I hadn't read a single Western, and I'm just really starting to dip my toe in the world of Romance, and I absolutely loved this book - started and finished in one night (with whiskey and chocolates at hand)! I was sucked in with characters I cared about and a world I could imagine - Cricket's Bend came to life the way the author described it. I love Haven and her complexity, how she's struggling to know herself and what she wants for her life, and I love the real (and sexy!) scenarios that she finds herself in, and the honesty of her internal struggles. Oh, and Callie Lee was an unexpected shining star of the book. Excited to pick up the next one in this series!

Not my usual fare but I'll be honest it kept my interest. Always fun to read sex scenes written by someone you know! Interested to see where the second one takes the story.

Loved this book! This was the first time I've read a story set in the Old West, and I was instantly transported. Haven was a wonderful, complex character and made me wish I could head down to Cricket Bend to have a cup of coffee with her. I honestly couldn't put the book down, and as I neared the end, I was eager to finish but anxious about it being over. I did finish, and was happy with the exciting and completely satisfying ending. But now I have to wait (impatiently) for the next Marie Piper to be available. Sigh.

I must admit I am not a Westerns person. I usually find them too formulaic and cliche. I picked Haven's Flame up because I've enjoyed Marie Piper's short stories and I am glad I gave it a chance!

Yes, it's the typical small town with one saloon, a tiny jail, and the usual crowd of uppity biddies, but Cricket Bend is refreshingly fleshed out with the farmhouses and prairie scenes Piper includes. The rich parlor filled with the backstabbing society women and their Ladies Meeting was vividly painted, and a scene that kept a smile on my face. From the Anderson's home to the remote pond, all of Piper's locations felt authentic and set a comfortable, homey place for her reader to fall in love with.

Her characters were equally enjoyable. Haven, Matthew, Hank, Braxton, and Callie are complex and unpredictable in their actions rather than the flat stereotypes they easily could have been. Even relatively minor characters like Jasper and Bill were relatable enough to make me want far more of their story than what could be included in this fast-paced, delightful read.

Piper threw a few curve-balls, enough to keep a reader turning pages, and stuck to sweet and sassy romance even when she could have shocked with unnecessary brutality or over-the-top sex. External action was well-peppered through our look into the internal struggles of Haven and Matthew.

Overall I'm impressed with Piper's first novel. I'm only sad I read it so early that I now have a long wait before the next installment!

I hadn't read a single Western, and I'm just really starting to dip my toe in the world of Romance, and I absolutely loved this book - started and finished in one night (with whiskey and chocolates at hand)! I was sucked in with characters I cared about and a world I could imagine - Cricket's Bend came to life the way the author described it. I love Haven and her complexity, how she's struggling to know herself and what she wants for her life, and I love the real (and sexy!) scenarios that she finds herself in, and the honesty of her internal struggles. Oh, and Callie Lee was an unexpected shining star of the book. Excited to pick up the next one in this series!