What do you think?
Rate this book
Phoenix Ridge Fire Department #2
Scorched Hearts: A Lesbian/Sapphic Firefighter and Surgeon Romance
When fate puts them back together in increasingly extreme circumstances, will she get a second chance with the one woman who she has never forgotten?
If you are a fan of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, you'll love this steamy Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance, Firefighter/Surgeon Romance!
The last thing Firefighter Elle Rodriguez expects when she turns up at a serious fire is to be reunited with her ex from many years ago- trauma surgeon Dr. Maya Monroe who has just moved back to the city. Elle cheated on Maya and things ended badly between them and it is seriously awkward meeting Maya again like this and trying to remain professional.
Because, not only is Elle embarrassed by her behaviour from years ago, she still feels a burning desire for Maya as soon as she sees her.
Unfortunately, although understandably, Maya still hates her.
When fate keeps throwing them back together at incidents when lives are at stake, can they resist the rising inferno between them?
As a series of serious tragedies hit the city, can Maya and Elle confront the demons of their past and will they ever have a second chance at a future?
Escape with the tough female firefighters and surgeons from Phoenix Ridge and enjoy this steamy romance today!
If you are a fan of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, you'll love this steamy Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance, Firefighter/Surgeon Romance!
The last thing Firefighter Elle Rodriguez expects when she turns up at a serious fire is to be reunited with her ex from many years ago- trauma surgeon Dr. Maya Monroe who has just moved back to the city. Elle cheated on Maya and things ended badly between them and it is seriously awkward meeting Maya again like this and trying to remain professional.
Because, not only is Elle embarrassed by her behaviour from years ago, she still feels a burning desire for Maya as soon as she sees her.
Unfortunately, although understandably, Maya still hates her.
When fate keeps throwing them back together at incidents when lives are at stake, can they resist the rising inferno between them?
As a series of serious tragedies hit the city, can Maya and Elle confront the demons of their past and will they ever have a second chance at a future?
Escape with the tough female firefighters and surgeons from Phoenix Ridge and enjoy this steamy romance today!
354 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2024
104 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Emily Hayes
39 books66 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
For lesbian romance author please go to
Emily^^Hayes
For psychology (autism, ADHD, etc.) author please go to
Emily^^^Hayes
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
For lesbian romance author please go to
Emily^^Hayes
For psychology (autism, ADHD, etc.) author please go to
Emily^^^Hayes
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 14, 2025
Scorched Hearts? More like Scorched Earth.
“If I’m being honest,” this book was less repugnant than the first in the series. Elle and Maya still let their personal relationship interfere with their duties, but they aren’t shredding ethical standards in the process.
So, I considered two stars on that basis but the second half was an interminable stew of angst and schmaltz.
Elle comes across as a horrible person at the start because she is one… until she isn’t so the sex can happen.
Maya seems better but is quite the drama queen. She was cheated on and it sucks but she acts like Elle left her at the altar then had sex with another woman on the wedding cake and posted the photos on Instagram.
As in the first book, the MCs can’t confirm their love for each other until one of them is gravely injured. And it’s all so repetitive and unnecessary. A school bus crash…OMG it’s Maya’s nephew (the one we haven’t met or heard of until just now). Does it impact any bit of the story later? Nope.
A devastating earthquake hits and suddenly Phoenix Ridge seems to be a much larger city than it was. OMG a firefighter dies next to Elle! Who was she? She was literally introduced a paragraph earlier. Yeah, this one hurts. I guess. Why not make it one of the established crew? No reason. Anyway, a couple of days later, buildings keep collapsing and another major disaster hits. OMg Elle is injured! Of course Maya is there to “perform surgery” and “give her a blood transfusion” for reasons. Of course Elle is AB Negative because in the fictional world the rarest blood type is the most common.
Elle struggles to recover. It looks like a long road—will she get her job back—will she walk again— oh it’s four years later and Maya is pregnant. At a party, Elle reveals she isn’t coming back to be a firefighter. Her old crew is shocked! After four years…this never came up? No one took the hint?
Another shocker: Maya’s water breaks because no trope can be left for dead. They are deliriously happy. The end.
A big problem with the Phoenix Ridge series is Phoenix Ridge itself. What exactly is this fictional town of terror? In the first book, it’s described as being a couple of hours away from a a desert town and “just across the border” from Nevada. It must be a relatively small desert town because it has an all female firefighter crew and the MCs never heard of them or the town.
However, in this book, the beautiful architecture of downtown is referenced and the scale and frequency of disasters that befall it make it a much larger city. Yet, later, it’s described like a small Northwestern or Northeastern town with beautiful tree lined streets leaving a carpet of golden leaves. In the their book, suddenly it is a coastal town and there is a Yacht.
I ask myself, what the hell is going on? Then I remind myself that this is an Emily Hayes book and every one has been a, to quote Deadpool, a one-star “Yakov Smirnoff opening for the Spin Doctors at the Iowa State Fair shit-show.”
“If I’m being honest,” this book was less repugnant than the first in the series. Elle and Maya still let their personal relationship interfere with their duties, but they aren’t shredding ethical standards in the process.
So, I considered two stars on that basis but the second half was an interminable stew of angst and schmaltz.
Elle comes across as a horrible person at the start because she is one… until she isn’t so the sex can happen.
Maya seems better but is quite the drama queen. She was cheated on and it sucks but she acts like Elle left her at the altar then had sex with another woman on the wedding cake and posted the photos on Instagram.
As in the first book, the MCs can’t confirm their love for each other until one of them is gravely injured. And it’s all so repetitive and unnecessary. A school bus crash…OMG it’s Maya’s nephew (the one we haven’t met or heard of until just now). Does it impact any bit of the story later? Nope.
A devastating earthquake hits and suddenly Phoenix Ridge seems to be a much larger city than it was. OMG a firefighter dies next to Elle! Who was she? She was literally introduced a paragraph earlier. Yeah, this one hurts. I guess. Why not make it one of the established crew? No reason. Anyway, a couple of days later, buildings keep collapsing and another major disaster hits. OMg Elle is injured! Of course Maya is there to “perform surgery” and “give her a blood transfusion” for reasons. Of course Elle is AB Negative because in the fictional world the rarest blood type is the most common.
Elle struggles to recover. It looks like a long road—will she get her job back—will she walk again— oh it’s four years later and Maya is pregnant. At a party, Elle reveals she isn’t coming back to be a firefighter. Her old crew is shocked! After four years…this never came up? No one took the hint?
Another shocker: Maya’s water breaks because no trope can be left for dead. They are deliriously happy. The end.
A big problem with the Phoenix Ridge series is Phoenix Ridge itself. What exactly is this fictional town of terror? In the first book, it’s described as being a couple of hours away from a a desert town and “just across the border” from Nevada. It must be a relatively small desert town because it has an all female firefighter crew and the MCs never heard of them or the town.
However, in this book, the beautiful architecture of downtown is referenced and the scale and frequency of disasters that befall it make it a much larger city. Yet, later, it’s described like a small Northwestern or Northeastern town with beautiful tree lined streets leaving a carpet of golden leaves. In the their book, suddenly it is a coastal town and there is a Yacht.
I ask myself, what the hell is going on? Then I remind myself that this is an Emily Hayes book and every one has been a, to quote Deadpool, a one-star “Yakov Smirnoff opening for the Spin Doctors at the Iowa State Fair shit-show.”
September 16, 2024
Lazy research hurts what could have been an excellent story.
The two main characters are a firefighter and a trauma surgeon, but for some reason the author thinks trauma surgeons go out in ambulances with first responders and somehow perform field surgery on the fly before getting patients in an ambulance and getting them to the hospital. The story is otherwise pretty good, but the total lack of understanding of what a trauma surgeon actually does makes it impossible to really get immersed in the story. To be clear, I am not a doctor of any kind, so I’m not expecting highly technical knowledge or nitpicking details. At one point, the author has the MC performing brain surgery on her own, without a sterile field, any kind of support from nurses, other doctors, or even an anesthesiologist, in the back of an ambulance. I can get behind the willing suspension of disbelief while reading fiction, but this is just ridiculous.
The two main characters are a firefighter and a trauma surgeon, but for some reason the author thinks trauma surgeons go out in ambulances with first responders and somehow perform field surgery on the fly before getting patients in an ambulance and getting them to the hospital. The story is otherwise pretty good, but the total lack of understanding of what a trauma surgeon actually does makes it impossible to really get immersed in the story. To be clear, I am not a doctor of any kind, so I’m not expecting highly technical knowledge or nitpicking details. At one point, the author has the MC performing brain surgery on her own, without a sterile field, any kind of support from nurses, other doctors, or even an anesthesiologist, in the back of an ambulance. I can get behind the willing suspension of disbelief while reading fiction, but this is just ridiculous.
October 26, 2024
Nice story, but.....
The story was nice. I thought there was a lot of narration that wasn't necessary, and this story could have easily been a 10 to 15 page short story. Also, the editing was absolutely horrible. Quotation marks where they won't supposed to be, none whether there should have been, double words, too many of the same words in the same sentence where one made sense but all of them together they no sense at all. Paragraph spacing was all over the place. There were also times that the flow just hit a bump. You would have to read the same sentence several times to finally figure out what it was supposed to mean.
The story was nice. I thought there was a lot of narration that wasn't necessary, and this story could have easily been a 10 to 15 page short story. Also, the editing was absolutely horrible. Quotation marks where they won't supposed to be, none whether there should have been, double words, too many of the same words in the same sentence where one made sense but all of them together they no sense at all. Paragraph spacing was all over the place. There were also times that the flow just hit a bump. You would have to read the same sentence several times to finally figure out what it was supposed to mean.
September 24, 2024
I have had somewhat realistic romance book earlier on, and reading this one makes me wonder if I should go on with the series.
