Smoke and Fire

by Julie Cannon

Brady Stewart lives for the fire. Nightmares of the fire haunt Nicole McMillan. Whether fighting fires in the Kuwaiti desert, in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the heartland of Oklahoma, both women hide behind a smoke screen of who they really are. When they meet and face the challenge of their lives, their passion ignites because where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Genres: Lesbian Romance, Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Audiobook, Fiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Julie Cannon is a native sun goddess born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a corporate stiff by day and dreamer by night. She has nine romance novels and five short stories published by Bold Strokes Books. A recent transplant to Houston, Julie and her partner Laura live on the lake with their two kids, two dogs and a cat.

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was good. I loved the unusual profession of oil-rig fire fighting. The pacing was weird and it seemed to end very abruptly.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the characters and the story. Julie Cannon has done a fine job in setting out the two characters personalities early on, so that we can understand their reactions to situations as they arise. The pace of the story telling is compelling, drawing the reader into the story from the start, so that it's difficult to put the book down, and you find you don't want to. You become invested in the characters and want to see how Nicole and Brady cope with their unexpected affection for each other. It was over too soon ;) more, more, more ...

[~ * K E L L I E * ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into this book from start to finish and didn't feel the time passing by until I'd reached the final page.

My only gripe, the book seemed to end rather suddenly and there was no epilogue to tidy it up.

I was so immersed in Brady and Nicole's story that I wanted the book to continue on for another couple of chapters (at least).

Great read! 4.5 stars

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet love story that deals with a difficult issue. This book is exactly what I expected from this author. Yay for sappy romance stories!

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good tale - only curse is the quick ending! - that promised and gave much. Good back characters but the story was always about the two oil firefighters (one present one ex, now boss)

[Megzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical 3.

Nice enough characters, nice enough story. But not that thrilling, really. The first half of the book is way too slow, the women's interactions are scarce and the content is repetitive.

But the writing is good and it makes a good quick read with enough angst to keep you interested.

Not totally sure I'll remember this story in a few weeks, though.

[Justina Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the heart of this intense and intriguing book is an enticingly special love story. Both women have extraordinary backgrounds and quite simply amazingly beautiful souls. The gentle and slowly developing relationship, so remarkably crafted and magnificently delineated, was enhanced by the extraordinary pain each woman had experienced at different times and in very different ways. Each woman's story eventually is expressed completely while the thoroughly fascinating world of 'Fire Suppression' unfolded before my eyes. This specialized world where highly trained teams along with customized equipment put out incredibly dangerous oil fires is presented in such an intelligible way as to be just as much of an important character in this book as the two nascent lovers are. I was totally captivated and enthralled by this world I barely understood from news stories I have read. I definitely recommend 'Smoke and Fire' and please do not skip over the technical sections about 'Fire Suppression' as they are lucidly rendered. Bravo!

Nicole McMillan is the daughter of the man who founded McMillan Suppress, a leader in safety and successful oil fire containment. She loved being in the field and had been for over ten years until she was a victim of an explosion and was severely injured. She went through a very long physical recovery, and still suffers from post traumatic stress episodes that vary in intensity. This was rather well documented and known by everyone in the industry and especially by folks employed by McMillan. Nevertheless, she has triumphantly succeeded her father as president. Those are the facts, this book presents the extraordinary underpinnings of those events and her daily battles in a manner that practically made me feel it happened to me. Marvelous!

Brady Stewart is a member of one the elite teams working for McMillan. She fought hard and long to be respected and befriended by her co-workers. She is even asked to be "Best Woman" at the wedding of a fellow team member. That speaks volumes about how esteemed and admired she is. Her story, her struggles, and her lifestyle make for fantastic reading. In addition, they provide the strong foundation for her astonishing relationship with Nicole. As that part of the book unfolded brilliantly, I found myself entirely enamored with Brady. She also helped me to understand and be gently non-judgmental of Nicole. Amazing!

This is one of the most evenly paced books I have ever read. That was quite beneficial and supportive of the intricate elements surrounding Nicole and Brady. Fantastic!


NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Musa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book, the pace and the gradual build up of the romance between Brady and Nicole. Nicole is a true survivor, and I am so glad that Brady eventually break through her walls. I like the other side message that is attached to this story as well, that outer beauty is only one part in defining a person. Throughout the book, you can truly feel that Brady sees all of Nicole as a person and just not superficially.

The little details about fire fighting and dealing with oil field fires are interesting as well. Having read a few Julie Cannon's books, I like this one most.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong characters, unusual back drop of oil well fire fighting. Wrapped up quickly, but that was ok the story had been told and the happily ever after was only a matter of time

[Lesbian Romance Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I turned to my wife to share information on putting out oil fires.

I enjoyed this story and the development of the characters.

One side character, I really hated.

Jae's SRC:
ice queen character
nerdy/geeky character (on the sly)
character rocks a power suit
character is a business owner
new-to-you author

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a wonderfully written romance. The polar opposite opinions and back stories of the lead couple seemed insurmountable and i am impressed with the way Julie Cannon plotted the story to make their connection work. The book was fast paced, romantic, suspenseful and even a bit informative. i learned some things about fire, specifically oil fires. The settings were rich and beautifully detailed,. The secondary characters were interesting as well. I would read more form Julie cannon.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane Shambler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has a bit of everything. Adventure, friendship, romance but most importantly the human capacity to look past physical attributes. Cannon is a very talented writer and covers topics which many would avoid. She tackles the things we don't want to think about. And she does this very well. It's a great story and the characters are very realistic. I have definately become a fan of this author and will be reading more of her in the future.

[Eive · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was underwhelming. Everything happened so fast and ended abruptly. Also, the fact that Nicole couldn't stop thinking about Brady right after she showed up in the conference room for the first time? Brady's been an employee under her company and I don't get how one time they meet each other face-to-face and the next she couldn't stop thinking about her. So like I said, everything happened way too fast.

2.5 stars

[Jen]

Finding true strength is in weakness

This is an emotional & entertaining story with characters that are so authentic they truly become like real people that could live in your world. A compelling, riveting plot that draws you in so effortlessly & subtly without you even noticing, this is a book definitely worth reading.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable

[SilveringOfRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

So thanks to a serious bout of insomnia I decided to read a little more after finishing Heartland. And as my digital library is currently sorted by author I decided to give another Jullie Cannon novel a try. And let me just say - I was pleasantly surprised. Although I have to be straight up honest, my experience as a copywriter who has received frequent requests to ghostwrite LGBTQAI novels for some ridiculously tiny amount of money had me wondering if this was even written by the same person.

Because the quality was that much better, and the whole voice of the book sounded completely different. Now it could be that Heartland was the debut and Smoke and Fire written after JC had more experience as a writer but I'm going to keep on wondering because I'm suspicious like that. Anyhow - on with the review.

Is the writing good?
It is pretty good. Not great or wonderful or something I'll remember for the rest of forever. But it was authentic. There was clearly a lot more research behind this one - or else JC had sources who gave her the sort of insider information only someone in the oil fire fighting industry could give. And the entire story is the better for it.

Were there grammar issues?
There were a few, but none so terrible that I felt the urge to throw things at the wall.

Are the lead characters likeable?
How Nicole deals with being a serious burn victim, her panic attacks and her issues with nudity - it all felt real. And Brady being the sweet yet tough, no-nonsense yet empathetic girl she is? Well, I have a suspicion that she is modelled on a real honest to goodness actual alive person.

They're both adorable and you'll maybe fall a little in infatuation with one or both of them by the time you're done with the story!

Is the supporting cast good?
They are. They're bit players for the most part, but there is just enough behind them that they feel real. Also - I want a Dig and a Charlotte in my life. #justsaying

Is this story believable?
I would say so. I don't know anything about fighting oil fires though so if there are wild inaccuracies I will never know.

Is there anything I would change?
Nope. I don't know if there was any way to improve on this story. But I do know that there is almost nothing that I personally could have done to improve it.

[✩☽ · Rating 2 out of 5]

what i liked:
- the character work

what i disliked:
-very slow-paced
-a good 25% felt like a textbook on fighting oil fires: just far too technical
-the two protagonists don't interact much
-rushed ending
-the fact that paying another woman for sex was treated as therapist-endorsed acceptable way of coping with post-trauma insecurities around sex. i guess this is where 'normalize sex work' has gotten us; we're just not going to address how not vile and exploitative it is to treat other women as masturbation aids.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

En la primera mitad todo va muy lento y resulta bastante aburrido de leer. En cambio, en la segunda parte todo va muy rápido. Me hubiese gustado que tuviese un punto medio, o que la segunda mitad fuese más detallada porque fue la parte interesante pero no la pude apreciar bien porque todo fue muy apresurado.
La historia estuvo bien y me agradaron los personajes, pero la verdad no terminó de convencerme.

[Kat Wolfendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Julie Cannon caught my attention from the start, I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the passion that was brought out in the book.

Brady and Nicole are a great couple, Their attraction showed great passion and chemistry. The book also showed consent and control of yourself and respect for others.

Great read all together, I would highly recommend this book to Lesbian Erotica readers.

[Naanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. A perfect weekend read. I really liked the character development and how Nicole and Brady each had traumas they were dealing with, exacerbated by their unexpected attraction for each other; Nicole's journey to the finale especially seemed very realistic.

[Velvet Lounger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoke and FireBrady Stewart has survived a tough, violent ‘Trailer Trash’ childhood and vowed never to be poor again. She opted to be a woman in an almost exclusively man’s world, a firefighter working to put out oil well fires. Nothing comes between her and her goal to be successful, independent and rich. Women are an enjoyable pastime, but none touch her soul.

Nicole McMillan is the big boss. Inherited the company from her “Red Adaire’ clone father, and now runs the multi-million dollar McMillan Suppression where safety always come first. But safety had overtaken Nicole’s life since she was caught in a flare and suffered 60% third degree burns. The rejection of her partner has caused even deeper scars than the fire.

Safety brings these opposites into contact as Brady is awarded for saving a mans life. But their developing relationship isn’t safe for either for them as it pushes both of their boundaries.

-------------------

Another great book by Julie Cannon. Well written, well researched and well paced.

The story of two women from opposite backgrounds brought together initially by their common job might not be unusual, but making them world class firefighters in one of the most dangerous jobs out there certainly is. The detail and knowledge of the work done by these oil-well firefighters is great and added depth to the romance by making it seem grounded in a very real world drama.

Although Nicole is the boss she has worked her share of the fire, worked her way into the teams and had to face all the abuse of a woman in a wholly man’s world to earn her team’s respect. Unfortunately for her the fieldwork ended when she was engulfed in flames when a well was re-ignited by a spark. After months of incredible physical pain, which Ms Cannon really makes you feel, she has then been rejected physically by her partner as too ugly to touch.

Brady also has physical and mental scars, from fires and from abuse. It is the mirroring of the scars which makes this relationship interesting. Both are strong, independent, successful and completely shut off from emotions and therefore ultimately they are both lonely and afraid of letting anybody close. Brady because she can't trust anyone emotionally, wont allow herself to feel dependent. Nicole because she believes she is unbearably ugly and cannot face rejection by a lover.

As a sub-plot I found Julie Cannons' exploration of how Nicole feels buying sex very interesting and something rarely explored or discussed in LesFic novels. She does it to ‘relive pressure’ and had convinced herself it is acceptable. But her response once she has met somebody who challenges her self-imposed isolation suggests that it has been less than fulfilling.

Brady is an interesting character, wise beyond her years and extremely self aware and with the patience of a saint. She is, perhaps, too perfect in her tolerance and understanding of Nicole’s issues and fears. So I was glad to see her finally let rip and then quietly melt down.

Excellent characters who felt real. As always good dialogue and integrity, Ms Cannon's books are always very well written and edited. The exploration of a survivors PTSD is well done. The work and life of these teams is comprehensively researched and explained. A lovely romance based in a harsh world.

(Publishers review copy received)

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual score 2.5

I am so disappointed by how this book turned out - particularly because if you'd asked me to rate it after the first third, I probably would have given it a 4.

Unfortunately the book peters out after its very promising opening. For a woman who was meant to be so put together, all we see of Nicole's character is how broken she is, how it's all a facade. Brady on the other hand is unrealistically perfect -- able to read Nicole from just a glance and know how to respond. There are lots of technical descriptions about oil fires that did nothing to advance the story and felt like they were there just so the author could show the reader that they'd done their research.

I generally love a 'strong but wounded woman learns to let go in the arms of a good woman' genre but this one left me cold.

[Littles Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brady Stewart is a firefighter with great material ambition and a disturbing childhood; Nicole McMillan, the CEO of the company Brady works at, has survived hell herself. Both hide behind a smoke screen and like it, until they meet and fall for each other.

Ms. Cannon has done a fine job with the descriptions of the oil fire fighting business, where both the heroines work. The business is explained in a way it ends up being understandable. However, the depiction of the places and the portrayal of how the job is done, detracts from the story, making the characters superficial, not because they are supposed to be, but because we don’t get to know them much.

Full review at: http://littlesbooks.com/smoke-fire-ju...

[Tina Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I liked this book more than most that I've been finding. I liked Brady and Nicole. If you are into firefighting, the technical aspects of the book are well done, I could get a feel for what it might be like to be out on the oil rigs. I also like how Cannon depicted being the only woman on a crew, and two different perspectives with Brady and Nicole. I liked the romance between the 2 women, the story seemed believable to me, the characters were strong, developed enough that I could understand each of their actions. Really enjoyed reading it, and liked Brady, I found here refreshing and honest, a woman that really looked at a person, not just the cover. This is worth a read, give it a try.

[Brenda Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish they had half stars, would have been 3 1/2. Loved the characters and the different locations than the normal. Felt it needed just a little more one on one between the two major characters to fill out the story.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't able to really get into this one. Seemed to drag on.

[Laydin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! My one complaint, the use of fictional countries.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but the ending feels VERY rushed. Other than that the pacing isn't bad and it's decently written, but the wrap up is quite sudden....

[dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing writer

A book u didn't want to end kept the story going forward no shit will it pick up again will diff read more of her books

[Katerina Patrou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the build up but she was in a hurry to end it