Fire Down Below

by Andrea Simonne

Romantic Comedy Best Seller
Women's Fiction Humor Best Seller

When the wrong guy asks the right question...

Kate Alexander is wearing old sweats, no makeup, and feels as glamorous as a pile of dirty laundry when she runs into her hunky ex, Ben Mathews. Ben once broke her heart and is the only guy who's ever asked her to marry him. Now still single, and closing in on her thirty-fifth birthday, she wonders if her shelf life is nearing its expiration date.

The problem is Declan O'Connor, a sexy Irishman. Kate considers him a friend--except she's been having some very un-friend-like thoughts about him. They shared a hot kiss one night, before Ben reentered her life, and she can't stop thinking about it.

But then Ben asks her to marry him again, and her second chance has finally arrived.

What do you do?

From Seattle to Dublin, from the old to the new, Kate is caught between playing it safe or playing with fire.

Genres: Romance

388 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2014

About the author

Sign up for my newsletter to hear about new releases and other musings: https://www.andreasimonne.com/mailing...

Andrea Simonne grew up as an army brat and discovered she had a talent for creating personas at each new school. The most memorable was a surfer chick named "Ace" who never touched a surf board in her life, but had an impressive collection of puka shell necklaces. Eventually she turned her imagination towards writing. Andrea still enjoys creating personas, though these days they occupy her books. She's an Amazon bestseller in romantic comedy and contemporary romance, and author of the series Sweet Life in Seattle and About Love. She currently makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 Stars

On the one hand I loved the writing and the character interactions. On the other hand there was waaay too much indecision as far as how Kate handled her situation and it got old. I do love the Irish men, though so that helped.

[Ryan McCartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ out of 5 really

Mostly, whilst reading this I book, I felt incensed and frustrated and annoyed at Kate for how she allowed herself to be controlled and manipulated by Ben, swept under his spell - not for being good for her but because of their history, even though he wasn’t perfect in the past. I mean, is he a bad guy…not entirely, but he’s controlling. Kate is so different to him but he doesn’t like her doing things that he wouldn’t do. Kate knows when she’s right and he’s wrong but goes along with him to avoid conflict. Sorry, no!

Regardless of whether Declan is there or not, Kate should absolutely not be accepting an unequal relationship. She is desperate for her own family, we understand this, but she won’t ever be happy because she will never make Ben happy, because, let’s face it, that’s impossible. And then Ben strained again and I could’ve reached into the pages and slapped him!

The last third of the book obviously is a lot better. Declan is perfect for her. The last chapter is odd, why wouldn’t she have been in touch with him AT ALL, in a month? Anyway, alls well that end well.

I did like the story as a whole, but too much of the book was all about Ben and not enough about Declan.

Anyway, good read but I enjoyed all the Sweet Life In Seattle books more.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much journey, not enough reward....

Let's be honest, we know how this book is going to end from the blurb. The time it takes our h to finally get rid of the dbag at the front of the line takes the majority of the book. It's one stupid decision after another. And even then, I'm not certain the choice is all her own.
As frustrated as I was with Kate, I enjoyed the book. I loved Declan.
I'm iffy on Kate. Ben is trash. Kate's friend's are Rockstar best friends.
3.5 stars.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review. First time I tried to read this book I didn't finish it. I decided to give the book a second chance and am glad I did. While I still found Kate's indecisiveness to be very annoying to the point that I wanted to shake her and claim Declan for myself. The saving grace of the book is sexy Irishman Declan O'Connor who is the total book boyfriend he's charming, sweet, caring and down right hot.

[Deb Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a fantastic book

I love Andrea Simone’s book. Although the relationships are trouble free….with right two people, there is incredible chemistry! I loved Declan, the sexy Irishman, and he brought out the best in Kate!! A must read!!

[Miranda Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real story of how people evolve

This is more than a romance but a strong narrative illustrating how people evolve emotionally and in relationships during life.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

For lovers of real romance Ms. Simonne has finely crafted a complex and realistic journey to HEA for one woman caught between an old love and a new love. For Kate, one chance meeting has her re-examining where her life is going and who she ultimately wants to be as seen through her conflicted feelings for two very different men. It's a very rocky journey though, full of soul searching and raw emotions realistically depicted, but one I feel rewarded for having taken.