May 25, 2025
Scorched Hearts book 2
Wow! Talk about action-packed!
First, let me say that Phoenix Ridge sounds like hell on earth! Lol
Now, let's talk about Elle and Maya. Secord-chance romance amidst the chaos of both their professions. It's obvious from the start that there was some unresolved tension between them, and it was only a matter of time before it all went up in flames. It was hot 💥🔥❤️🔥
Wow! Talk about action-packed!
First, let me say that Phoenix Ridge sounds like hell on earth! Lol
Now, let's talk about Elle and Maya. Secord-chance romance amidst the chaos of both their professions. It's obvious from the start that there was some unresolved tension between them, and it was only a matter of time before it all went up in flames. It was hot 💥🔥❤️🔥
October 3, 2024
Second Chance Sapphic Romance
Elle is a firefighter with the all women Phoenix Ridge Fire Department. When her ex returns to work at a local hospital, she hopes for a second chance with Maya. She knows she messed up big when she cheated while she was drunk. Will she be able to find a way back into Maya’s heart? Love the series.
Elle is a firefighter with the all women Phoenix Ridge Fire Department. When her ex returns to work at a local hospital, she hopes for a second chance with Maya. She knows she messed up big when she cheated while she was drunk. Will she be able to find a way back into Maya’s heart? Love the series.
September 5, 2024
Action romance
Emily Hayes did an excellent job describing action sequences. I enjoyed how she went back and forth between Elle and Maya. The second chance romance was realistic and therefore believable.
Emily Hayes did an excellent job describing action sequences. I enjoyed how she went back and forth between Elle and Maya. The second chance romance was realistic and therefore believable.
September 22, 2024
scorched
The story is good, but the grammar is terrible. Too many delays at trying to discombobulate the meaning of too many sentences. I also found Elle to be a difficult character to understand at the beginning.
The story is good, but the grammar is terrible. Too many delays at trying to discombobulate the meaning of too many sentences. I also found Elle to be a difficult character to understand at the beginning.
December 5, 2024
Great slow burn
Excellent loved this book of the series. What a healing story line for this out there struggling with mistakes made in the past. People change and this book represents just that. Loved the story line.
Excellent loved this book of the series. What a healing story line for this out there struggling with mistakes made in the past. People change and this book represents just that. Loved the story line.
January 13, 2025
“Scorched Hearts” by Emily Hayes
A great addition to the “Phoenix Ridge Fire” series. Firefighter Elle screwed up years ago but thankfully gets a second chance to build a relationship with Doctor Maya. There’s a bit of drama, action and a lot of love!
A great addition to the “Phoenix Ridge Fire” series. Firefighter Elle screwed up years ago but thankfully gets a second chance to build a relationship with Doctor Maya. There’s a bit of drama, action and a lot of love!
April 1, 2025
While I may have liked Station 19, this felt more of a famfic dedicated to the main couple of the show rather than a novel inspired by the show. If it wasn't stated that the MCs were exes I wouldn't believe they would get together in the story. 🤷
May 11, 2025
I really wanted to like this book more. Their MCs first intimate scene was super hotttt! I wish more books had scenes like that, but the story is too far fetched with a trauma surgeon in the field that often. Also the structure of characters seemed lacking.
May 29, 2025
…..
This took me 2 months to read… didn’t dislike it but did get bored. To much happened in such a short book so to me it felt like the timeline was rushed. They just jumped back to each other not really my favorite trope.
This took me 2 months to read… didn’t dislike it but did get bored. To much happened in such a short book so to me it felt like the timeline was rushed. They just jumped back to each other not really my favorite trope.
August 22, 2024
decent read
It’s a decent read with a good story that you want to along with. Characters grew on me, but the epilogue was just an eh ending for me.
It’s a decent read with a good story that you want to along with. Characters grew on me, but the epilogue was just an eh ending for me.
October 1, 2024
wow
Couldn’t put this one down enjoyed the turmoil of emotions and the graphic detail of fire service and doctor loved it 🌈
Couldn’t put this one down enjoyed the turmoil of emotions and the graphic detail of fire service and doctor loved it 🌈
January 17, 2025
So many spelling and grammar errors. Otherwise a decent book. M
October 1, 2025
Fantastic
Another fantastic book Emily. I look forward to number three. Your writing is so enjoyable and amazing. Along with sexy. I just have to decide what to read next.
Another fantastic book Emily. I look forward to number three. Your writing is so enjoyable and amazing. Along with sexy. I just have to decide what to read next.
December 26, 2024
Happy ever after!
The main characters wind up working in the same city again and the reconnection is inevitable. They have had a bad breakup years before, but unbeknownst to each other they still miss each other.
Tragedy hits, and in the end they acknowledge their love for each other.
The main characters wind up working in the same city again and the reconnection is inevitable. They have had a bad breakup years before, but unbeknownst to each other they still miss each other.
Tragedy hits, and in the end they acknowledge their love for each other.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews