Lover on Top

Six Alarm Sexy #3

by Kristine Cayne

Sexy-as-sin paramedic Chad Caldwell has always been out and proud. Sure, some gay-bashers are harassing him, but he’s determined to be true to himself. There’s just one problem: He’s hung up on Hollywood, his older brother’s straight best friend. When Hollywood’s apartment is damaged by fire, Chad reluctantly takes him in. Will Chad’s heart survive such close proximity to a man who’s both unattainable and everything Chad wants?

A perpetual bachelor, firefighter lieutenant Hollywood Wright hops from one woman’s bed to another, searching for something he never finds. Has his father’s emotional and physical abuse somehow damaged him? Or is something else going on, something that involves the intense and uncomfortable feelings aroused by his best friend’s little brother?

To their mutual surprise, Hollywood finds Chad and his world fascinating—and much hotter than anything he’s ever experienced. But with a rabidly homophobic father, is Hollywood doomed to die in the closet? Chad won’t accept anything less than a public relationship, no matter how amazing the sex is. Can Hollywood ever accept the man he’s always buried deep inside?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Firefighters, Contemporary, Adult, LGBT, Suspense

270 pages, ebook

Published May 2, 2016

About the author

Kristine Cayne is fascinated by the mysteries of human psychology—twisted secrets, deep-seated beliefs, out-of-control desires. Add in high-stakes scenarios and real-world villains, and you have a story worth writing, and reading.

The heroes and heroines of her Deadly Vices series, beginning with Deadly Obsession, are pitted against each other by their radically opposing life experiences. By overcoming their differences and finding common ground, they triumph over their enemies and find true happiness in each other’s arms.

Today she lives in the Pacific Northwest, thriving on the mix of cultures, languages, religions and ideologies. When she’s not writing, she’s people-watching, imagining entire life stories, and inventing all sorts of danger for the unsuspecting heroes and heroines who cross her path.

Reviews

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars.






I haven't read the previous books in this series which are M/F.Characters from those books do feature here but their stories are explained well and I had no problem identifying with them.
So this can definitely be read as a standalone.

Chad is a 23 year old paramedic.He's gay and is very open about his sexuality.He's been lusting after his brother Jamie's best friend,Hollywood, for years.

Hollywood is a 36 old fireman.He's straight,or at least he thinks he is.He's only been in love once in his life and when that ended tragically he's only been interested in hook ups with women.
After a fire in his apartment he finds himself with nowhere to stay so Chad offers to take him in temporarily.

These two men have not really got on very well in the past and initially they both skirt around each other.Chad is struggling with having the object of his obsession in such close proximity and Hollywood is getting more and more disturbed by his feelings for Chad.
The sexual tension builds up slowly and there's no denying these two have chemistry but at times I wanted to slap both of them.
There's misunderstanding and missed communications,and at times they both behaved like teenagers.

Along side their developing relationship there's a side story going on.
Chad has been the victim of an assault for being Gay in the past and it looks like he's a target again.I did work out pretty early on who the culprit was.

Hollywood has had a lot to put up with,mainly in the form of his Homophobic,bigoted father who was a real piece of work.He's,understandably,terrified of coming out.

The sex scenes are hot and plentiful .....
Some highly likeable,well developed,secondary characters.....especially Chad's family who I just loved.

This one didn't completely wow me but overall I found it an enjoyable M/M read.....

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book a few days ago because, FIREFIGHTERS! But I didn't like it. I didn't like the heroes. I didn't like the plot. I didn't like the secondary characters. And don't get me started on that cover.

I really don't want to review it, so I'll just say I didn't like it.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** Kristine Cayne gives us serious undertones in this M/M, almost GFY, "gay for you", romance ! *** We feel the struggles of confused Lt. Hollywood, firefighter, as he navigates his new emotions, and battles the ingrained insults from his domineering father.

Caring and giving, EMT Chad, is a gorgeous paramedic with tattoos, accepting family and is out and proud. Still, he is targeted with graffiti, tire slashing, and he was beaten up a year ago. Even so, he doesn't hide, he sings at the fund raiser for LGBT youth and volunteers, too. Both guys are into fitness.

He's had a crush on the hunky Hollywood forever, and sees him a lot, because Hollywood is his brother's best friend. Hollywood/Nathaniel, was beaten at 10 yrs. old by his mean, violent, drunkard, homophobic father, and Hollywood wants to be free of him, and able to feel his true emotions without shame or fear of yet another beat down.

