Burning Embers, a novel by Hannah Fielding, is a stunning and epic love story set in Kenya. Twenty-five year old Coral Sinclair was born in Kenya, but after her parents divorce she lived in England. The story opens in 1970 and Coral is returning to Kenya to claim her inheritance of a plantation. She has experienced two losses: her father died and she ended her engagement. During her trip an encounter with Rafe, a mysterious and attractive older man, changes her life. The attraction between them is instantaneous and intense. Once in Kenya, Coral learns that Rafe has the reputation of being a womanizer. There are those who consider him to be the devil. He shrouds his past for reasons of his own. She may be naive, but she recognizes the effect he has on her and what ensues is a complex and frustrating relationship with an uncertain future.
The author paints a beautiful and vivid picture with her mesmerizing descriptions of Kenya's landscape. She brings the colors and the scents alive. Even though it is a place not without danger, it is magical and the perfect setting for this romantic story. Fate may have brought Coral and Rafe together, but is it enough?
I found Burning Embers to be a beautifully told story with well developed and memorable characters in an exotic setting. This book is well worth reading.
Highly recommended. ( )

Burning Embers is an evocative story, full of lush imagery, fascinating characters, and exotic locales. Hannah Fielding’s use of the English language is inspiring, her descriptions of Kenya are utterly mesmerizing, and could only have been written by one knows the subject first hand, which the author does. Her writing is vivid, compelling, magical.

The story of Coral Sinclair and Rafe de Montfort is not the usual romantic tale. It’s an upmarket saga, full of mystery, twists, and turns as Coral seeks her just inheritance in a country in political upheaval and an expatriate English community. Coral is a strong, independent woman who knows her mind. A truly cinematic story.

Hannah Fielding’s elegant prose drew me onto the story right away, and I was sad when it was over. I’m definitely looking for more from this author. Burning Embers is smart, sensual, contemporary fiction with a seamless five-star execution ( )

Note : This review was originally published in Book And Ink


Having read Hannah’s “Echoes of Love” before, I knew I could expect an intense love story. The book didn’t disappoint me. Set in Kenya, in the 1970s, the book describes Africa’s lush beauty, the culture and its people through our protagonist, Coral’s story.

Coral, our young and heartbroken protagonist – a photographer, returns to Mpingo, Africa to claim her inheritance upon her father’s demise. On her journey, she meets the intensely charismatic Rafe, the man who is projected to be a womanizer.

In spite of rumors that Rafe’s affair with his stepmother was the reason behind her dad’s death, Coral is drawn to him. Rafe is the quintessential brooding yet gentleman hero. Sparks fly between them and they embark on a journey to find each other.
The characterization was impeccable. The writer managed to show various shade of the character in spite narrating a romantic story.

The other thing that surely deserves mention is the background of the story line – Mpingo. Africa has always been described a dangerous place filled with thieves. Most of the books that I’ve read set in Africa, portrayed the place as a desert of sorts with rickety buses and red dust looming. This book was a refreshing change. I could visualize the waterfalls and the lush greenery. Africa is indeed one beautiful place.

The story was well writing and the writer’s grip over the language enhanced the beauty of the book.

The cover art deserves a mention. The purple shade and model in the cover give the story line a much deserved air of mystery. The title on the other hand could have been better.

One thing that I found a little monotonous was Rafe’s character. I was reminded of Paolo from “The Echoes of Love”. They are both passionate men with a past for which they blame themselves to an extent. They are handsome, brooding and intense lovers. This similarity could have been avoided in the latter book.

MY SAY: Recommended for pure romance lovers. Ideal romance with a historical setup.

RATING:
• PLOT : 8/10
• CHARACTERISATION : 6/10
• NARRATION : 8/10
• BOREDOM QUOTIENT: 3/10 (THE LOWER THE BETTER!)
• OVER ALL RATING : 7.5/10

( )

Extended Review can be found on The Review Board.

Disclaimer: Slight spoilers.

I found no flaws in this work in any reference to grammar, punctuation, or spelling. I did recognize that spellings of words (like color vs. colour) vary with certain countries.

I liked the detail the author went into pertaining to describing Africa. I felt like I was there, hearing the dialects, seeing the animals, and feeling the heat of the sun and the fierceness of the thunderstorms. In addition, I like that some of the changes in Kenya during the 1970′s period were highlighted, so that more was going on than the central theme of the love story.

I also liked the dynamics of certain characters, like Aluna's desire to protect Carol and Morgana's plight in reference to Rafe.

Some of the detailing in the settings, at times, was almost a bit too much, and cause some of the pace in the book to become sluggish.

I would have loved to have gotten more glimpses of Rafe’s inner thoughts. He was portrayed as a cold, womanizing opportunist through most of the work. I understand that it contributed to the story line, but in those moments where he displayed consideration and tenderness, I was waiting for a bit more insight. Perhaps it was intentional, but I didn’t really warm up to the love affair until the very end when he decided to do his big confessional. I felt even that could have been broken up into small portions, especially during the times when Coral saw the tender side of Rafe.

The emotional roller coasters, at times, seemed slightly obsessive. A couple of points, feelings went from total dislike to “hey, he’s not so bad” in the span of under a couple of minutes. It didn’t seem to have a natural ebb and flow.

Coral’s character irritated me at times, almost to the point where I thought it would have served her right if things didn’t turn out as hinted. Is her constitution to weather Rafe’s rumors really strong enough? Although she made a stellar comeback towards the end, I must admit, I’m still not fully convinced.

This still serves as a good read for lovers of intense emotional roller coasters, vividly descriptive settings, and a Harlequin-esque happy ending. ( )

By: Hannah Fielding
Published By: Omnific Publishing
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"Burning Embers" by Hannah Fielding good contemporary, historical romance read that was set in Africa in the 1970's. I did like how the author was able to bring the area of Kenya to life with all of the descriptions...making it seem as though you were actually there. This was a good adventure of Coral and Rafe in Kenya with these characters being so well developed and even colorful. Be ready for many twist and turns that will only keep you turning the pages till the end giving you a good undercurrent of a mystery along with a good romance. This is the part that I say you must pick up "Burning Embers" to see how this hero's past will be revealed and also seeing the heroine maturing somewhat. Be ready for a predictable read that is somewhat slow but still in the end a good read of 'love, loss, jealous, heartbreak and angst.' This read is for anyone who loves to read historical romantic novels especially in this area setting in Africa. Would I recommend? YES! ( )