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Heart Block #1.5
Firework
The truth has many shades…
Lucy Danaher was born into a life of privilege and has always enjoyed the view from the top. She spends her days running Global NewsWire, a Fortune 500 company, and her nights at all the trendy San Diego hot spots. When the Union-Tribune decides to run a feature story on her company, Lucy’s thrilled to oblige with an interview. But when the reporter arrives, it turns out the story she’s writing is anything but flattering. The fact that she’s irritatingly gorgeous only adds salt to the wound.
Kristin James loves her job, and as a committed journalist will go out of her way to tell the most balanced story possible—even if it means going up against Lucy Danaher, that striking and stubborn-as-hell CEO. She just has one problem. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to get Lucy off her mind…
Firework was previously published in Sweet Hearts (Bold Strokes Books, 2015).
Lucy Danaher was born into a life of privilege and has always enjoyed the view from the top. She spends her days running Global NewsWire, a Fortune 500 company, and her nights at all the trendy San Diego hot spots. When the Union-Tribune decides to run a feature story on her company, Lucy’s thrilled to oblige with an interview. But when the reporter arrives, it turns out the story she’s writing is anything but flattering. The fact that she’s irritatingly gorgeous only adds salt to the wound.
Kristin James loves her job, and as a committed journalist will go out of her way to tell the most balanced story possible—even if it means going up against Lucy Danaher, that striking and stubborn-as-hell CEO. She just has one problem. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to get Lucy off her mind…
Firework was previously published in Sweet Hearts (Bold Strokes Books, 2015).
111 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2016
42 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Brayden
32 books2,757 followersMelissa Brayden is the multi-award winning author of more than twenty-five sapphic romance novels and is hard at work on more. She is a wine enthusiast, a fan of all donuts, and is probably staring off into space as you're reading this. You can find her at www.melissabrayden.com and on most social media sites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 9, 2020
“What I’ve learned is that love can really screw you up. But once you find it, you can’t live without it. I can’t live without you, Lucy.”
Its impossible for me not to like something by Melissa Brayden. The book is very appropriately named. The MCs certainly had FIREWORKS. Since their first meeting, I was captivated. While it wasn't as good as Brayden's other books, it was still really good.
I was having such a terrible time reading lately and then I remembered Melissa Brayden's books exist. And now I am smiling while writing this review.
Its impossible for me not to like something by Melissa Brayden. The book is very appropriately named. The MCs certainly had FIREWORKS. Since their first meeting, I was captivated. While it wasn't as good as Brayden's other books, it was still really good.
I was having such a terrible time reading lately and then I remembered Melissa Brayden's books exist. And now I am smiling while writing this review.
May 18, 2016
I give five stars just for affection.
I liked Lucy Danaher from Heart Block and I was happy to see her again as a protagonist in a novella.
Also, I loved to see again Emory, Sarah and Grace.
I had to struggle a bit with Kristin. I didn't like her a lot in the beginning, but at the end she was nice and hot...
...and the rest is Brayden!
I liked Lucy Danaher from Heart Block and I was happy to see her again as a protagonist in a novella.
Also, I loved to see again Emory, Sarah and Grace.
I had to struggle a bit with Kristin. I didn't like her a lot in the beginning, but at the end she was nice and hot...
...and the rest is Brayden!
November 6, 2019
Yikes. This may come off a bit rant-y.
*Spoilers ahead!*
Knowing this is Melissa Brayden, I went into the story with high hopes of cutesy fluff and gooey feels. There are certainly both of those in the story, but not enough to boost the star count. I'm almost shocked to rate a Brayden story like this, but I had to after I realized I was pissed rather than smiling at the end.
Rant here:
I usually enjoy Brayden, but this was not it. I expect to be back in full gooey mode for her book coming out next month!
*Spoilers ahead!*
Knowing this is Melissa Brayden, I went into the story with high hopes of cutesy fluff and gooey feels. There are certainly both of those in the story, but not enough to boost the star count. I'm almost shocked to rate a Brayden story like this, but I had to after I realized I was pissed rather than smiling at the end.
Rant here:
I usually enjoy Brayden, but this was not it. I expect to be back in full gooey mode for her book coming out next month!
January 18, 2019
Enjoyable read with wonderful characters. I appreciated the laid-back style of Emory, Grace and Sarah. What a supportive group of people. Kristian James is a women looking for a sense of place and family. Lucy Danaher is driven with passion for her work and her friends. Two women very different from each other or are they?
December 29, 2023
Normal typical romance .
May 28, 2020
It’s very short. And very cheap - so that’s ok. It has all the good elements of Brayden’s writing - beautiful MCs (inside and out), sparkling dialogue, a believable storyline and setting, chemistry, developed side characters and all that. But there was something missing for me. Probably because it’s short there just isn’t enough depth and development. It feels like you’re looking at the charcoal sketch of a painting wishing you could see the full work instead.
July 29, 2019
This is the sequel to Heart Block, so one of the benefits is getting to revisit Sarah, Emory and Grace. Lucy is a great character as well, and I loved her banter and relationship with Kristin. The build up of their relationship was nicely paced, especially for a novella. The inevitable fallout from the article was actually not as overly dramatic as I'd expected, and I loved the scene with Lucy and Emory and her family afterwards, Melissa's dialogue is always on the money. Nice, sweet romance, and a novella that hits all the marks.
August 4, 2016
Great story! Listened to the audiobook. Narrated by the authors sister, was amazing. I have heard the author Melissa Brayden do reading before and her sister has the same inflections in her voice. I felt like Melissa was reading the book to me! Of course the voice wasn't quite the same, but the tone and cadence were exactly the same. Fun!! Was also great to hear from Emory and Sarah again!
October 5, 2025
*** 2.5 ***
April 2, 2022
I thought that this book was good
July 16, 2016
Always love the author's work, and this one is a short, sweet, light romance novel. Girl start on the wrong foot with another girl, but slowly making the way towards each other. Love that some of the characters from Heart Block is back as well!! This will be a perfect book for an afternoon if you want something that makes you feel cozy and good.
July 5, 2016
Well written, nice short story.
March 13, 2020
The novella format did not serve the love story--I wish it had been developed better--and resulted in a speedy resolution, but I still enjoyed it.
January 30, 2023
I loved this book. A small bite sized read with all the heart and passion. So much humour that I found myself smiling and often laughing out loud as I listened to it. The friendship and banter between Lucy and her friends is delightful. The sexy banter between the 2 main characters was even better.
An opposites attract romance with brilliant characters and hot sexy times.
(Cameos from characters of Heart Block)
An opposites attract romance with brilliant characters and hot sexy times.
(Cameos from characters of Heart Block)
January 19, 2024
Lucy is CEO of a news wire service company. Kristin is a new-in-town reporter tasked with doing an exposé on truth in the media, an article that questions Lucy’s company’s ethics.
This is a gentle romance between Lucy and Kristin, with a few steamy scenes and a small amount of angst. It is quite light, an easy read, without a great depth, is well written but not Melissa Brayden’s best work.
This is a gentle romance between Lucy and Kristin, with a few steamy scenes and a small amount of angst. It is quite light, an easy read, without a great depth, is well written but not Melissa Brayden’s best work.
December 22, 2019
Sweet little short story. Two very headstrong
Main characters that can’t resist each other. This is and extension of a previous story about Emery and Sarah who appear here. Very well written as always by Melissa Brayden
Main characters that can’t resist each other. This is and extension of a previous story about Emery and Sarah who appear here. Very well written as always by Melissa Brayden
February 14, 2018
Enjoyable, but unfortunately, not at the caliber of Brayden's longer works. I also just didn't connect with the mains as much as I did in Kiss the Girl or Eyes Like Those.
July 7, 2020
I enjoyed it so much more than Emory and Sarah’s story, maybe because I felt the spark between them and surely because Lucy made me smile the whole time.
September 20, 2016
I listened to the audiobook version of this, and while I normally enjoy Melissa Brayden a lot, I couldn't wait to finish this book. The narration was performed in a monotone with no differentiation of characters and began to grate on my nerves over the three and a half hours of this book. I had to take a break, the narrator's voice (I feel bad for being so negative) irritated me so much.
As for the book, it's a romance with 1,2,3 plotting but should have been a fun read were it not for the narration.
As for the book, it's a romance with 1,2,3 plotting but should have been a fun read were it not for the narration.
July 3, 2016
This was a nice easy light read. The typical romance novel; girl meets girl, girls start to date, girls have a heartbreaking misunderstanding, girls make up and live happily ever after. Everything you could want in a beach read after reading a horrific grisly crime novel
August 17, 2016
The drive between Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA is a long one. Quite a bit of that journey is spent in very wide-open spaces - plains, prairies, deserts. There's not a lot to see, really - particularly if one has traveled that route multiple times. So, I'm really glad that I had some audio books in my Audible library. I've already shared my review of
Starting From Scratch by Georgia Beers
, which I read 3 1/2 years ago and listened to last week.
I was coming up on the end of my drive back to Chicago. I had, maybe, 5 hours left to drive and it was getting late in the evening. This was my longest day of driving, by far. I just wanted to get home and not have to stop at a hotel. So, I needed something to keep me awake. I turned to Melissa Brayden and Firework . You see, Firework is a novella that originally appeared in Sweet Hearts (published by Bold Strokes Books) along with novellas by Rachel Spangler and Karis Walsh. So, from a length perspective, this was the perfect choice for listening during my final hours of the trip. It was also my second time listening to this book, so I knew it was one that would keep me engaged while I was driving and keep me from dozing off.
I've been a fan of Brayden's writing since reading her first publication, Waiting in the Wings . (My review of that book, by the way, is my most viewed post - even 4 years later, I get at least 15 hits on that entry every week.) With each novel, she solidifies my fandom. Brayden writes lovely romances that just make me feel good while I'm reading and after I finish reading. For me, that's a major goal for the romance writer - make the reader feel good.
I'll be honest here - it took me a long time to get on the audio book bandwagon. Most people would think I'd have been more eager for audio books when one considers my background in the performance of literature. But, I think that is precisely why it took me a while - I'm really picky and I'm much more critical of book narrators than many people. I mean, I listened to Jim Dale narrate Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and thought it was just "okay". So, yeah, I'm pretty critical.
Well, let me say right here, right now that the narration for Firework is probably one of the best (if not the best) performances I've ever heard. Admittedly, the fact that the narrator, Kristen Barnes, is Brayden's sister is definitely advantageous - she has unique insights into the author's thought process. Barnes "gets" Brayden. It's pretty awesome. I'm a strong advocate for Barnes narrating every book Brayden writes.
Barnes did a nice job keeping all of the characters distinct without turning them into caricatures, which is so easy to do sometimes. The subtle changes Barnes makes in tone, pace, etc. are just enough to make it clear who is speaking at any given time. The beauty of it, too, is that Barnes' narration matches the way Brayden writes. I've long believed Brayden to be an absolute expert at writing dialogue. It's sharp. It's witty. It's realistic. It's fun. But more than that, it fits the characters wonderfully. Barnes recognizes this and uses it in the narration. Nice! Overall, Barnes hits all the right notes. The narrative passages are paced well; characters' internal dialogue is clear and easily distinguished; the performance is wonderfully nuanced and moves smoothly through all of the emotions displayed in the story.
Without giving too much away, we do get to see some characters from a previous Brayden romance. It's nice to visit those folks a couple of years later and see how things are progressing. I like that about Brayden's books - she let's her characters visit in some small way in subsequent novels. It's never necessary to have read the characters' originating novel, but if you have, the cameo is a nice touch - and it keeps ALL of Brayden's characters alive and in our minds. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Really smart marketing, if you ask me. (You did ask me, right?)
I really liked the development of Lucy and Kristin's relationship. It had some very interesting moments of conflict, with that wonderful and constant undercurrent of attraction. It creates a fun tension that makes the burgeoning relationship interesting. And when that undercurrent of attraction rises completely to the surface, well, yeah, there are definitely fireworks! I always appreciate the way Brayden writes a love scene. There's enough description to make me feel the passion in the story, but not so much that I have to pause and try to figure out the logistics. There's little worse than being pulled out of a story because you're not sure if a human body can actually do what's being described.
If I had one real criticism for Firework it would be that it is a novella rather than a novel. I do believe that there is more to be said about this relationship - from the beginning when Lucy and Kristin first meet - and these characters. There is room to delve more deeply into each character and how they move through the various stages of attraction and conflict.
In general, this is just a really nice addition to Brayden's oeuvre. So if you're looking for a good read, but you're short on time, this is a great one to choose. Whether you go with Kindle or Audible (or both), you're very likely to have a good experience.
I was coming up on the end of my drive back to Chicago. I had, maybe, 5 hours left to drive and it was getting late in the evening. This was my longest day of driving, by far. I just wanted to get home and not have to stop at a hotel. So, I needed something to keep me awake. I turned to Melissa Brayden and Firework . You see, Firework is a novella that originally appeared in Sweet Hearts (published by Bold Strokes Books) along with novellas by Rachel Spangler and Karis Walsh. So, from a length perspective, this was the perfect choice for listening during my final hours of the trip. It was also my second time listening to this book, so I knew it was one that would keep me engaged while I was driving and keep me from dozing off.
I've been a fan of Brayden's writing since reading her first publication, Waiting in the Wings . (My review of that book, by the way, is my most viewed post - even 4 years later, I get at least 15 hits on that entry every week.) With each novel, she solidifies my fandom. Brayden writes lovely romances that just make me feel good while I'm reading and after I finish reading. For me, that's a major goal for the romance writer - make the reader feel good.
I'll be honest here - it took me a long time to get on the audio book bandwagon. Most people would think I'd have been more eager for audio books when one considers my background in the performance of literature. But, I think that is precisely why it took me a while - I'm really picky and I'm much more critical of book narrators than many people. I mean, I listened to Jim Dale narrate Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and thought it was just "okay". So, yeah, I'm pretty critical.
Well, let me say right here, right now that the narration for Firework is probably one of the best (if not the best) performances I've ever heard. Admittedly, the fact that the narrator, Kristen Barnes, is Brayden's sister is definitely advantageous - she has unique insights into the author's thought process. Barnes "gets" Brayden. It's pretty awesome. I'm a strong advocate for Barnes narrating every book Brayden writes.
Barnes did a nice job keeping all of the characters distinct without turning them into caricatures, which is so easy to do sometimes. The subtle changes Barnes makes in tone, pace, etc. are just enough to make it clear who is speaking at any given time. The beauty of it, too, is that Barnes' narration matches the way Brayden writes. I've long believed Brayden to be an absolute expert at writing dialogue. It's sharp. It's witty. It's realistic. It's fun. But more than that, it fits the characters wonderfully. Barnes recognizes this and uses it in the narration. Nice! Overall, Barnes hits all the right notes. The narrative passages are paced well; characters' internal dialogue is clear and easily distinguished; the performance is wonderfully nuanced and moves smoothly through all of the emotions displayed in the story.
Without giving too much away, we do get to see some characters from a previous Brayden romance. It's nice to visit those folks a couple of years later and see how things are progressing. I like that about Brayden's books - she let's her characters visit in some small way in subsequent novels. It's never necessary to have read the characters' originating novel, but if you have, the cameo is a nice touch - and it keeps ALL of Brayden's characters alive and in our minds. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Really smart marketing, if you ask me. (You did ask me, right?)
I really liked the development of Lucy and Kristin's relationship. It had some very interesting moments of conflict, with that wonderful and constant undercurrent of attraction. It creates a fun tension that makes the burgeoning relationship interesting. And when that undercurrent of attraction rises completely to the surface, well, yeah, there are definitely fireworks! I always appreciate the way Brayden writes a love scene. There's enough description to make me feel the passion in the story, but not so much that I have to pause and try to figure out the logistics. There's little worse than being pulled out of a story because you're not sure if a human body can actually do what's being described.
If I had one real criticism for Firework it would be that it is a novella rather than a novel. I do believe that there is more to be said about this relationship - from the beginning when Lucy and Kristin first meet - and these characters. There is room to delve more deeply into each character and how they move through the various stages of attraction and conflict.
In general, this is just a really nice addition to Brayden's oeuvre. So if you're looking for a good read, but you're short on time, this is a great one to choose. Whether you go with Kindle or Audible (or both), you're very likely to have a good experience.
December 22, 2019
Um.... no. Kristen could have written that article from any of a dozen different angles but she chose the one version guaranteed to hurt Lucy. Then, even with this proof that she meant less to Kristen than a single newspaper article, Lucy took her back. I was so pissed at both of them that I didn’t even finish the epilogue.
November 30, 2022
This book was so very predictable. I love the author's way of writing though, so I stuck with it. I think there could have been more depth to the story and characters. It was very focused on the two main characters and because of that, the character development lacked. I liked "Heart Block" way more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2016
“I feel so much better now.”
“Than what?”
“Than every other human who doesn’t get to kiss you on top of a car overlooking the city."
I didn't expect this to be a short one. I wanted more. Rtc.
“Than what?”
“Than every other human who doesn’t get to kiss you on top of a car overlooking the city."
I didn't expect this to be a short one. I wanted more. Rtc.
October 17, 2017
I only rated it 3 stars because I wanted more!!!
February 4, 2018
On a MB Romance binge this week.
Nice novella. A secondary character from Heart Block takes a new shine here that is really enjoyable.
Nice novella. A secondary character from Heart Block takes a new shine here that is really enjoyable.
March 7, 2018
I just couldn't get into this one at all. A lot of the problem came from the audio book narration which was monotone and no effort was made to give any of the characters individual voices.
July 9, 2019
I loved this!! It was funny and i felt The chemistry between The MC’s. Great to see Sarah, Emory and Grace again.
October 24, 2019
Seriously, I want to marry Lucy. She's perfect and sexy as hell, thanks again Melissa, you're the Lesbian Goddess.
December 26, 2020
There is no real conflict in this book, which sadly makes it completely uninteresting. The closest we get is mild inconvenience, which makes the romance feel tepid.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews