperate for work so she can support her family, is thrilled at the chance to work at Dr. Lucien Woulfe's clinic, even if it is in the poorest slum in Dublin.

Some of his friends and family look down on her as being a peasant, but Lucien can see things that others can't: her courage, intelligence, selfless devotion to others, and her beauty and passion. Draw to her like a moth to a flame, he is scorched by desire, and terrified that he is falling in love.

His last relationship to the faithless Antoinette ended when she married his brother. This is a minor inconvenience to the scheming woman as she plots to win Lucien back as her lover.

Riona, far from being overawed by Dublin's upper-class, finds them vain, selfish, and debauched. As Antoinette moves against her, and the evil Dr. O'Carroll blackens her name, Riona knows that she and Lucien can never be happy together with so many people trying to pull them apart.

Determined to carve out a good life for herself through hard work and study, she leaves Lucien to return to her family in Donegal.

Only when Riona is gone does Lucien come to recognize her true worth. But circumstances have raged out of control, and he nearly loses almost everything he has cared about before he sees at last what a wonderful gift of love they share.

This is a beautiful novel, with two compelling characters and a set of events which propel them toward growth, understanding and love. We are not just following a moving romance and passionately sensual love affair, but the march of history, in this exceptional work by this remarkably talented author."

Brilliant!

Couldn't put it down! Moving and tragic, the heroine copes with everything life throws at her. The hero is stunning as well, to fearful to let love into his life until he almost loses everything. The love scenes are sensual but tasteful, and the novel is sure to be a winner with anyone like myself looking for something that little bit different from traditional romances.

Fascinating

This was a fascinating novel of the Famine. The heroine Riona Connolly has to move heaven and earth to save her family and win the man she loves. The dark forces at work against her in the form of Lucien's ex-fiancee, and a horrible doctor who works with him, nearly cost her everything.

Lucien is an admirable hero, married to his work, hide-bound by society's expectations of him. He is an honorable and decent man, if a bit traditional, and terrified of falling in love. The last thing he ever imagines is that he will fall for a young woman from the wilds of Donegal.

The magic between them is felt by both, resisted by both. In the end it brings them together, for the force of their destiny and the heat of their passion cannot be denied. Both bring out the best in each other, in the worst of times.

Both show true courage and decency, and the passion which shimmers between them nearly scorches the pages! But don't worry, there is nothing crude here. The love scenes are really beautifully done.

A wonderful cast of supporting characters as real to me as my own family and friends, and gorgeous descriptions of their travels in Ireland, make this book well worth reading.

Awesome

Another fantastic novel from this talented author. I was moved to tears reading it. The love scenes are fabulous, the hero and heroine made for each other, and the action is superb. I enjoyed every word of it.

Simply divine

Another great book from this fantastic author. Gutsy and determined heroine, real life issues, and sultry romance. Don't miss it.