Synopsis
The Circus Spektakulär is proud to present Jack McCabe: Fire-breather, knife-thrower, risk-taker.
My house burned down when I was just a boy, robbing me of both my parents.
Now I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me.
Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life.
I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook.
My brother doesn’t know me, and if I have it my way he never will.
Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her.
I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of the ring. In truth, I could be considered one of them.
We were fashioned from different cloths, never intended to mix. So I watch her. I try not to touch, even when her eyes invite me.
Join us in the Spiegeltent and let us give you a show. Allow my Lille to draw a picture for you in paint and sweat and skin.
The truest love is always the hardest to let in.
My house burned down when I was just a boy, robbing me of both my parents.
Now I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me.
Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life.
I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook.
My brother doesn’t know me, and if I have it my way he never will.
Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her.
I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of the ring. In truth, I could be considered one of them.
We were fashioned from different cloths, never intended to mix. So I watch her. I try not to touch, even when her eyes invite me.
Join us in the Spiegeltent and let us give you a show. Allow my Lille to draw a picture for you in paint and sweat and skin.
The truest love is always the hardest to let in.
This is a standalone romance that tells the story of Jack McCabe, Jay Fields’ long lost, presumed dead brother. It is not necessary to have read Six of Hearts in order to enjoy Hearts of Fire.
Release Date: March 9th
Excerpt
Somebody swore profusely from behind me, and I turned to find Jack trying to light a cigarette. The wind wasn’t doing him any favours, and he couldn’t get the flame to stay lit. Not wanting him to see me, I began walking swiftly in the opposite direction. I didn’t get far when he was suddenly behind me. He looped his finger through my belt and practically dragged me to the corner he’d been standing in.
“What the fu….”
“Stay still,” he ordered. “I need you to block the wind.”
I didn’t have any snappy comebacks, so I simply stood there, amazed by his gruffness. Hadn’t anyone ever taught him simple manners? When I looked at him, I thought that maybe they hadn’t. I could easily imagine him as a little Mowgli type, being raised by animals in the jungle.
He flicked the lighter and finally got the smoke lit. Inhaling deeply, then exhaling, he watched me all the while. I shivered, and not from the cold. I felt like there was an atmosphere between us, but it was more than likely all on my end. I was good at imagining things, especially sexual tension. And I was well-acquainted with the one-sided kind.
“Are my services required further, sir?” I asked with a hint of sass. I mean, I’d been his wind-blocker, and he hadn’t even said thanks.
Just like last night, he almost smiled, and I hated that it was wondrous. I could have painted an entire mural of his jaw line alone. He flicked off the ash and leaned back against the wall behind him.
“So, you’re staying with Lola?”
“Yes, and Violet.”
“That’ll be fun.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Are you?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re weird.”
He took a step forward and stared down at me, teeth flashing as he spoke. “And I bet I could make you like it.”
Review
I keep thinking that LH Cosway can't write a book I love more than the last one I've read by her, but she keeps proving me wrong. LH, I'm definitely not complaining. Hearts of Fire is the story of Jack and Lille. I love Jack and I love Lille. Lille has been living under her mother's thumb her entire life, following the path her mother has set out for her. She wants independence, she wants freedom, she wants to be her own person so she runs away and JOINS THE CIRCUS!!! Lille has encountered Jack in town and seen his act. His attempts to keep her from entering circus life go unheeded. I was captivated by Lille's determination to make a go of her chosen adventure, to experience life on the road with the eclectic members of the circus troupe, to embrace the excitement and the danger of her new life while retaining her ability to see past the bluster and facade that people put on around her. Watching her grow and change through the story was wonderful.
And Jack. What can I say? I love Jack, which I know I've mentioned already, but I really do. He struggles with idea that he's not a good person, that he is hopelessly damaged. His story, his interactions with Lille and the other characters in the book, how his relationship with Lille grows and affects the both of them is just wonderful. He's a strong, capable man, but he needs something so basic that the reader knows is right there in Lille, just as he has something so important to give to her that will help her become everything she can be. I was completely drawn in watching their relationship grow as they help each other.
Once again, LH Cosway has created beautiful, complex characters that are a joy to spend time with, who we want all the best for, even more so for their struggles to get to their HEA. And it's not just the main characters. Of all of her books, this is the one where LH has given us the best secondary characters. Each one was distinct, thoughtfully written, and added something important and meaningful to the story. I can't wait to read this book again.
5 Flaming Stars
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About the Author
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.
She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.
Giveaway
The author is giving away (open internatonally):
1st prize: Hearts of Fire tote bag
Signed copy of Six of Hearts
Signed copy of Hearts of Fire
Hearts of Fire pocket mirror
2nd prize: Signed copy of Hearts of Fire
Hearts of Fire pocket mirror
Buy Links
Six of Hearts