After a fire, Hollywood needs a place to stay and Chad can't turn him away. To me, IMO, Hollywood seems way too screwed up, angst laden, and nearly hopeless, but redeems himself.
BUT - Time has given him the opportunity and desire to examine his mind, searching with all his heart on the reflections that formed him, and how he can break free.
Fear holds him prisoner.

Meanwhile Hollywood and Chad get close, super hot sex, giving Hollywood first times, and deep feelings to explore. He and Chad could do very well together, and could be happy. A lot happens with the chain of events. The violent, now criminal father gets his due justice, but he wreaked havoc. Great characters, the main and peripheral people, with terrific interactions, an interesting story thread, and very hot sex, oh yes !
Highly recommended. ENJOY !!!
==============================
Violence warning, described and current hitting by the father. Injuries described.
Stand alone tale with HEA.
===============================

I'm a proud Mom.
================

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lover on Top was an ok read for me that was almost a DNF. I just didn't understand the connection between Chad and Hollywood. I totally understood Hollywood's confusion but the constant back and forth gave me a headache. I just wanted more of them together as a couple for longer than a sex session. Every time Chad left, Hollywood would start to panic and give Chad the cold shoulder. I did enjoy the sex and all the side characters. I also thought the story line with Chad being harassed by an unknown was silly and who the person was annoyed me even more.

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a rollercoaster of angst.

Might sound fun.

In reality, not so much.

[Christelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't work for me at all : so OTT and eye-rolling characters.

[~Nicole~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reread- dropped 2 stars.. Wonder what convinced me to give it 4 stars the first time..

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 +stars

Charming paramedic. Sexy fireman. Bring on the heat!

Chad Caldwell is a paramedic who is gay, out, and proud. But he has a bit of a problem. He is in lust with his brother's best friend Hollywood Wright who is a firefighter...and straight...or at least he has always thought he was. And they are now suddenly temporary roommates. They have always had antagonistic interactions and were not really friends with each other, but living in close quarters brings some surprises.

Chad finds it challenging trying to keep his long time crush on Hollywood under control. While Hollywood finds himself surprisingly drawn to Chad which completely confuses him. They have different lifestyles and a significant age gap.

From acquaintances who barely tolerated each other, to friends, to attraction, these two men are thrust into a situation neither of them expected. Hollywood is perplexed and conflicted as he tries to get a handle on his foreign thoughts and feelings. And Chad is wary about not being accepted and/or being hurt or used as an experiment. There is a building awareness and confusion. Sexual tension and lust surrounds them and causes anxiety. The world around them is riddled with intolerance, and they have to worry about how acting on their desires could affect those around them.

I really liked both Hollywood and Chad. They were charismatic, funny, loyal, and smart. Hollywood was a typical alpha male, but he had a softer side. Chad had a dominant alpha side as well, but also could take on a more flamboyant persona at times. They had scorching hot chemistry and a connection they could not ignore. But they both had defense mechanisms, insecurities, trust issues, fears, and at times had difficulty understanding the other's struggle. It was not easy to navigate the delicate situation, figure out what they both really wanted and needed, and deal with any fall out. There was some definite relationship angst and internal turmoil. It was at times a challenge to try new things, explore new roles, and deal with power exchanges.

It was told in dual points of view allowing us to explore each of their thoughts and feelings and how they shifted at various times. I loved seeing their vulnerability and the intensity between them. Their internal dialogues and humor, as well as fun banter made me smile. The wit and sarcasm made a nice foil to the sexual tension, emotional turmoil, and intense passion.

The characters were well developed and the plot was interesting not only from the dynamics between the characters, but also with some added suspense and drama. I liked the side characters of Chad's family and their friends. I read the prequel novella Aftershocks so was familiar with some of them, but the author does a good job explaining anything pertinent about the side characters and it truly reads well as a stand alone story. There are still a couple more of the Caldwell siblings left so I imagine the series will continue with either brother Derek or sister Tori next.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Xavier Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read if... you enjoy the other books in the series, firefighter/emt stories, romance, hot sex, M/M, discovering who you are, learning to love, small suspense, and an HEA.

Side note: Kristine was one of the first authors I read when I reallllyyyyy started getting into romance novels, and she has NEVER disappointed. She only gets more amazing over time and this story was no exception. I loved everything about this from seeing old faces to the importance of being who are and discovering that sometimes family does more damage than good. What I liked that struck me the most and hardest was, it's not about gay love vs straight love, it's about love BEING love. At the end of the day THAT'S what's important. People are just people and love is just love and this story is a hot (and sexxxxyyyyyyy) reminder of that. Fantastic Kristine.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars -- Lover on Top is my first exposure to Kristine Cayne, which is fitting since this is also her first M/M novel, though it’s not her first romance novel by any means. This is the fifth book (third full-length novel) of her “Six Alarm Sexy” series, so her setting and many of the characters are already well established. While this can be problematic for those, like me, who are jumping into the series to read this as a standalone, have no fear because there was no confusion for me in reading it. In fact, having the history already there made this novel feel even richer than I could have hoped.

Nathanial “Hollywood” Wright is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department and is known for being a ladies’ man, but his relationships never last long since the death of his only real love. Chad Caldwell is a paramedic with the SFD and has always been proudly out of the closet with the full support of his family. Hollywood, as Chad’s eldest brother’s best friend, has also been a part of the family since before Chad entered his teens, though they have never gotten along very well. Despite this, Chad has always had it bad for Hollywood’s hot bod, so when his brother talks him into allowing Hollywood to stay with him after a fire makes Hollywood’s apartment uninhabitable, it’s a difficult challenge for Chad to keep himself in check. As if Chad’s feelings weren’t bad enough, Hollywood discovers that he too has an intense attraction to Chad, but after growing up with an intensely homophobic and abusive father, who also happens to be both his and Chad’s big boss, there’s no way he could ever be gay, let alone be out, even though he knows Chad would never accept hiding what they could have together.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this is quite an angsty story, primarily surrounding Hollywood’s internal struggle not only to accept the fact that he isn’t as straight as he always believed but to deal with his fear over the ramifications of such an admission, primarily what his father’s reaction would be. From start to finish, this single aspect makes this story worth reading. But it isn’t just Hollywood’s issues that are so compelling. Chad has a history of being harassed for his sexuality, and though everyone believes it has stopped, Chad has once again become a victim of it. Putting all of this together yields some of the most intense and, quite frankly, delicious sexual tension between a pair of main characters that I have read in the recent past. As a result, when things do finally get sexual between them, the author goes all out to make sure it’s as explosive as it ought to be. Even outside the bedroom (and the other places these two get busy), you can’t help but like these two, even if you want to knock them silly for being stupid every now and then. Though to be honest, it’s during one of these times, though, that I wanted to smack the author for being silly—I’m not going to say what scene it is because it would be a bit of a spoiler, but I just didn’t buy what it is they were fighting about. I freely admit that I have a bad habit of wanting to scream at authors at least a handful of times when I’m reading a book, so the fact that this only happened once is a good thing.

The strong character development isn’t limited to just the two mains. Several of the other members of the Caldwell family read like fully fleshed-out characters, even though I had no prior experience with them. The author chose well on how much information to give about those who appeared earlier in the series and when in this story to give it. The result was a set of secondary characters that felt integral to the development of this story line with none of them stealing the spotlight from Chad and Hollywood nor feeling like throwaway characters.

The same can be said about the plot development itself. I honestly cannot think of a single scene throughout that felt like wasted pages. Even the scene I complained about earlier was important to the overall plot. Considering that this is on the longish side for a romance novel, that’s quite an accomplishment. There’s nothing particularly complicated nor shocking about the plot itself, but it’s woven together in a way that is satisfying, and even if you can’t figure out exactly what’s going to happen, you know there’s some nasty shit that’s gonna happen by the time it’s done. But there’s also a good bit of humor to be found scattered throughout the novel, including some that pokes fun at a few of the common tropes found within romance novels. It’s always fun when we can get a chuckle at our own expense. It’s just one example of the smart writing to be found here.

The year still has a long way to go, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find Lover on Top on my list of favorites when all is said and done. It’s too bad the rest of her books are M/F, as I would like to read more of Ms. Cayne’s work. Maybe I will at some point, but for now, I hope she chooses to take another dip in the M/M pond. She’s got a knack for it.

The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of Lover on Top in exchange for this fair and honest review.

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[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book that I have read from Kristine Cayne, but if she writes more m/m, it won't be my last, that's for sure!

It was very easy to get into this story despite having not read the previous ones. Hollywood is an LT with the fire department with a bad family past (and that's saying it lightly, I felt awful for how his Dad treated him). Chad is a paramedic who is out and proud, has a wonderful family and support system, and the two are thrown together. Questions, curiosity, confusion, and heat ensue!

This has perfect blend of so many things I love - an age gap between the two MCs, a MC questioning his sexuality and eventually embracing a GFY and/or bisexual state of mind (and Hollywood thought he could refer to himself as either so I don't feel bad saying both in my review), HOT passion and chemistry and ah-mazing firsts for Hollywood, and a great cast of secondary characters and family members.

I enjoyed that despite Hollywood freaking out (and yeah, I can understand that at the beginning), and even though I wanted to slap some sense in him a few times through the story, he and Chad were pretty good with talking things out for the most part (aside from the big blowup, but I feel like that totally had to happen to make the ending all come together). They had their own roadblocks, but there were moments when Hollywood knew he screwed up, and also when Chad knew he hadn't helped things either. And aside from their insanely hot sexual chemistry together, there were also some very sweet moments between the two of them that I just adored. I love that by the end of things, Hollywood was finally able to start coping with his past and work to overcome how his father treated him.

I also loved the ending...despite the tragedy, we got to see the family coming together, and the events that happened that finally pushed Hollywood and Chad together for good. I just really enjoyed this one!

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found both MCs so unlikeable to where I didn't care to read past the undisclosed M/F scene.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

-3.5 stars-

[Earlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride... it was up, down spin around. But it was worth the ride. Hollywood and Chad had a connection, but they both thought the other hated them.
Chad is the younger brother of Hollywood's best friend. Of course it's in the 'bro' code not to date anyone in the other's family.
Hollywood was living a lie because of the mental and physical abuse from his dad, he has blocked parts of his childhood that would answer questions he had.
Chad always had a crush on Hollywood and he could not see who they could get together.
Nat (HW) had a fire in his apt. and Chad agreed to take him in.
they found the connection but every time it seemed that things were moving on Nat will put a halt to it. This is where I wanted to shout at Nat that he needed to grow a pair and get with the programme
At 36 he was still being abused by his dad, both physical and mental. So much so, that he still was trying to deny himself and please his dad.
That was until things came ahead and he had to make a choice.
I liked his resolve in the end and made things right with Chad.
If you can stand the roller coaster it was a good read.

[~BookNeeds~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!! By far one of the one best GFY books I’ve read to date. I’ve read some were the “straight” man is all in and ready to try anything. But this felt very realistic, in my opinion. I loved both characters so much. They were both flawed, damaged and wonderful. I almost knocked off a star because of the abrupt ending. I needed a prologue, I needed to know what became of them down the line.

[Karen Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

Wow! I really enjoyed this book, I didn't read the first two books in the series, and I don't think I missed anything. You do meet them, but they aren't significant, just good side characters. The reason for this is because I don't read m/f and that's what the first two are. His book is m/m and I loved it. Congrats to the author, Hollywood is straight, Chad is out and proud, Chad has had a crush on Hollywood for years, and Hollywood is Chads older brothers best friend.. (awkward) this is a story of discovery, love, with very hot sex, a little angst, misunderstandings, near death experience, and a mystery to solve.

[Amanda Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book but I did get a little tired of the back and forth. I know Hollywood’s dad messed him up but why the idea of talking to a psychologist didn’t come up sooner I don’t know. Either way, I’m glad I read it 😊

[Dolorianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kristine Cayne is a new-to-me author so I had no idea what to expect. The result was a little bit of a mixed bag, but I am interested to trying something else.

The things I didn't care for all stem from how the story was plotted. Apparently Chad and Hollywood weren't on good terms in the previous books so unraveling that took up much of the beginning. The entire first half was spent going around in circles. Granted, only time can move feelings held over a lifetime, but the scenes did nothing to move that time along. Instead, the guys spent a lot of time covering the same material over a short period. It packed on pages but dragged on. The stereotypes didn't help, either.

The tone and pacing picked up near the middle, probably because the guys were closer to being on the same page so the story started moving forward. I really liked both men and I liked the supporting characters. They worked well together and I enjoyed the parts of the story that had them in action mode. I wish more time had been spent on Chad's stalker/troublemaker and Hollywood's unhealthy coping habits and possible healing methods. I think it would have made for a stronger story.

Since I read this book as part of the KU program, I debated whether I would be able to read this book out of order. For the casual reader, they will probably be fine. I felt like I was missing stuff. There were many mentions of the previous books, which would have been fine had a read them because I would have had all the backstory and context to go with those mentions. But without them I was frustrated, which reinforced why I shouldn't read books out of order. I ended up purchasing the previous books though, because I did get invested in Chad and Hollywood and want to know what their whole story. Maybe their page time in the previous books may give me new patience and understanding for the beginning of this one.

Overall .... as a whole, the story is good, but could probably have been shorter or refocused. I liked the world and the characters and am interested in seeing how this author's MM works develop.

***edited to add 11/26/16***
I've now read all the available stories prior to this one .... Chad and Hollywood are mentioned individually several times throughout the series, but are only mentioned together a couple times. It seems they have always hated each other and there is no reason given ... unless we are to assume that their entire feud is because Hollywood's father is homophobic and Chad has assumed that Hollywood is the same without actually checking to see if that is the case. Considering that Hollywood is Jamie's (Chad's brother) best friend I would think there would have been ample times for Hollywood to have proven himself over the 15 or so years they've been friends, even if it's because Jamie wouldn't have been friends with someone who treated his brother poorly for being gay. Their family is very close and they have no issue with Chad being gay. So I'm disappointed that this book plays on them not liking each other yet doesn't follow through with why.

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this one from Kindle Unlimited and was surprised. On the whole it wasn't a bad book. Hollywood (no idea how he got the nickname - I hated it) is a 6'4" blond lieutenant in the fire department. He is 36, drinks too much to chase away loneliness, goes through countless women, and is deep in the closet.

Chad is 25, out & proud, a paramedic and the younger brother of Hollywood's best friend. He has had a crush on Hollywood since he was 11. Chad best dream / worst nightmare becomes reality. A fire takes out Hollywood's apartment and he needs a place to stay until repairs are made. Chad has an extra bedroom in his condo and agrees to host Hollywood. The sexual tension ratchets up. Chad keeps reminding himself that Hollywood is straight... or is he. Turns our he is bisexual but comes with a boat load of emotional issues.

Hollywood has been emotionally and physically abused by an alcoholic father - who happens to be a chief on the fire department. As the book progresses, Hollywood starts to remember some of the repressed memories of abuse at his father's hands. Hollywood wants to come out and openly tell his colleagues, friends and father that he is bisexual and loves Chad. Finding courage is another matter.

Hollywood yo-yos back and forth with coming out and Chad is the one caught in the middle. Being 6'4" people see him as being able to defend himself and to stand up to others. A few words from his father sends him spiraling back to being that 10 year kid severely beaten for touching another boy. It takes almost loosing Chad before Hollywood finds his courage and stand up to his father and more importantly to start being honest with himself.

Hollywood mentions getting counseling to help him deal with everything but never does. The writer should have definitely included that in the epilogue. This is a tortured character who has known in the deeps recesses of his heart that he is attracted to men. He has fought his feelings and attempted to drown them in alcohol. With Chad in his life, he is becoming a better man. However, it isn't fair to put our emotional well being and stability on someone else. They are the back up but we need to row our own boat so to speak in this regard.

The book is also longer than it needs to be. I love long books, but when they cover the same territory over and over I hate it. Retreading is for tires not books. I understand Hollywood's conflict with himself and finding courage to come out, but it could have been written in a more concise manner. It would have saved poor Chad's heart several bruises.

[Cee Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Lover on Top
Author: Kristine Cayne
Series: Six-Alarm Sexy (book 3)
Publisher: Self
Reviewer: Cee
Release Date: 28th April 2016
Genre(s): MM Romance, Erotica, GFY
Page Count: 369
Heat Level: 5 blazing flames out of 5
Rating: 5 dynamite stars out of 5

High octane explosive action and sizzling sexiness packed in a spicy day's read!!

I.Can’t.Even.

From the moment firefighter, Lt. Nathaniel “Hollywood” Wright exploded on the scene I was a goner. The man exuded more sensuality and bad-assness that no one man should have. And even with the looks and the cockiness and the want-it-all-and-nothing-less, Hollywood had a little boy lost demeanor that made you want to wrap him up in bubble and keep him safe.

Paramedic Chad Caldwell knew he was gay and his family accepted it. Not everyone did though and on the heels of an attack months prior, he was now faced again with the one man he could never have. His older brother’s best friend. An incident left both men who thought the other hated him roommates. The sticky situation was too much for Chad who could not hide his feelings when in such close proximities.

“He was lookin’ at you like a hawk eyein’ a mouse.” –Austin (Chad’s best friend)

It only takes a spark to get this fire going. Through Hollywood’s self-confession, to his battle with a homophobic father, thrown together with Chad’s refusal to be dragged back into the closet and a family of do-gooders, are these men doomed to fail and come out of the fire unscathed?

I gobbled up each word like an anthem and was so invested that when I reached the last page I was stunned. I wanted more. I need so much more of Chad and Hollywood. Yes, this is a cry for help, LOL. A must not miss for your shelf. The plight these men go through for a HEA was rewarding. Another for my to-be-read-again pile.

ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cee from Alpha Book Club

[Joelle Mendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot and sexy with a great story and terrific characters!

Kristine Cayne can write m/m romance and she should write more. This book is amazing!

I was hooked so completely that I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what happened on the next page. And the next and the next.

I honestly can't decide if I like Chad or Hollywood more. Thankfully I don't have to choose cause they are both sexy as sin. Toss in sexy Jamie from Under His Command and I needed my own fireman to hose me down. Beyond the hot sex was a fantastic story. I love when the main characters are two strong alpha men who find themselves attracted to each other. It adds a level of excitement to the story for me. I enjoyed watching Chad and Hollywood's relationship change from Chad's one sided crush to mutual friendship to sheet burning lust to all encompassing love.

The supporting cast of characters are terrific. I found myself just as excited to see them pop up as I was for Chad and Hollywood's story. I really hope Kristine has more planned for this family. I would love to see Drew's story and Tori's story. But most of all, I'd love to see more of Harry.

[Chessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book but I couldn't. I knew going in that the plot was the most cliche of the M/M genre (Man falls for his brother's straight best friend) but I wanted it to be different because I am a fan of the author. But all I found from the first page to the last page was a series of cliches from the genre. And don't get me started on almost all of the 'gay' stereotypes that were piled on the characters. As a member of the lgbtq+ community I wanted to be slightly offended and I don't get offended by much. This story could have been special and unique but in the end it just rehashed what so many other books portray and it pushed the stereotypes so we would believe that Chad was really gay and Hollywood was really questioning changing. If you don't mind all of this stuff, I will say that there were a few good laughs and the sex scenes were good! I will still read books by this author, she's amazing, but I think I will steer clear of M/M titles if she writes more.

[Debbora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of non stop drama. This is book 3 in the Six Alarm series the first two are Mf. Chad is the younger brother of Jamie from book 1 and 2. Chad has had a crush on his older brother's best friend 'Hollywood' forever. Chad is an EMT, Hollywood is a firefighter. There are some minor editing issues in the beginning. Nothing to distracting. Lots of Drama. Some awesome sex scenes.
Over all I enjoyed it.

[Dre · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was entirely too long. The MCs had the same argument over and over, and I was bored and annoyed. Hollywood was an a-hole, but Chad was weak and couldn't let him go, so he kept going back for more of Hollywood's douchiness, which just made me want to smack Chad. I usually lover firefighters, but this one didn't work for me.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

This is book 3 of a series but can be read without reading the others. I did enjoy this book, though it had more angst than I typically enjoy. I enjoyed the other characters and would check out future MM books in this series.

[Notorious Book Tease · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four “On a Scale of 1 to 5” Stars

Chad is a paramedic and Hollywood is a firefighter. Chad is openly gay with a supportive family Hollywood is straight and lives in the shadow of his bigoted father who is fire chief. Chad has had a secret crush on Hollywood, his brother’s best friend, for years. Hollywood and Chad don’t get along. Part of that is due to the fact that Chad is trying to hide his feelings. So when Hollywood’s apartment has to be renovated Chad is reluctant to go along with his brothers suggestion that Hollywood stay with him, but with no good reason to turn him down, Chad agrees.

Chad and Hollywood start to develop a friendship. Hollywood doesn’t understand the feelings he has started having toward Chad. He throws himself into sleeping with women, some of which Chad walks in on. Eventually Hollywood is over come by the attraction he feels towards Chad and they begin a secret relationship. Hollywood struggles with his identity and Chad struggles with feeling like he is not being true to himself. Tragedy eventually makes them realize what is important and they decide to work towards their HEA together.

First off there is some mild sexual OW interactions after Hollywood begins to develop feelings for Chad. I have a strict “no cheating” rule when it comes to book I read, but I was ok with this. I’ve never struggled with sexual identity, but I felt this author’s writing was authentic and she managed to convey the struggle experiences by the characters and the emotional toll such an experience has on a person. This was truly a roller coaster of an emotional ride. Even while being frustrated by Hollywood the author kept me feeling sympathetic toward him. Chad was also a well developed character, and the way the author described his struggles between being true to himself and his growing feelings for Hollywood was so engaging and emotional. I did feel there were some moments where the drama became a little OTT and it took away from some of the books authenticity, but it was minor and did not impact my enjoyment of this book. I highly recommended this book and hope you like it as much as I did!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the leisurely pace at which Hollywood and Chad fumbled towards their romance, although after the first third or so the scenes began to drag. The book could have stood to be shaven of a lot of redundant conversations and information. The author gave me the sense that there was a lot more too the characters but unfortunately never delved past the same handful of factoids about their respective pasts. For example, we learn that Hollywood secretly is an accomplished artist who sells his drawings but we never get any explanation as to why it is a secret, let alone any sense that his artistic inclinations in any way impact the way he views the world.

The story mostly held my attention, but I didn't see anything to indicate why they should be anything beyond transitional boyfriends. Chad behaved in a very immature fashion and seemed emotionally way too young to be ready to commit to anyone, especially a boyhood crush. What drew Hollywood to Chad, beyond his looks, remained a mystery.

The secondary anti-gay stalker plot didn't make a great deal of sense. There are plenty of places where they don't that isn't taken seriously, but gay friendly Seattle isn't one of them and so the whole thing rang false. Hollywood's dad was a ridiculous character that was hard to take seriously. I also didn't get why the happy couple was so afraid to reveal their relationship to Chad's very accepting family. The whole protective sibling shit was overblown. I also thought it bizarre that the author attempted to draw parallels between the acceptance of same sex relationships and BDSM sexual practices. I don't see how the right to be recognized legally as next of kin has anything to do with people be asked to publicly accept your private sexual behavior. Is there really a movement to ask the public to acknowledge that someone is another person's sexual master?

The secondary characters were mostly an unlikable bunch especially Austen who was a giant a-hole. I have no desire to read stories featuring any of them.

This book works fine as a standalone.

[Miss · Rating 4 out of 5]

So close to perfect.

Writing a m/m romance to be included in a mostly m/f series is very hard to do. Making the story standalone so readers don't have to read every book in the series seems to be an even harder task. This easily does both. I'm a little curious about some of the other characters but everyone/thing in this works without my having had to read the other books first. I greatly appreciate that.

I also love the setting & scenario for this story. Chad & Hollywood were well written characters & it was easy to root for the pairing.

The drama at the end, though, took things a bit off the rails. In terms of escalation, it was a bit extreme & wasn't the best fit for this story. Usually that kind of unrealistic melodrama thrown in as a climactic end is enough draw all my ire & ruin a whole book for me, but I can live with this one because there's so much else for me to like. The fact that the drama isn't dwelled on & drawn out too much keeps the pacing of the story at a rate where you can just kind of go with it. I mean that as a compliment to the author. I may have scoffed a bit over a scene or two, but never to the point of hating anything. Kudos for that.

[Jozey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story with all the feels

Contains: firefighter/paramedic, awakening (struggling), secret relationship, miscommunication, brother best friend's, abusive father (psychologically, physically, homophobia)

I hesitate in how many stars to rate it. Definitively 3.5, the ending save the story. The adrenaline, mystery, action packed lasts chapters save it.

In my opinion, this book has too many səxy times, at least one per chapter. The miscommunication is annoying. I understand the fear, but as a 38?? Yo talk just talk. Same for the youngest one. Communication, please.

The story is in a direct line on their relationship, the awakening, the fear, the experiment, the coming out or not, the homophobic father. As I said, it mainly focus on them, but what drew me to the story was the mystery, the threat, the action-packed chapter, and the fear of losing someone. From this moment, the book changed and became a page turner with all the feeling and adrenaline full blast on. It was amazing thought predictable.