Into The Fire - Book Review

By E.L. Todd

Synopsis

Ash

Despite everything I’ve done for my parents, I’ll never be good enough for them. Instead of seeing a man to be proud of, they just see an embarrassment. I served four tours in Afghanistan but that doesn’t mean anything to them. They only see the ink, the party life, and my short stint in jail.
And nothing else.
When they were in trouble, I handed over my life savings. I didn’t think twice about it because they’re my family, my blood. They raised me to be my own man and gave me everything I needed. It didn’t matter that it was every penny I had. It didn’t matter that the money was set aside for my future. My dreams.
Because they needed me.
But now they refuse to pay me back until I become the man they think I should be.

Alessandra

I have an unusual professional.
I escort men, acting as their date to family functions or work parties. It’s my job to act deeply in love with my client. And I always nail it.
But it’s not what you think.
I’m not a prostitute.
I’m not a call girl.
I’m an actress.
Get it right.
There are strict rules when it comes to my profession. There is no touching, kissing, or anything but hand-holding. Those who choose not to comply will get a swift kick in the nuts.
But all this goes to hell when Ash walks into my life.

Review

I’ll be blunt, I didn’t like Ash very much at all. I found him childish, rude, insulting and sometimes just downright cruel. He claims he hates judgemental people, but judges Alessandra very harshly towards the end of the book because of her job. I did feel bad for him because of how his parents treated him, but not enough to like him. I did like Alessandra though. I thought she was a kind and confident woman, but I didn’t like that she changed her life to please Ash under the guise that it was entirely her decision.

I thought INTO THE FIRE wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. I had moments of confusion when things were said that contradicted previous statements or actions, and I also had trouble keeping up with the timeline. I thought the sex scenes were pretty hot, though I was very disappointed in one scene where Alessandra is cuffed to the bed, says no, but Ash goes ahead anyway, which is obviously rape, but not treated as such in the book. INTO THE FIRE is told in dual POVs and is the start of a series. I’m assuming it’ll be a stand-alone in the series and that the other books will focus on other couples, given that this one ended with a nice HEA for Ash and Alessandra.