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Firehawks #1
Pure Heat
These daredevil smokejumpers fight more than fires.
The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can't penetrate.
She lives to fight fires...
Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she's learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.
But he's lit an inferno she can't quench...
Former smokejumper Steve "Merks" Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness—but it's the heat between them that really sizzles.
The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can't penetrate.
She lives to fight fires...
Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she's learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.
But he's lit an inferno she can't quench...
Former smokejumper Steve "Merks" Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness—but it's the heat between them that really sizzles.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 6, 2014
63 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Buchman
322 books614 followersUSA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. “Matt” Buchman started writing on a flight south from Japan to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Just part of a solo around-the-world trip that ultimately launched his writing career.
From the very beginning, his powerful female heroines insisted on putting character first, then a great adventure. He’s since written over 60 action-adventure thrillers and military romantic suspense novels. And just for the fun of it: 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of read-by-author audiobooks.
Booklist says: 3x “Top 10 of the Year.” PW says: “Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more.” His fans say: “I want more now…of everything.” That his characters are even more insistent than his fans is a hoot.
As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50’ ketch, he is awed by what is possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.
From the very beginning, his powerful female heroines insisted on putting character first, then a great adventure. He’s since written over 60 action-adventure thrillers and military romantic suspense novels. And just for the fun of it: 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of read-by-author audiobooks.
Booklist says: 3x “Top 10 of the Year.” PW says: “Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more.” His fans say: “I want more now…of everything.” That his characters are even more insistent than his fans is a hoot.
As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50’ ketch, he is awed by what is possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 2, 2015
DNF on page 70. This just isn't my thing. Loaded down with technical details on smokejumping and forest-fire-fighting.
Also, the hero is coming off as a bit of a skeeve to me.
That was the kind of woman he would have just walked up to, maybe even spent some time getting to know rather than just targeting her.
Targeting her?
He quick-checked the left hand she had on the collective control and saw no ring, but she did sport a white tan line. Maybe married. Maybe recently divorced and seeking a bit of consolation. He'd have to keep an eye on that.
Ew. Skeever.
He planted a full, four-wheel drift across the lot and fired a broad spray of gravel at a battered old blue-and-rust Jeep as he slid in beside it. Ground to a perfect parallel-parked stop. Bummer that whatever sucker owned the Jeep had taken off the cloth covers and doors. Steve had managed to spray the gravel high enough to land some on the seats. Excellent.
Jackass.
However, even these little tidbits are few and far between, 90% of this is smoke-jumping information and NOT romance. You're warned. It might be very realistic, but it doesn't make for good romance-reading.
Also, the hero is coming off as a bit of a skeeve to me.
That was the kind of woman he would have just walked up to, maybe even spent some time getting to know rather than just targeting her.
Targeting her?
He quick-checked the left hand she had on the collective control and saw no ring, but she did sport a white tan line. Maybe married. Maybe recently divorced and seeking a bit of consolation. He'd have to keep an eye on that.
Ew. Skeever.
He planted a full, four-wheel drift across the lot and fired a broad spray of gravel at a battered old blue-and-rust Jeep as he slid in beside it. Ground to a perfect parallel-parked stop. Bummer that whatever sucker owned the Jeep had taken off the cloth covers and doors. Steve had managed to spray the gravel high enough to land some on the seats. Excellent.
Jackass.
However, even these little tidbits are few and far between, 90% of this is smoke-jumping information and NOT romance. You're warned. It might be very realistic, but it doesn't make for good romance-reading.
August 28, 2024
Pure Heat is book one in the Firehawks series by M.L. Buchman.
I will admit I was lured in by the cover and blurb. Unfortunately; Pure Heat didn’t hit it off with me. First books are usually difficult in a series. Their is a lot the author has to get across to build the world and characters; besides the story and romance.
I started Pure Heat; before the Holidays and it took me forever, into the New Year, to finish this book. My reading time was very limited, but even with that I almost didn’t make it through the book. I think that had I been in my reading grove I probably would have DNF’d or taking a long time like I did to finish. It wasn’t that it was bad, their where things I enjoyed, but I had trouble staying interested and focused.
I will say that I got the impression that the Firehawks series is a spin-off from another series. Reading another review’s review they mentioned that some of the characters from the Night Stalkers series jump over to this one.
Now onto Pure Heat:
Our hero Steve “Merks” Mercer comes off as a jerk on the very first page. Does he change? Yes, but I was turned off at the start with him, but the farther I got into the story and the more I understood him and his past as a fire jumper plus seeing him change his attitude, I ended up liking him.
Carly is a third-generation forest fire specialist. I liked that she was in a male dominated field and that that didn’t stop her from doing her job and standing up to the men. She has earned their respect and is a master at what she does. I will say Carly was just a so so character. I didn’t love or hate her, she was just a character.
As for the secondary characters it was nice to meet them, but no one stood out or wowed me. They where just their. I didn’t fall for any of the characters introduced.
The romance between Carly and Steve has some emotional angst, but it doesn’t drag on and on. The sex is sensual and romantic.
This last thing was interesting, but it did bog down the book; especially at the beginning. The author loads the reader down with a lot of technical details on smoke jumping and forest-fire-fighting. It’s cool to learn, but it got to be a lot of information and slowed the story down for me.
The one thing that I really liked was that Mount Hood Aviation is more then just firefighters fighting fires… Their’s something else going on under the scene. This aspect is fascinating. I also liked when they went out to fight the fires.
Even though I had trouble with Pure Heat I will be giving another book in the series a shot.
Rated: 2.5/3 Stars
I will admit I was lured in by the cover and blurb. Unfortunately; Pure Heat didn’t hit it off with me. First books are usually difficult in a series. Their is a lot the author has to get across to build the world and characters; besides the story and romance.
I started Pure Heat; before the Holidays and it took me forever, into the New Year, to finish this book. My reading time was very limited, but even with that I almost didn’t make it through the book. I think that had I been in my reading grove I probably would have DNF’d or taking a long time like I did to finish. It wasn’t that it was bad, their where things I enjoyed, but I had trouble staying interested and focused.
I will say that I got the impression that the Firehawks series is a spin-off from another series. Reading another review’s review they mentioned that some of the characters from the Night Stalkers series jump over to this one.
Now onto Pure Heat:
Our hero Steve “Merks” Mercer comes off as a jerk on the very first page. Does he change? Yes, but I was turned off at the start with him, but the farther I got into the story and the more I understood him and his past as a fire jumper plus seeing him change his attitude, I ended up liking him.
