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Fake Flame
In this fun, fast-paced romantic comedy, a bookish firefighter who knows his Jane Austen suggests a little fake dating to fend off an ex. What’s a feminist English professor to do—except say yes…
You can’t fake heat like this…
To an observer, hauling a baby grand piano onto a college quad to publicly serenade an ex might seem like a romantic gesture. To literature professor Eva Campbell, it’s the latest manipulative move by a cheating jerk who won’t take a hint. Plus, she never liked that song anyway.
Setting the piano on fire might be an overreaction, but Eva’s at the end of her rope, at least until hot young firefighter Sean Hannigan talks her down. And that’s not all Sean does. Soon he’s offering to be Eva’s fake boyfriend to get her creepy ex off her back. Unexpected, maybe, but there’s something about Sean—beyond the angelic face and take-me-now body—that makes Eva say yes.
Sean battles infernos for a living, reads romance on the side and is a straight-up, family-loving good guy. Eva’s not sure she’s ready for the danger he poses to her jaded heart. Given their differences, a relationship can’t last, right? But the line between fake and real keeps blurring, daring her to take the biggest risk of all…
You can’t fake heat like this…
To an observer, hauling a baby grand piano onto a college quad to publicly serenade an ex might seem like a romantic gesture. To literature professor Eva Campbell, it’s the latest manipulative move by a cheating jerk who won’t take a hint. Plus, she never liked that song anyway.
Setting the piano on fire might be an overreaction, but Eva’s at the end of her rope, at least until hot young firefighter Sean Hannigan talks her down. And that’s not all Sean does. Soon he’s offering to be Eva’s fake boyfriend to get her creepy ex off her back. Unexpected, maybe, but there’s something about Sean—beyond the angelic face and take-me-now body—that makes Eva say yes.
Sean battles infernos for a living, reads romance on the side and is a straight-up, family-loving good guy. Eva’s not sure she’s ready for the danger he poses to her jaded heart. Given their differences, a relationship can’t last, right? But the line between fake and real keeps blurring, daring her to take the biggest risk of all…
Paperback
First published April 23, 2024
197 people are currently reading
8679 people want to read
About the author
Adele Buck
14 books193 followersA New Hampshire native, Adele still has membership card number 430 from her hometown library even though she has lived in the D.C. area for over 20 years with her fantastic husband and the requisite number of melodramatic cats.
Having worked as (among other things): a bookseller, a server, a communications manager, an actor, and a stage manager, Adele is currently employed as a librarian at a Washington, D.C. law school.
To keep up with the latest, please sign up for her newsletter on adelebuck.com.
(Photo credit: Brian Adams PhotoGraphics)
Having worked as (among other things): a bookseller, a server, a communications manager, an actor, and a stage manager, Adele is currently employed as a librarian at a Washington, D.C. law school.
To keep up with the latest, please sign up for her newsletter on adelebuck.com.
(Photo credit: Brian Adams PhotoGraphics)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
August 27, 2024
Disclaimer: This is one harsh review because I did not like almost anything about this book. Please don’t read it if you are a bit more sensitive.
As excited I was about this book at the beginning as disappointed I got. The characters were dull at best, the plot was insignificant, the romance was basically lust, the humour fell flat, the tropes were generic and lacked substance, the writing style was abrupt and jumpy, and nothing could make up for the lack of entertainment this book offered.
This would be the point where I’d talk about the characters, but they were so dull, I can’t pinpoint any character traits. They were literally just lusting over each other. They were kind and sweet, so I can’t say they were bad characters in the sense that they were unlikable, but they were just so boring there wasn’t even one character trait that would have made me fall in love them or like them. They were just in the story and that’s about all the personality traits they had.
As for the romance, the characters were just lusting for each other and behaved like hormonal teenagers instead of 30-40 years old people. I am so disappointed of authors writing grown adults like they do not have their frontal lobes fully developed. If you want to write about hormonal teenagers do that, but don’t reduce grown adults to hormonal teenagers. Unfortunately, the romance had no significance until about 70-80% of the book and by that time it was too little too late.
The writing style and the formatting of the book made me absolutely enraged. Not only did the POVs switched around faster than I could blink, but the time-jumps also made me want to pull my hair. They felt very rigid and abrupt, not at all smooth in transition and incredibly badly organised. POV changes happened in mid-conversations, time-jumps came out of nowhere giving me whiplash.
The plot was absolutely boring. Sure, we had a terrible ex who made the FMC’s life difficult, which pushed the plot of the book, but really every single thing the characters did to overcome that plot-point fell flat and dull. It was filled with trivial conversations, insta-lust, age-gap and fake-dating trope. But really, none of those mattered because the age gap was 5 years, the fake dating was insignificant and my god, the insta-lust… their specific body parts were throbbing all over by 15% of the book and they only met twice. Everything felt just generic. We had LGBTQ characters who felt like the token gay friends/family, we had toxic families, in which case the story was trying to tell me that one of them was not toxic even though they both were, and as mentioned before, we had a toxic ex so we could have extra drama because that is the most generic trope at this point.
Overall, this story was literally filled with generic tropes with no substance, trivial conversations, words with nothing to say, spice, mostly toxic or dull characters, flat humour, boring plot and lack of entertainment. The only reason this book was not the absolute worst is because the FMC did not want children. Finally, a book where the FMC wasn’t treated as if her sole purpose was to have children to feel happy or fulfilled. But that is about it. So, the Fake Flame by Adele Buck got 2/5 stars.
Mid-Reading Updates!
@inkedbooksloth
As excited I was about this book at the beginning as disappointed I got. The characters were dull at best, the plot was insignificant, the romance was basically lust, the humour fell flat, the tropes were generic and lacked substance, the writing style was abrupt and jumpy, and nothing could make up for the lack of entertainment this book offered.
