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FIRE on Fire
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26One man is trying to retire early.
The other’s just trying to pay rent.
Asher Pierce has a plan for everything. As a tech manager at Query, he lives by spreadsheets and the gospel of Financial Independence, Retire Early. But a brutal demotion shoves his freedom date twenty years into the future, and a guest-speaker slot at a mountain retreat is his best shot at getting back on track.
Kael Wright is an artist barely holding his life together, with no patience for tech bros in Patagonia vests and a billionaire patron whose money comes with strings. When he accidentally books a FIRE retreat instead of the creative one he expected, the last person he wants to be stuck with is rigid, infuriating, and far too easy on the eyes.
Then a wildfire evacuation leaves them stranded in the Northern California backcountry with nothing but what they can carry and the increasingly inconvenient fact that they work better together than apart.
Getting out will take teamwork. Holding on to what sparks between them will mean surviving everything waiting off the mountain too, including Alistair Blackwood, the billionaire with money, power, and far too much control over both their futures.
FIRE on Fire is a forced-proximity, opposites-attract M/M romance with sharp banter, slow-burn heat, and a happily ever after that proves the best things in life don’t fit on a spreadsheet.
The other’s just trying to pay rent.
Asher Pierce has a plan for everything. As a tech manager at Query, he lives by spreadsheets and the gospel of Financial Independence, Retire Early. But a brutal demotion shoves his freedom date twenty years into the future, and a guest-speaker slot at a mountain retreat is his best shot at getting back on track.
Kael Wright is an artist barely holding his life together, with no patience for tech bros in Patagonia vests and a billionaire patron whose money comes with strings. When he accidentally books a FIRE retreat instead of the creative one he expected, the last person he wants to be stuck with is rigid, infuriating, and far too easy on the eyes.
Then a wildfire evacuation leaves them stranded in the Northern California backcountry with nothing but what they can carry and the increasingly inconvenient fact that they work better together than apart.
Getting out will take teamwork. Holding on to what sparks between them will mean surviving everything waiting off the mountain too, including Alistair Blackwood, the billionaire with money, power, and far too much control over both their futures.
FIRE on Fire is a forced-proximity, opposites-attract M/M romance with sharp banter, slow-burn heat, and a happily ever after that proves the best things in life don’t fit on a spreadsheet.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 21, 2026
About the author
Lukas Gaines
1 book6 followersLUKAS GAINES lives in Cumming, GA with his husband. While that might sound like the beginning of a queer rom-com, it’s actually the continuation of a love story he still can’t believe he gets to live.
He writes adult queer love stories about flawed people with real chemistry. No matter the story, the promise stays the same:
Always queer. Always spicy.
Always happily ever after.
He writes adult queer love stories about flawed people with real chemistry. No matter the story, the promise stays the same:
Always queer. Always spicy.
Always happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 10, 2026
Just finished reading "Fire on Fire," the unlikely m/m romance between Asher, a tech bro, and Kael, an artist. Their first encounter at a FI Escape retreat was electric—one tiny spark that ignited a wild story! The character development was incredible, making me want to follow every twist and turn until the very end. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just two days. But the real tension? Alistair Blackwood, the billionaire Query founder with way too much control over their futures. Will he destroy them? Will the fire between Asher and Kael consume them or help them rise like a phoenix? I had to know the answer and now I’m desperate to dive into the sequel, "Life after Fire." Highly recommend this novel if you want a story that grabs you from start to finish. Huge thanks to Lukas Gaines for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please follow him for more great reads!
Review of advance copy
‘Fire on Fire’ is a hard one to rate. The blurb is sort of interesting enough for me to want to dive straight in: a struggling artist and a money-obsessed tech exec, brought together (bizarrely) by a FIRE finance retreat, which then really culminated in a wildfire. What came after however, felt more like a meandering journey of finding their footing with each other that on the whole, didn’t work for me at all. Apart from the odd circumstances under which Ash and Kael meet, I couldn’t entirely get behind the characters and found them equally difficult to empathise with.
Perhaps the ideological chasm between them is simply too great to bridge. Kael is a dreamer to the extreme, and while no one can fault his passion and desperation for wanting to create art as a living, his really seedy arrangement with a billionaire ‘patron’ had me grimacing at the very start. On the other hand, Ash’s insane drive to simply get all the money he can to achieve financial independence didn’t make him entirely likeable as well.
Granted, both have their reasons for behaving the way they do, yet neither seem to be able to overcome their personal histories or circumstances to see beyond what they could really build together because both simply seem too self-absorbed in their own lives and in themselves to care too much about anyone else. The trauma-bonding had undeniably created a moment between them, but the instalove/lust vibe did the heavy lifting instead and didn’t provide Ash or Kael that much of a solid foundation to stay together. In fact, their relationship progression was too uneven, and their realisation that they wanted to be together came too late and too unconvincingly so.
