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Sawyer Rivers doesn’t believe in second chances.
Not in love. Not after the fire that took his wife and nearly hollowed him out for good.
His world is simple now—his daughter, his duty, and the quiet ache he keeps buried beneath control.
Then Tessa rear-ends his truck on a chaotic Devil’s Peak morning.
She’s flustered. Apologetic. Too young. Too warm. Too alive.
Tessa only planned to stay for the summer. Fresh out of college and running from her own doubts, she needs the job. What she doesn’t need is a brooding, devastatingly intense single dad whose dark eyes linger a little too long and whose touch feels like it could undo her.
Sawyer tells himself he’s protecting her by holding back.
Tessa refuses to be someone’s almost.
And when a fire call drags Sawyer back into the trauma he’s been hiding from, he’s forced to face the one question he’s avoided for almost a decade: can he risk loving without losing everything all over again?
FLAME is a slow-burn, high-heat nanny romance featuring:
🔥 A protective, widowed firefighter
🔥 A sunshiney nanny with sass
🔥 Forced proximity in a mountain cabin
🔥 Age-gap tension and undeniable chemistry
A Single Dad, Forced Proximity, Age Gap Firefighter Romance
Not in love. Not after the fire that took his wife and nearly hollowed him out for good.
His world is simple now—his daughter, his duty, and the quiet ache he keeps buried beneath control.
Then Tessa rear-ends his truck on a chaotic Devil’s Peak morning.
She’s flustered. Apologetic. Too young. Too warm. Too alive.
Tessa only planned to stay for the summer. Fresh out of college and running from her own doubts, she needs the job. What she doesn’t need is a brooding, devastatingly intense single dad whose dark eyes linger a little too long and whose touch feels like it could undo her.
Sawyer tells himself he’s protecting her by holding back.
Tessa refuses to be someone’s almost.
And when a fire call drags Sawyer back into the trauma he’s been hiding from, he’s forced to face the one question he’s avoided for almost a decade: can he risk loving without losing everything all over again?
FLAME is a slow-burn, high-heat nanny romance featuring:
🔥 A protective, widowed firefighter
🔥 A sunshiney nanny with sass
🔥 Forced proximity in a mountain cabin
🔥 Age-gap tension and undeniable chemistry
A Single Dad, Forced Proximity, Age Gap Firefighter Romance
- GenresFirefighters
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2026
About the author
Aria Cole
280 books1,383 followersAria Cole is the pen name of a USA Today bestselling author who published her first book in 2012 and began writing contemporary romance long before that.
Her books always feature possessive alpha men and the sassy, curvy, nerdy heroines who love them, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily-ever-afters sweet enough to make your teeth ache.
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on social to see which daring book boyfriend she's writing next!
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/ccGnRX
Instagram - http://bit.ly/2OzIWSA
Facebook - http://bit.ly/2d3UsDr
Twitter - http://bit.ly/2cppyRq
Her books always feature possessive alpha men and the sassy, curvy, nerdy heroines who love them, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily-ever-afters sweet enough to make your teeth ache.
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on social to see which daring book boyfriend she's writing next!
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/ccGnRX
Instagram - http://bit.ly/2OzIWSA
Facebook - http://bit.ly/2d3UsDr
Twitter - http://bit.ly/2cppyRq
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 9, 2026
Tessa and Sawyer
FLAME is book 6 of the Devil's Peak Fire & Rescue series. It's a short and steamy, instalove, OTT, age-gap, grumpy-sunshine, forced-proximity, curvy nanny gets her firefighter romance. Tessa is a 24-year-old curvy preschool teacher who has taken a nanny job for the summer. Sawyer is a 37-year-old hunky, grumpy, widowed single sad and firefighter. He is still grieving his wife and feels he doesn't deserve happiness. He and Tessa are immediately drawn to each other but he is worried about the age-gap, being her boss, and her leaving. Can she show him that she is all in? Sawyer broke my heart and frustrated me at the same time. He was so hot and cold, but once he committed, it was hot. The chemistry between these two was pure fire and the ending was so happy once they were all in. I loved it.
FLAME is book 6 of the Devil's Peak Fire & Rescue series. It's a short and steamy, instalove, OTT, age-gap, grumpy-sunshine, forced-proximity, curvy nanny gets her firefighter romance. Tessa is a 24-year-old curvy preschool teacher who has taken a nanny job for the summer. Sawyer is a 37-year-old hunky, grumpy, widowed single sad and firefighter. He is still grieving his wife and feels he doesn't deserve happiness. He and Tessa are immediately drawn to each other but he is worried about the age-gap, being her boss, and her leaving. Can she show him that she is all in? Sawyer broke my heart and frustrated me at the same time. He was so hot and cold, but once he committed, it was hot. The chemistry between these two was pure fire and the ending was so happy once they were all in. I loved it.
February 27, 2026
Some romances are about falling in love.
Flame is about learning you’re allowed to survive it.
Aria Cole delivers a deeply emotional, slow-burn firefighter romance that aches in all the right places. This isn’t just sparks and tension — it’s grief, fear, and the terrifying courage it takes to want a future after losing everything.
Sawyer Rivers isn’t the typical broody hero — he’s a man carefully holding himself together. A widowed firefighter raising his daughter alone, he lives in control: routine, responsibility, emotional distance. Loving again feels less like hope and more like a risk he refuses to take.
Then Tessa crashes into his life. Literally.
She’s young, warm, a little chaotic, and entirely too alive for the safe, quiet world Sawyer has built. What starts as an awkward accident turns into forced proximity when she becomes part of his daily life — and suddenly the walls he’s spent years reinforcing start cracking. Not because she pushes… but because she stays.
Tessa is sunshine without being naive. She isn’t there to fix him or save him, and that’s what makes their connection work so beautifully. She wants real love — not almost, not someday, not “when he’s ready.” Watching her refuse to settle while still caring for him creates a tension that feels incredibly human.
And the chemistry?
It’s the kind that simmers.
Every glance lingers too long. Every almost-touch matters. Every quiet moment in that mountain cabin feels louder than a confession. The age-gap tension never feels uncomfortable — instead it highlights how both of them are standing at emotional crossroads in completely different ways.
The emotional turning point comes when a fire call drags Sawyer back into the trauma he’s buried for years. That’s when the story truly shines. This isn’t just about whether he loves Tessa — it’s about whether he believes loving again won’t destroy him.
The payoff is worth every ounce of restraint. When Sawyer finally lets himself choose happiness instead of survival, it hits hard and soft at the same time.
Flame is tender, heavy, and hopeful — a story about grief that doesn’t disappear, and love that doesn’t replace the past but grows around it.
If you love:
protective single dads
sunshine vs. guarded heroes
emotional slow burns
quiet mountain settings
and romances where healing is the real happily-ever-after
this one will stay with you long after the last page.
Some hearts don’t reignite in a blaze.
Some warm slowly… until they finally feel safe enough to burn again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Flame is about learning you’re allowed to survive it.
Aria Cole delivers a deeply emotional, slow-burn firefighter romance that aches in all the right places. This isn’t just sparks and tension — it’s grief, fear, and the terrifying courage it takes to want a future after losing everything.
Sawyer Rivers isn’t the typical broody hero — he’s a man carefully holding himself together. A widowed firefighter raising his daughter alone, he lives in control: routine, responsibility, emotional distance. Loving again feels less like hope and more like a risk he refuses to take.
Then Tessa crashes into his life. Literally.
She’s young, warm, a little chaotic, and entirely too alive for the safe, quiet world Sawyer has built. What starts as an awkward accident turns into forced proximity when she becomes part of his daily life — and suddenly the walls he’s spent years reinforcing start cracking. Not because she pushes… but because she stays.
Tessa is sunshine without being naive. She isn’t there to fix him or save him, and that’s what makes their connection work so beautifully. She wants real love — not almost, not someday, not “when he’s ready.” Watching her refuse to settle while still caring for him creates a tension that feels incredibly human.
And the chemistry?
It’s the kind that simmers.
Every glance lingers too long. Every almost-touch matters. Every quiet moment in that mountain cabin feels louder than a confession. The age-gap tension never feels uncomfortable — instead it highlights how both of them are standing at emotional crossroads in completely different ways.
The emotional turning point comes when a fire call drags Sawyer back into the trauma he’s buried for years. That’s when the story truly shines. This isn’t just about whether he loves Tessa — it’s about whether he believes loving again won’t destroy him.
The payoff is worth every ounce of restraint. When Sawyer finally lets himself choose happiness instead of survival, it hits hard and soft at the same time.
Flame is tender, heavy, and hopeful — a story about grief that doesn’t disappear, and love that doesn’t replace the past but grows around it.
If you love:
protective single dads
sunshine vs. guarded heroes
emotional slow burns
quiet mountain settings
and romances where healing is the real happily-ever-after
this one will stay with you long after the last page.
Some hearts don’t reignite in a blaze.
Some warm slowly… until they finally feel safe enough to burn again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 28, 2026
...Lacee makes the story
ARC Review
Flame by Aria Cole is part of her Devil's Peak Fire & Rescue Series. It definitely can be read as a standalone. In fact there is only Sawyer, his daughter Lacee and Tessa. They are it for the main characters. It isn't until the very end chapters do we see a few characters from the firehouse pop up (I am sure they have there own story...? They really do not contribute.) It is an ägë-gäp (13 years) romance, widowed/grumpy firefighter and sunshine nanny with such a *very* slow burn buildup for Sawyer & Tessa... 😒 I really didn't think they would move forward. They have the same convo with slight variations thru 3/4 of the book - super annoyed me. Like move forward already! Quit asking the same thing over & over... It wasn't a build-up of sexual tension or chemistry. I liked the convos & energy of Lacee more. Sawyer tells Tessa he loves her at 47% in - just says it... totally surprised me! 🧐 Nothing physical yet - not even kissing. Around 60% in - first kiss and then ṣëxƴ tïmës. Their story has an HEA and two future epilogues. I am giving this 4 stars, however I believe it to be much less... It is getting the 4 stars because I like a lot of other stories Aria has written.
ARC Review
Flame by Aria Cole is part of her Devil's Peak Fire & Rescue Series. It definitely can be read as a standalone. In fact there is only Sawyer, his daughter Lacee and Tessa. They are it for the main characters. It isn't until the very end chapters do we see a few characters from the firehouse pop up (I am sure they have there own story...? They really do not contribute.) It is an ägë-gäp (13 years) romance, widowed/grumpy firefighter and sunshine nanny with such a *very* slow burn buildup for Sawyer & Tessa... 😒 I really didn't think they would move forward. They have the same convo with slight variations thru 3/4 of the book - super annoyed me. Like move forward already! Quit asking the same thing over & over... It wasn't a build-up of sexual tension or chemistry. I liked the convos & energy of Lacee more. Sawyer tells Tessa he loves her at 47% in - just says it... totally surprised me! 🧐 Nothing physical yet - not even kissing. Around 60% in - first kiss and then ṣëxƴ tïmës. Their story has an HEA and two future epilogues. I am giving this 4 stars, however I believe it to be much less... It is getting the 4 stars because I like a lot of other stories Aria has written.
March 2, 2026
This is a second chance at love steamy and heartfelt love story between a widowed single father, a young woman, and the family they create with his little girl, Lacee.
This story starts when Sawyer hires Tessa (their meet cute is perfection) to be Lacee's nanny. Their instant attraction translates into a transformation of his home, Lacee, and his own needs. HE has been living with the pain of losing his wife and putting a pause on living. When Tessa arrives, he starts using their age difference, her future plans, his love for his wife as part of his walls. BUt Tessa understands, she is not asking to replace her, she just wants to stand next to him and share his life. And resistance is futile when she gets ready to leave them, that is the wake up call to claim her as his!
A great read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story starts when Sawyer hires Tessa (their meet cute is perfection) to be Lacee's nanny. Their instant attraction translates into a transformation of his home, Lacee, and his own needs. HE has been living with the pain of losing his wife and putting a pause on living. When Tessa arrives, he starts using their age difference, her future plans, his love for his wife as part of his walls. BUt Tessa understands, she is not asking to replace her, she just wants to stand next to him and share his life. And resistance is futile when she gets ready to leave them, that is the wake up call to claim her as his!
A great read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 9, 2026
Sawyer is a widowed, single father, and Tessa is his daughter Lacee's nanny. He's been through so much that it made it hard for him to fall in love again, but meeting Tessa was just what he needed to open his heart up again. This is an age gap, pull at your heartstrings romance that had me cheering for Sawyer and Tessa to get their happily ever after. I love how the author brought them together and how it proves that sometimes second chances are meant to be. Flame is book six and a fabulous addition to the Devil's Peak Fire & Rescue series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
March 1, 2026
“Flame” by Aria Cole
-A widowed firefighter and a sunshine nanny circle each other in a very slow-burn, age-gap romance set in a cozy mountain cabin. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Sawyer’s grumpy protectiveness and Tessa’s independence had potential, but their repeated conversations made the middle drag a bit. The eventual heat and heartfelt HEA, plus bonus epilogues, made it a satisfying read.
-A widowed firefighter and a sunshine nanny circle each other in a very slow-burn, age-gap romance set in a cozy mountain cabin. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Sawyer’s grumpy protectiveness and Tessa’s independence had potential, but their repeated conversations made the middle drag a bit. The eventual heat and heartfelt HEA, plus bonus epilogues, made it a satisfying read.
March 1, 2026
If your skies are cloudy then this HOT romance book will cheer, you up and make your day a whole lot brighter and better just reading all about Sawyer and Tessa. This is a mind-blowing HOT romance book by Aria that had me hooked instantly just because of the HOT cover and because it is a romance book written by Aria. She can write the most engaging books ever and this one right here is definitely that.
March 1, 2026
The author has given us an older man/younger woman story that pulls us into the lives of Tessa, Sawyer and his daughter, Lacee. The emotional story keeps us turning the pages with connection, denial, fears, doubts, realizations and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 1, 2026
Sadly this one just didn’t hit for me. The characters were great, the strut idea was a great, but it just dragged too much to keep my interest. I feel like it would’ve been better had there been less convos and more characters. But that’s just me.
March 1, 2026
I was reslly bored
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews