Tag Archives: Firemen

Playing With Fire (Hot In Chicago # 2)

By Kate Meader

Synopsis

As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can’t do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago’s devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes the respect she’s longed for will finally come her way. But it seems Mr. Mayor has other ideas…

Eli Cooper’s mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living–she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli’s flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he’s her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: they’re made to be broken…

Review

PLAYING WITH FIRE is the first book I’ve read from Kate Meader and I found it quite enjoyable. It did take me a few days to finish, but I think that had more to do with the fact it was a paperback instead of a Kindle version.

The banter and sexual tension between Eli and Alex was the best part of this story. And there was a lot of banter and sexual tension. While he has experienced great tragedy throughout his life, Eli still had a privileged upbringing, which shows in the way he speaks and in how he thinks a woman should behave. While he likes Alex’s spunk, he thinks she’s unrefined and wants to tame her. Some of the things he would say to—and about—Alex rubbed me up the wrong way, but overall I liked him.

“You crossed a line in there, Dempsey. Ran your mouth off when all I required was that you wear your dress uniform and a sweet-as-sugar smile.”
“Like the good little woman. God, you’re such a throwback I bet all your selfies are sepia toned.”

Alex is a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, so much so that it turns a lot of people off. She’s not had much luck in the dating scene because men are intimidated by her strength, which I liked, but I also liked the vulnerability she showed when the situation called for it.

PLAYING WITH FIRE is told in dual POVs, and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. That being said, I did have trouble understanding the Dempsey family tree for a while, so I would have spent less time confused if I’d read the previous books in this series.

Playing With Fire (Hot In Chicago # 2)

My Rating:

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Hot In Chicago Series

Tempting the Flames (Where There’s Smoke Book 2)

By Em Petrova

Synopsis

Where there’s smoke, Ryan is eager to jump into the flames.

Ryan, aka Blaze, is a California smokejumper whose motto is “grab life by the balls and hold on tight.” He refuses to accept defeat, and that’s why he fights the world’s biggest wildfires. He loves his job, and it’s even better with a certain quirky woman making a documentary about their team. Every time she’s around, Blaze has a hard time zipping his jumpsuit.

Scarlett is only interested in finishing this documentary for her dissertation. She isn’t into Blaze’s rugged good looks and crooked smile. The two of them are just buddies—who see each other naked, that is. Between his rough hands and heart of gold, Scarlett wonders how she will be able to walk away once she’s finished filming. But maybe she won’t need to.

When the smoke clears…

Do people fall in love after only a few days? Blaze’s idea might be crazy enough to work. When he says, “I bet you can’t handle a man like me forever,” Scarlett is head-over-heels enough to try. Which means a wild trip to the justice of the peace and a wedding dinner at IHOP is in order.

But now that the fire’s died down and reality has hit, she doesn’t want Blaze in the path of danger. Not when she had everything to lose. And Blaze damn well isn’t giving up the only thing he’s been passionate about. As they fight to build a life out of lust, will they be able to create something out of the ashes?

Review

Tempting the Flames is a story about new love and navigating around the dangers of smoke jumping. This really was love at first sight for both Scarlett and Blaze (aka Ryan). They had instant chemistry.

This is a very fast paced story that explores the relationships formed when one of the partners has a dangerous job. Scarlett is there on a research project to finish her degree. She is getting to know all of the men and doing a documentary to find out why they do it. Blaze never expected Scarlett or the feelings he instantly had for her.

I liked the fact that this story highlights the families of these men and women. This is a dangerous job and that takes a toll on relationships. After Scarlett realizes that Blaze is not going to give up on his job, she has to come to terms with it. I also liked the fact that Blaze was not okay with her being out in the field. He instantly became very protective of her.