Carly is a third-generation forest fire specialist. I liked that she was in a male dominated field and that that didn’t stop her from doing her job and standing up to the men. She has earned their respect and is a master at what she does. I will say Carly was just a so so character. I didn’t love or hate her, she was just a character.
As for the secondary characters it was nice to meet them, but no one stood out or wowed me. They where just their. I didn’t fall for any of the characters introduced.
The romance between Carly and Steve has some emotional angst, but it doesn’t drag on and on. The sex is sensual and romantic.
This last thing was interesting, but it did bog down the book; especially at the beginning. The author loads the reader down with a lot of technical details on smoke jumping and forest-fire-fighting. It’s cool to learn, but it got to be a lot of information and slowed the story down for me.
The one thing that I really liked was that Mount Hood Aviation is more then just firefighters fighting fires… Their’s something else going on under the scene. This aspect is fascinating. I also liked when they went out to fight the fires.
Even though I had trouble with Pure Heat I will be giving another book in the series a shot.
Rated: 2.5/3 Stars
June 17, 2014
Pure Heat by M. L. Buchman is the first book in the Firehawks series. I was impressed by this novel for a variety of reasons. I have read about smokejumpers before but this is the first book I’ve read about the whole process of fighting wildfires and the point of view of fighting it from the air. It was fascinating and I quickly found myself engrossed in the story. It is vivid, exciting and full of action. The story is skillfully executed and the characters are very well done.
I must admit, my very first impression of the hero Steve was, “What a jerk.” It was his whole entrance and the gravel bit that got to me, mostly. I’m very happy to say that I quickly changed my opinion and ended up really liking him. Steve is still grappling and coming to grips with a debilitating leg injury that ended his career as a smokejumper. Being a smokejumper was his passion and it’s difficult for him to accept that it’s no longer something that he can do. He’s had to work really hard to get to where he is at, at the beginning of this novel. I admire him for not giving up and for finding and working towards a job that will still enable him to help fight wildfires. M. L. Buchman breathed life and emotion into his characters and made them feel real.
Pure Heat balances the action and the romance perfectly. I liked the progress of Carly and Steve’s relationship and how it played out during the course of this action packed story. Carly is a great heroine. I loved that she was smart and confident and that she didn’t immediately fall at Steve’s feet. He had to work at getting her to consider him. Their romance is realistic and quite touching at times. Steve and Carly are well matched. Their interactions together and with the secondary characters are what helped to make this novel great.
I thoroughly enjoyed Pure Heat and I look forward to more novels by this author.
I must admit, my very first impression of the hero Steve was, “What a jerk.” It was his whole entrance and the gravel bit that got to me, mostly. I’m very happy to say that I quickly changed my opinion and ended up really liking him. Steve is still grappling and coming to grips with a debilitating leg injury that ended his career as a smokejumper. Being a smokejumper was his passion and it’s difficult for him to accept that it’s no longer something that he can do. He’s had to work really hard to get to where he is at, at the beginning of this novel. I admire him for not giving up and for finding and working towards a job that will still enable him to help fight wildfires. M. L. Buchman breathed life and emotion into his characters and made them feel real.
Pure Heat balances the action and the romance perfectly. I liked the progress of Carly and Steve’s relationship and how it played out during the course of this action packed story. Carly is a great heroine. I loved that she was smart and confident and that she didn’t immediately fall at Steve’s feet. He had to work at getting her to consider him. Their romance is realistic and quite touching at times. Steve and Carly are well matched. Their interactions together and with the secondary characters are what helped to make this novel great.
I thoroughly enjoyed Pure Heat and I look forward to more novels by this author.
May 7, 2014
Daniella‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
M.L. Buchman has managed to surprise me in wonderful ways every time I read his books. I get thrown in to incredible action paced stories that make me feel like I am part of each and every conflict they tell. Pure Heat does not miss out on the opportunity.
Steve Mercer and Carly Thomas are two of the daredevils that risks their lives fighting the big fires. Forest fires. Steve can no longer be part of the ground crew but has found a way to still be in on all the danger. While Carly Thomas who has been in fire mode since she was a girl is the kind of person who can read and understand what a fire is going to do like it is using words and speaking directly to her.
At first, Buchman seemed to head towards making this a romance with a smattering of fire fighting involved but then he hits you with a huge plot twist that I did not know was coming. And thats the kind of writer Buchman is. He reels you in with characters that have the kind of personalities and lives that you think are readable and obvious and then decides to throw a curveball that takes you into a different level and puts you not only inside the line of fire (pun intended) but describes it in such detail that you feel like you were in the helicopters and on the front lines with Steve and Carly and the others in the crews.
Thank you Mr. Buchman, because you never fail to deliver the goods beautifully packaged with avenues I never think you travel down!!!
4 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
M.L. Buchman has managed to surprise me in wonderful ways every time I read his books. I get thrown in to incredible action paced stories that make me feel like I am part of each and every conflict they tell. Pure Heat does not miss out on the opportunity.
Steve Mercer and Carly Thomas are two of the daredevils that risks their lives fighting the big fires. Forest fires. Steve can no longer be part of the ground crew but has found a way to still be in on all the danger. While Carly Thomas who has been in fire mode since she was a girl is the kind of person who can read and understand what a fire is going to do like it is using words and speaking directly to her.
At first, Buchman seemed to head towards making this a romance with a smattering of fire fighting involved but then he hits you with a huge plot twist that I did not know was coming. And thats the kind of writer Buchman is. He reels you in with characters that have the kind of personalities and lives that you think are readable and obvious and then decides to throw a curveball that takes you into a different level and puts you not only inside the line of fire (pun intended) but describes it in such detail that you feel like you were in the helicopters and on the front lines with Steve and Carly and the others in the crews.
Thank you Mr. Buchman, because you never fail to deliver the goods beautifully packaged with avenues I never think you travel down!!!
April 6, 2022
well, this was just okay. It had a lot of technical terms used constantly that it became annoying. there really wasn’t anything relationship wise that happened? like I see why it’s considered a romantic suspense, but still nothing really happened until the last 30 pages.. and no epilogue! the book suddenly ended. so weird.
May 5, 2014
My Review:
I've never made it any secret how much I adore M.L. Buchman's Nightstalker series, so I was thrilled to see that he was writing a new series based around Wildland Firefighters. So you can imagine my surprise and elation to find my two favorite Major's in this book...Major Beale and Major Henderson...the H/h from the very first Nightstalker book. They have a little girl now so that's required a change in careers for the two and I loved where they have gone...into the Oregon forests.
But the mc's in this book are Steve and Carly. Steve is new with this firefighting outfit. He's served many years as a smokejumper, but an accident last year left him unable to get out on the front lines of the fires. Instead, he now runs drones that can watch the movement of the fires and help the home base plan its operations against them. While still doing an extremely vital job, this is a transition time for Steve and he needs to see that he's still providing a vital aid. Having a bum leg has been a blow to him physically and mentally and he's still trying to find his stability after the fact.
Carly is a lifelong wildland firefighter. She grew up with her dad fighting the fires so she's always been right in the middle of it all. As a result, she's truly a part of the forest she lives in. She can read the fires and provide expert advice on how to handle them. Unfortunately, she has her own scars too. She lost both her father and fiance to forest fires and could actually hear the fires take them over the radio transmissions because she was there both times. As a result, she's not really anxious to put herself out there again emotionally.
There was so much to like about this book...
*I loved the whole wildland firefighter aspect to the story. Those men and women live such incredibly dangerous lives with very little credit. They work long, hard, painful hours and it's nice to have a series focused on that.
*I loved the connection that Carly and Steve found in planning their attacks on the fires. These are two people that know how fires move and grow and watching that connection between them grow because of that was awesome.
*The scenery--I'm a mountain, forest girl and the whole book was spent outside in those kinds of areas. The scenes were set up so beautifully and visually in this book. Even though I was reading it, I felt like I was on a mountain vacation (and obviously, this is NOT referring to the forest fire scenes.)
*The Majors-- I love them and that they have made a transition (somewhat) to civilian life for their daughter. The scenes between them in this book with their baby simply melted my heart. I also loved the scenes where Kee showed up, too.
*Something I've always loved about M.L. Buchman's writing is that it's very tecnical...something that I am not. But he manages to write these in-depth descriptions and explanations so that they stay interesting and intriguing. I always feel like I learn something by reading one of his books. I especially loved the drone technology in this one.
The description of the big fires in the 30's and 40's got to be a little too much there at the end when I just really wanted to concentrate on the story, but I understand that was a real occurrence and M.L. Buchman was trying to give it the credit that the fire and those who fought it deserved.
A great start to this new series that absolutely will be another must-buy for me. I definitely recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I've never made it any secret how much I adore M.L. Buchman's Nightstalker series, so I was thrilled to see that he was writing a new series based around Wildland Firefighters. So you can imagine my surprise and elation to find my two favorite Major's in this book...Major Beale and Major Henderson...the H/h from the very first Nightstalker book. They have a little girl now so that's required a change in careers for the two and I loved where they have gone...into the Oregon forests.
But the mc's in this book are Steve and Carly. Steve is new with this firefighting outfit. He's served many years as a smokejumper, but an accident last year left him unable to get out on the front lines of the fires. Instead, he now runs drones that can watch the movement of the fires and help the home base plan its operations against them. While still doing an extremely vital job, this is a transition time for Steve and he needs to see that he's still providing a vital aid. Having a bum leg has been a blow to him physically and mentally and he's still trying to find his stability after the fact.
Carly is a lifelong wildland firefighter. She grew up with her dad fighting the fires so she's always been right in the middle of it all. As a result, she's truly a part of the forest she lives in. She can read the fires and provide expert advice on how to handle them. Unfortunately, she has her own scars too. She lost both her father and fiance to forest fires and could actually hear the fires take them over the radio transmissions because she was there both times. As a result, she's not really anxious to put herself out there again emotionally.
There was so much to like about this book...
*I loved the whole wildland firefighter aspect to the story. Those men and women live such incredibly dangerous lives with very little credit. They work long, hard, painful hours and it's nice to have a series focused on that.
*I loved the connection that Carly and Steve found in planning their attacks on the fires. These are two people that know how fires move and grow and watching that connection between them grow because of that was awesome.
*The scenery--I'm a mountain, forest girl and the whole book was spent outside in those kinds of areas. The scenes were set up so beautifully and visually in this book. Even though I was reading it, I felt like I was on a mountain vacation (and obviously, this is NOT referring to the forest fire scenes.)
*The Majors-- I love them and that they have made a transition (somewhat) to civilian life for their daughter. The scenes between them in this book with their baby simply melted my heart. I also loved the scenes where Kee showed up, too.
*Something I've always loved about M.L. Buchman's writing is that it's very tecnical...something that I am not. But he manages to write these in-depth descriptions and explanations so that they stay interesting and intriguing. I always feel like I learn something by reading one of his books. I especially loved the drone technology in this one.
The description of the big fires in the 30's and 40's got to be a little too much there at the end when I just really wanted to concentrate on the story, but I understand that was a real occurrence and M.L. Buchman was trying to give it the credit that the fire and those who fought it deserved.
A great start to this new series that absolutely will be another must-buy for me. I definitely recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 17, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Smoke jumping and firefighters are their most dangerous and sexiest.
Opening Sentence: “Steve “Merks” Mercer hammered down the last half mile into Goonies’ Hoodie One camp.”
The Review:
Steve is a former hotshot smokejumper until an injury forced him to change how he rolls. He now pilots drones to check out fires before they send personnel in to deal with them. Carly is a helicopter pilot who has dealt with a lot of tragedy lately. During the summer fire season they spend their time at Goonies’. Steve decides that Carly is an angel before he even knows her name and spends some of their first interactions being more creepy than hot. However, Carly seems to really enjoy that as she tries to ignore him and fight her attraction. Meanwhile they are training and fighting fires.
Carly finally tells Steve that her father died and so did her boyfriend, and Steve is there for her. Their relationship continues to grow over their love of fires and firefighting.
I feel like I should be saying so much more, but that’s kind of the plot of the book right there. There is some suspense during the firefighting scenes, and some love making and some drinking in a bar. A lot of the book is technical information on smokejumping, firefighting, flying, etc. I found this book interesting enough to read, but I thought it was a little heavy on the firefighting and low on the romance. So I don’t think I was surprised to find that it was written by a man. Not that men can’t write good romance novels, but it made more sense why the novel seemed practical and straightforward.
I did enjoy it despite Steve starting off as a bit of a jerk and a creeper. Carly was a great female main character. She was strong, in charge, not afraid to stand up for herself and originally not taking any of Steve’s junk. Although by the time she started letting Steve in he wasn’t being a creepy jerk. He was totally reformed and immediately in love with her. So overall, it’s a pretty good novel. I didn’t love it because I felt like it was lacking in the emotion department.
