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Smoke Jumpers #1
Burning Up
It takes a special kind of hero to be a smoke jumper. To take the greatest risks. To live or die in the raging heat of the moment. And it takes a special kind of woman to love him. . .
Where There's Smoke. . .
For Jack Donovan, smoke jumping is a way of life. He lives for the adrenaline rush--the thrill of flying over the burning California hills, the intensity of diving straight into the inferno, the glory of taming the forces of nature. Love is a distant ember compared to the feeling he gets fighting fires--until an emergency call from his hometown brings him face to face with the one woman he can't forget. . .
There's Fire
Lily never got over the handsome rogue who once kissed her senseless--and then left. She vowed she was done with love-'em-and-leave-'em men and small town life. Until a series of malicious fires set by a stalker has her running home to hide. Now, their summer is heating up as Jack fights to save her from the stalker's fiery threats and to convince her to give the passion between them a second chance.
"White hot suspense and a drop dead sexy hero!" -- New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire
Anne Marsh's novels are:
"Smoking hot." -- Fiction Vixen
"Sexually charged." -- Bookaholics
"Superb." -- Midwest Book Review
Where There's Smoke. . .
For Jack Donovan, smoke jumping is a way of life. He lives for the adrenaline rush--the thrill of flying over the burning California hills, the intensity of diving straight into the inferno, the glory of taming the forces of nature. Love is a distant ember compared to the feeling he gets fighting fires--until an emergency call from his hometown brings him face to face with the one woman he can't forget. . .
There's Fire
Lily never got over the handsome rogue who once kissed her senseless--and then left. She vowed she was done with love-'em-and-leave-'em men and small town life. Until a series of malicious fires set by a stalker has her running home to hide. Now, their summer is heating up as Jack fights to save her from the stalker's fiery threats and to convince her to give the passion between them a second chance.
"White hot suspense and a drop dead sexy hero!" -- New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire
Anne Marsh's novels are:
"Smoking hot." -- Fiction Vixen
"Sexually charged." -- Bookaholics
"Superb." -- Midwest Book Review
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2012
71 people are currently reading
1344 people want to read
About the author
Anne Marsh
169 books977 followersAnne Marsh is a sucker for a grumpy hero who falls hard, a sunshine heroine who won't back down, and small towns where everyone knows your business (but shows up with casseroles anyway).
A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with 30+ romance novels, Anne writes contemporary and paranormal stories full of banter, steam, heroines navigating real challenges (chronic illness, anxiety, all the messy parts of being human), and happily-ever-afters you can believe in.
Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbert, and Olivia Dade.
Anne lives in rural North Carolina with rescue cats who barely tolerate her and neighbors who are real-life heroes—fixing cars, hauling mulch, pulling you out of ditches without even being asked. Her books are love letters to small-town kindness and big-hearted romance.
COMING SOON: Hot for Preacher (Harlequin Afterglow) - February 24, 2026
Grumpy preacher. Sunshine country singer living with rheumatoid arthritis. Second chances. Small-town meddling. So. Much. Heat.
Newsletter: https://anne-marsh.com/newsletter/ (join for bonus scenes, early covers, and book news)
FOLLOW ANNE:
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TikTok: Coming soon!
A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with 30+ romance novels, Anne writes contemporary and paranormal stories full of banter, steam, heroines navigating real challenges (chronic illness, anxiety, all the messy parts of being human), and happily-ever-afters you can believe in.
Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbert, and Olivia Dade.
Anne lives in rural North Carolina with rescue cats who barely tolerate her and neighbors who are real-life heroes—fixing cars, hauling mulch, pulling you out of ditches without even being asked. Her books are love letters to small-town kindness and big-hearted romance.
COMING SOON: Hot for Preacher (Harlequin Afterglow) - February 24, 2026
Grumpy preacher. Sunshine country singer living with rheumatoid arthritis. Second chances. Small-town meddling. So. Much. Heat.
Newsletter: https://anne-marsh.com/newsletter/ (join for bonus scenes, early covers, and book news)
FOLLOW ANNE:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_anne...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/annemarshau...
TikTok: Coming soon!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 6, 2012
Originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-burnin...
Jack Donovan, former U.S. Marine and now smoke jumper, has returned to his hometown of Strong after receiving a call from Nonna, his adopted mother. Nonna fostered and adopted Jack and his two foster brothers, Evin and Rio who are known to the residents of Strong as the Donovan Brothers. Fire season is always a stressful in the small town and it’s still early in the season, but they have already experienced a series of questionable small fires. Jack lives for the adrenalin rush of parachuting from planes and digging fire lines for major operations so the thought of returning home to the stifling small fire hall of Strong is the last thing he wants to face. But even more, he doesn’t want to confront the unfinished business he has with Lily Cortez.
Lily Cortez also left Strong years ago pursuing college and making a life for herself as a marketing director in San Francisco. When a horrible fire incident erupts inside her home, Lily moves back to Strong to escape a stalker that is fixated on her. Lily purchases a farm which she names “Lavender Creek” and sets her heart and mind to growing lavender on her many acres with the hope of making a living at something she loves and living in peace. What she doesn’t expect is for Jack to arrive on her doorstep or the feelings and fantasies to return from their one kiss at the swimming hole so many years ago. Jack ran from her that night, choosing the honorable way instead of acting on his desires. Now that they both are all grown up and their attraction is even more potent, Jack is determined not to go anywhere; at least for the summer.
Burning Up is the second book I’ve read by Anne Marsh. While the book descriptions are appealing, I have discovered that I have a difficult time fully engaging in her stories and characters. When I initially read the blurb of the hero being a smoke jumper I really expected to receive an intense romantic suspense plot as well as an engaging couple. What I received is a lackluster plot that felt very outlined and staged with no surprise or spark. It took me six days to finish and mostly I was just bored with the story. I never felt a passionate chemistry between Jack and Lily and being a character driven reader, it was disappointing. I had a hard time initially with the hero’s endearment of “baby” towards the heroine. The couple had a past history of attraction but had not seen each other for years and Jack immediately referred to Lily as “baby”. I don’t have a problem with the overall endearment; however, it felt very out of place and forced from the first moment Jack used it. Although they had flirted as teens in the past, Jack and Lily were not and had not been in an intimate relationship therefore “baby” felt very awkward in the dialogue. I was also bored with the villain/stalker. He basically set small fires to draw attention to himself and was sexually turned-on by the flames, which always resulted in masturbation. This led to his fixation on Lily and ultimately to his demise, but he was very one-dimensional and again, I was bored.
Another issue I had was toward the end of the story.*I will note that I read an ARC/paperback copy provided for review by Kensington and therefore this particular scene may have been edited in the final copy.
In the final sex scene, it states that Jack “drags off his jeans and rolls a condom on”. The scene continues on where they are devouring each other which leads to a blowjob and I quote:
“She slid her mouth up the hard shaft, sucking hard at the engorged tip. Christ. He was going to come in her mouth. Forcing himself to pull away, he tugged her up and over him.”
The scene ends with this final quote:
“He spilled himself deep inside her, gathering her up in his arms.”
The condom is never addressed or better yet, the lack of again. My immediate thought was: Did I read that right? He started with a condom and then it disappeared. Call me weird, but it ruined the entire scene for me.
Overall, I didn’t dislike the book, but there were not enough memorable moments for me to say I liked it either. For me, it lacked a depth and intensity I have come to expect from romantic suspense. It may be enough for some readers, but I had hoped for so much more.
October 30, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Lily and Jack shared a kiss when they were younger, but Jack was restless and needed to get out of the small town of Strong. He went on to become a fire jumper, loving the adrenaline rush and leading the men in his company into dangerous situations to help get fires under control. His adoptive mom asks him to come back to Strong as a series of random fires, too early in the season to be considered “usual”, have started and she’s worried their small town fire department might not be able to handle it. Jack comes back and figures out that the fires are all centered around Lily and they may have a more personal connection then she wants to acknowledge.
Lily ran from San Francisco after a serial arsonist set their sights on her and literally smoked her out of her house. The fires were started using personal items of Lily’s and she hit her breaking point when all her beloved books were set on fire in her kitchen. She caught a quick look at the man but didn’t stick around for the next fire. She went back to Strong, put all her time and money into running a lavender farm and is trying to make a go of it back home. Now, the fires are starting up again and the pattern is all too familiar. She knows the same man is back, stalking her again, but Jack is there to help her whether she wants him there or not.
I had a hard time connecting with this story and the characters from the start. I liked Lily. There’s a sweetness about her and all she wants to do is make her little lavender farm grow into a profitable business. Jack, on the other hand, came off very badly to me. He’s high handed and so back and forth about what he wants, it got to the point where I just didn’t care what he wanted anymore. He takes over making Lily’s property more fire safe, which is fine, but he doesn’t consider Lily’s request regarding her own property (he ignores her) and the things Jack was digging up and destroying all because he knew best. Maybe this was so, and maybe what he did with regards to this specific moment was correct, but it’s how he came off on page that was a big turn off.
There were other random things that came up that had me shaking my head. This stalker is after Lily, an obvious arsonist who they know is casing out her home and all the men that Jack brought into town rush off to fight another fire that’s threatening their town, but no one sticks around to protect Lily. It’s little things like that in a romantic suspense story that make me cringe. A small detail? Sure, but I guess I just want the characters to be smarter than that. The story felt filled with these little moments that ultimately pulled me out of the story and made me not connect with it.
Jack’s background was intriguing. As an orphan, he met two other young boys, Rio and Evan. Three young boys without a home, all with hard pasts who find a mom in Strong and she wants them all. I’d have loved for this to have been expanded on, especially for Jack. He hates being enclosed, needs to be outside to be comfortable and I wanted more on this; more history for him, just more details to make it easier to “get” him.
I was ultimately disappointed with this one. The setup is there, I still might pick up the next books in the series as I assume we’ll get stories for Jack’s brothers and possibly the other men on Jack’s jump team. While I liked Lily well enough, I never warmed up to Jack and not being able to buy into a lead character makes it hard to enjoy the story.
Lily and Jack shared a kiss when they were younger, but Jack was restless and needed to get out of the small town of Strong. He went on to become a fire jumper, loving the adrenaline rush and leading the men in his company into dangerous situations to help get fires under control. His adoptive mom asks him to come back to Strong as a series of random fires, too early in the season to be considered “usual”, have started and she’s worried their small town fire department might not be able to handle it. Jack comes back and figures out that the fires are all centered around Lily and they may have a more personal connection then she wants to acknowledge.
Lily ran from San Francisco after a serial arsonist set their sights on her and literally smoked her out of her house. The fires were started using personal items of Lily’s and she hit her breaking point when all her beloved books were set on fire in her kitchen. She caught a quick look at the man but didn’t stick around for the next fire. She went back to Strong, put all her time and money into running a lavender farm and is trying to make a go of it back home. Now, the fires are starting up again and the pattern is all too familiar. She knows the same man is back, stalking her again, but Jack is there to help her whether she wants him there or not.
I had a hard time connecting with this story and the characters from the start. I liked Lily. There’s a sweetness about her and all she wants to do is make her little lavender farm grow into a profitable business. Jack, on the other hand, came off very badly to me. He’s high handed and so back and forth about what he wants, it got to the point where I just didn’t care what he wanted anymore. He takes over making Lily’s property more fire safe, which is fine, but he doesn’t consider Lily’s request regarding her own property (he ignores her) and the things Jack was digging up and destroying all because he knew best. Maybe this was so, and maybe what he did with regards to this specific moment was correct, but it’s how he came off on page that was a big turn off.
There were other random things that came up that had me shaking my head. This stalker is after Lily, an obvious arsonist who they know is casing out her home and all the men that Jack brought into town rush off to fight another fire that’s threatening their town, but no one sticks around to protect Lily. It’s little things like that in a romantic suspense story that make me cringe. A small detail? Sure, but I guess I just want the characters to be smarter than that. The story felt filled with these little moments that ultimately pulled me out of the story and made me not connect with it.
Jack’s background was intriguing. As an orphan, he met two other young boys, Rio and Evan. Three young boys without a home, all with hard pasts who find a mom in Strong and she wants them all. I’d have loved for this to have been expanded on, especially for Jack. He hates being enclosed, needs to be outside to be comfortable and I wanted more on this; more history for him, just more details to make it easier to “get” him.
I was ultimately disappointed with this one. The setup is there, I still might pick up the next books in the series as I assume we’ll get stories for Jack’s brothers and possibly the other men on Jack’s jump team. While I liked Lily well enough, I never warmed up to Jack and not being able to buy into a lead character makes it hard to enjoy the story.
March 25, 2013
Jack couldn't wait to get away from small town life and he loves his job as a smoke jumper more than anything. He's always been restless and the job makes sure he never has to spend too much time in one place which suits him perfectly. His adoptive mother Nonna is about the only person who could get him back to his home town so when she calls to tell him about a spate of arson attacks and begs for his help to keep the town safe he drops everything to help her. Lily was crazy about Jack when she was a teenager but he always felt she was too young for him so apart from one scorching kiss he kept her at a distance. She has only recently returned home hoping to get away from a stalker who was making her life a misery but it looks like the danger has followed her. Jack is determined to keep Lily safe and figure out who is making her life a misery and he needs to do it before they start a fire that puts the whole town at risk. As they give in to the passion they feel will Lily be able to make Jack realise that settling down wouldn't be so bad?
Burning Up is the first book in Anne Marsh's Smoke Jumpers series and introduces us to the three foster brothers who are at the centre of the books. Jack, Evan and Rio all had difficult childhoods (although we don't know each of their stories in detail yet) but have been inseparable since they met in the foster system. Their lives didn't improve until they were adopted though so although they have a strong bond with each other and their mother Nonna none of them find it easy to trust others or let anyone else in. They are all hard working, love the adrenaline rush of fighting fires and they run a successful business together organising teams of Smoke Jumpers who travel around the country to help wherever they are needed. I have to say I loved all of the brothers and I really enjoyed watching the banter between them and the rest of the firefighters. I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know Evan and Rio better when I get to read their books.
I really liked Lily's character, she is the kind of girl most of us would like to be friends with - caring, loyal and independent. She was forced to move back home after being terrorised for months by a stalker but she is happy to be back and excited about running the lavender farm she has purchased. She just wants to be able to live her life in peace and is working hard to build a successful business. I'll admit that Jack irritated me, he was very sexy but he came across as far too pushy and domineering for my liking. He constantly ignored Lily's wishes and did whatever he thought was best no matter how much she fought him on certain issues. I know he was trying to keep her safe but I'd have preferred him to spend time explaining why he felt things needed doing and waiting for her to agree rather than going ahead without her consent. Lily is a grown woman and had the right to make her own decisions which was something Jack didn't seem to believe and I found it hard to accept that someone as strong as Lily wouldn't tell him to get lost.
I also found Jack's constant mood swings about their relationship started to make me feel dizzy, one minute he couldn't live without her and would give up anything if only she'd take a chance on him and the next he was pushing her away and complaining that he didn't want to settle down and be stuck in one town forever. I wouldn't have minded a bit of internal conflict but it just went on and on until it became a bit much. I think I would have understood him better if we'd been given a bit more insight into his past before he came to live with Nonna, we could see the effects of serious childhood trauma but didn't learn about the cause of them. I was desperate to know why he felt so claustrophobic sleeping inside. He does manage to redeem himself by the end of the book but I never fell for him as hard as I usually fall for my romance heroes.
I really enjoyed the scenes where Jack and his team were battling fires, they were well written and showed just how dangerous the job of smoke jumping is. I have a huge respect for all firefighters (my step dad was one until he retired so I've grown up knowing just how hard they work) but living in the UK I have very little experience when it comes to the huge forest fires that cause such devastation in other parts of the world. The scenes with Lily's stalker were interesting and I thought the escalation in his behaviour was realistic but I felt it was all just a little too easy to figure out who they actually were. I could have done with a little more mystery there and would have loved a few red herrings thrown in along the way.
I have to confess that I didn't love Burning Up as much as I hoped I would but it was still an enjoyable way to pass the time and I'm definitely planning on reading Evan's story in Slow Burn. I'm hoping that the few of the issues I had with this story will have been ironed out and the next book will be much stronger. Either way I'm looking forward to seeing more of Evan and I hope that Rio will be getting his own book after that one.
Burning Up is the first book in Anne Marsh's Smoke Jumpers series and introduces us to the three foster brothers who are at the centre of the books. Jack, Evan and Rio all had difficult childhoods (although we don't know each of their stories in detail yet) but have been inseparable since they met in the foster system. Their lives didn't improve until they were adopted though so although they have a strong bond with each other and their mother Nonna none of them find it easy to trust others or let anyone else in. They are all hard working, love the adrenaline rush of fighting fires and they run a successful business together organising teams of Smoke Jumpers who travel around the country to help wherever they are needed. I have to say I loved all of the brothers and I really enjoyed watching the banter between them and the rest of the firefighters. I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know Evan and Rio better when I get to read their books.
I really liked Lily's character, she is the kind of girl most of us would like to be friends with - caring, loyal and independent. She was forced to move back home after being terrorised for months by a stalker but she is happy to be back and excited about running the lavender farm she has purchased. She just wants to be able to live her life in peace and is working hard to build a successful business. I'll admit that Jack irritated me, he was very sexy but he came across as far too pushy and domineering for my liking. He constantly ignored Lily's wishes and did whatever he thought was best no matter how much she fought him on certain issues. I know he was trying to keep her safe but I'd have preferred him to spend time explaining why he felt things needed doing and waiting for her to agree rather than going ahead without her consent. Lily is a grown woman and had the right to make her own decisions which was something Jack didn't seem to believe and I found it hard to accept that someone as strong as Lily wouldn't tell him to get lost.
I also found Jack's constant mood swings about their relationship started to make me feel dizzy, one minute he couldn't live without her and would give up anything if only she'd take a chance on him and the next he was pushing her away and complaining that he didn't want to settle down and be stuck in one town forever. I wouldn't have minded a bit of internal conflict but it just went on and on until it became a bit much. I think I would have understood him better if we'd been given a bit more insight into his past before he came to live with Nonna, we could see the effects of serious childhood trauma but didn't learn about the cause of them. I was desperate to know why he felt so claustrophobic sleeping inside. He does manage to redeem himself by the end of the book but I never fell for him as hard as I usually fall for my romance heroes.
I really enjoyed the scenes where Jack and his team were battling fires, they were well written and showed just how dangerous the job of smoke jumping is. I have a huge respect for all firefighters (my step dad was one until he retired so I've grown up knowing just how hard they work) but living in the UK I have very little experience when it comes to the huge forest fires that cause such devastation in other parts of the world. The scenes with Lily's stalker were interesting and I thought the escalation in his behaviour was realistic but I felt it was all just a little too easy to figure out who they actually were. I could have done with a little more mystery there and would have loved a few red herrings thrown in along the way.
I have to confess that I didn't love Burning Up as much as I hoped I would but it was still an enjoyable way to pass the time and I'm definitely planning on reading Evan's story in Slow Burn. I'm hoping that the few of the issues I had with this story will have been ironed out and the next book will be much stronger. Either way I'm looking forward to seeing more of Evan and I hope that Rio will be getting his own book after that one.
May 9, 2016
Burning Up
3 Stars
Former marine and smoke jumper, Jack Donovan reluctantly returns home to California at the request of his foster mother who is concerned over a series of arson fires in their small town. Jack soon realizes that the arsonist is also the stalker who has been terrorizing Lily Cortez, and takes it upon himself to protect the only woman who has ever made him smolder. As the malicious stalker moves ever closer to his target, Jack and Lily will have to overcome their differences is they want to survive the summer.
Nothing original in either the suspense plot or the romance.
Jack is your typical reluctant hero who realizes what he’s been missing, and Lily tries to play hard to get but fails miserably. Jack’s background as an orphan living on the streets with his two “brothers” is intriguing; unfortunately it is underdeveloped. The details about Lily and Jack’s past are sketchy and really don’t constitute any real foundation for their supposed chemistry.
The arsonist plot has potential, but ends up fizzling as the culprit is pathetic rather than frightening. Moreover, the fire scenes are reminiscent of other firefighter books, such as Nora Robert’s Chasing Fire, and the ending is taken right out of the film Smoke Jumpers with Adam Baldwin and Lindsey Frost.
All in all, a so-so read and I may read the next one if it fits in a challenge.
3 Stars
Former marine and smoke jumper, Jack Donovan reluctantly returns home to California at the request of his foster mother who is concerned over a series of arson fires in their small town. Jack soon realizes that the arsonist is also the stalker who has been terrorizing Lily Cortez, and takes it upon himself to protect the only woman who has ever made him smolder. As the malicious stalker moves ever closer to his target, Jack and Lily will have to overcome their differences is they want to survive the summer.
Nothing original in either the suspense plot or the romance.
Jack is your typical reluctant hero who realizes what he’s been missing, and Lily tries to play hard to get but fails miserably. Jack’s background as an orphan living on the streets with his two “brothers” is intriguing; unfortunately it is underdeveloped. The details about Lily and Jack’s past are sketchy and really don’t constitute any real foundation for their supposed chemistry.
The arsonist plot has potential, but ends up fizzling as the culprit is pathetic rather than frightening. Moreover, the fire scenes are reminiscent of other firefighter books, such as Nora Robert’s Chasing Fire, and the ending is taken right out of the film Smoke Jumpers with Adam Baldwin and Lindsey Frost.
All in all, a so-so read and I may read the next one if it fits in a challenge.
October 30, 2012
Thanks to the publisher, Kensington, and NetGalley for the chance to read this!
A very explosive story!
This story quickly caught my attention and took off at a sprint. It is the first in a new series about smoke-jumper firefighters. If the rest are even half as good as this one, then Ms. Marsh has a winning series on her hands. Well written, intense, and full of suspense, this story was on FIRE (pun intended).
I’m not sure which I enjoyed most the romance, action or suspense. I found myself racing through the book trying to discover the stalker/serial arsonist was. The story was seriously intense up all the way through - I thought this was a fantastic read.
This is the third series by this author I have read & enjoyed! I look forward to MANY more books written by her! She seems to have a series for everyone (A) Fallen, for her Paranormal readers; (B) Dawson Brothers, for her western readers, & this one for her suspense readers.
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
A very explosive story!
This story quickly caught my attention and took off at a sprint. It is the first in a new series about smoke-jumper firefighters. If the rest are even half as good as this one, then Ms. Marsh has a winning series on her hands. Well written, intense, and full of suspense, this story was on FIRE (pun intended).
I’m not sure which I enjoyed most the romance, action or suspense. I found myself racing through the book trying to discover the stalker/serial arsonist was. The story was seriously intense up all the way through - I thought this was a fantastic read.
This is the third series by this author I have read & enjoyed! I look forward to MANY more books written by her! She seems to have a series for everyone (A) Fallen, for her Paranormal readers; (B) Dawson Brothers, for her western readers, & this one for her suspense readers.
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
July 7, 2025
2.75 Stars
Started out good & fast, then died a slow death. The repetitiveness really got to me.
The hero/heroine having the same thoughts over & over & over. Grrr.
It could have been a really good book.
So it looks like Anne Marsh goes to my 4 file. That's the file for maybe later I will explore her works more, but I won't go out of my way. And no, I don't have a shelf titled 4. That file only exist in my head.
It wasn't terrible, but it was to boring for me.
Started out good & fast, then died a slow death. The repetitiveness really got to me.
The hero/heroine having the same thoughts over & over & over. Grrr.
It could have been a really good book.
So it looks like Anne Marsh goes to my 4 file. That's the file for maybe later I will explore her works more, but I won't go out of my way. And no, I don't have a shelf titled 4. That file only exist in my head.
It wasn't terrible, but it was to boring for me.
March 24, 2013
It was okay seriously is all that comes to mind. Jack and Lily share a kiss while they were too young to understand or I guess be ready for what they could have. Jack leaves because he needs to get out before the walls close in leaving a heartbroken Lily. A decade pass and our hero has not forgotten his Lily but actually thinks about her often. A series a fires too early in the season to be "usual" occur and has his adoptive mom calling for support. Of course we all know that she is trying to get Lily and Jack together and save the town.
I like an dominant guy but Jack is seriously way overbearing. He was the one who left Lily because he was not the settling down type. However that does not stop his possessiveness. In some guys it's sexy, but here it was very off putting. The story was decent, the plot was okay, and the characters I do not feel were very memorable.
I like an dominant guy but Jack is seriously way overbearing. He was the one who left Lily because he was not the settling down type. However that does not stop his possessiveness. In some guys it's sexy, but here it was very off putting. The story was decent, the plot was okay, and the characters I do not feel were very memorable.
June 28, 2023
I’m not sure but for some reason I struggled to get into this one. Wasn’t feeling the story or the characters much.
January 8, 2014
This is the first smoke- jumper firefighters book I ever read and also the first in a series. It was very interesting learning all the details of forest fire fighting plus the type of person needed to be able to handle fire crisis at a moments notice. The author’s research made for an educational twist. The book was a romance filled with suspense and mystery.
The writer balances the talents of the characters with their weakness. In this book of the series, Jack and Lily are the main characters. Throughout the book you can take part as they discover a new level of maturity both individually and together. They have to deal with the havoc caused by a stalker/arsonist out to destroy their relationship.
Adopted in their youth, Jack is one of three brothers involved in the series. The brothers are very close to each other and their mother. It shows the closeness of family relationships and the closeness of a small town residents with each other.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. This is an intense, intriguing, suspenseful book
topped off by romance. Jump into the story to help find the stalker/arsonist and stop him from doing anymore harm to the town or Lily & Jack!!!
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
The writer balances the talents of the characters with their weakness. In this book of the series, Jack and Lily are the main characters. Throughout the book you can take part as they discover a new level of maturity both individually and together. They have to deal with the havoc caused by a stalker/arsonist out to destroy their relationship.
Adopted in their youth, Jack is one of three brothers involved in the series. The brothers are very close to each other and their mother. It shows the closeness of family relationships and the closeness of a small town residents with each other.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. This is an intense, intriguing, suspenseful book
topped off by romance. Jump into the story to help find the stalker/arsonist and stop him from doing anymore harm to the town or Lily & Jack!!!
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
October 20, 2014
Reviewed Sweet Burn, a later book in the Smoke Jumpers series, for netgalley, and then I just had to go back and start at the first one. I do enjoy the slow and intense build up of the story and the love/sex aspect of Marsh's firefighter stories - it's not wham! bam! you're mine, m'am! - but a more realistic build up. Marsh knows her firefighting stuff, and I really enjoy reading the details associated with fighting the fires. Also, the firefighters/smoke jumpers/hot shots are usually military guys who come back home and continue to be of service to our country. And these stories are definitely hot in more ways than just the heat of the fires the smoke jumpers are fighting.
In this particular book, Lily and Jack have a history, and when Jack comes back to town at the request of his Nonna (his adopted mom), Lily has to come to terms with a guy who fights fires for a living. She has a scary history with fire, and although she may seem whiny at times, what she has to get/go through to love and support a firefighter seems real (just like with real-life women who have to come to terms with loving a soldier or police officer or firefighter).
I enjoyed this one and am giving it a 4.
Thanks for reading.
In this particular book, Lily and Jack have a history, and when Jack comes back to town at the request of his Nonna (his adopted mom), Lily has to come to terms with a guy who fights fires for a living. She has a scary history with fire, and although she may seem whiny at times, what she has to get/go through to love and support a firefighter seems real (just like with real-life women who have to come to terms with loving a soldier or police officer or firefighter).
I enjoyed this one and am giving it a 4.
Thanks for reading.
March 21, 2013
Burning Up quickly caught my attention and kept it through the entire story. Jack and Lily are a hot couple and they’re caught up in a mystery that could end deadly.
Jack comes back to Strong at the request of his Nonna. They’re little town has an arsonist and it quickly becomes apparent to Jack, that Lily is the target. Lily fears her stalker has found her again and she’s scared. Jack moves in to take care of her and protect her.
Anne Marsh has created a hot story with some hot romance. Jack and Lily are explosive together and the romance between them burns up the sheets. The suspense is awesome. I really enjoyed watching Jack do everything he could to keep Lily safe while he tracks the stalker.
The final showdown between Jack and the stalker was HOT and burning up! I loved the suspense!
This is a great beginning to a new series and I’m looking forward to the rest of them.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2016
This was my first taste of this author and it certainly won't be my last. I enjoyed the sexy smoke jumpers and I can't wait to hear more about the brothers. Lily is a wonderful heroine and is the perfect woman for Jack. I had a little trouble with their inner monologues which were a bit repetitive and also kinda went back and forth about their feelings for each other. One minute they were both struggling with their feelings to the point of denying them, the next minute they were damning all to hell and going for broke, swearing that whatever they could have from the other would have to be enough. It got a little annoying but, at the end, of course, they got their HEA. I am hoping to hear more about Ben & Nonna as well as the rest of Jack's smoke jumping team and I'm guessing the next book will be about either Evan or Rio - both of whom sound just as delicious as Jack!
April 4, 2014
If you love contemporary romances showcasing a different count of hero, this series is for you. In Burning Up, we're introduced to Jack Donovan, a smokejumper who came back home to Strong, California, when there's a rash of wildfires in his home town. With his two brothers and his jump team, they're on the scene, when it sent him to his former flame's doorstep. Lily Cortez runs her own lavender farm, when there's an arsonist stalker burning her personal and private things. It's up to Jack to protect Lily, find out who's terrorizing her, and heat thing up with Lily, pick up where things left up with a burning chemistry of their own. As they close in to the arsonist, things get fiery, when their lives on their line, and Jack professes his love and his heart to Lily. What a red hot romance.
July 23, 2014
Wow the suspense in this book will have wanting to read more to find out who done it. we follow Jack and Lily's story. Lily just moves back to Strong after a stalker sets fire to books in her kitchen. Once back in Strong she is once again feeling safe only to have her world turned upside down again. Jack comes back to Strong to help Ben out with the summer fires that have been popping up here and there. Lily and Jack are thrown together due to her stalker returning and setting little fires here and there near her.
Will true love win. Will jack and lily come together as a couple. or will Jack leave Strong again and not come back. A must read...
Will true love win. Will jack and lily come together as a couple. or will Jack leave Strong again and not come back. A must read...
March 30, 2014
what started in their youth and ended abruptly continues to stoke the fires of love and stubborn romance for Jack and Lily.
Jack returns to Strong, California to help with the heavy and unexpected fire season and vows to protect his Lily against her serial arsonist.
Will Jack Donovan and his brothers, Evan and Rio be able to save the town of Strong, from the arsonist ? Will he manage in time to save Lily so they can have a future together?!
A SMOKIN HOT read......
Jack returns to Strong, California to help with the heavy and unexpected fire season and vows to protect his Lily against her serial arsonist.
Will Jack Donovan and his brothers, Evan and Rio be able to save the town of Strong, from the arsonist ? Will he manage in time to save Lily so they can have a future together?!
A SMOKIN HOT read......
May 11, 2014
Karen B says: What started in their youth and ended abruptly, continues to stoke the fires of love and stubborn romance in Jack and Lily.
Jack returns to Strong, CA to help with the fire season, and vows to protect Lily against her serial arsonist. Will Jack and his brothers be able to save the town of Strong from the arsonist? Will he manage in time to save Lily so they can have a future together?
A smokin' hot read!
Jack returns to Strong, CA to help with the fire season, and vows to protect Lily against her serial arsonist. Will Jack and his brothers be able to save the town of Strong from the arsonist? Will he manage in time to save Lily so they can have a future together?
A smokin' hot read!
July 1, 2014
Holy Smokes
Hot as hell, Jack Donovan fought fires, jumped out of planes and stayed moving. Nothing could tie him down until Lily. Great book, full of danger, intrigue, and hot fire jumpers. Anne Marsh tells a great story with great characters. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series of "Smoke Jumpers".
Hot as hell, Jack Donovan fought fires, jumped out of planes and stayed moving. Nothing could tie him down until Lily. Great book, full of danger, intrigue, and hot fire jumpers. Anne Marsh tells a great story with great characters. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series of "Smoke Jumpers".
August 31, 2014
As novels go, it was an acceptable short story. Characters flat.
October 31, 2012
Didn't Light My Fire
The last thing smoke jumper Jack Donovan wants to do during an active fire season is ground his team and return to the small town he left ten years ago, but the phone call he receives one afternoon takes the options out of his hands. He may not be happy about it, but Jack cares too much to ignore the request from the woman who took him and his brothers into her home when they were children, then made them her own.
And when Nonna mentions the fires that have sprung up around the tiny town of Strong, fires that are too frequent and too controlled to be caused by anything natural, Jack does what any responsible son does. He goes home.
He's not back a day before Jack realizes that all is not right in Strong. The fires are more than just suspicious in origin, they are also occurring in a very definite pattern. One that surrounds a small farmstead under new ownership. When Jack finds out the name of the new owner, he realizes that this summer is going to burn hotter than any raging wildfire - and be just as dangerous.
Lily Cortez is back in Strong, the same Lily who haunts his memories, even after ten years. The Lily that he kissed the night before he put his hometown in his rearview mirror. And she seems to be the target of an arsonist.
Even as the battle in him rages between concern for her safety and trepidation about his control, he can still feel the press of her lips against his, remember the fit of her body to his. And in dreams and memories, he still tastes his need for her on his tongue. Seeing Lily again will leave Jack with not one doubt that this summer's fire season is going to be one for the record books. In all sorts of ways.
~*~
As soon as I read the blurb for this book I wanted to get my hands on it. A romantic suspense series is always a good bet for me, but one that features smoke jumpers? Hell yeah, now that's a veritable cornucopia of hot, alpha male goodness. That's like...firemen times four on the Sexy Meter. I was all in.
And before I make it sound like I was totally disappointed by the reality of this series debut, I have to admit, there was plenty of smoking-hot sexiness and alpha-male yumminess to be enjoyed. There were also a couple of great scenes in which the smoke jumpers were doing their thing against raging wildfires, and those were as chilling as they were deadly hot (the not-fun kind). I certainly have a whole new respect for anyone craz....er...dedicated enough to tackle that as a career.
I also had, though, a few pretty big issues with the story. I was never too keen about Jack as the lead character, first of all. He was sexy, yes, and had that whole bad boy thing going for him, sure, but I didn't like him all that much, either. Especially at the start of the book.
When we meet him he's annoyed and feeling put-out, wishing that he hadn't taken the phone call from Nonna because he feels his job is way more important than any piddly issues the town of Strong could possible have. His attitude, frankly, rubbed me all sorts of wrong ways. Then we find out that not only is Nonna the only mother he's ever known, but the man on whose behalf she's calling is the closest he's ever come to an uncle...yet Jack has not once deigned to visit either of them in the ten years since he left town. Even this time he seriously begrudges returning to a town that he seems to hate (for no good reason I could ever figure).
Yeah, at that point the first impressions weren't painting him as my kind of romantic hero. And it got worse before it got better.
Fortunately, there was Lily. And though there were times I questioned some of the actions she took and felt that some of her reactions to the Bad Guy seemed a bit off for someone as strong as she appears to be, I liked who she was as a person quite a lot. I loved that she went toe-to-toe with Jack more than once, thought she was fabulous when she was furious, and felt she handles Jack's return to her life with appealingly adult sensibility.
She was certainly more sympathetic and easier to relate to than Jack, especially at the beginning.
Another bone of contention I had was in the narrative. Most notable in the first half but present throughout, there was quite a bit of repetition that over-emphasized plot points and story elements. It got tedious. Jack and Lily's history was mentioned many, many times, Jack's determination to leave town at summer's end came up over and over, and I didn't need to be told Jack didn't like having walls around him quite as often as I was (though it would've been nice to find out the hows and whys of that phobia). Those and several other points were hashed and rehashed, and it cost the story the page space that could have been better served adding complexity and depth to the plot of both the romance arc and the Bad Guy's story threads.
Some contradictions in the story and a few minor holes in the plot were also troubling, though I enjoyed the concept behind the Bad Guy. Marsh handled the psychology of his character and the escalation of violence both consistently and believably. I wish he'd had a larger role in the storyline, because he posed a serious and significant threat to the characters, one that I would have enjoyed seeing expanded further.
I wish the characters had been better developed and fleshed out more than they were. I don't think there was enough detail provided about Jack's past, and I don't think the secondary characters had a large enough role in the tale. It seemed like as soon as Jack locked eyes on Lily again he didn't stray far, and Nonna, Ben, even his brothers almost completely ceased to exist for most of the story. None of that made the story or the characters feel particularly well-rounded.
For all those issues, though, Jack grew on me later in the book and I liked him with Lily. The fire scenes were handled well and the stalker/arsonist was dangerous and grimly entertaining. Other than the repetition, always a hot button of mine, the book wasn't a bad read. It just wasn't complex enough in story or character to be consistently entertaining. I'd have to think hard about continuing the series, because the super-hot smoke jumpers just weren't enough for me in this one.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me for review. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
The last thing smoke jumper Jack Donovan wants to do during an active fire season is ground his team and return to the small town he left ten years ago, but the phone call he receives one afternoon takes the options out of his hands. He may not be happy about it, but Jack cares too much to ignore the request from the woman who took him and his brothers into her home when they were children, then made them her own.
And when Nonna mentions the fires that have sprung up around the tiny town of Strong, fires that are too frequent and too controlled to be caused by anything natural, Jack does what any responsible son does. He goes home.
He's not back a day before Jack realizes that all is not right in Strong. The fires are more than just suspicious in origin, they are also occurring in a very definite pattern. One that surrounds a small farmstead under new ownership. When Jack finds out the name of the new owner, he realizes that this summer is going to burn hotter than any raging wildfire - and be just as dangerous.
Lily Cortez is back in Strong, the same Lily who haunts his memories, even after ten years. The Lily that he kissed the night before he put his hometown in his rearview mirror. And she seems to be the target of an arsonist.
Even as the battle in him rages between concern for her safety and trepidation about his control, he can still feel the press of her lips against his, remember the fit of her body to his. And in dreams and memories, he still tastes his need for her on his tongue. Seeing Lily again will leave Jack with not one doubt that this summer's fire season is going to be one for the record books. In all sorts of ways.
~*~
As soon as I read the blurb for this book I wanted to get my hands on it. A romantic suspense series is always a good bet for me, but one that features smoke jumpers? Hell yeah, now that's a veritable cornucopia of hot, alpha male goodness. That's like...firemen times four on the Sexy Meter. I was all in.
And before I make it sound like I was totally disappointed by the reality of this series debut, I have to admit, there was plenty of smoking-hot sexiness and alpha-male yumminess to be enjoyed. There were also a couple of great scenes in which the smoke jumpers were doing their thing against raging wildfires, and those were as chilling as they were deadly hot (the not-fun kind). I certainly have a whole new respect for anyone craz....er...dedicated enough to tackle that as a career.
I also had, though, a few pretty big issues with the story. I was never too keen about Jack as the lead character, first of all. He was sexy, yes, and had that whole bad boy thing going for him, sure, but I didn't like him all that much, either. Especially at the start of the book.
When we meet him he's annoyed and feeling put-out, wishing that he hadn't taken the phone call from Nonna because he feels his job is way more important than any piddly issues the town of Strong could possible have. His attitude, frankly, rubbed me all sorts of wrong ways. Then we find out that not only is Nonna the only mother he's ever known, but the man on whose behalf she's calling is the closest he's ever come to an uncle...yet Jack has not once deigned to visit either of them in the ten years since he left town. Even this time he seriously begrudges returning to a town that he seems to hate (for no good reason I could ever figure).
Yeah, at that point the first impressions weren't painting him as my kind of romantic hero. And it got worse before it got better.
Fortunately, there was Lily. And though there were times I questioned some of the actions she took and felt that some of her reactions to the Bad Guy seemed a bit off for someone as strong as she appears to be, I liked who she was as a person quite a lot. I loved that she went toe-to-toe with Jack more than once, thought she was fabulous when she was furious, and felt she handles Jack's return to her life with appealingly adult sensibility.
She was certainly more sympathetic and easier to relate to than Jack, especially at the beginning.
Another bone of contention I had was in the narrative. Most notable in the first half but present throughout, there was quite a bit of repetition that over-emphasized plot points and story elements. It got tedious. Jack and Lily's history was mentioned many, many times, Jack's determination to leave town at summer's end came up over and over, and I didn't need to be told Jack didn't like having walls around him quite as often as I was (though it would've been nice to find out the hows and whys of that phobia). Those and several other points were hashed and rehashed, and it cost the story the page space that could have been better served adding complexity and depth to the plot of both the romance arc and the Bad Guy's story threads.
Some contradictions in the story and a few minor holes in the plot were also troubling, though I enjoyed the concept behind the Bad Guy. Marsh handled the psychology of his character and the escalation of violence both consistently and believably. I wish he'd had a larger role in the storyline, because he posed a serious and significant threat to the characters, one that I would have enjoyed seeing expanded further.
I wish the characters had been better developed and fleshed out more than they were. I don't think there was enough detail provided about Jack's past, and I don't think the secondary characters had a large enough role in the tale. It seemed like as soon as Jack locked eyes on Lily again he didn't stray far, and Nonna, Ben, even his brothers almost completely ceased to exist for most of the story. None of that made the story or the characters feel particularly well-rounded.
For all those issues, though, Jack grew on me later in the book and I liked him with Lily. The fire scenes were handled well and the stalker/arsonist was dangerous and grimly entertaining. Other than the repetition, always a hot button of mine, the book wasn't a bad read. It just wasn't complex enough in story or character to be consistently entertaining. I'd have to think hard about continuing the series, because the super-hot smoke jumpers just weren't enough for me in this one.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me for review. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
January 12, 2018
Burning Up
Jack and Lily knew each other almost all their lives
Jack a foster child who eventually was adopted by his foster mother. Lily was left with her uncle when her mother could not raise her at 5. As they years word one and they were teenagers there was attraction but never really acted on it.
Jack left Strong and joined marines and then a Smoke Jumper. While Lily went to college and advertising agency. Both never forgot each other. Though Jack knew with his past he was never going to be a forever kind of guy.
Then Lily started having trouble and someone starting fires. She gets scared and moved back to Strong. Her uncle and jacks mother call him to come help find out who is targeting Lily. It's been ten years since they saw each other.
Lily is not happy to see Jack because she knows he is instant attraction and the chemistry is off the charts but she can't give in because he will never stay and she won't great her heart again .
Can Jack prove he can keep her safe ? Will Jack believe finally Lily is the one he needs in his life and won't run out on him like his past did.
Very good read now on to next book.
Jack and Lily knew each other almost all their lives
Jack a foster child who eventually was adopted by his foster mother. Lily was left with her uncle when her mother could not raise her at 5. As they years word one and they were teenagers there was attraction but never really acted on it.
Jack left Strong and joined marines and then a Smoke Jumper. While Lily went to college and advertising agency. Both never forgot each other. Though Jack knew with his past he was never going to be a forever kind of guy.
Then Lily started having trouble and someone starting fires. She gets scared and moved back to Strong. Her uncle and jacks mother call him to come help find out who is targeting Lily. It's been ten years since they saw each other.
Lily is not happy to see Jack because she knows he is instant attraction and the chemistry is off the charts but she can't give in because he will never stay and she won't great her heart again .
Can Jack prove he can keep her safe ? Will Jack believe finally Lily is the one he needs in his life and won't run out on him like his past did.
Very good read now on to next book.
December 18, 2017
Anyway you Look, It's Hot!
This was really a great story. Right after I started reading this cities surrounding us were on fire here in California. The story was very realistically portrayed and very well written. Because of the fires here it was actually a bit hard to read. I loved the characters, very memorable. A great read and keeps you guessing who the arsonist is.
This was really a great story. Right after I started reading this cities surrounding us were on fire here in California. The story was very realistically portrayed and very well written. Because of the fires here it was actually a bit hard to read. I loved the characters, very memorable. A great read and keeps you guessing who the arsonist is.
January 21, 2022
Just really badly written…saying the same thing over and over just in different ways…obviously filler. There is a plot, tho, and kind of an exciting ending. Just so much over and over how she feels, why she feels, how he feels, why he feels. Typical bad romance novelist writing. May get the next one tho, don’t have a lot to read at the moment, see how much it is.
June 18, 2018
I wanted to like this, it seemed like the author did a bit of research on Smoke Jumpers and this would be exciting.
BUT, the overuse of the 'baby' endearment and my inability to get invested in the characters just couldn't let me give this more than two stars. It was just ok.
BUT, the overuse of the 'baby' endearment and my inability to get invested in the characters just couldn't let me give this more than two stars. It was just ok.
December 20, 2017
Made it to page 91. Could not finish. I hated the main character, Jack.
February 16, 2018
This was a good typical smutty romance novel. The way the main characters Jack and Lily talked to each other was pretty cheesy. Other than that it was good.
July 18, 2019
Good read
Enjoyable sexy romance with really strong characters and good storyline. Smoke jumpers and their potential partners form the basis of the series. Highly recommend.
Enjoyable sexy romance with really strong characters and good storyline. Smoke jumpers and their potential partners form the basis of the series. Highly recommend.
July 8, 2021
Prepared to be impressed!
May 10, 2024
DNF 17%
October 19, 2012
Book Synopsis
It takes a special kind of hero to be a smoke jumper. To take the greatest risks. To live or die in the raging heat of the moment. And it takes a special kind of woman to love him. . .
Where There's Smoke. . .
For Jack Donovan, smoke jumping is a way of life. He lives for the adrenaline rush--the thrill of flying over the burning California hills, the intensity of diving straight into the inferno, the glory of taming the forces of nature. Love is a distant ember compared to the feeling he gets fighting fires--until an emergency call from his hometown brings him face to face with the one woman he can't forget. . .
There's Fire
Lily never got over the handsome rogue who once kissed her senseless--and then left. She vowed she was done with love-'em-and-leave-'em men and small town life. Until a series of malicious fires set by a stalker has her running home to hide. Now, their summer is heating up as Jack fights to save her from the stalker's fiery threats and to convince her to give the passion between them a second chance.
My Thoughts
10 years after leaving Strong California Jack returns in response to a call from his adoptive Mother Nonna, after all when Nonna says something is an emergency than you can bet she is not exaggerating!
Lily Cortez also left Strong, carving a life for herself in the city of San Francisco. Lily has come back to the small town trying to escape a stalker and finds a lavender farm that she buys and in the process of making the farm into something of her own finds peace and a sense of home that she never really had before.
This is a vibrant story, it details the perils that firefighters face every time they put themselves in harms way to protect and defend property, homes and possessions that belong to someone else from raging fires that in a short span of time can turn everything in it's path to embers and ashes. In particular the scenes where Jake and his team of "smoke jumpers" confront the horrific destruction from the air, jumping down into the very heart of the inferno to fight a fire raging out of control that you cannot get to from the ground really puts into perspective the very special kind of person it takes to do this intense and deadly job.
From a personal standpoint I have always admired firemen, the ones that I have known were not paid but volunteers in small towns that had only a small amount of resources to fight with but they never backed down when the call came and gave everything they had to make sure a fire was controlled, contained and if possible put out before it could do more damage than it already had.
However this story is more than about the dangers of fighting fire, it is also about one man and one woman whose chance at romance 10 years in their past was never fully explored as Lily was too young and Jack was too scared. There are also elements of drama and mystery that involve the reason why Lily has come back to her hometown of Strong, the unknown stalker who drove her to leave San Francisco has followed her home and once again starts to leave a trail of fiery destruction behind which is the reason why Jack has come back.
What happens next will leave you breathless with anticipation, on the edge of your seat waiting to see if the villain is stopped in time and very much wanting the next book once you finish as there is still much left untold about the team of smoke jumpers and what the future holds.
This is a wonderful start to what I hope is at least a trilogy in the series, this first book details Jack and Lily's relationship which is hotter than the wildfires that Jack and his team fight! Also am totally in love with the town of strong, especially Nonna, Ben and Ma's honkytonk all make me want to visit and stay awhile so I can see Lily's lavendar farm for myself. I have always loved the idea of a field of lavendar but never seen one. I want to know more about what happens to the inhabitants of the town of Strong, where things go with Nonna and Ben but most of all what comes to pass with Jack's brothers Evan and Rio now that the team has a base setting up in the town of Strong.
This book is a strong contemporary romance with enough thrilling mystery elements to add a spice of danger to the mix. Where some questions are answered for the reader others are brought to light and it will be very interesting to see how the author handles them in books to come. I personally look forward to it very much as I enjoy the style of storytelling that Anne Marsh brings to each of her works, enjoy the honorable characteristics that she gives each of her heroes and heroines and most of all enjoy where her imagination takes the reader in each story that she pens so passionately and eloquently.
[Copy of book from author in exchange for honest review]
July 6, 2017
The premise to this book was pretty appealing. The execution? Not so much.
Actual psychopath, Jack Donovan, is a smoke jumper. In the book's opening scene, we join him as he and his crew are in their plane, circling above a forest fire in California. Jack runs his own business heading up a team of smoke jumpers for private hire, who risk their lives to fight out-of-control forest fires. Jack lives for the danger and adrenaline rush his career provides and doesn't want to be tied down.
As Jack waits to exit the plane, he recalls a conversation with his adoptive mother, Nonna, who has asked him to return to his hometown of Strong, to help the town's aging volunteer fire chief. The fire season has kicked off with a suspiciously large number of fires, and the chief is struggling to cope. But Jack is not up for it. Strong is boring, and the fires there are boring! Jack likes big fires that he can tuck and roll into with his boys! But being the great guy that he is, Jack agrees to come anyway. It's only for a few months afterall. Jack has all the makings of a hot, male romantic lead. All brawn and danger, damaged, but ultimately a good-hearted guy. Or so I thought...
When Jack arrives in Strong, he learns that his teenage love interest, Lily, has bought an old Lavender farm in the town. Lily, we learn, left for San Francisco shortly after high school where she enjoyed a successful career in marketing. That is, until a stalker began to target her, setting fires in ever more alarming and personal ways. This had her running back to Strong to escape, until she realises that the pattern is beginning to repeat itself. But fear not fair maiden! Badass firefighter Jack is on his way to Strong!
Unfortunately, things go downhill, in epic style, from the first moment Jack and Lily meet again, when he turns up on her doorstep with pamphlets on fire safety. If only that was all he wanted to give her.
Lily's stalker is convinced that they're meant to be together and he doesn't appreciate her efforts to resist and elude him by escaping to Strong. How ironic then that our supposed heroic male lead is, in actual fact, JUST AS BAD (only hotter)! Because guess what? Women don't know what's best for them and need a man to take charge and show them, whether they like it or not (as long as he's hot). Am I right?
I went from eagerly anticipating Jack and Lily's reunion to absolutely HATING Jack within the space of a few paragraphs. He is THE WORST! He immediately calls her "baby" despite the fact they had barely anything but a kiss some 10 years earlier (presumptuous much?), bullies his way in to her house, tells her what he's going to do about her stalker situation, while completely disregarding her thoughts on the matter, because he is A MAN and so obviously knows best, and within approximately 24 hours turns up at her house with his bag and tells her he's moving in to protect her even though she says no! Oh yeah, then his brother turns up in equally bullish style and starts installing surveillance equipment, again, whether or not Lily likes it. Never mind the stalker, Jack and his brothers are the one's you need to be worried about!
Oh and there's a really odd scene where Lily's uncle (the fire chief) is talking to Jack about their relationship and refers to her as a "sexy little thing." Like, that's a monumentally inappropriate and sexist way to talk about your niece!
There is no greater turn off in a romance novel than a male lead who, despite protests from the female lead, just knows exactly what's best for her and walks all over her, ostensibly for her own good and despite her explicitly stating that she doesn't want him to do whatever ALPHA MAN crap he's trying to do. I mean, have you ever thought of explaining your concerns to her and working out a strategy that's mutually agreeable. HAVE YOU?!
Also, the author writes in a weirdly convoluted style. I feel I'm being rather generous in giving this book two stars, but it had potential so I thought one star was a little harsh. I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did but just....no :(
Actual psychopath, Jack Donovan, is a smoke jumper. In the book's opening scene, we join him as he and his crew are in their plane, circling above a forest fire in California. Jack runs his own business heading up a team of smoke jumpers for private hire, who risk their lives to fight out-of-control forest fires. Jack lives for the danger and adrenaline rush his career provides and doesn't want to be tied down.
As Jack waits to exit the plane, he recalls a conversation with his adoptive mother, Nonna, who has asked him to return to his hometown of Strong, to help the town's aging volunteer fire chief. The fire season has kicked off with a suspiciously large number of fires, and the chief is struggling to cope. But Jack is not up for it. Strong is boring, and the fires there are boring! Jack likes big fires that he can tuck and roll into with his boys! But being the great guy that he is, Jack agrees to come anyway. It's only for a few months afterall. Jack has all the makings of a hot, male romantic lead. All brawn and danger, damaged, but ultimately a good-hearted guy. Or so I thought...
When Jack arrives in Strong, he learns that his teenage love interest, Lily, has bought an old Lavender farm in the town. Lily, we learn, left for San Francisco shortly after high school where she enjoyed a successful career in marketing. That is, until a stalker began to target her, setting fires in ever more alarming and personal ways. This had her running back to Strong to escape, until she realises that the pattern is beginning to repeat itself. But fear not fair maiden! Badass firefighter Jack is on his way to Strong!
Unfortunately, things go downhill, in epic style, from the first moment Jack and Lily meet again, when he turns up on her doorstep with pamphlets on fire safety. If only that was all he wanted to give her.
Lily's stalker is convinced that they're meant to be together and he doesn't appreciate her efforts to resist and elude him by escaping to Strong. How ironic then that our supposed heroic male lead is, in actual fact, JUST AS BAD (only hotter)! Because guess what? Women don't know what's best for them and need a man to take charge and show them, whether they like it or not (as long as he's hot). Am I right?
I went from eagerly anticipating Jack and Lily's reunion to absolutely HATING Jack within the space of a few paragraphs. He is THE WORST! He immediately calls her "baby" despite the fact they had barely anything but a kiss some 10 years earlier (presumptuous much?), bullies his way in to her house, tells her what he's going to do about her stalker situation, while completely disregarding her thoughts on the matter, because he is A MAN and so obviously knows best, and within approximately 24 hours turns up at her house with his bag and tells her he's moving in to protect her even though she says no! Oh yeah, then his brother turns up in equally bullish style and starts installing surveillance equipment, again, whether or not Lily likes it. Never mind the stalker, Jack and his brothers are the one's you need to be worried about!
Oh and there's a really odd scene where Lily's uncle (the fire chief) is talking to Jack about their relationship and refers to her as a "sexy little thing." Like, that's a monumentally inappropriate and sexist way to talk about your niece!
There is no greater turn off in a romance novel than a male lead who, despite protests from the female lead, just knows exactly what's best for her and walks all over her, ostensibly for her own good and despite her explicitly stating that she doesn't want him to do whatever ALPHA MAN crap he's trying to do. I mean, have you ever thought of explaining your concerns to her and working out a strategy that's mutually agreeable. HAVE YOU?!
Also, the author writes in a weirdly convoluted style. I feel I'm being rather generous in giving this book two stars, but it had potential so I thought one star was a little harsh. I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did but just....no :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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