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Graham-Lennox #3
By Fire and by Sword
With her sword for protection, Lady Kenna Lennox of Scotland defies social convention and reopens her family's ancient distillery. This feat of wit and daring captures the attention of the sadistic Lord Walter - the Englishman who nearly destroyed her beloved older sister, a man who is determined to bring Lady Lennox to heel.
When Colin Montgomery, an American privateer, appears on the scene Kenna is instantly wary, yet highly attracted to this man among men. Filled with fear that she will be betrayed by her longing heart, Kenna struggles between the love she feels, the independence she craves and the danger she must face alone.
As vengeful, vicious plots unfold around her, Kenna must take up her sword to face her enemy, and fight for her life and her newfound love.
When Colin Montgomery, an American privateer, appears on the scene Kenna is instantly wary, yet highly attracted to this man among men. Filled with fear that she will be betrayed by her longing heart, Kenna struggles between the love she feels, the independence she craves and the danger she must face alone.
As vengeful, vicious plots unfold around her, Kenna must take up her sword to face her enemy, and fight for her life and her newfound love.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
About the author
Elaine Coffman
63 books118 followersBarbara Elaine Gunter was born in San Diego, California, to William Samuel Gunter, Jr., a naval officer and Edna Marie (née Davidson) Gunter, a homemaker. From the age of three she lived in Midland, Texas and graduated from Midland High School. After she received a degree in elementary education from North Texas State University, she taught elementary school in Midland, Texas, while working on her Master’s Degree and certification for Language and Learning Disabilities at Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Elaine currently resides in Austin, Texas, where her son, Chuck, also lives. She has two daughters, Lesley who resides in Raleigh, N.C. and Ashley, who lives in San Diego, California.
Elaine Coffman is a New York Times bestselling author with a large international following. She has penned novels in both the historical romance genre and suspense. A lover of history, she has penned several novels set in Scotland, Regency England, Italy and the American West. To date, she is the author of nineteen novels and five novellas.
While writing her first novel, My Enemy, My Love, she found herself inspired by a letter her great-great grandmother, Susannah Jane Dowell Shacklett wrote in 1920, telling about her journey from Brandeburg, Kentucky to San Antonio, Texas, and then going with an army escort to El Paso, Texas, where her brother, Ben Dowell, a veteran of the Mexican War, was El Paso's first mayor.
Elaine continued to write best-selling, award-winning books until the publication of her eleventh novel, If You Loved Me, which was the last book of her beloved Mackinnon series and her first book to hit the New York Times bestseller list.
Her first suspense novel, Alone in the Dark, was published by Pocket books in 2006.
Elaine currently resides in Austin, Texas, where her son, Chuck, also lives. She has two daughters, Lesley who resides in Raleigh, N.C. and Ashley, who lives in San Diego, California.
Elaine Coffman is a New York Times bestselling author with a large international following. She has penned novels in both the historical romance genre and suspense. A lover of history, she has penned several novels set in Scotland, Regency England, Italy and the American West. To date, she is the author of nineteen novels and five novellas.
While writing her first novel, My Enemy, My Love, she found herself inspired by a letter her great-great grandmother, Susannah Jane Dowell Shacklett wrote in 1920, telling about her journey from Brandeburg, Kentucky to San Antonio, Texas, and then going with an army escort to El Paso, Texas, where her brother, Ben Dowell, a veteran of the Mexican War, was El Paso's first mayor.
Elaine continued to write best-selling, award-winning books until the publication of her eleventh novel, If You Loved Me, which was the last book of her beloved Mackinnon series and her first book to hit the New York Times bestseller list.
Her first suspense novel, Alone in the Dark, was published by Pocket books in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 18, 2019
Ok, at first I must admit that I was prepared to give this book a one time read and then donate it to the local bookstore. The book I thought was long winded. There was no pick up, there was no rush of excitement for what was coming on the next page. I wanted passion, excitement, suspense, adventure! I was desperate.
Well after a couple of chapters, I got my wish. This book really did surprise me with how it flowed. I love Jossette, Alejandro and Colin. Kenna, how I like her name. That girl was getting on my last nerves.
I was at the point where I was saying, girl if you don’t get off that mighty horse you’re on and give yourself to that man. .. . Just maybe another beauty will come along and take him away. THEN you definitely will be ALONE. Jossette will have Alejandro and you will just have your castle. Anyway good book. Read if you want to.
Well after a couple of chapters, I got my wish. This book really did surprise me with how it flowed. I love Jossette, Alejandro and Colin. Kenna, how I like her name. That girl was getting on my last nerves.
I was at the point where I was saying, girl if you don’t get off that mighty horse you’re on and give yourself to that man. .. . Just maybe another beauty will come along and take him away. THEN you definitely will be ALONE. Jossette will have Alejandro and you will just have your castle. Anyway good book. Read if you want to.
December 13, 2015
Boring. Nothing much happened.
May 16, 2018
Rated a 3 because I thought it would be a historical romance; while there was romance involved, it was more about the journey of the main character. Still a good read, just disappointed.
March 5, 2021
DNF 30%. So much exposition, so little action in the first 100 pages, hard to invest in.
August 22, 2019
I truly loved this book... A brave young woman facing obstacles and fear and doing her best to stay positive even when things are not wonderful. Fear bound she treks unknown ground to get a grip for things she knows is coming her way. She is strong and smart and finds a chance for love along the way. Feeling there may never be any hope, she finds hope. It ends well and of course the ghost of the past will always somewhat linger but with the sun rays of hope and love the can be lessened and a person can move on...
February 20, 2023
This had less of a focus on the romance and more of a focus on Kenna's, the heroine, personal goal. Writing was fine, just not exactly my kind of HR.
March 24, 2022
** "By Fire and By Sword" by Elaine Coffman has an unusual Highlander: female. Beautiful red-head Scottish noble flees alone to improve her blade-wielding skill in Paris. After 18 books, how has practice not strengthened talent? Valuable humor cannot carry so many faults. If this were a debut work, I would have looked for a later effort. I may read another only if a better editor-publisher (not Mira).
Heroine Kenna resists the hero's advice to wear her knife, leaves it sheathed when the villain appears, does not plunge the point when against his throat, nor again when her sword tip is in fatal position. She speechifies instead. She blathers a rehearsed epitaph, letting her weapon be broken in half (later impossibly whole).
To escape a foe's reach rather than his curse would be my motivation. Oracles, superstition [clock strikes 13 when enemy comes] and premonitions are not my favored plot devices; the narrative inspires curiosity without them. Repetitious repetition turns me away from prequels. Events, such as shopping for dresses would be better acted than described. A whole page on gargoyles, on silence, contented and angry.
When 'ornate ... boiseries, ornate ... carved' duplicates, hair silvered streaks a man's 'beauty' past renders, two pages each he and she daydream, and a full paragraph to say 'surprised' - waste. As if weakly translated, phrasing is stilted ('nascent' awkwardly used), child-like (not vocab: h & d attraction), modern (few exceptions: 'tyro', 'aria' lace). Still, I admire the characters and care what they do next. My reading rate rabbits.
Where is the editor? A dozen dresses are in 11 colors (p.100 not green p.152). Parisian fencing master 60s is fatherly to 20s daughter-substitutes. On p.81, his hair is black, streaked; p.138, red-tinted, brown, starting gray at temples; p.149 grey, lit to silver by candle, on 'dark'. Josette is voluptuous p.118, slim p.154. Oops.
Clearly, an opening flirtation and passionate kiss ensure the return of handsome American-born captain Colin and Latin hot blooded Spanish navigator Alejandro. His lines: 'Is it not better to be looked over than to be overlooked?', 'You need your backside dusted with gunpowder', and her unlikely presence mistaken for a practical joke in beginning reiterated at end, are samples of original humor that kept me reading. Again, a chance encounter with French nobles on the Calais road is an obvious setup for a future meeting (sequel?). Passionate Gypsy Josette matches naturally with Alejandro. Predictable plot sequences, trite word combinations. Yet one death is realistic: waxy white body, anger and regret with grief. I cannot help but regret potential wasted, especially the humor. Writing is such a hard task, abuse tragic.
Heroine Kenna resists the hero's advice to wear her knife, leaves it sheathed when the villain appears, does not plunge the point when against his throat, nor again when her sword tip is in fatal position. She speechifies instead. She blathers a rehearsed epitaph, letting her weapon be broken in half (later impossibly whole).
To escape a foe's reach rather than his curse would be my motivation. Oracles, superstition [clock strikes 13 when enemy comes] and premonitions are not my favored plot devices; the narrative inspires curiosity without them. Repetitious repetition turns me away from prequels. Events, such as shopping for dresses would be better acted than described. A whole page on gargoyles, on silence, contented and angry.
When 'ornate ... boiseries, ornate ... carved' duplicates, hair silvered streaks a man's 'beauty' past renders, two pages each he and she daydream, and a full paragraph to say 'surprised' - waste. As if weakly translated, phrasing is stilted ('nascent' awkwardly used), child-like (not vocab: h & d attraction), modern (few exceptions: 'tyro', 'aria' lace). Still, I admire the characters and care what they do next. My reading rate rabbits.
Where is the editor? A dozen dresses are in 11 colors (p.100 not green p.152). Parisian fencing master 60s is fatherly to 20s daughter-substitutes. On p.81, his hair is black, streaked; p.138, red-tinted, brown, starting gray at temples; p.149 grey, lit to silver by candle, on 'dark'. Josette is voluptuous p.118, slim p.154. Oops.
Clearly, an opening flirtation and passionate kiss ensure the return of handsome American-born captain Colin and Latin hot blooded Spanish navigator Alejandro. His lines: 'Is it not better to be looked over than to be overlooked?', 'You need your backside dusted with gunpowder', and her unlikely presence mistaken for a practical joke in beginning reiterated at end, are samples of original humor that kept me reading. Again, a chance encounter with French nobles on the Calais road is an obvious setup for a future meeting (sequel?). Passionate Gypsy Josette matches naturally with Alejandro. Predictable plot sequences, trite word combinations. Yet one death is realistic: waxy white body, anger and regret with grief. I cannot help but regret potential wasted, especially the humor. Writing is such a hard task, abuse tragic.
May 7, 2007
Can it be? The lovey-dovey parts were the least interesting! It's the story of a strong-willed young woman who, in order to avenge her family, who've all been murdered by the same madman count (or whatever), flees to France so that she can take up fencing with Europe's greatest master. All she wants to do is fence! And she becomes best friends with a gypsy. But she can't forget the captain of the ship she didn't take across the Channel (and vice versa)... Very fun.
No one spoke English, save Captain Fischer, and his was difficult to understand. She was still embarrassed that when he tried to tell her he was of Dutch Hugenot descent and did not allow drinking, dancing, or card playing on his ship, she had to ask him to repeat himself twice.
And later...
"Why did you never tell me that?"
"You never asked me."
"What else are you keeping secret?"
Alejandro laughed. "I shall not reveal all of my secrets, for their power lies in the keeping of them. I prefer to divulge them one at a time, when the occasion calls for it. Otherwise, they would only serve to bore you."
(it bears mentioning that Alejandro is not the leading man, but his feisty Spanish sidekick. Because do they make Spaniards any other way?)
No one spoke English, save Captain Fischer, and his was difficult to understand. She was still embarrassed that when he tried to tell her he was of Dutch Hugenot descent and did not allow drinking, dancing, or card playing on his ship, she had to ask him to repeat himself twice.
And later...
"Why did you never tell me that?"
"You never asked me."
"What else are you keeping secret?"
Alejandro laughed. "I shall not reveal all of my secrets, for their power lies in the keeping of them. I prefer to divulge them one at a time, when the occasion calls for it. Otherwise, they would only serve to bore you."
(it bears mentioning that Alejandro is not the leading man, but his feisty Spanish sidekick. Because do they make Spaniards any other way?)
September 4, 2015
This book was truly amazing book I loved it and my sister loved it and I do give it a 5 start Elaine Coffman is a beautiful writer .
I really did enjoy this book it made me keep guessing on what was going to happen next and I love that it made me laugh and blush and cry and that'd amazing that a book can make you do that. This book is a type of book I would love to make to be able to make some one really enjoy something so much that you want to re-read it and share it with everyone
I love this book I love that the writer had let us travil with lady kenna and what she goes through and enjoy the fight she goes though but I think it is very heard to open your heart when you fear so I can understand that and sometimes its better to know you have someone there who will help and protect you. But it was get that she had a great sister josette and it a really amazing adventure and I do think everybody will enjoy it and.I think everybody under 16 should becarful with chapter 18 and up
But all in all it is a beautiful book :)
With love Violet
I really did enjoy this book it made me keep guessing on what was going to happen next and I love that it made me laugh and blush and cry and that'd amazing that a book can make you do that. This book is a type of book I would love to make to be able to make some one really enjoy something so much that you want to re-read it and share it with everyone
I love this book I love that the writer had let us travil with lady kenna and what she goes through and enjoy the fight she goes though but I think it is very heard to open your heart when you fear so I can understand that and sometimes its better to know you have someone there who will help and protect you. But it was get that she had a great sister josette and it a really amazing adventure and I do think everybody will enjoy it and.I think everybody under 16 should becarful with chapter 18 and up
But all in all it is a beautiful book :)
With love Violet
October 27, 2007
I know I have read this, but don't remember when this year. It is about Lady Kenna, and her quest to become a great swordswoman to beat the man who is after her and her family. She meets a captain of a ship and falls in love. This is the third in the series, I think.
October 12, 2008
Its a good book a little slow at parts but i love the concept of mystery and love entwined in one.
December 18, 2008
Wish it had gotten around to a grand confrontation sooner. Reading just felt like a constant build up then the peak was a bit disappointing
Read
October 30, 2009I haven't gotten really far.
January 15, 2010
A little to slow at times. Was hard to invest in.
August 12, 2015
Entertaining light romance.
Read
June 4, 2016Used - Good (Some spine creases; Some pages may show signs of wear)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews