SLOW BURN is the first book in the Station 12 Firehouse Series, releasing Feb. 5 on Kindle Unlimited. Think Pippa Grant meets first responder romance—big laughs, bigger feelings, and a hero who's been hopelessly in love with the same woman for seventeen years.
Jake finally has his chance when Harlow returns to Collins, Colorado, fleeing an abusive marriage. She's rediscovering herself through her art (her paint tubes have opinions—loud ones). He's trying not to screw up the only thing he's ever wanted. The Victorian house they're restoring might be sentient. The town's retirees run a surveillance operation that would impress the CIA. And the peacocks? They're tactical. It's a slow burn with steam, a healing journey that doesn't rush, and a community of lovable weirdos who'd commit light felonies for each other. ~80,000 wordsStandalone with series references to past emotional abuse, healing from traumaHeat 🌶️🌶️🌶️
What a pleasant surprise for me! I loved this unique book! Yes, it was what I hoped for-a quirky, funny rom-com with complex main characters, a darling and supportive community surrounding them, and some “just-right” steam. But what surprised me and made the book stand out were two things: 1) The deeper layers in this book- healing from the past, patience with love, and “found” family. 2) A small hint of magical realism that didn’t distract from the plot, but created a unique and loveable town different from any other firefighter romance or rom-com I’ve read. I loved the paint tubes, Kevin the Peacock, and even the cranky Victorian house. The ending has me already excited for book 2 to come out in March! Thank you to the author for the ARC, and for not pressuring your ARC readers about any review other than an honest one-in ALL honesty, I LOVED IT.
"This town is a rom-com that doesn't know when to cut to commercial" is the perfect way to describe Slow Burn by Dani Skye. I am going to be honest, this book was very overwhelming for me. Jake and Harlow, the main characters, are loveable, infact, the ENTIRE POPULATION of Collins were easy to love. They have a community group chat with side group chats. There are cameras with infrared lenses, microphones, peacocks in tactical gear, and nosy neighbors with binoculars EVERYWHERE! Harlow and Jake's coping strategies were interesting. There are emotional support paints, yes, they talk to her, an opinionated canine, PowerPoints, and spreadsheets. And you can't forget the Victorian house that has an unhealthy emotional attachment to it's owner and continuously tries to kill her! I'm probably missing something because this book contains A LOT!! Like I said, very overwhelming. My favorite part was probably the last 20% of the book. I felt like the story was actually developing, and the conversations weren't overly abundant like throughout the rest of the book. I think the thing that made Slow Born so hard to fully immerse myself in was the conversations, a good portion of which ended up being hard to track. I had to go back several times and highlight what I thought were Jake and Harlow's parts in conversations just so I could make sense of it.
With all that said, it is a good book!! It just turns out that I'm not into community group chats and having full on conversations with inanimate objects through the entire story. Each character, and there are a lot, were thought out and executed very well. The peacock is funny, Jake and Harlow's traumas are heartbreaking, the towns people are ridiculous and unapologetic, and through it all, Jake is patient, understanding, and completely in love.
ARC Review This story is about learning to live, not just survive. Watching Harlow slowly learn to stand her ground and advocate for herself was one of the most meaningful parts of the book for me.
Harlow is such a quirky, creative character. She’s an artist with a dark past, a vivid inner world, and thoughts that show up as different paint colors (lemon yellow was my personal favorite). There’s a lightness and humor to her voice that I didn’t expect, especially considering… well… the haunted, jealous, slightly homicidal house. Somehow the author made that funny, which honestly takes skill.
Jake is the steady counterbalance to her chaos. A firefighter who thinks in bullet points, checklists, and slides, he’s protective, patient, and has clearly been pining for a long time.
Quotes like “We both try to control the uncontrollable because the alternative is admitting we’re scared” really highlight the emotional core of their relationship.
The storyline itself is engaging, and several themes are explored in a thoughtful way. That said, the writing style is quite quirky and repetitive at times, which didn’t fully click with me. I occasionally found myself zoning out, especially during the heavier small-town meddling (seriously… does privacy not exist there? And the peacocks in tactical vests??). But just when I drifted, something would pull me back in.
Overall, this is a unique read with heart, humor, and emotional depth, even if the style wasn’t a perfect fit for me. If you enjoy character-driven stories, slow builds, and a touch of the weird mixed with romance, this one may work better for you than it did for me.
This was a different type of rom com than I expected but was enjoyable nonetheless. This book brings a lovely humour and whimsical quirkiness to a contemporary romance story.
The characters (particularly the FMC Harlow) have a rough past and trauma with an ex that does come up a bit and she is quick to run away and shut herself off. I found it frustrating at times, however, I do think this makes her more relatable given her circumstances.
The protective and nosy townspeople who moonlight as spy wanna-be’s to get the MC’s together are intrusive but in a charming and hilarious way.
The FMC has personalities assigned to her paints and frequently converses with them which gives us a unique POV with a quirky twist. And who can forget the house with a personality. Like I said not your usual rom com story of boy meets girl.
This was a fun read, many thanks to the author who gifted an advanced copy. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
I want to first thank the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Such a pleasant surprise from an independent author! Funny, quirky, easy to read, heartwarming, and entertaining. Nothing like I've ever read before, and I've read thousands of books! I think I went through every emotion possible while reading it. I devoured it in less than two days, as I had to see where the story went. This book is the definition of found family. And we all know family is both amazing and annoying at times. 🤣 Maybe this is a genre I have just never read before, but I'd call this book one of a kind!
Holy crap is everyone in the know of the goings on in Collin’s. I love that it’s very lifelike everyone is in everyone’s business. It’s a little over the top but it makes you giggle!
Slow Burn sheds some light on abuse and how it can really hurt someone and what they have to go through mentally to heal.
Very small town feel. Had quite a bit of comedy, had me laughing out loud more than once!
Like how Harlow uses the paints to talk to her. Most people have the inter monologue they have to deal with, putting it into perspective where your own ideas come from.
As for the fire department, man that small town has a lot of fires! I love how patient Jake is and willing to take things slow and actually care about what people want and not just take, take, take.
Team Jake and Harlow! Also love the service puppers 💙🐕
I hear there’s a sequel and I can’t wait for that!
Read this if you are interested in all the gossip, slow burn, firefighters, painting and small town romance!
Slow Burn by Dani Skye was such an easy, entertaining read—funny, quirky, and surprisingly heartfelt. The story leans into its weird in the best way, with talking paints, a house that may or may not want to murder its occupants, and a dog serving nonstop judgmental looks. These offbeat elements add humor and charm without overshadowing the emotional core of the book.
At its heart, Slow Burn is about coming home and coming back to yourself. After losing herself in an abusive marriage, the heroine returns to the place she once knew, slowly rediscovering who she is outside of fear and control. The healing unfolds gently, making the emotional journey feel earned rather than rushed. Overall, this book balances humor and heart beautifully, making it a cozy yet meaningful read that sticks with you long after the last page.
I really enjoyed Slow Burn! The author does an excellent job of navigating the trauma of DV while still having a fun, humorous story. The MFC Harlow is just coming off a rough divorce, and arriving back to her hometown. The town is filled with absolute crazy people who love her, a few peacocks and a magic house. Oh and talking paint tubes. I never completely understand what universe they are living in, but I really enjoyed getting to see it!
The MMC Jake goes through such growth throughout the book. With his regret of not saving a child and his unfortunate savior complex, he learns how to become a better person, and a better man for Harlow. I loved his entire character arc, and really appreciated his need for slides. And yes there are many.
While it took me a while to really enjoy the group chat (I originally thought it was just too much), I actually appreciated the humor and just absolute ridiculousness that is their town. While I definitely couldn’t handle the intrusiveness of it all, Harlow and Jake embrace it. Guiseppe was my favorite character in the town, and I loved how sweet and kind he was.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be reading the next one. I'd give it 4.5 stars.
Slow burn is 100% that… a slow burn. Jake has loved Harlow since high school. Harlow never knew. She went away to college , gotten married, gotten divorced then 17 years later came back to Collins to rebuild her life. Jake was waiting for her with a 94 slide power point presentation on what to do when she came back. It’s a slow burn watching them get together in a town that has its own group chat documenting Jake and Harlow’s every move with possibility of live percentages, video surveillance, counts of almost kisses and of course a surveillance peacock named Kevin. Despite all their troubles (aka a murderous Victorian house that is out to keep Harlow and Jake apart, very vocal paint tubes - yes, Harlow is an artist and traumatic pasts) the town keeps rooting for them. Dani Skye writes a romcom in a small town where anyone’s business is everyone’s business. While the humor is witty, and sometimes off the wall, she goes into deeper traumas like domestic abuse, gaslighting, dealing with death (unfortunately sometimes a part of a firefighter’s job). I really enjoyed Slow Burn. I can’t wait to see where this series goes. I’m sure the Collins Community Group Chat knows!
Dani Skye's book was a solid 3 and half stars for me - it was amusing but also dealt with some serious issues within the pages. Harper Bennett has just returned to her hometown of Collins after a devastating marriage and divorce. Waiting for her is a community of people who want to love and support her, especially Jake Bowers, a rather delicious firefighter, who has loved her from afar since high school. This story is extremely quirky with paint tubes that talk to Harper, a dog who judges her and a Victorian house that appears to want to murder her. The town is made of so many fun characters including Jake's coworkers who have created a PowerPoint to help him get his girl. I really enoyed this story - there were just moments that I didn't quite engage with that took me out of the story for a second or two, but then I was drawn back in. I think anyone who likes a romantic comedy that comes with a good dose of whimsy will find this book really appealing. Thank you to the author for sharing the Arc with me and allowing me to provide my opinion of her story.
If you think Stars Hallow has it's quirks Collins is telling you to hold it's beer. Dani Skye builds a true quirky small town world to begin the Station 12 Firehouse series. I loved the community chat and how each character big and small worked together. This was a feel good comedy that I definitely needed in my life right now.
Warning that the title is definitely true in many ways. As someone who can get tired of a slow burn I did find myself wishing for things to speed up a bit in the first half of the book, but once the second half hit I blazed through to the end.
Dani Skye's use of personification adds humor, internal dialogue, and quirk throughout the book and was a fun addition.
If you are looking for a feel good, fun, entertaining, and sweet book to escape the real world this book is for you!
This small-town rom-com features a firefighter romance that is fun and lighthearted, with plenty of easy banter that makes it a really enjoyable read. The author’s style is unique and quirky, and once you get used to it, it can be quite charming. That said, some elements didn’t quite click for me. There’s a sense of constant surveillance in parts of the story that felt exhausting, and the magical realism—like the paint tubes—took me a while to fully grasp. At times, certain plot devices seemed over the top or didn’t quite integrate smoothly into the story. Overall, it’s an interesting read, and I can definitely see myself continuing the series because the author has a distinct voice and a creative approach. It’s not perfect, but it has enough charm and humor to make it worthwhile.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
SLOW BURN is exactly what the title promises—and that’s its greatest strength. Dani Skye delivers a warm, funny, emotionally grounded romance that takes its time and earns every moment of connection. From the very first chapter, this book feels like settling into a small town where everyone knows your business, loves you anyway, and may or may not be running a low-budget surveillance operation.
Jake is the definition of quiet devotion. Seventeen years of loving the same woman could have felt overdone, but Skye writes it with such tenderness and restraint that it becomes deeply affecting rather than dramatic. Harlow’s return to Collins, Colorado isn’t framed as a fairytale rescue—it’s about survival, healing, and rediscovering who she is after emotional abuse. Her relationship with her art (and her opinionated paint tubes) is both hilarious and moving, and her growth unfolds at a believable, respectful pace.
The slow burn here is chef’s kiss. This romance doesn’t rush intimacy or emotional trust, which makes the steam that does arrive feel natural and rewarding. The chemistry simmers under every shared glance and unfinished sentence, and when things finally ignite, it’s worth the wait. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ feels exactly right.
What really elevates this book is the community. The possibly sentient Victorian house, the unhinged-but-lovable retirees, and yes—the tactical peacocks—add laugh-out-loud humor without undermining the emotional core. The found-family vibes are strong, and the town of Collins feels like a place readers will want to return to again and again.
If you love small-town romance with heart, humor, healing, and a slow burn that builds into fireworks, SLOW BURN is a fantastic start to the Station 12 Firehouse Series. I’m absolutely ready for more from this world—and these lovable weirdos.
This is Book 1 of the Fire Station 12 series. And a wonderful start it is! Look forward to more from this world.
'Expect: small-town chaos, a protective cinnamon-roll firefighter, long-term pining, forced proximity, witty banter, light magical weirdness, found family, and a happily-ever-after.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and likeable and quirky and perfect together. Plot was intriguing and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
loved it !! what a great start for this new series !! love, love, love Jake and Harlow... this is their love story... a fun well paced slow burn love story... he's loved her since high school , she never knew !! now, she's back and he has a chance... this is her chance at a new start.. she's divorced and going to make it on her own.. she's an artist... there's a Victorian house that might be evil and they're fixing it up... and that peacock named Kevin !! what's that about ? this is so funny !! and so good !!! it's really OMG !!! good !!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Uniquely refreshing!!!! The title does not lie. This is definitely a slow burn love story that had me feeling all the feels, and I could not wait to see Jake and Harlow get to their happily ever after. The quirky little town of Collins sounds like a place I would love to visit (I'm thinking around Halloween would be fun.), and the side characters are everything!!! After living in a small town for my whole life I can almost picture some of the shenanigans that they get up to. The story that Dani Skye tells in Slow Burn is truly unique and I can't wait to visit Collins, Colorado again!
Meet Harlow and Jake. She’s an artist who is a bit quirky and nervous . He’s a firefighter who plans things to keep everybody safe. There are may unique perks in this book- the paint tubes talk to Harlow, the coffee machine makes predictions about life, the Victorian house that is possibly sentient..then there is Kevin the peacock who has his own social media! Such a fun read. Lots of healing with safety and found family in this book. Spice for me was a 🌶️🌶️ and the stars are 🌟🌟🌟🌟. Can’t wait for Book 2!
Harlow & Jake This is a good story about a couple, that went to high school together. Jake loved Harlow but could never tell her. They move on with their own lives, then years later Harlow returns. Jake still has feeling for her after many years apart. Jake is done waiting, he makes sure that Harlow knows his intentions, which is wild and fun to read about. This is an amazing second chance story that I really Loved!!! I Recommend!! No spoilers!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Slow Burn is a quick read that made me laugh out loud multiple times. In a week that was emotionally draining, this book allowed me to escape and laugh. If you also love comedic relief, and hallmark love stories, Slow Burn is for you!
What it’s about: Jake is a firefighter from Collin’s which is an extremely small town, and has been in love with Harlow since high school. After escaping an abusive marriage, and coming back home to Collin’s, Jake finally has the courage to talk to her, and the love story starts from there. This love story does not just involve them, but the entire town of Collin’s who protects their people.
Triggers: Emotional and physical abuse Anxiety Death of a child (brought up several times but as a memory)
I rated this a one star so I would be able to write a review in it. Sadly this was a DNF for me (19%). It didn't felt forced and a bit cringe for me. I love a good romance book but I couldn't get my head around this one..
The writing was confusing and the way the characters talked and the town acted didn't work for me.
Talking paint tubes, a murderous house, a guy with spreadsheets for everything and abnormally nosy townspeople. It's a no for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What a quirky little town Collin’s is, I love it and so concerned for it hahaha Such a fun concept of the house, I too hold a grudge and judge haha Loved seeing how Harlow and Jake made things work out and absolutely cannot wait to see what’s coming for Kate and January 👀 👀
Loved Harlow whose past has darkness, she uses her art to sure her feelings. Colourful . You feel her humour and even living in the house with more emotions than it should have. Jake is a firefighter who lives by rules and checklists. One thing is patient and protective. This book has humour, and emotional a slow build and romance.
Quirky little novel with sentient paint tubes, a Victorian house with big feelings from murderous to happy, and an emotional support peacock. This book made me laugh so hard especially with the commentary from the paint tubes! Love Harlow and Jake so much!! Can’t wait for book 2!!
First I want to thank the author for the free ARC! This book was quirky, fun, small town romance. There is some trauma the the MC’s both are working through, but having the whole community as a “family” is truly amazing to see. Cute story. Can’t wait for the rest of the series.
SLOW BURN delivers laugh-out-loud moments, emotional healing, and a hero who’s waited seventeen years for his second chance. With quirky small-town charm, found family vibes, and a romance that simmers just right, this first responder love story balances warmth, wit, and well-earned steam.
This book was hilarious! I loved the crazy town antics and the haunted house. But it also had a serious side. I'm so glad it's a series. Can't wait for book #2. January and Kate???? This definitely compares to Pippa Grant and Lucy Score! I can't believe it's from a debut author.
Wow, I have never read such a funny story!! Even more, it’s so stinking sweet and heartwarming. Watch Harlow triumph over the trauma from her ex; learn how Jake shows up every time. Never has a man been this devoted! You absolutely Must read this amazing book!!!
Jake waited patiently in the shadows as Harlow navigated life's ups and downs, ultimately becoming her true self and learning to love and accept love 💕.