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Electric
I never saw you coming, but now I can’t look away.
Working at Fireside Forge Brewery was supposed to be a stepping stone toward my dream of owning a restaurant. Then Max walked into my life—a food blogger with a taste for everything irresistible, including me. His sharp wit and intense gaze pull me in, but there's more to him than charm. Beneath the surface, he's hiding a darkness that feels all too familiar.
Our connection is instant, and the sparks between us are impossible to ignore. But as Max’s past starts creeping in, my culinary dreams clash with the weight of his secrets. Every moment together is like playing with fire, and I’m not sure we’ll survive the heat.
Electric is a sizzling romance about love, ambition, and the risks we take for desire. It’s the second book in the Burning Hearts series but stands alone, just like its characters—until they meet.
Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of drug addiction and references to off-stage violence that may be sensitive to some readers.
Working at Fireside Forge Brewery was supposed to be a stepping stone toward my dream of owning a restaurant. Then Max walked into my life—a food blogger with a taste for everything irresistible, including me. His sharp wit and intense gaze pull me in, but there's more to him than charm. Beneath the surface, he's hiding a darkness that feels all too familiar.
Our connection is instant, and the sparks between us are impossible to ignore. But as Max’s past starts creeping in, my culinary dreams clash with the weight of his secrets. Every moment together is like playing with fire, and I’m not sure we’ll survive the heat.
Electric is a sizzling romance about love, ambition, and the risks we take for desire. It’s the second book in the Burning Hearts series but stands alone, just like its characters—until they meet.
Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of drug addiction and references to off-stage violence that may be sensitive to some readers.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2024
5 people want to read
About the author
Ian O. Lewis
54 books51 followersIan writes LGBTQ fiction, mainly romance. Growing up, he could never find many books portraying guys like him, so now he's helping to fill the shelves with gay-friendly tales. He tends to write more romance, because he loves nothing more than a happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 6, 2024
Max and Daniel’s Story . . .
Max Coleman began using drugs as a result of a horrible event 7 years previously that was both physically and psychologically damaging to him when a protester deliberately drove his car through the crowd causing severe injuries. Max ended up with two broken legs, a shattered hip, damaged rotator cuff -- and he was one of the “lucky” ones. His body is covered with major scars from all of his surgeries. And he still suffers from PTSD. Because the pain is still there and nothing else has worked, he is still taking a highly addictive drug. Even so, with the odds against him, the charming, witty man still had the courage and tenacity to pull himself together enough to become a popular internet food blogger with a dedicated following. Daniel Bernal is one of the cooks at Fireside Forge Brewery, gathering the additional experience he will use to one day open his own restaurant. When Max and Daniel are introduced to each other, the attraction and connection they both notice is instantaneous. Yet Daniel was able to sense Max was hiding something. Will the two of them become each other’s support system, helping to heal the damage of the past? Or would they let unspoken concerns scare them off from a relationship that may offer a future of hope they both deserve?
The author does a terrific job of introducing the characters, showing both strengths and weaknesses that helped them through difficult times. What I appreciated most was the feeling of hope, that bad things can ultimately be overcome, and better things may be on the way. The human spirit is an amazing thing, and I truly believe love can get us through when all else fails, even though there may be tough decisions to make along the way.
Max Coleman began using drugs as a result of a horrible event 7 years previously that was both physically and psychologically damaging to him when a protester deliberately drove his car through the crowd causing severe injuries. Max ended up with two broken legs, a shattered hip, damaged rotator cuff -- and he was one of the “lucky” ones. His body is covered with major scars from all of his surgeries. And he still suffers from PTSD. Because the pain is still there and nothing else has worked, he is still taking a highly addictive drug. Even so, with the odds against him, the charming, witty man still had the courage and tenacity to pull himself together enough to become a popular internet food blogger with a dedicated following. Daniel Bernal is one of the cooks at Fireside Forge Brewery, gathering the additional experience he will use to one day open his own restaurant. When Max and Daniel are introduced to each other, the attraction and connection they both notice is instantaneous. Yet Daniel was able to sense Max was hiding something. Will the two of them become each other’s support system, helping to heal the damage of the past? Or would they let unspoken concerns scare them off from a relationship that may offer a future of hope they both deserve?
The author does a terrific job of introducing the characters, showing both strengths and weaknesses that helped them through difficult times. What I appreciated most was the feeling of hope, that bad things can ultimately be overcome, and better things may be on the way. The human spirit is an amazing thing, and I truly believe love can get us through when all else fails, even though there may be tough decisions to make along the way.
November 7, 2024
This is book 2 in the Burning Hearts series but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. This is the story of Daniel and Max. Daniel is one of the cooks at Fireside Forge Brewery. He is working to gain enough experience to one day open his own restaurant. Max is a food blogger who is trying to put a traumatic event behind him. He has scars and PTDS. He also has an addiction to pain medication that he believes helps him through his day. When the two meet, there is an instant attraction between them. And of course, a shared love of all things food. Things go well between them but Daniel knows that Max is keeping something from him. Max is unable to keep his addiction hidden. This is their story. It is written well and easy to read. I liked how Max and Daniel address serious issues and that there is no instant fix. Both needed to work hard if they want the HEA they were looking for. I enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 14, 2024
chiles en nogada, mehndi, agua fresca de sandia, Southern fried chicken tacos, curanderos
Caution: This book is about drug addiction.
MC Max Coleman is an opioid addict because of a tragic event seven years earlier that greatly damaged his physical body and harmed him psychologically, causing PTSD. The story sure doesn't pull any punches. Max is a successful food video creator.
The other MC, Daniel Bernal, is a cook at the Fireside Forge Brewery set in Norfolk, VA. He's an easygoing sweetheart who, like Max, is trying to expose customers to authentic, traditional Mexican cuisine. The mutual attraction between the two men is electric. Could it be because of Gaia Rivers and the henna tattoos? Hmm...
I enjoyed reading this story and found it a satisfying storyline. The imagery is richly descriptive and well-written. Recommended!
Caution: This book is about drug addiction.
MC Max Coleman is an opioid addict because of a tragic event seven years earlier that greatly damaged his physical body and harmed him psychologically, causing PTSD. The story sure doesn't pull any punches. Max is a successful food video creator.
The other MC, Daniel Bernal, is a cook at the Fireside Forge Brewery set in Norfolk, VA. He's an easygoing sweetheart who, like Max, is trying to expose customers to authentic, traditional Mexican cuisine. The mutual attraction between the two men is electric. Could it be because of Gaia Rivers and the henna tattoos? Hmm...
I enjoyed reading this story and found it a satisfying storyline. The imagery is richly descriptive and well-written. Recommended!
November 5, 2024
Max a popular internet food vlogger is haunted by a traumatic accident that changed his life. Daniel is a cook at The Fireside Forge a popular brewery in Richmond. Originally from Mexico Daniel and his cousin Gus go to a festival that changes Daniel’s view of himself. Max and Daniel meet at the Fireside Forge and there is an instant connection. This story has both heartbreaking and heartwarming parts, but is so worth reading.
November 25, 2024
OMG, Ian. If I liked the previous book, I LOVED this one, because it plays with real life (I teach history, and that's why). Daniel, the cook at Firestone Forge, meets Max, a food blogger who was injured in Charlottesville in the crash that killed Heather Heyer, and they embark on a romance marred only by the fact that Max does something stupid and ends up in a rehab center for a month. They move to Guadalajara together,
November 26, 2024
Daniel finds the man of his dreams with a serious addiction to pain pills. Max is a good guy trying to hide the pain in his body and his soul. Almost losing the love of his life opens his eyes to find help with the pain he feels. The two work together on their relationship to move forward to their shared happiness. Great book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 23, 2024
Electric is the second book in the Burning Hearts series, it is a standalone but more enjoyable in order. This is was a bit of a hard read only because I know so many people with addiction, but it was also a wonderful read about Max and Daniel, who go through so much together and I loved their story.
November 4, 2024
This is book two in the series and is another great read. I really enjoyed Max and Daniel’s story it is well written and deals with some hard issues so please check trigger warnings but I think the author has handled the topics well. It can be read as a standalone but I think it’s better to read the series in order.
April 21, 2025
Max and Daniel are two very different people, with very different backgrounds and histories and yet... There is something more than the love of food they both have which draws them to one another. Yes, their journey is a rocky one. Yes, there is addiction in this story and the love, the relationship is harder won but Ian O. Lewis is not using any of that to make us feel sorry for Max. He is not using it gratuitously. He treats the subject with respect, looks at it from different angles using different characters and makes sure it is part of the story not just a random add on.
Daniel is a chef in Fireside Forge Brewery which some readers may be familiar with if they have had a chance to read book 1 of the Burning Hearts series. He is working there because he loves it and also because he hopes it is going to be the stepping stone he needs to take him to the next stage. He has dreams of owning his own restaurant. Max comes to the Brewery because he is a food blogger with amazing taste. It soon turns out he has amazing taste when it comes to both food and men. He could be the stability and support Daniel needs, the man Daniel needs just as Daniel could be the one he needs to help him see he has become addicted to the pain relief drugs he has been taking.
Both men have ambitions, both men have histories. Their passion for one another is clear but can that passion survive in the face of the problems that are going to arise and if it does will they find a way to make sure they continue to support its survival and support one another?
A moving, at times dark but incredibly thoughtful and love-filled story. There is love between the two main characters, Daniel and Max but there is also the love and support of their friends and we can all find, see aspects of ourselves in various parts of the story, in the various characters. I hope you will respect this story, enjoy this story and fall in love with all those who work at and visit Fireside Forge Brewery.
Merged review:
Max and Daniel are two very different people, with very different backgrounds and histories and yet... There is something more than the love of food they both have which draws them to one another. Yes, their journey is a rocky one. Yes, there is addiction in this story and the love, the relationship is harder won but Ian O. Lewis is not using any of that to make us feel sorry for Max. He is not using it gratuitously. He treats the subject with respect, looks at it from different angles using different characters and makes sure it is part of the story not just a random add on.
Daniel is a chef in Fireside Forge Brewery which some readers may be familiar with if they have had a chance to read book 1 of the Burning Hearts series. He is working there because he loves it and also because he hopes it is going to be the stepping stone he needs to take him to the next stage. He has dreams of owning his own restaurant. Max comes to the Brewery because he is a food blogger with amazing taste. It soon turns out he has amazing taste when it comes to both food and men. He could be the stability and support Daniel needs, the man Daniel needs just as Daniel could be the one he needs to help him see he has become addicted to the pain relief drugs he has been taking.
Both men have ambitions, both men have histories. Their passion for one another is clear but can that passion survive in the face of the problems that are going to arise and if it does will they find a way to make sure they continue to support its survival and support one another?
A moving, at times dark but incredibly thoughtful and love-filled story. There is love between the two main characters, Daniel and Max but there is also the love and support of their friends and we can all find, see aspects of ourselves in various parts of the story, in the various characters. I hope you will respect this story, enjoy this story and fall in love with all those who work at and visit Fireside Forge Brewery.
Daniel is a chef in Fireside Forge Brewery which some readers may be familiar with if they have had a chance to read book 1 of the Burning Hearts series. He is working there because he loves it and also because he hopes it is going to be the stepping stone he needs to take him to the next stage. He has dreams of owning his own restaurant. Max comes to the Brewery because he is a food blogger with amazing taste. It soon turns out he has amazing taste when it comes to both food and men. He could be the stability and support Daniel needs, the man Daniel needs just as Daniel could be the one he needs to help him see he has become addicted to the pain relief drugs he has been taking.
Both men have ambitions, both men have histories. Their passion for one another is clear but can that passion survive in the face of the problems that are going to arise and if it does will they find a way to make sure they continue to support its survival and support one another?
A moving, at times dark but incredibly thoughtful and love-filled story. There is love between the two main characters, Daniel and Max but there is also the love and support of their friends and we can all find, see aspects of ourselves in various parts of the story, in the various characters. I hope you will respect this story, enjoy this story and fall in love with all those who work at and visit Fireside Forge Brewery.
Merged review:
Max and Daniel are two very different people, with very different backgrounds and histories and yet... There is something more than the love of food they both have which draws them to one another. Yes, their journey is a rocky one. Yes, there is addiction in this story and the love, the relationship is harder won but Ian O. Lewis is not using any of that to make us feel sorry for Max. He is not using it gratuitously. He treats the subject with respect, looks at it from different angles using different characters and makes sure it is part of the story not just a random add on.
Daniel is a chef in Fireside Forge Brewery which some readers may be familiar with if they have had a chance to read book 1 of the Burning Hearts series. He is working there because he loves it and also because he hopes it is going to be the stepping stone he needs to take him to the next stage. He has dreams of owning his own restaurant. Max comes to the Brewery because he is a food blogger with amazing taste. It soon turns out he has amazing taste when it comes to both food and men. He could be the stability and support Daniel needs, the man Daniel needs just as Daniel could be the one he needs to help him see he has become addicted to the pain relief drugs he has been taking.
Both men have ambitions, both men have histories. Their passion for one another is clear but can that passion survive in the face of the problems that are going to arise and if it does will they find a way to make sure they continue to support its survival and support one another?
A moving, at times dark but incredibly thoughtful and love-filled story. There is love between the two main characters, Daniel and Max but there is also the love and support of their friends and we can all find, see aspects of ourselves in various parts of the story, in the various characters. I hope you will respect this story, enjoy this story and fall in love with all those who work at and visit Fireside Forge Brewery.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews