The second novel in the Irish Born Trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Born In Fire .  Brianna Concannon is the kind of innkeeper who doesn’t mind the harsh winters of Ireland—and the empty bed-and-breakfast that comes with them. But this year, a famous American author needs a quiet place to stay while writing his next book. A charmer whose easy smiles mask a guarded past, Grayson Thane plans to spend the cold winter alone. But his lovely landlady adds a complication he never expected. She’s exactly what he’s looking for in his heroine. And soon Grayson and Brianna will learn that sometimes fate has a plan of its own. Sometimes, fire can be born in ice... Don't miss the other books in the Irish Born Trilogy Born in Fire Born in Shame  Brianna Concannon is a woman with a rare gift for creating a home, and she makes use of this talent by running a bed-and-breakfast in a picturesque corner of Ireland. Mystery writer Grayson Thane is an American who grew up in an orphanage and has spent his life alone. A restless wanderer with a painful past, Grayson arrives at Blackthorn Cottage intent only on soaking up the Irish atmosphere and writing his next novel, but he finds far more than he bargained for. The beautiful, calm Brianna soothes his disquiet soul, and in her Grayson finds the home he hadn't realized he needed. Brianna knows that by falling for him, she risks her heart, already bruised and scarred by a young love who left her at the altar. But the yearning to let the American melt the ice around her cold exterior is irresistible. Unless Grayson can let go of his past to forge a future with her, Brianna may have gambled her heart in vain. Cool, capable, and thoroughly domestic, Brianna Concannon welcomes American mystery writer Grayson Thane to her County Clare bed-and-breakfast, never dreaming that she and this footloose, homeless-by-choice stranger could ever have anything in common, let alone fall in love. But they do-and then must come to terms with their separate pasts before they can put the future in perspective. This latest solid contemporary love story by Roberts is the second in her Irish trilogy (after Born in Fire, Jove, 1994). [Roberts lives in Keedysville, Md.] Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. “America’s favorite writer.”— The New Yorker “Loyalty, love and acceptance are timeless themes intricately and expertly intertwined by Ms. Roberts using her patented lyrical style. This second book in the Irish series is a captivating and charming novel to be treasured.”— RT Book Reviews “The pace of the book is smooth and even, and the writing captures the charisma and earthy charm of Ireland and the gentleness of its people.”— Publishers Weekly Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print. It wasn't unusual for Brianna to have a guest or two at Blackthorn Cottage during the worst of winter's storms. But January was slow, and more often than not her home was empty. She didn't mind the solitude, or the hell-hound howl of the wind, or even the leaden sky that spewed rain and ice day after bitter day. It gave her time to plan. She enjoyed travelers, expected or not. From a business standpoint the pounds and pence counted. But beyond that, Brianna liked company, and the opportunity to serve and make a temporary home for those who passed her way. She had, in the years since her father died and her mother moved out, turned the house into the home she had longed for as a child, with turf fires and lace curtains and the scents of baking coming from the kitchen. Still, it had been Maggie, and Maggie's art,that had made it possible for Brianna to expand, bit by bit. It wasn't something Brianna forgot. But the house was hers. Their father had understood her love and her need for it. She tended her legacy as she would a child. Perhaps it was the weather that made her think of her father. He had died on a day very much like this. Now and again, at odd moments when she found herself alone, she discovered she still carried little pockets of grief, with memories, good and bad, tucked into them. Work was what she needed, she told herself, turning away from the window before she could brood for long. With the rain pelting down, she decided to postpone a trip into the village and instead tackle a task she had put off for too long. No one was expected that day, and her single reservation wasn't due until the end of the week. With her dog trooping behind her, Brianna carted broom, bucket, rags, and an empty carton up to the attic. She cleaned up here with regularity. No dust was allowed in Brianna's house for long. But there were boxes and trunks she had ignored in her day-to-day routine. No more, she told herself and propped open the attic door. This time she would