I'm going to start off by saying this is slightly outside my comfort zone. Some might think that was a bad thing or that I didn't care for the story. No. I loved it! Stepping outside my comfort zone is not something I do often but when I do, I always do it with an open mind because if we don't challenge ourselves we don't learn, and life is always learning. What is it that puts this outside that comfort zone? The fire, Jamie's pull towards the flame, his need to watch it, to control it, to use it as his brand of justice. I don't personally understand that kind of pull toward something that is so dangerous, that holds the potential to get out of control and because of that I can't speak to how accurate the author got it. What I can be sure of is that RJ Scott did her homework, not just to get it right but because she respects life's differences, one's needs and desires.
Now for the book.
Jamie has it's own story but it is part of a four book story arc and Jamie is the middle so you need to start with Enzo. Is there a beginning and an end here? Yes and no. Yes, there is a more specific guilty party Jamie and Killian are focused on which does have a conclusion but there is more to come so again, this is a series best read in order. Because it is a read in order series, I won't delve into the plot so I don't spoil the series as a whole. I will say, it is dark, it is disturbing, it can be hard on your heart to read but because of the respect the author shows that I mentioned above, it is also deliciously satisfying.
I talked about Jamie's love of the flame and his own past that got him to Redcars but he is only part of the story, we also have Killian. Killian is a lawyer we met in Enzo and though he comes across as commanding, he too has a past that brought him to where and how he is. On the surface, you can't imagine two people more opposite and not right for each other but then you see inside and realize they are actually perfectly matched. They complete each other but they also understand the need to let the other be who and what they need to be.
As it is an ongoing story arc, we get to see Enzo and Robbie again and to see more of Robbie's healing. Robbie's scenes might actually be short in wordage and page time but it is another example of the author's respect for healing, that it can be an ongoing and never-ending journey. It also shows that found families are just as strong, actually stronger for some, as those stemmed in blood.
As I started with, I may not understand Jamie's pull toward the flame making it a bit harder to connect to him, it did not take away from loving the story or the characters. Frankly, the fact that I do love everything about Jamie, while not understanding the character's flame pull, speaks louder volumes to how brilliantly and emotionally told this story is. A winner on all sides.
One last mention, we originally met Redcars in the author's Single Dads 6th entry, Pride which tells(in part) Logan's story. We don't see Logan a lot in the Redcars first two entries but he is mentioned and because of that, I highly recommend reading Pride before you start Redcars, though it is not a must because it is not the same story arc but it does introduce the series and characters.