This would be the point where I’d talk about the characters, but they were so dull, I can’t pinpoint any character traits. They were literally just lusting over each other. They were kind and sweet, so I can’t say they were bad characters in the sense that they were unlikable, but they were just so boring there wasn’t even one character trait that would have made me fall in love them or like them. They were just in the story and that’s about all the personality traits they had.
As for the romance, the characters were just lusting for each other and behaved like hormonal teenagers instead of 30-40 years old people. I am so disappointed of authors writing grown adults like they do not have their frontal lobes fully developed. If you want to write about hormonal teenagers do that, but don’t reduce grown adults to hormonal teenagers. Unfortunately, the romance had no significance until about 70-80% of the book and by that time it was too little too late.
The writing style and the formatting of the book made me absolutely enraged. Not only did the POVs switched around faster than I could blink, but the time-jumps also made me want to pull my hair. They felt very rigid and abrupt, not at all smooth in transition and incredibly badly organised. POV changes happened in mid-conversations, time-jumps came out of nowhere giving me whiplash.
The plot was absolutely boring. Sure, we had a terrible ex who made the FMC’s life difficult, which pushed the plot of the book, but really every single thing the characters did to overcome that plot-point fell flat and dull. It was filled with trivial conversations, insta-lust, age-gap and fake-dating trope. But really, none of those mattered because the age gap was 5 years, the fake dating was insignificant and my god, the insta-lust… their specific body parts were throbbing all over by 15% of the book and they only met twice. Everything felt just generic. We had LGBTQ characters who felt like the token gay friends/family, we had toxic families, in which case the story was trying to tell me that one of them was not toxic even though they both were, and as mentioned before, we had a toxic ex so we could have extra drama because that is the most generic trope at this point.
Overall, this story was literally filled with generic tropes with no substance, trivial conversations, words with nothing to say, spice, mostly toxic or dull characters, flat humour, boring plot and lack of entertainment. The only reason this book was not the absolute worst is because the FMC did not want children. Finally, a book where the FMC wasn’t treated as if her sole purpose was to have children to feel happy or fulfilled. But that is about it. So, the Fake Flame by Adele Buck got 2/5 stars.
Mid-Reading Updates!
Page 40
I understand there is instant attraction, it's an actual trope, but this is their 2nd meeting. Why is her 🐱 throbbing when he is being stern with her? Why is he thinking about doing spicy things to her when this is their 2nd meeting? She is 41, he is 36, why are they acting like hormonal teenagers? I hate insta-lust. You can just acknowledge that the other person is attractive without being a creep...
Page 48
Woah, the POV changes are very sudden, very abrupt. It sort of feels like getting whiplash. They aren't smooth or even divided by chapters. POV changes happen in the middle of conversations, in the middle of chapters. Eva is walking her dog with Krystal and boom, we have a new paragraph with Sean talking to Felix in the firehouse. Way to switch up so suddenly.
Page 62
This book is so dull, I am bored out of my mind. Nothing is happening. Everyone is just having trivial conversations and they bore me to no end.
- We have a 5-year age gap between the MCs, FMC is older this time, so Age-Gap trope.
- We have Insta-Lust because they have seen each other twice and they are throbbing all over.
And
- We have a fake dating trope, but really in 62 pages they spent about 20 pages together.
Now to the list of must haves in romance books nowadays
- The LGBTQ characters who feel like the token gay characters so far.
- The toxic families. Both of them sound like they should be monitored so we have the toxic family dynamic to tick off as well, because nowadays having a healthy family dynamic is an outrageous notion.
Last, but not least
- We have a toxic and @busive ex to mix it up.
A bit generic so far.
Page 150
My god, this book is full of words but nothing to say. I don't like to be mean, but this book makes me want to pull my hair, it is so damn dull. If the characters aren't doing the deed because smut is necessary by chapter 14, then they are doing nothing. We had a few scenes with toxic people, and I hate those, but I am trying to cling onto anything that is not dull at this point.
The time jumps are terrible. They start it in one paragraph and end it in another. Waste of words. And the dialogues. They're trying to be funny, but they're so flat, it's actually painful. And the type of conversations they're having... it wants to seem important, but they are so boring. 150 pages and not one word seemed significant. 150 pages and nothing happened that I would deem entertaining. I'm disappointed.
Page 224
If, after all of this, Eva changes her mind, I will be p!ssed. I hope that won't be the case because not only would it absolutely negate all the struggles the MCs are going through, but it would also prove that false narrative in which women can only achieve happiness in one way.
Page 286
This took me a long time to read. I'm glad it ended the way it did, but that is about the only thing I liked. I found the story mostly dull except maybe around the 70-80% mark. The characters were also average. They were sweet and kind but weren't interesting or intriguing. And it was insta-lust, which I am not a fan of. The pacing suffered in a few places and the transitions between the narratives were not smooth.
@inkedbooksloth
September 30, 2024
So hilariously bad that I think I ended up enjoying myself. Hardly learned a thing about the MMC Sean. Is he a secret serial killer?? He never went home!! The POV switch ups gave me whiplash, they fell in love far too quickly & the ex was completely unhinged. I did like the ending, choosing a child free life is refreshing in a book but the cringe was too much.
April 16, 2024
I adored this reverse age gap, dual POV, fake dating romance between Eva, a college professor and Sean, a hot younger fireman. Brought together when Eva's ex makes a grand gesture causing her to try and make a homemade blow torch that has the local firefighters coming out, Sean offers to be her fake boyfriend in order to help deter her ex.
Naturally feelings get real very fast but the two have to decide if the want the same things out of the future in order to make a lasting relationship work. Steamy and full of heart with a great domestic abuse storyline, this was a quick, entertaining read and I enjoyed every page!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!!
Steam level: open door, spicy
Naturally feelings get real very fast but the two have to decide if the want the same things out of the future in order to make a lasting relationship work. Steamy and full of heart with a great domestic abuse storyline, this was a quick, entertaining read and I enjoyed every page!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!!
Steam level: open door, spicy
March 23, 2024
This book was interesting! I really enjoyed that the conflict was a true thing that happens to a lot of couples in this phase of life. I wasn’t entirely on board for a man who knew he was being a caveman and shouldn’t but did it anyways. Overall, this is a cute story with a fun couple but I wish it had a few changes.
December 6, 2024
Jessie J singing N-N-N-No describes my feelings about this book.
Read
March 4, 2024"Buck brings the heat in this scorching rom-com... The result is a refreshingly grounded conflict that Buck handles with a great deal of sensitivity. The steamy sex scenes are just a bonus. Readers will have no trouble rooting for the chivalrous firefighter and the plucky professor to get their happily ever after."
-- Publisher's Weekly
“A fun, lighthearted romance with a hero to die for from one of my fav new authors!”
--New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann
“Fake Flame is red hot!”
--JoAnn Ross, New York Times bestselling author of Forever in Honeymoon Harbor
“Filled with wit and warmth, Adele Buck's Fake Flame is an ultra-satisfying romance that balances real world issues and swoony emotions. I loved watching these endearing characters realize they were each other's perfect match.”
--Emma Barry, author of Chick Magnet
“Delightfully fun, smart, and sexy, with an ooey gooey cinnamon roll hero you won’t be able to stop thinking about.”
-- Karen Booth, author of Gray Hair Don’t Care
"Absolutely incredible!"
--Felicia Grossman, author of Wake Me Most Wickedly
-- Publisher's Weekly
“A fun, lighthearted romance with a hero to die for from one of my fav new authors!”
--New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann
“Fake Flame is red hot!”
--JoAnn Ross, New York Times bestselling author of Forever in Honeymoon Harbor
“Filled with wit and warmth, Adele Buck's Fake Flame is an ultra-satisfying romance that balances real world issues and swoony emotions. I loved watching these endearing characters realize they were each other's perfect match.”
--Emma Barry, author of Chick Magnet
“Delightfully fun, smart, and sexy, with an ooey gooey cinnamon roll hero you won’t be able to stop thinking about.”
-- Karen Booth, author of Gray Hair Don’t Care
"Absolutely incredible!"
--Felicia Grossman, author of Wake Me Most Wickedly
February 26, 2024
I really really enjoyed this little book, it’s the perfect short and sweet romance and these characters are absolutely adorable.
Reverse age gap, which I actually really enjoyed I liked that both characters were over 25 and that it didn’t feel predatory or weird at any times. The fmc was incredibly put together and I really loved her and I will definitely be recommending this book!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc !
Reverse age gap, which I actually really enjoyed I liked that both characters were over 25 and that it didn’t feel predatory or weird at any times. The fmc was incredibly put together and I really loved her and I will definitely be recommending this book!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc !
October 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5, 🌶️🌶️
I enjoyed this story and at 206 pages, it was a pleasant quick read.
I enjoyed this story and at 206 pages, it was a pleasant quick read.
February 11, 2024
Note 1: I read this book as a digital ARC through NetGalley.
Note 1.5: I wrote a review for NetGalley, and since I'm trying to be better about writing reviews in Goodreads, I'm sharing it here as well.
Note 2: “I’m a big Irish boy. I can eat all the potatoes.”
Review:
I enjoyed Fake Flame. It's one of those books that had hilarious and heartfelt moments that complemented each other. The actual relationship struggles between Eva & Sean were genuine. Their individual doubts and concerns were handled very well, Fake Flame does follow the rom-com format with a 3rd act break, but it's not the "ugh, just talk to each other" trope.
Even though I enjoyed the book overall and will still recommend it, there were some moments that felt forced or unfinished. The fake dating trope was forced, and only obvious because we were told "this is what's happening." I think the ex's escalation plot line was incomplete. As it stood now, it could've been taken out of the book with minimal impact. More context for why he's aggressively pursuing a reconciliation would've justified this continuing thread for me. The discourse around grand gestures being manipulative despite their prevalence in pop culture and around snobby parents blaming their daughter for her ex's failings were excellent, but they happened before the climax of that subplot.
What ultimately really struck me about this book was the discourse around having kids. Buck did an excellent job with this and treated it with the gravitas that this topic truly deserves. When I got to this section I wasn't surprised that she wrote this so well since previous scenes around grand gestures, autonomy, and parental dysfunction were all handled with this depth and care.
All in all, Fake Flame was good. There were plot points that I wish had more to them, but the writing style and the care that clearly went into exploring these topics and building these characters was evident. I will probably explore her other published works, and I look forward to seeing more traditionally published titles from Adele Buck.
Note 1.5: I wrote a review for NetGalley, and since I'm trying to be better about writing reviews in Goodreads, I'm sharing it here as well.
Note 2: “I’m a big Irish boy. I can eat all the potatoes.”
Review:
I enjoyed Fake Flame. It's one of those books that had hilarious and heartfelt moments that complemented each other. The actual relationship struggles between Eva & Sean were genuine. Their individual doubts and concerns were handled very well, Fake Flame does follow the rom-com format with a 3rd act break, but it's not the "ugh, just talk to each other" trope.
Even though I enjoyed the book overall and will still recommend it, there were some moments that felt forced or unfinished. The fake dating trope was forced, and only obvious because we were told "this is what's happening." I think the ex's escalation plot line was incomplete. As it stood now, it could've been taken out of the book with minimal impact. More context for why he's aggressively pursuing a reconciliation would've justified this continuing thread for me. The discourse around grand gestures being manipulative despite their prevalence in pop culture and around snobby parents blaming their daughter for her ex's failings were excellent, but they happened before the climax of that subplot.
What ultimately really struck me about this book was the discourse around having kids. Buck did an excellent job with this and treated it with the gravitas that this topic truly deserves. When I got to this section I wasn't surprised that she wrote this so well since previous scenes around grand gestures, autonomy, and parental dysfunction were all handled with this depth and care.
All in all, Fake Flame was good. There were plot points that I wish had more to them, but the writing style and the care that clearly went into exploring these topics and building these characters was evident. I will probably explore her other published works, and I look forward to seeing more traditionally published titles from Adele Buck.
May 5, 2024
the very beginning was cute and had potential- it got really bad really fast and was so hard to get through
November 24, 2025
mama chaz says when you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all 😊
April 24, 2024
4.5
Fake Flame follows literature professor Eva who broke up with her boyfriend because he cheated on her. However, her ex can not take that hint that she is over him and tries to do everything he can to win her back. One day he takes it too far by setting up a grand piano in the quad of the collage and sings what he thinks is Eva's favorite song. Eva is over it and tries to set the piano on fire. Enter Sean who is a firefighter who is called upon to stop this mess. Sean is drawn to Eva the second he meets her. He decides to help her by fake dating her so her ex can really take the hint and move on. But they both realize that the fake relationship might not have been fake.
I thought this book was so cute. This book had me hooked from the very first page. I like how this book was a very fast-paced romance book. I am also such a huge fan of the fake dating trope so this book was right up my alley. I also really loved Sean he is now one of my book boyfriends. The way that he made Eva feel seen and loved was just so cute. I also really loved that throughout this book Eva really came into her own and learned that she is worthy. This book also had a really cute dog in it. This book was just everything that I love in a romance book. I also found out this author is local to me and I love supporting local authors. If you just want a really cute romance book to read please read this one.
Thank you Adele Buck and Afterglow books for the ARC of this book. This book came out on April 23.
Fake Flame follows literature professor Eva who broke up with her boyfriend because he cheated on her. However, her ex can not take that hint that she is over him and tries to do everything he can to win her back. One day he takes it too far by setting up a grand piano in the quad of the collage and sings what he thinks is Eva's favorite song. Eva is over it and tries to set the piano on fire. Enter Sean who is a firefighter who is called upon to stop this mess. Sean is drawn to Eva the second he meets her. He decides to help her by fake dating her so her ex can really take the hint and move on. But they both realize that the fake relationship might not have been fake.
I thought this book was so cute. This book had me hooked from the very first page. I like how this book was a very fast-paced romance book. I am also such a huge fan of the fake dating trope so this book was right up my alley. I also really loved Sean he is now one of my book boyfriends. The way that he made Eva feel seen and loved was just so cute. I also really loved that throughout this book Eva really came into her own and learned that she is worthy. This book also had a really cute dog in it. This book was just everything that I love in a romance book. I also found out this author is local to me and I love supporting local authors. If you just want a really cute romance book to read please read this one.
Thank you Adele Buck and Afterglow books for the ARC of this book. This book came out on April 23.
April 18, 2024
Love, love, Loved this book. It is jam packed with extremely sizzling hot romance. The characters where perfect and I did not want this book to end! I will be sure to read more from this author in the future as I absolutely adore her style of writing.
November 5, 2025
I could tell the MMC was written by a woman (and not in a good way)
September 5, 2024
I’m pretty sure there are 1970s pornos with more plot than this book and possibly better spice too. However, the writing was an easy and cutesy read for someone who just wants a light and quick distraction.
January 23, 2024
4.5 stars Wow! Eva (a professor) meets Sean( a fireman) when he is sent to help her resolve an issue with an ex on campus. His idea to help? Fake date to allow the ex to see she's taken and leave her alone. What the two of them didn't expect was to fall for each other! This story was so sweet, with spicy moments but the best part was that these two characters were a little older, late 30s and early 40s, which is refreshing and the woman was older than the man! They are established in careers and just stumble into love! When Eva learns that Sean potentially wants kids but she doesn't, it throws a wrench into their relationship but a crisis helps them decide what they truly want.
This story was a quick, easy romance read that was sweet too! I love when the guy falls first and just loves the woman and it takes a second for her to trust and realize it's ok to let him love her! I would highly recommend to readers of Abby Jimenez or anyone who wants a sweet/spicy fake dating to lovers romance!
Thanks to NetGalley, Adele Buck, and Harlequin Romance for allowing me to review this ARC!
This story was a quick, easy romance read that was sweet too! I love when the guy falls first and just loves the woman and it takes a second for her to trust and realize it's ok to let him love her! I would highly recommend to readers of Abby Jimenez or anyone who wants a sweet/spicy fake dating to lovers romance!
Thanks to NetGalley, Adele Buck, and Harlequin Romance for allowing me to review this ARC!
April 23, 2024
It is enjoyable to read about a love story that does not feature the usual young adults, but two really "grown-up" people with complicated problems. Also, the chemistry between Sean and Ben is definitely "fiery," if you'll pardon the pun, and that is certainly not a minus point for the book.
È piacevole leggere di una storia d'amore che non ha come protagonisti i soliti giovani adulti, ma due persone veramente "grandi" con problemi complicati. Inoltre la chimica tra Sean e Ben é decisamente "infuocata" se mi passate il gioco di parole e non é certo un punto in meno per il libro.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
È piacevole leggere di una storia d'amore che non ha come protagonisti i soliti giovani adulti, ma due persone veramente "grandi" con problemi complicati. Inoltre la chimica tra Sean e Ben é decisamente "infuocata" se mi passate il gioco di parole e non é certo un punto in meno per il libro.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
January 2, 2026
Eva Champbell, seorang profesor pengajar Sastra Inggris dan Budaya Populer, gerah dengan sikap mantan pacarnya, Darren Perry, yang manipulatif, pasif-agresif final boss, dan bersiap akan menggemparkan dunia dengan memainkan grand piano di lapangan kampus agar Eva dapat balikan dengannya. Eva pun inisiatif mengambil korek api dan mengancam akan membakar piano itu. Namun, usaha itu berhasil dihentikan oleh petugas pemadam kebakaran nan sexy —yang selain bisa memadamkan api beneran, juga bisa memadamkan api asmara yang dulu pernah membara. Singkat cerita, sang damkar pun mengajak Eva untuk menjadi pacar pura-puranya agar sang mantan asdfghjkl itu tidak mendekati Eva lagi.
Klise? Ya, benar. Akhirnya pura-pura ini menjadi pacar sesungguhnya? Ya, tentu saja. HAHA. Lalu, apa yang menarik di buku ini jika semua klise dan sudah tertebak plotnya?
Profesor dosen GF X Damkar berondong BF. Itu yang berbedanya. Itu yang menariknya. Karena baru kali ini aku menemukan perempuannya seorang dosen tetiba bisa punya pacar pura-pura abang damkar yang seksi. Tidak pernah terbayangkan sebelumnya.
Sean Hannigan.
Satu kecamatan perlu satu abang damkar seorang Sean Hannigan. Beliau ini definisi tidak hanya mampu memadamkan api asmara seperti di lagu Kopi Dangdut, tetapi mampu membakar api romantis. Hidup dikelilingi 4 kakak perempuan membuat Sean sungguh begitu paham bagaimana memperlakukan seorang wanita. Gentleman adalah nama tengahnya. Gimana Eva nggak klepek-klepek coba? Nggak cuma Eva, tapi aku sebagai pembaca pun demikian *salim.
Selain gentleman, beliau ini sweet talk pula. Tolong beritahukan di mana abang damkar model begini!
Dinamika Keluarga.
Sean ini adalah anak bungsu dari 5 bersaudara. Semua kakaknya perempuan. Belum lagi jarak antara ia dan kakak-kakaknya yang pertama lumayan jauh. Jadi, Sean sudah menjadi uncle dengan keponakan yang banyak dan rammeeee. Sementara, Eva, hanyalah anak tunggal. Di usia 41 tahun belum menikah. Keluarganya hanya ia, mama, dan papanya. Keluarganya sepi, sunyi, dan bahkan dingin. Dinamika ini yang menarik karena baik Eva maupun Sean belajar tentang keluarga satu sama lain.
"Jadi, mereka mengeroyokmu? Karena kau yang bungsu?"
"Ya, itu sebagian alasannya. Tapi pada dasarnya itu hanya untuk bersenang-senang. Tapi waktu ada anak-anak lain yang merundungku? Oh, mereka bakal mengamuk." (p.77)
"Wow. Anak tunggal, ya? Apakah kau menyukainya? Atau membencinya?"
"Tidak dua-duanya? Aku tidak pernah benar-benar menginginkan saudara. Waktu aku pergi ke rumah teman-temanku, punya saudara sepertinya melibatkan banyak konflik dan negosiasi. Dalam beberapa hal jauh lebih mudah sendirian.Tapi beban harapan keluarga sepenuhnya jatuh ke pundakku, jadi terkadang rasanya juga berat. Pada dasarnya, seperti semua hal lain, ini memiliki kekurangan dan kelebihan."
"Ya, aku tahu perasaan itu." (p.80-81)
Selain itu konflik Eva yang kesal dengan orang tuanya yang menganggap jurusannya tidak penting dibandingkan ayahnya yang pensiunan dokter jantung—sementara ibunya hanyalah traditional wife yang selalu menyertai suaminya—jelas lebih pro kepada suaminya dibanding anak satu-satunya, menambah suasana "panas" dinamika keluarga "dingin" ini. Aku suka bagaimana Eva bisa mempertahankan nilainya di depan orang tuanya.
Ia benci betapa obrolan paling sederhana dengan orangtuanya sanggup membuatnya stres, terutama cara ibunya selalu memelintir ucapannya. (p.62)
Ternyata masalah ibu dan anak perempuan seperti ini tuh sudah menjadi problematika internasional, ya :’)
Sean vs Mr.Champbell.
Dari sekian banyak adegan yang ada di novel, favoritku (selain tentu saja Sean dan kata-kata manisnya yang membuat meleleh) adalah di mana Eva mengundang Sean untuk makan malam dengan orang tuanya.
Saat tahu trope ini dan latar belakang pendidikan Sean dan Eva yang gap-nya jauh, aku mengira hal ini akan menjadi “pencetus” kobaran konflik mereka berdua. Namun, ternyata bukan konflik internal, tetapi konflik eksternal. Aku suka bagaimana Sean handle with care and always gentle pada situasi makan malam itu.
Adegan di mana ayahnya Eva menyepelekan pekerjaan dan latar pendidikan Sean, tidak membuat Sean jatuh dan menjadi minder. Justru Sean di sini “berdiri” atas dirinya sendiri. Dia tahu value dirinya sendiri. Baik menjadi pemadam kebakaran atau menjadi dokter spesialis jantung, sama-sama menyelamatkan nyawa manusia. Sama-sama pekerjaan yang berharga. Tidak ada yang lebih rendah atau lebih tinggi. Tidak perlu menjadi tinggi dengan mengerdilkan pekerjaan orang lain. *Clappp* keren banget, Sean!!!
The spicy hot level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
Hubungan Eva dan Sean tidak terlalu instant love sih menurutku. Hanya saja pasti perasaan satu sama lain baru sadar tuh setelah di ranjang (ya … namanya juga romansa barat).
"Menciummu seperti latihan kardio."
"Menciummu seperti surga."
(p.138)
Pusing bangetttttssss 🤯🤯
Rekomendasi.
Buku cocok bagiku yang menyukai:
1. Trope fake dating, of course, with spicy scenes these and those 😏
2. Dinamika yang “unik” antara dosen dan petugas kebakaran
🌹 4 bintang untuk, “tinggallah selamanya, buat hubungan ini menjadi nyata.”
Klise? Ya, benar. Akhirnya pura-pura ini menjadi pacar sesungguhnya? Ya, tentu saja. HAHA. Lalu, apa yang menarik di buku ini jika semua klise dan sudah tertebak plotnya?
Profesor dosen GF X Damkar berondong BF. Itu yang berbedanya. Itu yang menariknya. Karena baru kali ini aku menemukan perempuannya seorang dosen tetiba bisa punya pacar pura-pura abang damkar yang seksi. Tidak pernah terbayangkan sebelumnya.
Sean Hannigan.
Satu kecamatan perlu satu abang damkar seorang Sean Hannigan. Beliau ini definisi tidak hanya mampu memadamkan api asmara seperti di lagu Kopi Dangdut, tetapi mampu membakar api romantis. Hidup dikelilingi 4 kakak perempuan membuat Sean sungguh begitu paham bagaimana memperlakukan seorang wanita. Gentleman adalah nama tengahnya. Gimana Eva nggak klepek-klepek coba? Nggak cuma Eva, tapi aku sebagai pembaca pun demikian *salim.
Selain gentleman, beliau ini sweet talk pula. Tolong beritahukan di mana abang damkar model begini!
"Aku cuma ingin memastikan dia baik-baik saja." (p.24)
"Aku gugup saat berada di dekat wanita cantik." (p.32)
"Jangan berani-berani menyebut pacarku seperti itu." (p.36)
"Aku hanya menginginkan yang terbaik untuk gadisku." (p.84)
Dinamika Keluarga.
Sean ini adalah anak bungsu dari 5 bersaudara. Semua kakaknya perempuan. Belum lagi jarak antara ia dan kakak-kakaknya yang pertama lumayan jauh. Jadi, Sean sudah menjadi uncle dengan keponakan yang banyak dan rammeeee. Sementara, Eva, hanyalah anak tunggal. Di usia 41 tahun belum menikah. Keluarganya hanya ia, mama, dan papanya. Keluarganya sepi, sunyi, dan bahkan dingin. Dinamika ini yang menarik karena baik Eva maupun Sean belajar tentang keluarga satu sama lain.
"Jadi, mereka mengeroyokmu? Karena kau yang bungsu?"
"Ya, itu sebagian alasannya. Tapi pada dasarnya itu hanya untuk bersenang-senang. Tapi waktu ada anak-anak lain yang merundungku? Oh, mereka bakal mengamuk." (p.77)
"Wow. Anak tunggal, ya? Apakah kau menyukainya? Atau membencinya?"
"Tidak dua-duanya? Aku tidak pernah benar-benar menginginkan saudara. Waktu aku pergi ke rumah teman-temanku, punya saudara sepertinya melibatkan banyak konflik dan negosiasi. Dalam beberapa hal jauh lebih mudah sendirian.Tapi beban harapan keluarga sepenuhnya jatuh ke pundakku, jadi terkadang rasanya juga berat. Pada dasarnya, seperti semua hal lain, ini memiliki kekurangan dan kelebihan."
"Ya, aku tahu perasaan itu." (p.80-81)
Selain itu konflik Eva yang kesal dengan orang tuanya yang menganggap jurusannya tidak penting dibandingkan ayahnya yang pensiunan dokter jantung—sementara ibunya hanyalah traditional wife yang selalu menyertai suaminya—jelas lebih pro kepada suaminya dibanding anak satu-satunya, menambah suasana "panas" dinamika keluarga "dingin" ini. Aku suka bagaimana Eva bisa mempertahankan nilainya di depan orang tuanya.
Ia benci betapa obrolan paling sederhana dengan orangtuanya sanggup membuatnya stres, terutama cara ibunya selalu memelintir ucapannya. (p.62)
Ternyata masalah ibu dan anak perempuan seperti ini tuh sudah menjadi problematika internasional, ya :’)
Sean vs Mr.Champbell.
Dari sekian banyak adegan yang ada di novel, favoritku (selain tentu saja Sean dan kata-kata manisnya yang membuat meleleh) adalah di mana Eva mengundang Sean untuk makan malam dengan orang tuanya.
Saat tahu trope ini dan latar belakang pendidikan Sean dan Eva yang gap-nya jauh, aku mengira hal ini akan menjadi “pencetus” kobaran konflik mereka berdua. Namun, ternyata bukan konflik internal, tetapi konflik eksternal. Aku suka bagaimana Sean handle with care and always gentle pada situasi makan malam itu.
Adegan di mana ayahnya Eva menyepelekan pekerjaan dan latar pendidikan Sean, tidak membuat Sean jatuh dan menjadi minder. Justru Sean di sini “berdiri” atas dirinya sendiri. Dia tahu value dirinya sendiri. Baik menjadi pemadam kebakaran atau menjadi dokter spesialis jantung, sama-sama menyelamatkan nyawa manusia. Sama-sama pekerjaan yang berharga. Tidak ada yang lebih rendah atau lebih tinggi. Tidak perlu menjadi tinggi dengan mengerdilkan pekerjaan orang lain. *Clappp* keren banget, Sean!!!
"Mereka akan berusaha sangat keras untuk membuatmu merasa kecil."
"Ehm... Kau mungkin memperhatikan bahwa aku tidak kecil. Kuduga aku mungkin lebih tinggi daripada ayahmu dan jauh... lebih berat."
"Ya. Kurasa kau tahu maksudku, Bocah Besar. Bukan kecil secara ukuran, tetapi kecil sebagai manusia. Bagi mereka, kau bukan orang penting. Tak punya gelar besar yang hebat. Tak punya pekerjaan besar yang hebat."
"Ayahmu menyelamatkan nyawa, aku menyelamatkan nyawa. Sama saja."
(p.122-123)
The spicy hot level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
Hubungan Eva dan Sean tidak terlalu instant love sih menurutku. Hanya saja pasti perasaan satu sama lain baru sadar tuh setelah di ranjang (ya … namanya juga romansa barat).
"Menciummu seperti latihan kardio."
"Menciummu seperti surga."
(p.138)
Pusing bangetttttssss 🤯🤯
Rekomendasi.
Buku cocok bagiku yang menyukai:
1. Trope fake dating, of course, with spicy scenes these and those 😏
2. Dinamika yang “unik” antara dosen dan petugas kebakaran
🌹 4 bintang untuk, “tinggallah selamanya, buat hubungan ini menjadi nyata.”
June 23, 2025
DNF 47 pages
I couldn't get past the age surprise (bc how exactly can one guess the protagonist is forty yo and not in her twenties like she looks on the cover??) and the constant change in povs every three paragraphs 😩
I couldn't get past the age surprise (bc how exactly can one guess the protagonist is forty yo and not in her twenties like she looks on the cover??) and the constant change in povs every three paragraphs 😩
April 22, 2024
In the past few years it has been very difficult for me to read and review new to me authors without a deadline imposed externally. As a result, I have a whole bunch of books I really want to read, but I struggle to focus on them unless they are an arc with a looming publication date. Anyway, I was thrilled to see Adele Buck’s Fake Flame on NetGalley because I’m pretty sure I own all her books and have read none of them. My apologies to Ms. Buck. Take it up with my neurotransmitters, or whatever is in charge up there.
Eva and Sean meet when her ex’s attempt at a grand gesture to win her back results in her threatening to set a baby grand piano on fire. Sean’s fire engine crew is called out to prevent the fire, or put it out if Eva can get the lighter to work. Sean is smitten. Eva is a professor of literature and pop culture and her ex is a professor of music at the same university. Sean and his crew identify the ex as not only the current problem, but also a possible future problem. One crew member, seeing the hearts in Sean’s eyes suggests he propose a fake dating relationship to Eva to get rid of the ex that won’t take no for an answer. Circumstances encourage Eva to accept the offer though she has doubts about the believability of them as a couple since Sean is ridiculously good looking and a few years younger.
Sean finds ways to stay engaged with Eva – offering to teach her and any interested students some basics of self defense, and asking for romance book recommendations. Eva and Sean have chemistry for days. They enjoy talking about books. Sean loves listening to Eva talk about the grand gesture in romance novels. Eva loves Sean’s thoughtfulness and care taking. They have a lovely relationship threatened by family expectations and a little insecurity.
I do have a couple of quibbles. Adele Buck introduces a couple of conflicts that in real life are complicated and messy. In the book, I think the author has written them in a way that she’d like to see them handled, but I felt like it was a little too neat. I’m fine with this not being a book that dwelled on parental conflict and dangerous exes, hence this is a quibble and not a problem. My weekend was all about a big, messy problem with no good solutions and I’m probably overly sensitive right now. I am a big romance book nerd and would dearly have loved more conversations between Eva and Sean about the romance genre and pop culture. Again quibbles, not problems. Overall, this was a lovely read, and I’m hoping to finally read more books by Adele Buck.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
Eva and Sean meet when her ex’s attempt at a grand gesture to win her back results in her threatening to set a baby grand piano on fire. Sean’s fire engine crew is called out to prevent the fire, or put it out if Eva can get the lighter to work. Sean is smitten. Eva is a professor of literature and pop culture and her ex is a professor of music at the same university. Sean and his crew identify the ex as not only the current problem, but also a possible future problem. One crew member, seeing the hearts in Sean’s eyes suggests he propose a fake dating relationship to Eva to get rid of the ex that won’t take no for an answer. Circumstances encourage Eva to accept the offer though she has doubts about the believability of them as a couple since Sean is ridiculously good looking and a few years younger.
Sean finds ways to stay engaged with Eva – offering to teach her and any interested students some basics of self defense, and asking for romance book recommendations. Eva and Sean have chemistry for days. They enjoy talking about books. Sean loves listening to Eva talk about the grand gesture in romance novels. Eva loves Sean’s thoughtfulness and care taking. They have a lovely relationship threatened by family expectations and a little insecurity.
I do have a couple of quibbles. Adele Buck introduces a couple of conflicts that in real life are complicated and messy. In the book, I think the author has written them in a way that she’d like to see them handled, but I felt like it was a little too neat. I’m fine with this not being a book that dwelled on parental conflict and dangerous exes, hence this is a quibble and not a problem. My weekend was all about a big, messy problem with no good solutions and I’m probably overly sensitive right now. I am a big romance book nerd and would dearly have loved more conversations between Eva and Sean about the romance genre and pop culture. Again quibbles, not problems. Overall, this was a lovely read, and I’m hoping to finally read more books by Adele Buck.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
February 6, 2025
~ 2.75 stars — To summarise in one sentence how I unfortunately felt about this book, I would say that I could NOT care less about what happens between these two characters.
To be more detailed, I would say that their connection just felt very surface level to me. Now I understand that this is meant to be a fast-paced romance and hence, insta-lovey. And as much as I dislike that trope, I can recognise that some romance authors can execute it well. However, I felt like in this book is wasn't. There was no real depth to their relationship and I felt as if there wasn't even a plot. The "fake-dating" scenario was barely kept throughout the book, and was LITERALLY the only thing driving the romance forward besides the psycho ex. To add, the characters had no real personality and the book just felt quite bland to me. The thing is, I can see the potential in Adele Buck's writing style. It's more so the execution of her stories.
Also whoever is advertising this book as "reverse age-gap" is completely false because a 5 year difference is barely anything LMAOOO, even as standard "age-gap" it's nothing as he is 36 and she is 41. Like????
AND ONE MORE THING. NO MORE TIKTOK REFERENCES IN ROMANCE BOOKS!!!!!!
To be more detailed, I would say that their connection just felt very surface level to me. Now I understand that this is meant to be a fast-paced romance and hence, insta-lovey. And as much as I dislike that trope, I can recognise that some romance authors can execute it well. However, I felt like in this book is wasn't. There was no real depth to their relationship and I felt as if there wasn't even a plot. The "fake-dating" scenario was barely kept throughout the book, and was LITERALLY the only thing driving the romance forward besides the psycho ex. To add, the characters had no real personality and the book just felt quite bland to me. The thing is, I can see the potential in Adele Buck's writing style. It's more so the execution of her stories.
Also whoever is advertising this book as "reverse age-gap" is completely false because a 5 year difference is barely anything LMAOOO, even as standard "age-gap" it's nothing as he is 36 and she is 41. Like????
AND ONE MORE THING. NO MORE TIKTOK REFERENCES IN ROMANCE BOOKS!!!!!!
February 24, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fake Flame follows Eva, a college professor who is being harassed by her ex and agrees to a fake dating scheme with a firefighter she meets while trying to avoid her exes advances. This book is told in dual third person perspectives.
I probably would have DNFed this book around 40% if I hadn’t received an ARC. I found that I really couldn’t connect to the storyline. The characters were not relatable to me and the plot seemed to never resolve itself. The entire plot line with Eva’s ex was just not finished at all? I also got the ick every time he called her “woman.” I hate third person POVs to begin with but this story kept switching POVs mid chapter without giving any indication that it switched or whose POV we were currently in. I found myself trying to quickly read through chunks of chapters just to finish. This book just sadly was not it for me.
Fake Flame follows Eva, a college professor who is being harassed by her ex and agrees to a fake dating scheme with a firefighter she meets while trying to avoid her exes advances. This book is told in dual third person perspectives.
I probably would have DNFed this book around 40% if I hadn’t received an ARC. I found that I really couldn’t connect to the storyline. The characters were not relatable to me and the plot seemed to never resolve itself. The entire plot line with Eva’s ex was just not finished at all? I also got the ick every time he called her “woman.” I hate third person POVs to begin with but this story kept switching POVs mid chapter without giving any indication that it switched or whose POV we were currently in. I found myself trying to quickly read through chunks of chapters just to finish. This book just sadly was not it for me.
November 6, 2024
Uff, when I say a romance book needs to be short and crisp and not unnecessarily long, I don't mean that it needs to be so short that you rush through the entire plot. This was a really good storyline but was executed poorly and the author did no justice to it at all.
The writing was plain and jumpy and it didn't feel like there was any flow to the story. The jump in POV's randomly, confused me and gave me the worst case of whiplash. There was no buildup in the romance and it was very insta-love and extremely cringey especially because both the main characters are nearly 40 years oldd and behaving like teenagers😖 and don't get me started on the main characters-they had no depth to them and were extremely flat and dull, I didn't connect to either of them and couldn't have cared less what happened to them by the end of the book🙄.
Overall, this was a disappointing read and I truly am glad that this was NOT the length of an average romance novel.
The writing was plain and jumpy and it didn't feel like there was any flow to the story. The jump in POV's randomly, confused me and gave me the worst case of whiplash. There was no buildup in the romance and it was very insta-love and extremely cringey especially because both the main characters are nearly 40 years oldd and behaving like teenagers😖 and don't get me started on the main characters-they had no depth to them and were extremely flat and dull, I didn't connect to either of them and couldn't have cared less what happened to them by the end of the book🙄.
Overall, this was a disappointing read and I truly am glad that this was NOT the length of an average romance novel.
December 30, 2024
This was incredibly mediocre.
I was so excited to read this book; I mean, literature & pop culture professor x firefighter? Say less. But it just didn't do it for me. I like that the FMC was 41, however, she didn't come across as 41.
I don't like third-act breakups but this one made sense!
The best part was when Sean asked Eva for book recommendations 📖
🔥 Tropes 🔥
• Fake dating
• Reverse age gap
• Professor x firefighter
I was so excited to read this book; I mean, literature & pop culture professor x firefighter? Say less. But it just didn't do it for me. I like that the FMC was 41, however, she didn't come across as 41.
I don't like third-act breakups but this one made sense!
The best part was when Sean asked Eva for book recommendations 📖
🔥 Tropes 🔥
• Fake dating
• Reverse age gap
• Professor x firefighter
August 27, 2024
3,75⭐️ war ganz cute
October 6, 2024
A fireman???? Yeah, okay sign me up.
October 8, 2024
I adore reading about an older couple and a reverse age gap was refreshing. An enjoyable read.
December 17, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
December 30, 2024
This was alright. I didn’t like that it was written in third person omniscient but still essentially switched between the fmc perspective and the mmc’s - felt like it wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been.
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