Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale Audiobook Review

• Seize the Fire
• By: Laura Kinsale
• Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

About the story:

Captain Sir Sheridan Drake is no knight in shining armor, even if he happens to be famous for his heroism. An exiled princess with revolutionary ideas is just a convenient opportunity to get himself out of debt. Princess Olympia isn’t precisely fairy-tale royalty herself; she’s plump and a little shy, and desperate to do something of importance in the world. But though their meeting begins with her hopeless hero worship, a harrowing journey to the bleak edge of the world will transform them both, plunging Olympia into the darkest depths of Sheridan’s battered warrior’s heart and awakening demons she could never imagine in her dreams of glory.

 Review: My go-to for great historical romance 

Overall      5 out of 5 stars

Performance      5 out of 5 stars

Story      5 out of 5 stars

God I love this duo! Every time I finish one of my own books, I treat myself to a breathtaking escape with a Kindle book narrated by Boulton. And then I doubt my own talent compared to hers.
This one began with a bit of humor. Olympia is a naive princess in love with the image of hero she has followed throughout his naval career. Captain Drake is a reluctant hero who is more worried about self-preservation than reputation. Yet time after time, he finds himself in situations that proclaim him a victor and a hero.
Then the darkness creeps in. We find Drake is a victim of PTSD. He has demons living within him and following him. Olympia wants to save the world, or at least her tiny country that she’s never seen, and he wants to save his skin. But as the story progresses, we find Drake to be more the hero than he himself wants to admit.
This was a fast-paced, epic romance that pulls you into the years after Napoleon. Kinsale’s prose is magical and realistic. Her characters are complex and keep you guessing. The romance is always gasp-worthy with the mandatory happy ever after. I can’t tell you how many times my hand went to my mouth as I listened. Either from horror, surprise, or romantic perfection. A must-read for historical romance fans.