Heat Exchange - Book Review

By Shannon Stacey

Synopsis

Lydia Kincaid left Boston to get away from the firefighting community—but family is number one, and her father needs her help running the pub he bought when he retired. Soon, Lydia finds it hard to resist the familiar comfort and routine, and even harder to resist her brother’s handsome friend Aidan.

Aidan Hunt is a firefighter because of the Kincaid family. He’s had the hots for Lydia for years, but if ever a woman was off-limits to him, it’s her. She’s his mentor’s daughter. His best friend’s sister. The ex-wife of a fellow firefighter. But his plan to play it cool fails, and soon he and Lydia have crossed a line they can’t uncross.

As flirtation turns into something more serious, Lydia knows she should be planning her escape. Being a firefighter’s wife was the hardest thing she’s ever done, and she doesn’t know if she has the strength to do it again. Aidan can’t imagine walking away from Boston Fire—the job and the brotherhood are his life. But if he wants Lydia in it, he’ll have to decide who’s first in his heart.

Review

HEAT EXCHANGE has two stories for the price of one; we have the budding romance between Lydia and Aidan, and we also have the crumbling marriage between Lydia’s sister, Ashley, and her husband, Danny. Both men are firefighters, as are Lydia’s brother and father, so the story showcases the brotherhood among firemen and the troubles the job can cause at home. After her firefighter ex-husband cheated on her, Lydia vowed to never get involved with a firefighter ever again. That’s served her well until she returns home and sees her younger brother’s best friend, Aidan. Both are drawn to each other and it’s not long before Lydia is breaking her own rules. But she’s only back in town long enough for her sister to sort out her marriage, so a temporary fling is all they will ever have. But Aidan can get a fling anywhere; it’s a relationship he’s looking for and he thinks he’s found one with Lydia.

Going over the characters, I’m not sure how I feel about Lydia because she doesn’t really stand out. She tries to act tough but in the end that’s not what I thought of her. Now Aidan I liked. He knew what he wanted and went after it. I also liked that he stood up for himself with Lydia, telling her that he’s not going to carry her ex-husbands baggage, that just because they have the same job doesn’t mean he’ll make the same mistakes.

I’ve read and enjoyed The Kowalskis seres and was really looking forward to reading this one, especially since it involves firemen and who doesn’t like a fireman. But I’m sad to say I didn’t like it as much as I was hoping to. Heck, I was more interested in the secondary story involving Ashley and Danny than I was with the two main characters. HEAT EXCHANGE was enjoyable to read but I just didn’t feel that zing, that special something that makes a book memorable. Hopefully book 2 will be better.