In Marie Scully’s Flame, Danny was always on the move. She took work where she could 
and when things got too serious or people got too close she ran. She was always running. But this time something was different. From the moment she met Noel on the train life changed. She found herself at Wild Horse Ranch, part of a family, and the work with horses was fulfilling in a way she had never expected. Taken into Ben’s family she is treated as more than help, and then she met Liam. She never expected to be drawn to anyone, she had normally left long before she had a chance to get comfortable. While terrified she stays, curious to discover what this place and Liam could become to her. But he too has shadows in his past, he too fears the vulnerability of her presence. They are pulled together, yet both want to push away. Can they move past their dark and haunted pasts, or will they run from each other like Danny runs from all her problems?
Marie Scully’s Flame is a beautifully penned romance that is as much a tale of healing, self-acceptance, and discovery as it is the journey of two people falling in love. I enjoyed the alternating perspective of the writing style allowing the reader to gain insight into the two main character’s personal journey and understand the past they are shielding themselves and others from. I loved the energy of the character interactions, the personalities added depth and realism to a wonderful story and, on more than one occasion, you will find yourself getting frustrated at them as they pull away to protect themselves, ignoring what their heart is telling them in fear of baring too much and making themselves vulnerable to being hurt. Challenges, uncertainty, and rivalry are woven throughout this beautifully set tale in which by supporting each other the characters go being hole hearted to whole hearted.
K.J's Athenaeum 