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The Fire Underneath

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Firefighter Joe Allegretti has some flames that need putting out the minute he meets sexy fellow firefighter, Dallas Williams. But the heat he's feeling has nothing to do with the burning buildings nearby.

Not counting one curious kiss with another guy in college, Joe has always dated women. But as soon as Dallas appears Joe can't seem to ignore the scorching fire underneath that rages for the other man. But Joe struggles with what others might think of him if he dates Dallas openly, and Dallas isn’t interested in hiding what he feels for Joe. Joe’s a brave man, but is he brave enough to fight for what he wants?

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2015

8 people are currently reading
162 people want to read

About the author

S.C. Wynne

65 books585 followers
S.C. Wynne is a Lambda Award-winning author for Gay Romance. S.C. started writing m/m romance and mystery in 2013. Her characters are usually a little jaded, funny, and ultimately redeemed through love.

If you’d like to contact S.C. Wynne she'd love to hear from you. You can contact her at scwynne@scwynne.com

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5 stars
30 (15%)
4 stars
79 (41%)
3 stars
67 (35%)
2 stars
12 (6%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Gigi.
2,148 reviews1,069 followers
March 23, 2015
Review when I get caught up! Firefighter groupies, I'm going to recommend this one right off the bat. Recommended!
Profile Image for Makhda.
877 reviews146 followers
August 31, 2015
3.5 stars

Whoa, Alpha pair. That was HOT.

So bicurious Joe wants to try 'something' with openly gay Dallas. But unfortunately Dallas rejected him. If they're going to be a f*ck buddy, they're going to do it openly. Way to go, my man! I really liked him.
Joe was afraid if he did come out, he's going to lose everything. But Dallas ain't ready to lose him too. So he keeps pursuing him as a friend. Although he did know better.

They're so cute. There's an insta lust thrown in here. But I don't mind. As long as they don't throw 'baby' sh*t unless they've known each other for about few months at least.This story was told from Joe's POV. Damn it. I want to get inside Dallas's head. Joe likes to spouting nonsensical sentences. And I found it funny. Or maybe he was just a funny guy.

"If a reporter appeared out of nowhere to interview me while Dallas was buried cock deep in me I'd have had to say no comment."


Profile Image for Katie Johnson.
12 reviews
March 23, 2015
This book was a lot of fun. Sexy and humorous. I'm a sucker for Gay for you books and this one didn't disappoint.
Profile Image for Gina.
176 reviews6 followers
March 26, 2015
Omg! I loved this story. Yummy firemans!!!
Profile Image for JR.
875 reviews33 followers
April 7, 2015
This is the story of two firefighters, Joe and Dallas, who meet when Dallas saves Joe's life after a part of a burning building collapses on Joe. There is an attraction Joe doesn't understand, but Dallas knows all to well what's going on. Joe's oblivious to the closet he's in. Does Dallas have enough stamina to pull Joe out of the closet?

I hate to use the word cute, but that is basically what this story is, a very cute story. A pleasant diversion on a rainy afternoon.
Profile Image for Rochelle.
3,462 reviews56 followers
April 10, 2015
I really loved this book. It had the right amount of everything. I loved Joe and Dallas, they were super sweet together and they shared a ton of chemistry!
Profile Image for Jenny Wood.
Author 26 books309 followers
April 11, 2015
"I’d had to control myself from practically skipping up to him I’d been so happy to see him." haha, so cute!
This was my first S.C. Wynne book and I really liked it... I could understand Joe's hesitance and even his back and forth, I'm positive a decision to come out isn't easy... luckily alls it took was seeing Dallas with someone else to realize he could lose em... I don't come across too many GFY stories even though I really like them... but this one was just cute and funny and not to angsty... I think I'll have to check out some more by this author!
5 stars for me!
Profile Image for JLOluvsbooks&dogs.
316 reviews5 followers
April 12, 2015
3.5 firefighter stars! I was worried when reading the first third of this book as it took a little while for me to get used to the writing style of this author, as I would call it a bit rough. I enjoyed the struggle in this GFY, and strangely enough the MC could have been construed as whiny, but the Author did a decent job of making his struggle believable, making him likeable enough. I enjoyed the family interactions, especially at the end.
Profile Image for James Cox.
Author 59 books308 followers
April 2, 2015
Sexy firemen and some funny moments. Very good read!
Profile Image for Love Bytes Reviews.
2,529 reviews38 followers
April 27, 2015
4 heart review by Amber

“Ready or not the gay guys are here.”

I really enjoyed this book. Like, A LOT!! It was cute and witty, angsty without being annoying and so incredibly real. I fell in love with these characters, so much. I loved the supportive friends, immensely. Even though it was really hard for Joe to see how much support he had, I loved how it was consistent. He definitely needed the reinforcement from his sister and Dallas’s co-workers. I don’t think he’d have come as far if he didn’t have that.

Joe Allegretti is a very proud and very Italian 4th generation fireman. Out on a fire call he gets hit by fallen debris in a house and gets stuck under it. Coincidentally, he is rescued by a firefighter he met earlier in the night. Even though he feels immense gratitude towards Dallas, he’s noticing the explosive attraction they share is eclipsing every other emotion. Joe is complexly thrown for a loop because of this attraction. He feels like he’s never had these thoughts for another man before. He’s always seen himself as a straight arrow. He also comes from a Catholic family who he believes feel strongly against homosexuality but that doesn’t stop his feelings from evolving into something more.

Dallas Williams has been gay all his life. Never having to hide who he’s attracted to he’s perplexed by Joe’s reaction to him. He knows there’s an unbelievable attraction between them but he will not hide their relationship. Not for Joe or anyone.

These men embark on a tentative friendship. They love each other’s company and Dallas would love to see their friendship evolve into something more but Joe hesitates and backs away at every turn. I loved how Dallas never gave up on Joe. I found it incredibly endearing. You could see the pain Dallas was in wanting Joe so badly but he stuck with Joe, stayed by his side as a good friend and waited him out.

This connection was smokin’ hot!! I loved the pace of the relationship and even though there were some pretty dramatic scenes I never felt it was over the top.

This is a great book. Anyone into extremely hot firefighter romance would love this book!!!

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
Profile Image for Eve.
443 reviews3 followers
July 22, 2015
Instant hotness when Dallas saves Joe from a Fire. Joe can't think about anything but the hotness that is Dallas the firefighter from a neighboring station. Joe has never had this kind of visceral reaction to anyone, much less a man. As he comes to terms with his feelings, Dallas pushes him to be honest with himself and his family. Joe seems more scared of his mother's reaction than anything else. In the end, absolutely hot between the sheets and romantic gay for you out of them. Great read for firefighter cravings!!
Profile Image for KC.
295 reviews7 followers
April 3, 2015
Sweet and fun m/m, gfy romance about two firemen, Joe and Dallas, who meet under suspenseful circumstances and fall for each other. Joe, who tells us their story, is an engaging narrator, with smart and funny turns of phrases, and quite charming. I loved the story and the characters, it made me smile throughout.
Profile Image for Walford.
781 reviews52 followers
March 6, 2020
These two are so sweet, and the secondary characters are hilarious. You probably won't lie awake wondering how this ends (wink, wink) but you might stay up too late because you don't want to pry yourself away from these guys.
I'm delighted to have found Wynne and hope her other books have as much wit and as many smiles.
Profile Image for Julesmarie.
2,504 reviews88 followers
July 13, 2017
Some Favorite Quotes:
"You're surprisingly high maintenance. You know, for a macho fireman."

"You're like my best friend and the greatest sex rolled into one."
Profile Image for Nicole.
2,163 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2018
A good read. Enjoyable and Entertaining.
Profile Image for Aerin.
594 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2015
Was this book a joke? I'm waiting for someone to yell "you've been punked!!!".

This book was........something else. Words fail me and that's a bad thing. Am I supposed to take this seriously? Because I really can't!

Dallas and Joe meet while putting out fires and their crotches catch fire. Not literally thank god, although maybe that would've been hotter than this supposed chemistry between them. I wasn't feeling it, but I thought I'd give it a chance. Joe is attracted to Dallas, pretty much instantly, but he's terrified of being considered gay, which gets annoying pretty fast. So when Dallas invites him out for drinks (the same day they met) to celebrate his birthday, Joe accepts.

But then the same day (the day they met) Joe gets trapped while rescuing a man from a burning building and Dallas comes to his rescue. *eye rolls*

Lets' keep in mind they JUST met!!!! so what do you think Dallas says to Joe later while they're out for drinks? This!!!

His jaw tensed and he cleared his throat. “When I heard your crew say ‘Allegretti is trapped’ I freaked out inside.” He stared at me, his expression puzzled. “My gut hurt like I’d swallowed poison.”
The more I drank the looser my lips were becoming. “I feel like I’ve known you a long time.”
“Ditto.”
“Maybe we were best friends in another life.” I wasn’t a hundred percent joking. There was definitely some weird pull between us.


What in the ever loving fuck kind of conversation is this? It's not only cheesy, it's embarrassing! Can I imagine two men that just met talking like that to each other? FUCK NO!!!!

And why is Dallas so flirty with Joe? Like I said these two just met a few hours before and Joe is not gay (or at least not out, even to himself), so why come on so strongly onto someone before you even know if they swing your way? As much as I disliked Joe, Dallas is no better, really.

A few days later, Dallas invites Joe to a bar to hang out with his friends. And don't you know it, the weird conversations start again. Like this one!


“There was a guy at my college who killed himself.” Dallas spoke matter of fact, as if he’d mentioned someone he knew failed the SATs.
I turned to him, shocked. “God. Really?”
He nodded. “He was my math teacher’s son.”
“That’s awful. Did you know him personally?” I sipped my beer and watched Dallas who seemed to be struggling for the right thing to say.
The corners of his mouth turned down. “I met him a total of three times.” He cleared his throat. “He was bullied a lot, and I guess he couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Jesus.” I had no other words.
“I always felt bad that I wasn’t able to help him. You know? I used to beat myself up because I hadn’t said the perfect words to make his world better.” Dallas sounded dejected, and I squeezed his arm before I could stop myself.


Grrr, really, Dallas met the guy that committed suicide a total of three times, and yet he beat himself up for not saying the right words. MAJOR EYE ROLL!!!! Was all this dialog for the purpose of pulling at our heart strings, and helping us see Dallas as a great caring person? Of so, it failed for me, big time!

And then Dallas and his date Tom, brought for the purpose of making Joe jealous......what a snort-worthy scene! It was pretty much one of those dick-measuring contest, only in net income instead of dicks. So freaking cheesy!

And before I stop criticizing this book any further, let me just tell you that the sex is crap too. There's no chemistry, which I mentioned before, and the sex was boring. *yawn*

This is the first book I've read by this author and it will likely be my last. Nothing against the author, but this type or writing is obviously not for me.
Profile Image for ♥~♥❇ ★~Lyne~★ ❇♥~♥.
346 reviews5 followers
November 6, 2015
When you come across a hot cover and a blurb like this “Firefighter Joe Allegretti has some flames that need putting out the minute he meets sexy fellow firefighter, Dallas Williams. But the heat he's feeling has nothing to do with the burning buildings nearby.” You say to yourself…

description

This was the perfect GFY story… Perfect recipe for a great MM novel… add in a two Sexy firefighters who’s very humorous... especially from Joe’s POV, add in a little angst not to the point of getting annoying and some hot mm action. What more can a fan girls ask…?

Joe meets Dallas he’s “archangel” coming out of a burning church doing one of his rescued call and immediately feels an attraction he doesn’t know where it’s coming from. Dallas ignites a fire in him that can't seem to be put off.

Dallas is an out an openly gay firefighter who’s secure in himself and comfortable in his own skins no matter where he is. Even though Joe's is reluctant to pursue what they have brewing between them... He perseveres through even if it’s only as just friend... he's not willing to give up yet. I commend Dallas and his patience for dealing with Joe.

Joe constantly maintains his sexuality as a straight guy every time someone confronts him about. It seems everyone who watches Joe’s and Dallas interaction see how the two always light up when one walks into a room. Even though Joe is in denial that he’s not gay it still doesn’t stop from acting like a jealous possessive boyfriend every time he sees Dallas with another man.

“Has anyone ever told you that you give off mixed signals?"

“Well, you say you’re straight. But, I don’t know, you have this little flirty vibe with me, and I find it confusing.”

Joe wants Dallas to be his dirty little secret. He’s willing to be with Dallas only as a friend with benefit basis. Dallas doesn’t want to go back in the closet not even for Joe. He wants all or nothing. Joe’s afraid if he has an openly relationship with Dallas he will lose everything. Most importantly what he’s more afraid of is what his ma is going to think.

This was my first S.C. Wynne book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely recommend this. I wish this story was a bit longer. I wanted more.

Profile Image for T.M. Smith.
Author 28 books316 followers
April 9, 2015
3.5/5 stars...

Firefighter Joe Allegretti constantly maintains his sexuality as a straight guy. He argues this fact with himself to spite his ever growing feelings for one sexy fellow firefighter. And he argues the point with Dallas, said firefighter. While Joe is initially in denial, his head taking a lot longer to catch up with what his heart and body already know. Even after coming to the realization his feelings for Dallas go beyond just friendship he still tries to push Dallas away for fear of what admitting he is gay will do to his life, personally as well as professionally.

Dallas is openly gay and openly pursues Joe even though Joe continues to tell him no. It’s obvious to everyone that spends more than five minutes around the two men that the attraction is palpable and mutual. And while Joe denies those feelings, something inside him refuses to let go of Dallas, so the two venture into a tentative friendship. Dallas is relentless to a point, but eventually being told no enough finally sinks in. Right about the time Joe decides to throw caution to the wind and go for it.

The push and pull between Joe and Dallas was intriguing in the beginning, then it became hysterical until I started to think I was going to get whiplash. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Wynne wrote these two dominate, alpha male type personalites drawn to each other with that sharp contrast of denial without making it an insta love story. But it got to a point where I was ready to choke the living shit out of Joe and bang my head against the wall. Thankfully, that was right about the time the passion ignited and all was right with the world.

Overall this was a short, sexy, steamy read with a good deal of content and character development. My biggest gripe was the adult angst Joe was carrying around in abundance. Still, I do love alpha males, and firemen, and S.C. Wynne, so this was a must read for me. If you too like strong willed characters that have an undeniable chemistry, to spite ones desire to deny it, then give this one a go.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Profile Image for Antisocial Recluse.
2,711 reviews
March 29, 2017
At least this was a little different take on a GFY romance. They mostly went through their problems before they fell into bed. It's too bad that Joe struggled so much with accepting himself and worrying about what someone else would think. But he was honest upfront and Dallas didn't agree to anything until Joe admitted his feelings and determined to move forward. Well written overall. Sex scenes were a little disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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