Notable Scene:
“She was definitely hitting deep and solid into the field of Steve’s personal preferences in women.”
“A woman so convinced of her own abilities that she’d face down someone like Henderson.”
“Only a first-class smokejumper would so driven to over achieve.”
“Kissed her right through any fears of what it might be like to wake up together the morning after.”
FTC Advisory: Sourcebook Casablanca provided me with a copy of Pure Heat. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Smoke jumping and firefighters are their most dangerous and sexiest.
Opening Sentence: “Steve “Merks” Mercer hammered down the last half mile into Goonies’ Hoodie One camp.”
The Review:
Steve is a former hotshot smokejumper until an injury forced him to change how he rolls. He now pilots drones to check out fires before they send personnel in to deal with them. Carly is a helicopter pilot who has dealt with a lot of tragedy lately. During the summer fire season they spend their time at Goonies’. Steve decides that Carly is an angel before he even knows her name and spends some of their first interactions being more creepy than hot. However, Carly seems to really enjoy that as she tries to ignore him and fight her attraction. Meanwhile they are training and fighting fires.
Carly finally tells Steve that her father died and so did her boyfriend, and Steve is there for her. Their relationship continues to grow over their love of fires and firefighting.
I feel like I should be saying so much more, but that’s kind of the plot of the book right there. There is some suspense during the firefighting scenes, and some love making and some drinking in a bar. A lot of the book is technical information on smokejumping, firefighting, flying, etc. I found this book interesting enough to read, but I thought it was a little heavy on the firefighting and low on the romance. So I don’t think I was surprised to find that it was written by a man. Not that men can’t write good romance novels, but it made more sense why the novel seemed practical and straightforward.
I did enjoy it despite Steve starting off as a bit of a jerk and a creeper. Carly was a great female main character. She was strong, in charge, not afraid to stand up for herself and originally not taking any of Steve’s junk. Although by the time she started letting Steve in he wasn’t being a creepy jerk. He was totally reformed and immediately in love with her. So overall, it’s a pretty good novel. I didn’t love it because I felt like it was lacking in the emotion department.
Notable Scene:
“She was definitely hitting deep and solid into the field of Steve’s personal preferences in women.”
“A woman so convinced of her own abilities that she’d face down someone like Henderson.”
“Only a first-class smokejumper would so driven to over achieve.”
“Kissed her right through any fears of what it might be like to wake up together the morning after.”
FTC Advisory: Sourcebook Casablanca provided me with a copy of Pure Heat. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 13, 2014
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the way the author intermingled the characters from his previous series into the story line. They fit in perfectly and enhanced the story.
Steve had been physically damaged in an accident. He had been retrained to work with new drone technology to continue to work in his beloved line of work, forest fire fighting. Carly was emotionally damaged, having recently lost two people she loved. The two instantly work well together, even though they fight their own inner battles on whether to let another person in.
There is a lot of technical information in this book about fighting forest fires. This may turn some people off, but it does help the reader understand why they are doing some of the things that they do. I couldn't put this book down. I loved it from start to finish. There were a lot of emotions brewing in this book, there were funny times and there were times you had to fight back your own tears. It's a good book, I highly recommend.
Steve had been physically damaged in an accident. He had been retrained to work with new drone technology to continue to work in his beloved line of work, forest fire fighting. Carly was emotionally damaged, having recently lost two people she loved. The two instantly work well together, even though they fight their own inner battles on whether to let another person in.
There is a lot of technical information in this book about fighting forest fires. This may turn some people off, but it does help the reader understand why they are doing some of the things that they do. I couldn't put this book down. I loved it from start to finish. There were a lot of emotions brewing in this book, there were funny times and there were times you had to fight back your own tears. It's a good book, I highly recommend.
September 27, 2014
Received an ARC for review from NetGalley
Great start to a new series. Steve and Carly were great. There's some emotional angst, but it doesn't drag on and on. Lots of hot sex and very sweet I Love You's. Even a terrorist or two. There's a lot of new terminology for the fire experts/smoke jumpers that bogged down the beginning a little. Fans of the Night Stalkers will be happy to know that some of the characters have jumped over to this series. I look forward to the next book.
Great start to a new series. Steve and Carly were great. There's some emotional angst, but it doesn't drag on and on. Lots of hot sex and very sweet I Love You's. Even a terrorist or two. There's a lot of new terminology for the fire experts/smoke jumpers that bogged down the beginning a little. Fans of the Night Stalkers will be happy to know that some of the characters have jumped over to this series. I look forward to the next book.
March 12, 2020
Carly Thomas is a third generation forest fire specialist who has lost both her father and fiance to the flames. She has learned to shut down her emotions to protect herself from further pain. Former smoke jumper Steve “Merks” Mercer can no longer fight fires, but he can be a spotter with drones. Together these two fight fires and the heat between them.
This book was ok. The beginning was kind of dry because of the heavy details of fire control and fire jumping. It made it hard to actually get into the book and characters to begin with.
Carly was a smart and capable woman. She knows her job and is excellent at it. I quite liked her. Steve starts out as a jerk and it took me a long while to warm up to him. He got better once we actually started learning about his past and his injury. The romance between them was pretty good and wasn’t drawn out like I thought it would be in the beginning.
Overall, this book was ok. I enjoyed it once I got past the beginning details and into Steve and Carly as a couple.
____________________________
Romanceopoly 2020 Moon - The Office
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
This book was ok. The beginning was kind of dry because of the heavy details of fire control and fire jumping. It made it hard to actually get into the book and characters to begin with.
Carly was a smart and capable woman. She knows her job and is excellent at it. I quite liked her. Steve starts out as a jerk and it took me a long while to warm up to him. He got better once we actually started learning about his past and his injury. The romance between them was pretty good and wasn’t drawn out like I thought it would be in the beginning.
Overall, this book was ok. I enjoyed it once I got past the beginning details and into Steve and Carly as a couple.
____________________________
Romanceopoly 2020 Moon - The Office
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
October 15, 2017
I guess this wasn't my type of book. I really had to struggle to finish and took several days. At first I liked the technical info and I did find it interesting, but it made up half the book. Not a lot happened story-wise or relationship wise. And then out of nowhere with like 10% to go there were all of a sudden terrorists. So I'm thinking well now its getting good, and then the result of that was pretty disappointing and everything just ended.
March 8, 2019
I liked the firefighting parts of the book. The romance didn't grab me. I preferred the already married couple with a baby who must have been in an earlier book he's written.
April 7, 2014
4 Stars!
Military Contemporary Romance
Release date: May 6, 2014
ABOUT THE BOOK:
These daredevil smokejumpers fight more than fires.
The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can't penetrate.
She lives to fight fires...
Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she's learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.
But he's lit an inferno she can't quench...
Former smokejumper Steve "Merks" Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness—but it's the heat between them that really sizzles.
MY REVIEW:
I’ve always been a big fan of M.L. Buchman. This book made no difference in that opinion. He has a way of really drawing the suspense and action out of a scene and engulfing the reader until they can’t turn away. I loved the details of the story and the phenomenal way we were able to learn and discover the characters.
This is a new twist and turn off his previous series, but there is a cross over with a few characters which makes it nice because you are able to see how they are doing.
You want to learn about smoke jumpers and fire experts, this is it. Mr. Buchman obviously knows what he’s talking about as you go through all of the action. Add in the conflict of attraction, and a threat of terrorism on the side and you have a smashing novel that is hard to put down.
The only drawback for me (and this is a personal opinion) is the details that went into so much of the story and then when it came to the love scenes, it was basically skipped over. It drew me back from the story a bit, but again, it’s just a personal preference.
You want action, heat, and drama? Pick this up now. Great read!
Military Contemporary Romance
Release date: May 6, 2014
ABOUT THE BOOK:
These daredevil smokejumpers fight more than fires.
The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can't penetrate.
She lives to fight fires...
Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she's learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.
But he's lit an inferno she can't quench...
Former smokejumper Steve "Merks" Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness—but it's the heat between them that really sizzles.
MY REVIEW:
I’ve always been a big fan of M.L. Buchman. This book made no difference in that opinion. He has a way of really drawing the suspense and action out of a scene and engulfing the reader until they can’t turn away. I loved the details of the story and the phenomenal way we were able to learn and discover the characters.
This is a new twist and turn off his previous series, but there is a cross over with a few characters which makes it nice because you are able to see how they are doing.
You want to learn about smoke jumpers and fire experts, this is it. Mr. Buchman obviously knows what he’s talking about as you go through all of the action. Add in the conflict of attraction, and a threat of terrorism on the side and you have a smashing novel that is hard to put down.
The only drawback for me (and this is a personal opinion) is the details that went into so much of the story and then when it came to the love scenes, it was basically skipped over. It drew me back from the story a bit, but again, it’s just a personal preference.
You want action, heat, and drama? Pick this up now. Great read!
September 13, 2015
I was so excited in the earlier books to find out that Emily and Mark would get a spinoff series. But I haven't finished reading The Night Stalkers series yet so I am not sure if I missed anything for these two in those. If I have, it hasn't impacted following this book. I will have to see if the previous series books explain how they became involved in wilderness firefighting.
I liked this one a lot. I am not sure if I like it as much as the Night Stalker series, but I think it could be close. The romance angle seemed more subdued than the NS series. I liked the characters, some more than others. Buchman seems to write strong female leads, which is refreshing considering most (female) authors write about the helpless woman who needs the big strong man to come save her. Not so with his books. Carly is a strong woman who has some emotional baggage that gets to her once in a while, understandably so. Steve has his own emotional bag, also understandable, and he is trying to figure out a way to still be what he considers effective in fighting fires. He views himself as less than, and slowly comes to realize that he does have a usefulness and a contribution to the efforts that no one else brings to the fight. I liked the use of drones in this book. I do believe they provide a service, that if used properly, can be very effective.
Ton of technical info in this one. Lots of stuff I needed to look up to get a good visual. But I remember the same issue with book one of his Night Stalkers series, and it did help a lot with the future books. So I count all this info as background for the next books. I certainly learned a lot about forest fires (and was able to better understand a news report going on at the time about a fire in California because of this book). I have a new respect for the men and women that fight these fires, and a much clearer understanding about how easily they can be started.
I liked this one a lot. I am not sure if I like it as much as the Night Stalker series, but I think it could be close. The romance angle seemed more subdued than the NS series. I liked the characters, some more than others. Buchman seems to write strong female leads, which is refreshing considering most (female) authors write about the helpless woman who needs the big strong man to come save her. Not so with his books. Carly is a strong woman who has some emotional baggage that gets to her once in a while, understandably so. Steve has his own emotional bag, also understandable, and he is trying to figure out a way to still be what he considers effective in fighting fires. He views himself as less than, and slowly comes to realize that he does have a usefulness and a contribution to the efforts that no one else brings to the fight. I liked the use of drones in this book. I do believe they provide a service, that if used properly, can be very effective.
Ton of technical info in this one. Lots of stuff I needed to look up to get a good visual. But I remember the same issue with book one of his Night Stalkers series, and it did help a lot with the future books. So I count all this info as background for the next books. I certainly learned a lot about forest fires (and was able to better understand a news report going on at the time about a fire in California because of this book). I have a new respect for the men and women that fight these fires, and a much clearer understanding about how easily they can be started.
May 12, 2014
I wasn't sure how I was going to like the Fire Hawk series or how Emily and Mark would fit within the story structure. The blurb relating to the story that I read originally lead me to believe bad guys would be leading the charge. I was happy to be surprised that this wasn't so.
Instead we spend easily half of the book learning about the lead characters, Steve and Carly. The set up at Mount Hood Aviation and about firefighting itself. The author has very obviously spent a lot of time researching this subject matter as it reads as very realistic and detailed. The relationship was the focus of the entire book (with Emily and Mark and others featuring). The bad guys feature but in a way that is plausible given what you've previously read.
I finished this book satisfied with the story and ready to read the next in the series.
Instead we spend easily half of the book learning about the lead characters, Steve and Carly. The set up at Mount Hood Aviation and about firefighting itself. The author has very obviously spent a lot of time researching this subject matter as it reads as very realistic and detailed. The relationship was the focus of the entire book (with Emily and Mark and others featuring). The bad guys feature but in a way that is plausible given what you've previously read.
I finished this book satisfied with the story and ready to read the next in the series.
May 14, 2014
This is book one in a new series by Buchman, an author who does action romance very well, imo. In this instance, we are introduced to the world of wildfire fighters. Our heroine is a spotter and our hero is an ex-smoke-jumper turned drone pilot. We have three characters from the author's previous military series to nicely bridge into this new world.
There was a lot of information to assimilate in this new world. As usual, the author makes you feel like you are right there, in the middle of the action.
My one caveat was the way the romance story arc was left sort-of hanging by the end of the book. I sure hope Buchman continues developing it in the next installment of the series, which I most definitely will be reading.
There was a lot of information to assimilate in this new world. As usual, the author makes you feel like you are right there, in the middle of the action.
My one caveat was the way the romance story arc was left sort-of hanging by the end of the book. I sure hope Buchman continues developing it in the next installment of the series, which I most definitely will be reading.
August 4, 2014
If you can get past the fact that the book is really about fighting forest fires and the tools teams use (particularly helicopters), it's quite interesting. The author does an excellent job of making the developing romance between the two main characters steamy without describing a thing, and it is straightforward and without the cheesy humor that can sometimes accompany contemporary-set romances. It's a solid contemporary that will appeal to readers who like military and other hero-based romances.
September 22, 2015
Loved it. But then, it's M.L. Buchman-- everything is good.
So, this one is about the ex-forest firefighter, the lead smoke jumper in the California region. Only he got hurt and can barely walk anymore, much less make parachute jumps into fires. So now he pilots drones. The heroine is a fire commander. I forgot the actual title she has, but she's the one who watches the fire and figures out where it's likely going. So the drones are really helpful to her. And the story has fires and dramatic rescues and scary people hiding in the trees and it's a really good read. I liked it a lot.
So, this one is about the ex-forest firefighter, the lead smoke jumper in the California region. Only he got hurt and can barely walk anymore, much less make parachute jumps into fires. So now he pilots drones. The heroine is a fire commander. I forgot the actual title she has, but she's the one who watches the fire and figures out where it's likely going. So the drones are really helpful to her. And the story has fires and dramatic rescues and scary people hiding in the trees and it's a really good read. I liked it a lot.
May 16, 2014
I'm a firefighter and married to a firefighter so I have a lot of understanding when it comes to fighting fires. That being said, I found this book hard to follow, and the ending sucked.
May 3, 2023
Steve Mercer has just joined Mount Hood Aviation after a hot shot accident nearly crippled him for life. He had real reservations about not being able to fight on the fire line, but he is determined to adjust to his new role as a drone pilot overflying fires.
Carly Thomas is a third-generation forest fire specialist and in is no way going to be impressed by yet another cocky hot shot. She lost her father and fiancé to forest fires and is not ready to open herself to relationships beyond family and a few friends from her childhood. She has moved on from front line firefighting to analyzing fires with an instinctive grasp of where they might go and how to defeat them.
Firehawks is another strong series for Buchman. His heroes (men and women) are smart, strong, loyal, and brave. They are problem solvers and dedicated public servants. The romance is a pairing of equals. The battles are saved for the fires, and in this case, some home-grown terrorists. You also learn a bit about fire fighting and the special people it takes to do it. Recommended for high energy plotting and great characters.
Readalikes:
Kathryn Shay’s Firefighter Trilogy; Bella Andre’s Hot Shots; Lindsay McKenna’s Operation: Shadow Warriors; Shawn Grady – Falls Like Lightning; Susan May Warren – Wild Montana Skies; William W. Johnstone – The Scorching; Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters; Anne Marsh – Burning Up; Jill Sorenson – Aftershock.
Pace: Fast-paced
Character: Courageous; Principled; Intelligent; Strong men and women
Storyline: Plot-driven
Writing style: Compelling; Richly detailed
Tone: Moving; Suspenseful
Frame: Oregon forests; Contemporary
Themes: Race Against Time; Enemies to Lovers; Afraid of Love; Dealing with Danger
Red flags/Trigger warning: Fire deaths and danger
Carly Thomas is a third-generation forest fire specialist and in is no way going to be impressed by yet another cocky hot shot. She lost her father and fiancé to forest fires and is not ready to open herself to relationships beyond family and a few friends from her childhood. She has moved on from front line firefighting to analyzing fires with an instinctive grasp of where they might go and how to defeat them.
Firehawks is another strong series for Buchman. His heroes (men and women) are smart, strong, loyal, and brave. They are problem solvers and dedicated public servants. The romance is a pairing of equals. The battles are saved for the fires, and in this case, some home-grown terrorists. You also learn a bit about fire fighting and the special people it takes to do it. Recommended for high energy plotting and great characters.
Readalikes:
Kathryn Shay’s Firefighter Trilogy; Bella Andre’s Hot Shots; Lindsay McKenna’s Operation: Shadow Warriors; Shawn Grady – Falls Like Lightning; Susan May Warren – Wild Montana Skies; William W. Johnstone – The Scorching; Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters; Anne Marsh – Burning Up; Jill Sorenson – Aftershock.
Pace: Fast-paced
Character: Courageous; Principled; Intelligent; Strong men and women
Storyline: Plot-driven
Writing style: Compelling; Richly detailed
Tone: Moving; Suspenseful
Frame: Oregon forests; Contemporary
Themes: Race Against Time; Enemies to Lovers; Afraid of Love; Dealing with Danger
Red flags/Trigger warning: Fire deaths and danger
June 20, 2018
Oregon forests
Steve “Merks” Mercer: ex-in-the-trench forest fighter; injured leg – proved them all wrong and walked again; drone pilot – specifically for forest fires, but also special stealth drone training; back on the line after a year; cocky yet unsure; still dealing with pain of what he can’t do anymore, struggling to find his new life…
Carly Thomas aka The Flame Witch: raised around forest fires – grandfather and father were fire fighters, and both died in fires – her father when she up high in helicopter above fire : ( ; her boyfriend also died in a fire a year ago – screaming into phone to come and save him (shivers); she’s dealing with her grief still; she has done all job related to fighting fires, and now is a commander in helicopter, directing and watching over fire fighters and planes and water and retardant etc.
Former Major Emily Beale / current ICA (Incident Commander Air) former Major Mark Henderson : retired from SOAR because of their baby; she awesome helicopter fire fighter/rescuer; he stays above fire with baby; they are there also for Mount Hood’s 3rd contract – air support to counter terrorism;
TJ Terry Thomas: Carly’s uncle; also fire fighter; in first fire we read, he is trapped under a tree – Merks ropes down to save him – yay.
Two stories… fighting forest fires – and wow, this author has the best descriptions… and Merks and Carly’s grief, self-forgiveness, finding each other;
Steve “Merks” Mercer: ex-in-the-trench forest fighter; injured leg – proved them all wrong and walked again; drone pilot – specifically for forest fires, but also special stealth drone training; back on the line after a year; cocky yet unsure; still dealing with pain of what he can’t do anymore, struggling to find his new life…
Carly Thomas aka The Flame Witch: raised around forest fires – grandfather and father were fire fighters, and both died in fires – her father when she up high in helicopter above fire : ( ; her boyfriend also died in a fire a year ago – screaming into phone to come and save him (shivers); she’s dealing with her grief still; she has done all job related to fighting fires, and now is a commander in helicopter, directing and watching over fire fighters and planes and water and retardant etc.
Former Major Emily Beale / current ICA (Incident Commander Air) former Major Mark Henderson : retired from SOAR because of their baby; she awesome helicopter fire fighter/rescuer; he stays above fire with baby; they are there also for Mount Hood’s 3rd contract – air support to counter terrorism;
TJ Terry Thomas: Carly’s uncle; also fire fighter; in first fire we read, he is trapped under a tree – Merks ropes down to save him – yay.
Two stories… fighting forest fires – and wow, this author has the best descriptions… and Merks and Carly’s grief, self-forgiveness, finding each other;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
Still recovering from a debilitating knee injury, former smokejumper Steve ‘Merks’ Mercer was determined to get back to the job he loves and soon despite the prognosis. Proud to have surpassed the doctor’s expectations, Merks spins his car into a spot spitting gravel in a nearby jeep and go to the clubhouse to sign in for limited duty.
Losing the two men that mattered most to her hasn’t diminished third generation forest fire specialist Carly Thomas love or dedication to firefighting. New equipment and a new pilot didn’t help her mood as she discovered some jerk in a flashy car landed gravel on her jeep seats.
Getting back to work in a smokejumper adjacent role, Merks rides as a wildlife spotter and drone specialist. Partnered with Carly ahead of a fire, instead of wildlife the pair find what looks like a homegrown terrorist base and they look ready for something.
The engrossing read implied by the title, synopsis and blurb didn’t materialize to this reader’s taste. Also, the minutiae of firefighters performing their jobs (well) was too detailed and too often, plus neither the slow pace nor flat romance between of two non-personable leads held interest. Definitely not a series this reader would continue or recommend.
Rating: 2.75stars
Losing the two men that mattered most to her hasn’t diminished third generation forest fire specialist Carly Thomas love or dedication to firefighting. New equipment and a new pilot didn’t help her mood as she discovered some jerk in a flashy car landed gravel on her jeep seats.
Getting back to work in a smokejumper adjacent role, Merks rides as a wildlife spotter and drone specialist. Partnered with Carly ahead of a fire, instead of wildlife the pair find what looks like a homegrown terrorist base and they look ready for something.
The engrossing read implied by the title, synopsis and blurb didn’t materialize to this reader’s taste. Also, the minutiae of firefighters performing their jobs (well) was too detailed and too often, plus neither the slow pace nor flat romance between of two non-personable leads held interest. Definitely not a series this reader would continue or recommend.
Rating: 2.75stars
December 1, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
Pure Heat is a story about the people who live to fight wildfires; and especially about two people who have been damaged by that love.
Like any kind of drug, adrenaline is addictive. Fighting a forest wildfire is a special kind of addiction - it rewards its junkies with adulation - providing they survive. Even if they don’t always survive intact.
Steve Mercer, “Merks” to his friends and colleagues, used to be a smokejumper, until his leg was permanently damaged in a smoke jumping accident. While it isn’t the kind of accident that anyone could possibly have expected, the damage makes it impossible for him to run either towards or away from a fire, skills that smokejumpers need to survive. The accident took out a significant part of the muscle mass above and below one knee. What’s gone won’t grow back. Steve is lucky he can walk.
But he couldn’t get the need to fight forest wildfires out of his system, so he trained to fly drones over fires, using the data and his experience to spot trouble. He starts his new job, and first outing as a drone specialist, with Mount Hood Aviation as the book begins.
He’s not the only newbie on the crew. Retired SOAR Majors Henderson and Beale have also joined MHA, fresh from the events in Light Up the Night the last book in the Night Stalkers series. Henderson is in command again, and Beale is still flying Firehawk helicopters. The difference in their lives is that one of them has to stay out of the fire, with their infant daughter.
Henderson and Beale’s presence guarantees that there is more going on than just fighting fires. But it isn’t their story.
The other person invited to this particular party is Carly Thomas. She’s also been mauled by the flames she fights, only the blows that she has taken have burned through to her heart. Her dad raised her in the middle of Mount Hood Aviation after he mother died when she was a child. He went out the way he lived, trapped by a fire he was fighting when she was 16. Her fiance was taken from her a year previously, also consumed by the fire he was fighting. The difference is that her fiance only became a smokejumper because firefighting in the Oregon woods is Carly’s entire life. He loved her, but didn’t love or understand the fire.
Carly is the best Fire Analyst around, but she’s still inside the black zone left after a fire has cleared the forest. Steve waltzes (actually limps) in, and is captivated by the very beautiful and extremely intelligent (also incredibly driven) woman he meets. He doesn’t know her history, or where her broken places are - all he knows is that he wants to get to know her better.
That he continues to put his foot into the wrong place every time they talk makes things easier, at least for her. She’s too busy being annoyed to notice that he’s breached her defenses. She’s afraid to love another man who lives to fight fires.
But as they work together fighting the biggest fire the Pacific Northwest has seen in half a century, they find out just what the other is made of - and that they belong together no matter what it takes.
Escape Rating B+: I loved the Night Stalkers series, so I was very happy to see that the author had found another way to mix romance and adrenaline. The heroes who jump smoke may do different jobs than the pilots and crew of SOAR, but their lives are every bit as dangerous - and thrilling.
And thanks to the presence of Henderson and Beale, occasionally not all that far off from those clandestine missions that SOAR flew. However, their presence as newbies to MHA allows the author to provide readers with a lot of background and information on the history and methods for fighting these devastating fires. While it occasionally verges on infodumping, the info being dumped is fascinating.
It is unusual to see what happens to the hero and heroine after the happily ever after, so it was great to see how the two Majors move into civilian life. They are absolutely awesome, and it was fun to see Kee Stevenson again and hear how Archie and Dilya are doing. It’s always good to hear that old friends are doing well.
But the primary couple in this story is Steve and Carly. Although the injury that Steve suffered before the book starts was physical, most of the lingering damage is emotional. He’s not sure that he’s still a whole man, or really himself at all, if he can’t still jump smoke. His story is that of finding himself again. Carly helps alot, but he needs to see that what he can contribute in the present is every bit as valuable, albeit very different, than what he did before. He has to feel that within himself, and it’s a long road.
Carly, on the other hand, while extremely competent at the job she loves, is in an emotional blackout. Everyone in MHA knows and loves her, and they do what they can not to touch her where it hurts. Steve wants to know her, and in order for that to happen, she has to reveal what went wrong in her past.
One thought that came to me, about Carly’s fiance. If he’d lived, I wonder if their relationship could have worked in the long run. They may have loved each other, but she can’t live away from firefighting, and he wasn’t suited for it. Eventually, they would have resented each other too much to keep going. But it doesn’t happen that way.
Steve and Carly bring each other back to life. It makes a great romance because they are equal - either they rescue each other or they reach towards each other out of their emotional deserts.
The touch of suspense discovered by Steve’s poor drone was added icing on a very fun (and flavorful) cake.
Pure Heat is a story about the people who live to fight wildfires; and especially about two people who have been damaged by that love.
Like any kind of drug, adrenaline is addictive. Fighting a forest wildfire is a special kind of addiction - it rewards its junkies with adulation - providing they survive. Even if they don’t always survive intact.
Steve Mercer, “Merks” to his friends and colleagues, used to be a smokejumper, until his leg was permanently damaged in a smoke jumping accident. While it isn’t the kind of accident that anyone could possibly have expected, the damage makes it impossible for him to run either towards or away from a fire, skills that smokejumpers need to survive. The accident took out a significant part of the muscle mass above and below one knee. What’s gone won’t grow back. Steve is lucky he can walk.
But he couldn’t get the need to fight forest wildfires out of his system, so he trained to fly drones over fires, using the data and his experience to spot trouble. He starts his new job, and first outing as a drone specialist, with Mount Hood Aviation as the book begins.
He’s not the only newbie on the crew. Retired SOAR Majors Henderson and Beale have also joined MHA, fresh from the events in Light Up the Night the last book in the Night Stalkers series. Henderson is in command again, and Beale is still flying Firehawk helicopters. The difference in their lives is that one of them has to stay out of the fire, with their infant daughter.
Henderson and Beale’s presence guarantees that there is more going on than just fighting fires. But it isn’t their story.
The other person invited to this particular party is Carly Thomas. She’s also been mauled by the flames she fights, only the blows that she has taken have burned through to her heart. Her dad raised her in the middle of Mount Hood Aviation after he mother died when she was a child. He went out the way he lived, trapped by a fire he was fighting when she was 16. Her fiance was taken from her a year previously, also consumed by the fire he was fighting. The difference is that her fiance only became a smokejumper because firefighting in the Oregon woods is Carly’s entire life. He loved her, but didn’t love or understand the fire.
Carly is the best Fire Analyst around, but she’s still inside the black zone left after a fire has cleared the forest. Steve waltzes (actually limps) in, and is captivated by the very beautiful and extremely intelligent (also incredibly driven) woman he meets. He doesn’t know her history, or where her broken places are - all he knows is that he wants to get to know her better.
That he continues to put his foot into the wrong place every time they talk makes things easier, at least for her. She’s too busy being annoyed to notice that he’s breached her defenses. She’s afraid to love another man who lives to fight fires.
But as they work together fighting the biggest fire the Pacific Northwest has seen in half a century, they find out just what the other is made of - and that they belong together no matter what it takes.
Escape Rating B+: I loved the Night Stalkers series, so I was very happy to see that the author had found another way to mix romance and adrenaline. The heroes who jump smoke may do different jobs than the pilots and crew of SOAR, but their lives are every bit as dangerous - and thrilling.
And thanks to the presence of Henderson and Beale, occasionally not all that far off from those clandestine missions that SOAR flew. However, their presence as newbies to MHA allows the author to provide readers with a lot of background and information on the history and methods for fighting these devastating fires. While it occasionally verges on infodumping, the info being dumped is fascinating.
It is unusual to see what happens to the hero and heroine after the happily ever after, so it was great to see how the two Majors move into civilian life. They are absolutely awesome, and it was fun to see Kee Stevenson again and hear how Archie and Dilya are doing. It’s always good to hear that old friends are doing well.
But the primary couple in this story is Steve and Carly. Although the injury that Steve suffered before the book starts was physical, most of the lingering damage is emotional. He’s not sure that he’s still a whole man, or really himself at all, if he can’t still jump smoke. His story is that of finding himself again. Carly helps alot, but he needs to see that what he can contribute in the present is every bit as valuable, albeit very different, than what he did before. He has to feel that within himself, and it’s a long road.
Carly, on the other hand, while extremely competent at the job she loves, is in an emotional blackout. Everyone in MHA knows and loves her, and they do what they can not to touch her where it hurts. Steve wants to know her, and in order for that to happen, she has to reveal what went wrong in her past.
One thought that came to me, about Carly’s fiance. If he’d lived, I wonder if their relationship could have worked in the long run. They may have loved each other, but she can’t live away from firefighting, and he wasn’t suited for it. Eventually, they would have resented each other too much to keep going. But it doesn’t happen that way.
Steve and Carly bring each other back to life. It makes a great romance because they are equal - either they rescue each other or they reach towards each other out of their emotional deserts.
The touch of suspense discovered by Steve’s poor drone was added icing on a very fun (and flavorful) cake.
November 1, 2019
Great book. More than I've learned before about fighting fires and interesting. But very scary! Really liked getting back in touch with Beale and Henderson, along with their baby daughter. Happy to know their military training is still being used secretly buried in their new jobs. The one thing that held back the 5th star is the absence of a clear read on what happened to all the men in the terrorist camp. Yes it was destroyed, but did they capture any bad guys? It's a void.
August 13, 2023
Love this author. Thrilled to see the Majors from the Nightstalkers back. New adventures continue in the world of firefighters + military action. Lots of technical info about drones and fighting fires but nicely balanced with good character development, dialogue and action.
November 2, 2025
Bombarded with technical jargon, it was difficult to stay interested in the story. I will say the detail reconfirmed my admiration of the professionals who put themselves in harms way to fight such huge fires.
May 13, 2018
Far too much of the book spent on technical details. The firefighting didn't make sense, when there were no risks and plenty of reasons to let the natural fire cycle run it's course.
May 16, 2018
In between a 3 and 4. Wish there was more explanation on how Beale and Henderson got involved here.Steve and Carly’s story was intense and some sadness.
October 14, 2018
A lot of competence porn about flying helicopters, drones, and fighting fires, but the prose is wooden and the characterizations are thin.
library
July 30, 20210
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