Em Petrova does a wonderful job of expressing the emotion that happens between people when they are afraid for someone else and the camaraderie between these men and women. The one thing that perhaps I would question is that Scarlett had no training before she went into the field with the men. She had never jumped out of plane and her focus in school was not wild land firefighting, so I’m not sure the she would have been taken to an active scene. But this is a great story about love at first sight and then figuring out how to stay together.

Tempting the Flames

My Rating:

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Fighting For Love (Boston Love # 2)

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

Finn Ward has two passions: being a firefighter and being single. Although his parents are constantly nagging him to settle down, Finn just wants to enjoy himself while he’s young. Then, at a union meeting, he meets a gorgeous lawyer with a dazzling smile—and suddenly, settling down doesn’t sound so bad.

Rory Adams is fresh out of law school and looking to make a name for herself at her mother’s firm. She doesn’t have time for silly games anymore. But when she catches the eye of a dashing fireman who makes her body tingle from across the room, something instantly ignites between them. The only problem? Her father is Finn’s boss.

Their relationship turns both of their lives upside-down. Rory tames Finn’s wild ways, while he shows her that life can’t be all work and no play. But it’ll take some serious determination to keep their love secret—and real courage to admit the truth.

Review

After reading and loving SEARCHING FOR HARMONY last year, I jumped at the chance to read FIGHTING FOR LOVE, the next book in the Boston Love series.

I don’t remember any of the secondary characters from the last book, so I had no idea who Finn was. Turns out he’s the brother of Preston, the male lead from the previous book. He’s also a firefighter, one who has a playboy reputation. Or at least he did, until he saw Rory from across the room one day and became smitten with her immediately. I loved reading all the romantic gestures he pulled trying to win her affection, and in his spare time he reads to kids at the local library. Swoon.

“It’s our first date. I wanted it to be special for you, because you’re special to me.”

Rory was a lovely young woman, but too much of a people pleaser. She became a lawyer to please her mother. She stays away from firemen to please her father. She works harder than anyone else at her mother’s firm just to prove to her co-workers she’s not there just because of her mother. But in saying that, she’s not always a push-over. She had no problem putting her chauvinistic co-worker in his place several times, and she does finally stand up to her parents to find her own happiness.

There is one character in this story whose behaviour didn’t sit right with me, and that was Rory’s father. His insistence that she never date a firefighter was understandable, but only up to a certain point. When your daughter is twenty-six years old, you really need to let go. What was more disturbing was his over-the-top reaction to when Finn first declared his love for Rory. The way he treated Rory and Finn was disgusting, and I was disappointed that he wasn’t man enough to resolve things in the end.

FIGHTING FOR LOVE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. It was an enjoyable read and I’d love to visit this series again if/when the next book comes out.

Fighting For Love (Boston Love # 2)

My Rating:

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Boston Love Series

Ignite (Legacy # 0.75)

By Rebecca Yarros

Synopsis

It only takes a spark…

In Legacy, Colorado, I buried my father alongside his elite Hotshot team.
Ten years later, I’ve followed in his footsteps—fighting fires in the mountains of Alaska with my brother.
Amid the flames, nothing ignites me like Avery Claire.
She’s stubborn, strong, sexy as hell, and my best friend.
She also has no idea that I’m in love with her.
But Colorado is calling me home, needing every Legacy-born firefighter to successfully rebuild our fathers’ team.
One night will change everything between us,
But she’s tied to Alaska and my future is in Colorado.
Now I’m torn between what my honor demands,
And what my heart can’t live without.

Review

IGNITE is the second prequel novella in the Legacy series that takes place in roughly the same timeline as POINT OF ORIGIN. As with the first novella, the Legacy Hotshot crew is still trying to come together, still trying to get enough legacies to reinstate the team. River and Avery have been best friends for seven years, and have secretly been in love with each other for most of that time. Now that he might be headed back to Colorado, River feels it’s time to make his move on Avery, to take their friendship to the next level.

I liked Avery, but I did have my issues with her. I can respect that she took care of her father, but at the same time I hated that she let him treat her so horribly. He’d use the word “family” to guilt her into helping him, but not once did he treat her like family. I liked River, who was a very patient and understanding man when it came to Avery. I loved that he was willing to make so many sacrifices just to keep his relationship with Avery alive.

IGNITE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. As with the first novella, there’s no firefighter action to be seen, but maybe we’ll see some in a future novel. This novella was short and sweet and came with a nice HEA.

Ignite (Legacy # 0.75)

My Rating:

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Legacy Series

Slow Burn (Colorado High Country # 2)

By Pamela Clare

Synopsis

Victoria Woodley is done with men. Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding. Who picks her up at the airport? Eric Hawke. Of course. She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here. He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin. But the fact that she’s attracted to him is all the proof she needs that he’s bad news. She would ignore him if she could. But he’s the best man, and she’s the maid of honor. She can’t just tell him to jump in a lake—especially not when her lips are locked with his.

Eric isn’t looking for a relationship. Between running the firehouse and volunteering for the county’s search and rescue team, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to get tangled up with a woman from the big city, especially one whose idea of roughing it is going without designer coffee. Yet from the moment he looks into Victoria’s big brown eyes, the attraction he feels is too strong to deny. Faster than he can imagine, the spark of desire that has smoldered between them since the first day they met will flare into full-blown passion.

But can Eric convince Victoria to set aside her doubts and trust him with her heart before their time together runs out?

Review

I enjoyed SLOW BURN, which is the second book in the Colorado High Country series. The prologue is a unseen scene from the first book, which shows us how Eric and Vic first met. After that, the story starts back up again one year after their first encounter and mostly takes place in the span of a week. Because of that timeframe, I’d classify this as an insta-love.

I liked Vic, who is a smart and generous woman. She’s also beautiful and rich, which are the two things that ended up causing her a lot of pain and suffering throughout the past year. She’s struggling to overcome the fear that now plagues her, while learning to trust men again. I think what I liked most about her was that she didn’t bend over backwards to win her family’s approval back. I prefer to see a person cut toxic people out of their lives rather than clinging on to hope, so I loved that when she needed her family the most and they let her down, she cut them out of her life. As with the first book, this story focuses more on Vic than on Eric, so I can’t say too much about him, other than he’s a really nice guy who is very good to his mother. Oh, and he’s a firefighter. Do you really need to know anything else?

SLOW BURN is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. It also comes with a nice HEA for Eric and Vic. Thankfully, there wasn’t anywhere near the amount of technical talk as there was in the first book, but there are still a lot of characters running around that are hard to keep track of. As with the first book, there are a couple of I-Team character cameos, but again, you don’t need to read their stories. At this stage, I have no idea who will get the next book, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

Slow Burn (Colorado High Country # 2)

My Rating:

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Colorado High Country Series

Brave The Heat (The McGuire Brothers # 1)

By Sara Humphreys

Synopsis

Brave the Heat is for you if you like:
* A scorching hot fire fighter struggling with his dark past
* A tough-as-nails heroine determined to protect her family
* A small town ready to ignite
* And a second chance at love that may just save them all

Jordan McKenna is back in town, and Fire Chief Gavin Maguire’s feelings when he sees her after all these years are as raw as the day she left. Then he was just a kid wearing his heart on his sleeve. Now he spends every day trying to atone for the tragedy he couldn’t prevent.

Jordan’s life has not exactly worked out the way she expected. A divorced mother of two with a failed acting career, Jordan’s biggest concern about coming back to Old Brookfield was seeing her first love. But when a series of suspicious fires breaks out, Jordan and Gavin realize that dealing with the sparks between them may be the least dangerous of their problems.

Review

BRAVE THE HEAT is a second-chance romance between Gavin and Jordan, who broke up fifteen years ago. When they see each other again after all those years, anger and attraction are mixed together and make an interesting combination. Both are stubborn and angry at the other for different reasons, so it takes a while for them to sort it all out and move past it.

BRAVE THE HEAT wasn’t a bad read, but it didn’t really win me over either. It’s a nice story, but it was a little slow and predictable. I found some of the narrative to be repetitive, so I ended up skipping a lot of the paragraphs that didn’t include conversations, and I don’t feel as though I missed anything. Gavin and Jordan and very likeable characters, but I sometimes struggled with their emotions, which would turn on a dime; one second they’d be fine, and the next second they’d be angry for reasons I couldn’t understand. The story ends suddenly at the 79% mark and didn’t really have the feel of a HEA, but it technically is a HEA. BRAVE THE HEAT is told in dual POVs and is part of a series, but each book will be about a different brother, so I’m assuming each book should be able to be read as a stand-alone.

Brave The Heat (The McGuire Brothers # 1)

My Rating:

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The McGuire Brothers Series

Searching For Harmony (Boston Love # 1)

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

Firefighter and first responder Preston Ward thought he had grown immune to the job’s emotional burns. But when he goes out on a particularly tragic call, he realizes that some scenes are too devastating to forget. And yet, if it weren’t for that terrible night, he never would have met the woman who makes him want to risk his heart.

More than once, Harmony Banks has watched her perfectly ordered world torn apart by fate. Now she’s finding out that what she lost wasn’t as perfect as she thought—and it’s tearing her apart. The only thing that keeps her going is the kindness of a stranger: the firefighter who saved her life the night everything changed.

Preston isn’t like the men who have come before. For one thing, he’s far more genuine. And the love Harmony feels growing between them is almost too intense for her wounded soul. But if she and Preston can push past heartbreak, they’ll find that something incredible awaits in each other’s arms.

Review

So after experiencing a bit of a book funk in June, I’ve been blessed with some amazing reads in July, and SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is another book I’m adding to that list. Make sure to have your tissues handy when you start because you will need them. Without trying to give anything away, Harmony endures quite a lot in this book and the worst is experienced in the first few chapters.

With everything she’s suffered⎯and all before she’s twenty-one⎯you can’t help but feel awful for Harmony. All she has left in the world is her older brother, Jake, and her new friendship with Preston, that over time turns into love. While she has moments where she breaks down, and rightly so, I loved the moments where her strength shined through. Preston is definitely book boyfriend material. Firstly, he’s a firefighter. Secondly, he’s a genuinely nice guy. It was so easy to fall in love with him, especially after the non-date he planned for Harmony, which was thoughtful, romantic, sweet and funny. That day was totally swoon worthy.

Opening up the passenger side door, I smiled as I pushed a piece of hair behind Harmony’s ear. Smiling, she opened her eyes and I knew in that moment I was done for. Yep. I’m totally fucked.

SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is a story that will have you experiencing a wide range of emotions. It’s sad and emotional as you see Harmony suffer, but it’s also beautiful when you see her fall in love with Preston. I thought the story flowed really well and that the romance between Preston and Harmony moved at a realistic pace. The only thing that bothered me was the occasional skips in time that came without notice; the characters don’t mention how much time has passed until several paragraphs into the chapter, and by then I found myself feeling confused, like I was missing something. It’s not a major thing, but just something that niggled at me enough to make it worth mentioning. SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is told in dual POVs, appears to be a stand-alone and comes with a beautiful HEA.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way her touch makes my stomach drop. I’ve never had that happen with any girl I’ve ever dated.

Searching For Harmony (Boston Love # 1)

My Rating:

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Boston Love Series

Point Of Origin (Legacy # 0.5)

By Rebecca Yarros

Synopsis

In Legacy, Colorado, our inheritance is simple: Fire and Heartbreak.
Sebastian Vargas…he’s both.
He was my best friend. My first love. My everything.
Until he was my nothing.
It’s been ten years since the wildfire that turned our small town to ashes, taking the lives of our fathers and their elite hotshot crew.
Six years since Bash disappeared with my heart.
No explanation. No goodbye.
But now he’s home, fighting to resurrect the very thing that destroyed us both.
One look, and I’m breathless.
One touch, and he’s relentless.
And I’m not careful, he’ll burn me to the ground again.

Review

The town of Legacy is still healing from a wildfire that ten years ago destroyed the town and killed the entire Hot Shot crew with the exception of one man. Emerson (Emmy) and Sebastian (Bash) were just two of the children who lost a parent that day. Four years later and after a very memorable night, Bash leaves Legacy and Emmy without a word and never looks back. Until now.

I liked both Emmy and Bash and thought they made a good couple. I liked that Emmy stood up not only for herself, but what she thought was the right thing for the town even if that idea was presented by the same man who had broken her heart. She could see the bigger picture and she put her own issues aside. I think Bash was a complete and utter idiot for leaving and cutting off all contact with Emmy all those years ago, but in the present, he didn’t play games and he was very sincere and honest about his feelings.

POINT OF ORIGIN is told in dual POVs and is the introduction of a new series from Rebecca Yarros revolving around the new Hot Shot firefighting crew of Legacy. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much, but it could use some editing as I noticed the occasional missing word here and there. Despite being a novella, it didn’t have that rushed feel to it that some do, although I would have liked to have seen more time spent on two things: the mayor’s involvement in the deaths of the old crew, as well as the financial impact against Emmy’s family due to the town’s bank refusing the insurance payout for a part-time firefighter. Other than that, I’m looking forward reading the next book in this new series.

Point of Origin (Legacy # 0.5)

My Rating:

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Legacy Series

Obsession: A Bad Boy’s Secret Baby

By Nora Flite & Adair Rymer

Synopsis

I’m a pure American badass, and she’s carrying my baby
I’ve got enough in my jeans to satisfy any girl, but my heart only wants one of them.
And she hates my guts.
I can’t blame her. My family ruined Kait’s life, took everything she and her father had. I didn’t know it back then, but Kait doesn’t care. As far as she knows, I abandoned her and ran off to the Marines.
Now I’m back, and the military has made me tougher, harder, and hotter than ever.
You’d think they’d treat me like a hero, but everyone in town hates me and the cops won’t stop screwing with me.
Worse?
If Kait’s brother finds out that she’s carrying my baby… he’ll kill me.
But I lost Kait once. I won’t do that again.

**This brand new novella contains a hard bad boy marine who knows how to use his… skills, as well as an ENTIRE bonus novel: Outlaw Road! This romance collection is for fans of filthy smut and the hot guys who can’t get enough of the women they love.**

Review

This book comes with two stories: OBSESSION (a novella about Malik and Kait); and OUTLAW ROAD (a full length MC novel about Ronin and Flora). Both stories are stand-alones and there is absolutely no connection between the two. It’s just two stories for the price of one.

OBSESSION is told in dual POVS and, being a novella, the story of Malik and Kait is a quick one. That being said, I think the only event that seemed to come along too quickly was when they had sex, which was the first night Kait knows Malik’s back in town. The rest of the story flowed quite nicely and not once did I feel like I was missing something or that “this part” would have been better if it was fleshed out a bit more. Everything was explained in the end, fences were mended and we got a very nice HEA.

OUTLAW ROAD is also told in dual POVs. I’ll be honest, I’m not really a fan of MC reads and thought about not reading this one. But I had it there, so I thought “What the hell.”. Overall, it wasn’t a bad read and there was plenty of action, but I thought the relationship side of the story was a bit weak. I liked Ronin well enough, but Flora annoyed me a little with her constant poor choices. This one ends with an epic gun battle, the bad guys getting what they deserve, and a HEA.

OBSESSION = 5 Hearts
OUTLAW ROAD = 3 Hearts

Obsession: A Bad Boy’s Secret Baby

My Rating:

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Heat Exchange (Boston Fire # 1)

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.