I know that there’s a sequel to their abrupt HEA, and that consequently, the epilogue demonstrates the leap from their rocky start to their new lives together. But I wish there had been more closure in this book that would have bridged that huge, emotional gap we needed.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Perhaps the ideological chasm between them is simply too great to bridge. Kael is a dreamer to the extreme, and while no one can fault his passion and desperation for wanting to create art as a living, his really seedy arrangement with a billionaire ‘patron’ had me grimacing at the very start. On the other hand, Ash’s insane drive to simply get all the money he can to achieve financial independence didn’t make him entirely likeable as well.
Granted, both have their reasons for behaving the way they do, yet neither seem to be able to overcome their personal histories or circumstances to see beyond what they could really build together because both simply seem too self-absorbed in their own lives and in themselves to care too much about anyone else. The trauma-bonding had undeniably created a moment between them, but the instalove/lust vibe did the heavy lifting instead and didn’t provide Ash or Kael that much of a solid foundation to stay together. In fact, their relationship progression was too uneven, and their realisation that they wanted to be together came too late and too unconvincingly so.
I know that there’s a sequel to their abrupt HEA, and that consequently, the epilogue demonstrates the leap from their rocky start to their new lives together. But I wish there had been more closure in this book that would have bridged that huge, emotional gap we needed.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Incredible debut! This story was something a little different for me which is saying something with almost 1000 MM books under my belt. Ash and Kael survive a disaster together and while they are complete opposites by nature, the journey of survival brings them closer together.
The writing isn't overly complex so it's easy to follow and enjoy! The story progresses well, if not for a few moments where the timeline wasnt completely clear to me, and I loved how there really wasn't much conflict about them getting together. They both were a little commitment phobic for different reasons but then decided, hey lets try this thing!
Now for the conflict, it wasn't my favorite, but it was heavily rooted in realism. The non-communication is so frustrating as a reader, but I could easily believe that if these men were real this is exactly how it would play out. The only real issue I had was the conversation they have around 80% because while I know Ash had been on a somewhat redemtion arc through this story, I still felt that that made thier HEA seem slightly unbelievable. They both made plenty of mistakes but that one was a lot for me, poor baby Kael.
I thought the Alastair plot line was a little underdeveloped but i'm not mad about it. It's a good set-up for what seems like is book 2 with Marcus. And I do love some realism, Kael reaction v everyone else's to the recording was perfect. He did want that Disney resolution and i'm so glad we didn't get that. Great touch with that, I hate a too convienient wrap-up.
Overall, I think this was cute. I'm not sure I would say these characters undoubetdly make it in the long run but I enjoyed thier story and where they ended up in the epilogue. Again, fantastic debut and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
*I recieved an ARC from Booksirens and this is my honest review.
The writing isn't overly complex so it's easy to follow and enjoy! The story progresses well, if not for a few moments where the timeline wasnt completely clear to me, and I loved how there really wasn't much conflict about them getting together. They both were a little commitment phobic for different reasons but then decided, hey lets try this thing!
Now for the conflict, it wasn't my favorite, but it was heavily rooted in realism. The non-communication is so frustrating as a reader, but I could easily believe that if these men were real this is exactly how it would play out. The only real issue I had was the conversation they have around 80% because while I know Ash had been on a somewhat redemtion arc through this story, I still felt that that made thier HEA seem slightly unbelievable. They both made plenty of mistakes but that one was a lot for me, poor baby Kael.
I thought the Alastair plot line was a little underdeveloped but i'm not mad about it. It's a good set-up for what seems like is book 2 with Marcus. And I do love some realism, Kael reaction v everyone else's to the recording was perfect. He did want that Disney resolution and i'm so glad we didn't get that. Great touch with that, I hate a too convienient wrap-up.
Overall, I think this was cute. I'm not sure I would say these characters undoubetdly make it in the long run but I enjoyed thier story and where they ended up in the epilogue. Again, fantastic debut and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
*I recieved an ARC from Booksirens and this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF at chapter two.
I couldn’t get past how unlikeable both main characters were.Just unpleasant in a way that made me not want to spend another page with them. If we're supposed to feel for a character who ONLY has 2.3 million dollars in the bank and panics buying guacamole...meanwhile is threatening someone who turned him into HR for kissing a subordinate...okay accountability. Meanwhile Kael has a one night stand...and then treats said one night stand like absolute shit..tips a dollar...meanwhile he gets to paint whatever he wants for a billionaire patron??GURL.
The dialogue was also a major issue for me. It reads like someone trying to prove the gay characters are “masculine” by having them constantly talk in hey man / yeah bro / dude shorthand. Instead of makingKael feel grounded, it made him feel artificial, like masculinity being performed at the reader rather than lived in by the characters.
Outside the text, I also have concerns about review transparency. I personally saw the author review his own book, and I saw a review from what appeared to be someone very personally connected to him; at the time, that reviewer’s profile image included the author, and I screenshotted it before the image changed. That does not inspire confidence. And frankly cant believe we still have to remind authors Goodreads is NOT for AUTHORS.
The social media promotion around the book also feels inflated to me, which adds to my discomfort, though my rating is based primarily on the pages I read. (Sudden increase of thousands of followers overnight with no viral moment)..
I’m not interested in continuing. This was a fast DNF.
I couldn’t get past how unlikeable both main characters were.Just unpleasant in a way that made me not want to spend another page with them. If we're supposed to feel for a character who ONLY has 2.3 million dollars in the bank and panics buying guacamole...meanwhile is threatening someone who turned him into HR for kissing a subordinate...okay accountability. Meanwhile Kael has a one night stand...and then treats said one night stand like absolute shit..tips a dollar...meanwhile he gets to paint whatever he wants for a billionaire patron??GURL.
The dialogue was also a major issue for me. It reads like someone trying to prove the gay characters are “masculine” by having them constantly talk in hey man / yeah bro / dude shorthand. Instead of makingKael feel grounded, it made him feel artificial, like masculinity being performed at the reader rather than lived in by the characters.
Outside the text, I also have concerns about review transparency. I personally saw the author review his own book, and I saw a review from what appeared to be someone very personally connected to him; at the time, that reviewer’s profile image included the author, and I screenshotted it before the image changed. That does not inspire confidence. And frankly cant believe we still have to remind authors Goodreads is NOT for AUTHORS.
The social media promotion around the book also feels inflated to me, which adds to my discomfort, though my rating is based primarily on the pages I read. (Sudden increase of thousands of followers overnight with no viral moment)..
I’m not interested in continuing. This was a fast DNF.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of an advance copy from NetGalley. No incentive was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.
I spent most of the book actively disliking both of the main characters. Generally that is a strange place to be when you're reading a book. In an even more unusual experience; I question their happily ever after. Asher and Kael are two of the most self-obsessed characters I think I've ever read in this genre.
The story premise is interesting, the use of something approaching a 'villain' is in many ways a caricature (I'm inclined to believe that was deliberate), and the intellectual-creative dichotomy is well-balanced. But the actual characters? I honestly liked Jenny and Jamal more than I liked Ash and Kael!
The back story on the main characters is interesting and in some ways explains their behaviour. Both have been traumatised by the actions of family, and it has manifested in very different behaviours. But there is a fundamental selfishness that pushes the HEA right to the brink of non-existence. Which in this case I'm not sure would have been a bad thing.
The epilogue does its best to try and smooth over the near-whiplash shift to HEA, with an amusing meta-level awareness that the insta-love is bordering absurd. Trauma-bonding as the foundation for an opposites attract love story isn't without merit, I'm just not sure this book does the premise justice.
I spent most of the book actively disliking both of the main characters. Generally that is a strange place to be when you're reading a book. In an even more unusual experience; I question their happily ever after. Asher and Kael are two of the most self-obsessed characters I think I've ever read in this genre.
The story premise is interesting, the use of something approaching a 'villain' is in many ways a caricature (I'm inclined to believe that was deliberate), and the intellectual-creative dichotomy is well-balanced. But the actual characters? I honestly liked Jenny and Jamal more than I liked Ash and Kael!
The back story on the main characters is interesting and in some ways explains their behaviour. Both have been traumatised by the actions of family, and it has manifested in very different behaviours. But there is a fundamental selfishness that pushes the HEA right to the brink of non-existence. Which in this case I'm not sure would have been a bad thing.
The epilogue does its best to try and smooth over the near-whiplash shift to HEA, with an amusing meta-level awareness that the insta-love is bordering absurd. Trauma-bonding as the foundation for an opposites attract love story isn't without merit, I'm just not sure this book does the premise justice.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book left me feeling a little sad about the current state of some indie romance authors. Great blurb, gorgeous cover but there is so much pressure now to rapid-release, build a backlist, package tropes efficiently, and move on to the next book before the last one has even had time to breathe. And at only 274 pages there was definitely room to breathe.
This book felt like a product of that system: an interesting premise fast-tracked into publication before it had been given the time, depth, and revision needed to become something special.
There are pieces here that could have worked. The contrast between Ash and Kael could have been electric. The fire could have transformed them. The romance could have felt hard-won. But instead, the story felt rushed where it needed patience, vague where it needed specificity, and emotionally underdeveloped where it needed to hurt.
I know there is a sequel meant to continue their story, but this book needed more closure on its own. I finished feeling less like I had watched two people fall in love and more like I had been told they eventually figured it out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book felt like a product of that system: an interesting premise fast-tracked into publication before it had been given the time, depth, and revision needed to become something special.
There are pieces here that could have worked. The contrast between Ash and Kael could have been electric. The fire could have transformed them. The romance could have felt hard-won. But instead, the story felt rushed where it needed patience, vague where it needed specificity, and emotionally underdeveloped where it needed to hurt.
I know there is a sequel meant to continue their story, but this book needed more closure on its own. I finished feeling less like I had watched two people fall in love and more like I had been told they eventually figured it out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Hi. I wrote this book, so of course I’m giving Ash and Kael five stars!
FIRE on Fire is my debut M/M romance, and in a lot of ways, it’s the book I had to write first. It’s about a man who thinks freedom means having enough money to never need anyone, and another man who’s spent his life avoiding any entanglement that might distract from his passion for art.
It’s also about forced proximity, bad first impressions, wildfire evacuations, banter, only one bed, open-door spice, and the terrifying discovery that sometimes the person who wrecks your plan is the one who teaches you what freedom is for.
I hope readers find heat, humor, and two messy men worth rooting for. Most of all, I hope they find a queer happily ever after that feels alive and full of possibility.
FIRE on Fire is my debut M/M romance, and in a lot of ways, it’s the book I had to write first. It’s about a man who thinks freedom means having enough money to never need anyone, and another man who’s spent his life avoiding any entanglement that might distract from his passion for art.
It’s also about forced proximity, bad first impressions, wildfire evacuations, banter, only one bed, open-door spice, and the terrifying discovery that sometimes the person who wrecks your plan is the one who teaches you what freedom is for.
I hope readers find heat, humor, and two messy men worth rooting for. Most of all, I hope they find a queer happily ever after that feels alive and full of possibility.
Review of advance copy
Oh this was so so good! Kael is a artist tangled up with a billionaire who gives him money to make art
Ash is a finance bro who wants to stick to his timesheets and life projections so he can retire
Their meet cute was adorable ash is at a finance retreat
Kael misread the situation and thought it was an art retreat
They are partners on a project and while they are on a hike everyone evacuates because of an impending fire so they have to try and get to the next town it was so fun seeing their relationship develop they were opposites but somehow made each other better
I have to say hate hate Alistair like with a passion’ I was so proud when Kael stood up for himself
It has spice but focuses more on their relationship
I really enjoyed this and how their story ended!
Ash is a finance bro who wants to stick to his timesheets and life projections so he can retire
Their meet cute was adorable ash is at a finance retreat
Kael misread the situation and thought it was an art retreat
They are partners on a project and while they are on a hike everyone evacuates because of an impending fire so they have to try and get to the next town it was so fun seeing their relationship develop they were opposites but somehow made each other better
I have to say hate hate Alistair like with a passion’ I was so proud when Kael stood up for himself
It has spice but focuses more on their relationship
I really enjoyed this and how their story ended!
Review of advance copy
I really did enjoy this book not gonna like but at the same time I also wanted it to end so that’s why I settled on 3 stars.
Do I think their relationship was moving very fast? Yes but I still felt their chemistry so I do believe they were a good food together
I did enjoy how the ending was and how life can chance to the better
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Do I think their relationship was moving very fast? Yes but I still felt their chemistry so I do believe they were a good food together
I did enjoy how the ending was and how life can chance to the better
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
This book was my first arc ever.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this story, and finished it in one day
At times the story felt a bit rushed that´s why I settled for four stars
I´m looking forward to the next story Life after Fire
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this story, and finished it in one day
At times the story felt a bit rushed that´s why I settled for four stars
I´m looking forward to the next story Life after Fire
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got an advanced copy of this book really enjoyed it. The fact that I read it in 2 days should be enough of a tell that it was entertaining. There was some suspense and desire for things to work out near the end, which kept me turning the pages. Good plot. Unsure if their relationship would work longterm in the real world, but I’ll still read the sequel to find out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I finished this very fast, and I appreciated the message the book conveys. I just didn't really connect with the characters and felt like things moved rather quickly, but by around the 60% mark, I just wanted the book to end.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow - what a great debut! It was fun, unique, sexy, and captivating. Dialogue was real and clever. Loved the unique theme. Excited for the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews