Heartless/Fire Trilogy Books in Order

This set, made up of Heartless, The Fire Inside, and Fanning the Flame, is listed on Martin's official bibliography as the Rogue's Trilogy. The local title points to the strong connection between the first book and the fire-themed pair that follows, and together they read as a historical romance sequence built around dangerous men and hard-fought relationships.

These books carry a little more adventure than some of Martin's society-centered romances. The heroes are the sort of men who can charm, provoke, rescue, or ruin, sometimes all in the same chapter. The heroines meet them at moments when trust is risky and emotion is already running high.

Expect sparks.

Martin uses the trilogy to play with some of her favorite themes, proud women, emotionally guarded men, strong physical attraction, and a real external problem that keeps the couple from settling into easy happiness. The stories feel connected by tone and by the promise of men who are not simple gentlemen but not simple villains either.

If you want historical romances with rogues, pressure, and plenty of movement, this is a good series to try. It has a swashbuckling streak without losing the emotional focus.