The story of Claire and Ben grappled with the heavy theme of what it means to be family and all the ways we create or divide it.

I felt that Claire and Ben worked really well together, supporting each other to face their own issues rather than expecting someone else to fix everything. I thought there was some really great moments and that the relationship between them developed at a good speed, helped along by some nice dialog. When I finished the story I could really imagine future events for them and things the book didn't show.

I liked this story and the style of writing so much that I think I'll head back to the beginning of the series and read those books too.

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg is the third story in The Sweetheart Brand series, set in the small town of Sweetheart, Montana. It's a poignant, lovely, slow burn romance between a woman with painful secrets and a man who gives her reason to trust again.

On the one year anniversary of giving up her daughter for adoption, Claire Brand is trying to keep it together for her sister's wedding. She'd made the best choice possible for the baby but had kept the birth a secret from her family and only returned home for a few weeks. She's at loose ends, with no job to return to, and no plans for her immediate future other than to get through one day at a time.

When best man Ben Nichols finds a clearly emotional Claire hiding out in her car during the wedding reception, he's quick to offer her a shoulder for comfort. He's attracted to her, but happy to stick with being friends to help get her over what's bothering her. As they spend some time together their relationship becomes more involved though they are both upfront that it's only going to last until Claire leaves town. It's Ben who comes to the realization first that he wants Claire for a lifelong partner, not just a fling. Can he convince her to put her heart on the line and give him a chance?

This is my first time reading this author, and I really enjoyed her writing style. Her characters felt very realistic, likable and honest. Though the story starts with Claire still grieving the choices she felt she had to make, Ben's willingness to offer her comfort without pressing for details sets the stage for a real friendship to go along with their attraction to each other. They don't just hop into bed with each other but get to know each other first, and it makes their love scenes more meaningful and intimate.

Ben has a complicated relationship with his mother, who left his father and him behind when he was young yet still wants to be part of his life. Claire worries about how he will feel about her when he finds out that she gave her child up for adoption. She also worries about what her family will think when they find out she had a baby and didn't tell them. The conflict is fairly predictable but doesn't evolve into any over the top drama. Everything comes together in the end with a happy ending for the couple, and a really sweet epilogue. Watching Claire open her heart up to Ben, who is a real sweetheart of a hero definitely makes this book worth the read. I'm looking forward to catching up on the series.

This review has been posted at Harlequin Junkie and feedback updated with the link. It's also been posted at sale sites and goodreads.

Claire is back in her hometown for her brother’s wedding. Because of the festivities, she’s hiding how much a failure her life has been. After something unexpected causes her to stay longer, she finds friendship where she least expects it with her brother’s best friend and local lothario Ben.
I didn’t think I was going to like this story, but I was pleasantly surprised that I did. My heart cried a bit for Claire. She’d been through a lot and continued to go through more. I had expected Ben to be a standard Lothario, but once his real feelings start to show, you can’t help but love him. Great story. I look forward to reading more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg
Easy-going cowboy and roping champion Ben Nichols is at loose ends while his best friend prepares for his wedding. Best man Ben must partner with the maid of honor–not a chore, even if the bride’s sister is as aloof as she is beautiful. Ben’s never backed down from a challenge, especially since this one has a clearly marked expiration date.
Ambitious golden girl and software tester Claire Brand is not acquainted with failure… until recently. Now, she needs to get through her sister’s wedding and back to Seattle before her family discovers her painful secrets. Her hot groomsman partner, who has temporary written all over him, offers the perfect distraction to get her through the next couple of weeks. Why not? It’s been a long time since Claire’s had some fun.
But then, love turns a short and steamy fling into something neither one of them is prepared for.
this is Ben Nichols and Claire Brand's story.
Claire Brand sat in her car in the parking lot of the Bar-No Sweetheart Ranch, swilling beer from a bottle and staring at the stars. The panoramic view might be astounding, but October nights in Sweetheart, Montana were cold and her peach-colored, slim-fitting, one-sleeved satin bridesmaid dress hadn’t been crafted with that in mind.
Her new brother-in-law Patterson had refused to get married before Alayna’s twenty-fifth birthday, and Alayna had refused to wait a single day longer than she had to.
The passenger door opened and Patterson’s best man slid into her car, the six-plus feet of him sucking up any extra room in the compact space.
He slammed the door behind him, then looked at the bottle in her hand. One eyebrow arced up. “If I’d known this was BYOB, I’d have brought my drink with me.”
Ben Nichols hadn’t changed much since high school.
Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg is a 3 star book.
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
Paula's Books with Tule:
Her Sweetheart Brand
A Sweetheart Brand
Starrs of Sweetheart, Montana

Branded with a Kiss
A Sweetheart Brand

Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg

This was a sweet heartbreaking book. I did not realize that this was a series when I requested it, and come to find out that this is the third in series and I hate that, because now I have to go back and read the others. You will not feel lost because the author familiarizes you with each individual and you can kind of figure out who had a story and who is getting one. We have Ben, the groomsman for the groom and Claire, bridesmaid for the bride and also her sister. They have known each other before but just a passing knowledge, after the wedding is when they spend time and really get to know each other and it is sweet how they begin and thru out book, I wont go into any more details so that you can read and Enjoy!

An emotionally charged storyline with humour and sad parts dealing with past decisions and emotional baggage. Good characters though it took me a little bit to warm up to Claire. Overall, a good story. *I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

I loved this story! Branded by Firelight is a gorgeous contemporary western with a nice blend of sexy and a hefty dose of sweet.
It was easy to fall for both Claire and Ben. Both are beautifully rounded and believable characters with just enough flaws to make them real and just enough personality to make them likeable.
This story is really well paced with a nice balance between the blossoming friends-with-benefits-for-the-time-being relationship between Ben and Claire and their back stories, which were dribbled in beautifully throughout. I knew how the story would end, of course I did, but the journey kept me on my toes throughout.

Branded by Firelight packs a few emotional punches. It will be difficult to walk away from Ben and Claire’s story without a few touching, emotional moments. Returning home for her sister’s wedding should have been a joyful occasion It is for most of the family, but for Claire it’s more of a happy for her sister but ‘please don’t guess the secret I’m holding close to my heart’ tightrope to walk for the next few weeks. Perhaps the hot and handsome best man could provide a distraction, he certainly has temporary written all over that cowboy – and that is exactly what Claire needs right now. Temporary, a cover, and a way to get through until she can return to Seattle hopefully with her secrets still intact. Only love doesn’t quite work that way.

Ben is happy for his friend, but forever is a concept that just isn’t for him. Or at least he felt that way until Claire got herself deeply embedded in his heart. Their relationship was supposed to be a fun fling, a just for the wedding good time. And that worked until he got to know her better. She was hurting, hiding something and he couldn’t understand why her family wasn’t picking up on that. Well, everyone’s entitled to their secrets except when Ben believes he is the answer that could help this lovely, brave lady. Neither had expected love to come into the relationship – so now what do they do?

Branded by Firelight is that unexpected combination of fun, flirty bantering and some serious emotional dealings. Ben and Claire worked so well as a couple. The one liners flew fast, the bantering felt completely natural and it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that these two would fall in love. There are touching, emotional moments that will break your heart, then heal it back up again. For two people who only wanted temporary, Ben and Claire certainly got the surprise of a lifetime. Loved their story and would highly recommend it and the entire series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is a quick read with lots of romance. Claire has a secret from her past that is preventing her from finding love and keeping her distance from her family. The storyline will tug at your heartstrings and find yourself hoping Claire finds peace and happiness in love.

This is one heck of an emotional rollercoaster read and one that I’ll really try not to reveal any spoilers about! It takes a journey through the full gamut of emotions from heartbreak to HEA romance. Set in Cherry Lake, Montana, the star features of this novel are the superb dialogue and how the characters are brought to life in the imagination of the reader thanks to the skilled wordcraft of this talented author.

It is a lively, engaging and steamy romance which is complemented by the caring, thoughtful aspects of the developing and existing relationships. It is a story of returning home anxious to keep secrets hidden whilst still traumatised by them . . . . A story of facing the consequences of your decisions with regret and heartbreak, making you reluctant to move on into the future or to trust anyone to support your attempts to do so.

It isn’t all heavy, there’s plenty of banter and humour interspersed throughout the story and the ending is endearing. I admit that I struggled to empathise with Claire initially but as more of her recent past is revealed her actions and reactions become more understandable and relatable. Ben is usually sympathetic to her but then he shows another side to his character, which had me unsettled at times. The two together are explosive and you keep hoping that, in the end, things will work out well for them but you just know there will be fireworks en route!

I requested and received a copy of this novel. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

branded by firelight finds claire brand returning home to sweetheart, montana for her sister's wedding. claire was always the model child, the most likely to succeed, but something about her is changed. no one knows that she had a baby and gave it up for adoption. it's been a year to the day of her sister's wedding, and all she can fixate on is how her life went off the rails.

she doesn't expect to bond with groomsman ben nichols. he'd always been a flirt, and claire's been burned by men enough to last her a lifetime. but being with ben is easy and fun. he knows how to make awkward silences no big deal. he soothes her in just the right ways.

and even though claire thinks it's all temporary, that there's no way a man like ben would stick around, especially once he knew her secret. especially ben given his own abandonment issues. but she doesn't give him enough credit. because the more time ben spends with claire, the more he wants to convince her that it's okay to come home again.

branded by firelight has some really surprising emotional heft, the impact of adoption and the scars of child neglect and abandonment are dealt with in ways that deepen the story without ever being glib or too easy. ben and claire have delightful chemistry and this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

**branded by firelight will publish on february 6, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/tule publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger warnings: adoption, child abandonment

This is the third in the series, and I haven’t read the previous two. It worked fine for me as a standalone, though I suspect I’d have gotten a lot more out of the secondary characters if I’d read the rest of the series. I’m honestly not that big of a fan of cowboy romances, but this was so sweet that I couldn’t help liking Ben. I was initially intrigued that Claire was in IT, though there’s actually not that much about it in the book, other than some Bill Gates jokes and as an explanation for why she can work remotely.

Claire is only back in her hometown for her sister’s wedding, and then she’s leaving. So the bristly encounter with handsome groomsmen Ben doesn’t mean anything, until her mother’s health scare has her staying longer than intended. Ben’s a commitment-phobe, and has a “love-em-and-leave-em” reputation, but women can’t seem to resist his hot cowboy-ness. While this could verge into annoying trope territory, Ben is unabashedly honest about his flirting, and it was really refreshing and cute.

“He cut a glance sideways at her. ‘I’d like it very much if you stayed for the winter. I’ve got a brand-new library card to break in and could use literary advice from someone who’s smart.’”


The banter between Claire and Ben was my favorite part of the book. By turns hilarious, endearing, and heart-wrenching, it was so much fun watching their relationship develop. They bond over guy movies, riding lessons, paintball, and hikes, and it was just so sweet. Ben senses almost immediately that something’s off about Claire, that something has broken her, and he’s intrigued enough to become friends with her, then friends-with-benefits (kinda, the subject of a particularly funny conversation), and then finally, something more. Both characters were shaped, and in some ways, scarred, from their past experiences, and at some points I truly wondered how they would be able to reconcile them with their feelings for each other. Charmingly enough, they both bring out the best in each other, and Claire learns about the terrible pressure of keeping secrets, and Ben learns about the power of forgiveness.

Overall, this was a lovely, heart-wrenching romance, that left me feeling all warm and fuzzy after reading it. Definitely recommended, especially if you like cowboys!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg is a lively, steamy story that has a thoughtful side too. There is plenty of emotional baggage for the two main characters attending the main event, a wedding.

Claire comes home for her sister’s wedding, only to face one of her biggest heartbreaks. Ben is the best man, he’s funny, determined, but also a serial dater. He has some colorful lines that border on snarky, rare for a male main character. However, this cowboy pulls it off. The story supporting characters are wonderful rounding this story of love and family. Branded by Firelight is part of a series but reads well as a stand-alone..

I absolutely loved this story. It's witty, sexy, and tons of fun to read. The author brought Ben and Claire to life for me. Using humor and leaning on each other they both work through some very emotional issues they each face. Before either of them realizes it, their short temporary fling starts to feel like a whole lot more.

This is a wonderfully done book and one I recommend to everyone.

On the day of her sister’s wedding, Claire rand escapes to her car, riddles with emotion overflowing and removing the joy from the day. A year prior she gave up her infant daughter for adoption and seeing her birthday pictures is too much to bear. Ben Nichols finds her sitting alone and her sad, miserable state ignites a curiosity in him to uncover the truth behind it and the sadness that lurks in her eyes. Ben has his own demons to conquer when his long absent deserting mother shows up out of the blue and several years too late.
Branded by Firelight is a tender story of two people finding ehat they need in each other of of filling the empty spaces In their hearts.

Branded By Firelight is the third book in the Sweetheart Brand Series. I had not read the previous two works but I still enjoyed this story. It does well as a stand alone novel, but I believe you would enjoy it more if you read "Her Sweetheart Brand" and "Branded With A Kiss" first. I found Paula's writing to be very entertaining. I enjoy a series when former characters are part of the new book. Even though Ben Nichols and Claire Brand are the main characters, many members of their families make an appearance. Ben has a reputation to over come and Claire has a tragic former relationship she's trying to heal from. It is much more than a second chance romance. The story line and growth by both characters was interesting and entertaining. Ben's one liners and the banter between them keeps you smiling. The chemistry and steam between them is very intense. I volunteered to read and review an ARC from Net Galley and Tule Publishers.

Branded by Firelight by Paula Altenburg, book three in A Sweetheart Brand series. A great addition to the series. I enjoyed reading about Claire and Ben. Both had their own past issues they had to work though. I loved their character development, dialogue and the storyline. I look forward to read more in this series and more books by this author.

Claire’s and Ben’s story is a great addition to this series featuring the Brand siblings. There was so much emotion packed into the relationship between Ben and Claire and both their pasts could have created insurmountable obstacles for them as a couple. Instead, in large part because of Ben’s ability to be far less judgmental than most people, their pasts united them. Even with a very deep and emotional story line these two were also so light and funny - a winning combination!

Sometimes I wonder about Ben he could be sweet, but then ruins it by being a smarty pants, “the clock’s ticking, babe. And, as I told you before, I’m not going to judge,”he said. “At least not out loud.” There are times Ben does things to make his girl happy, “remember how you said you’d go parking with me if I could find a place where I’d never taken another girl?” He swept a hand at the view from the windshield. Above the tops of the ponderosa pine trees soared the Mission Range. “Here we are.” I liked this book, I liked Ben with Claire.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and although it is the third in the series I was able to follow the storyline. I loved Claire and Ben they both had issues that they needed to work through that were heartbreaking. I loved how there relationship developed and I was rooting for them from the beginning, reading this had made me excited to read the other books in the series (old and new) A lovely heartbreakingly beautiful read .