When Kate Alexander unexpectedly runs into the man who once proposed to her and then left her she starts to re-think the path her life has taken. Through scenes from the past readers learn about the intense feelings she once had for Ben Mathews, a man who seemed her opposite in many ways but who made her feel attractive and worthy of his love. Theirs was a sexually crackling relationship but in many ways it was far from perfect. He wanted to re-make her instead of accept her but his being the Golden Boy kept her enthralled with his attentions. He was her first intense love and that's something you never forget, so her wondering "what-if" when coming into contact with him again is understandable. It's equally frustrating as she's a smart and strong-willed woman who's done well for herself in the years since he left. Nostalgia has her drawn to him once again along with feelings still as intense. The subtle issues that were there before still remain and when she receives another proposal from him will she settle for what she knows or take a chance on the unexpected.

That unexpected choice is Declan O'Conor who has been friends with Kate for a few years and is now her boss. She's always felt comfortable around him but when one night has him admitting he wants more she's left conflicted as she surprisingly wants more from him too. I can understand her attraction as he's sweet and sexy and was able to overcome a past that he's not proud of but should be commended for surviving. Theirs is a relationship that feels comfortable. Kate can just be herself and not feel judged as Declan's questionable past has made him not judgmental of others. The time they spend together allows their friendship to evolve into more and it's a fun and flirty journey they undertake that has me rooting for her to choose him.

Through the vivid depiction of both Kate's relationships readers are left rooting for their own choice too. While both men have appealing qualities it's clear to me who she should choose though as Kate's a woman deserving of HEA. She's easy to relate to and immensely likable in her realistic interactions with her girlfriends and her self-deprecating humor. The flow of this story is well-done with scenes of the past and present seamlessly incorporated. This was a well-crafted story for a debut author that fully immerses readers in one woman's journey to find true love and happiness. With it's vividly depicted locales to these two men who crackle with sensuality you can't help being drawn into the rocky journey Kate's undertaking and I look forward to where Ms. Simonne takes us next.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Fire Down Below, author Andrea Simone weaves an entertaining and sexy romantic tale that follows the complicated romantic journey of thirty-five year old Kate Alexander, as she finds herself in a love triangle with two very different men who try to win her heart.

What's a girl to do when she gets caught in between an old love and discovering a new love? Right before her thirty-fifth birthday, Kate unexpectedly runs into the man who broke her heart, ex-fiance Ben Mathews. Ben wants a second chance with Kate, but is she willing to give her heart to him again ... especially when she has discovered that she has feelings for sexy Irishman Declan O'Connor, her longtime friend and boss.

From Seattle to Dublin, the reader follows Kate's complicated journey as she tries to decide whether to take a second chance with an old love, or give her heart to a new love who she is attracted to and desires.

I couldn't help but get caught up in Kate, Ben, and Declan's story. The story alternates seamlessly between Kate and Ben's past relationship with the present, and how Kate struggles with her conflicted feelings and being torn between an old and new love. The story is filled with enough raw emotion, drama, humor, and intimate romance scenes that easily keeps the reader engaged and wondering which man would win Kate's heart.

With a realistic cast of characters; witty dialogue and dramatic interactions; and a complicated romantic storyline that engages the reader to follow along and choose which man is the right one for Kate; Fire Down Below is a wonderful story about one woman's complicated journey towards making the right choice when searching for true love and happiness.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this story and found it hard to put down. It throws you into the story with Kate running into her ex at the supermarket, not only wearing sweats and looking ratty, but buying a bunch of junk food for a girls' night. I would never have accepted any phone calls or dates after something so embarrassing, but Kate's clock is ticking rather loudly, her mother keeps trying to talk her into sperm donors, and her dating life has been a bit blah lately. Ben may have been attractive but he was such a jerk. From the way he left Kate when they were younger, to the way he kept cutting her down, I found it hard to accept his relationship with Kate. She decides that she wasn't being a good enough girlfriend and had not been trying to incorporate herself in his life by doing the things he enjoyed. The two had nothing in common aside from sex, so I was very frustrated with Kate. But in the background was yummy, endearing, charming, best-friend/boss Declan, who kept doing all the things a good boyfriend would do. So, like Kate was my best friend, I was trying to encourage her to follow her heart to the right guy. The story was entertaining, if you are looking for a good torn-between-two-lovers romance where you connect with the characters. Any over-thirty, still single woman will relate to Kate's dilemmas. The story was well written. To understand what happened in the past with Kate and Ben, the story jumps back and forth, but it is easy to follow without being confused. I was a little frustrated that so much time was spent on the relationship with Ben, and I wanted to see more of her relationship with Declan. It was obvious he was the right choice, so taking so long to get there was a little disappointing. A solid 4 stars.

[Annette Dahl "Old Vicarious Reader" · Rating 5 out of 5]

It must be my age and the life I've lived that brings me to love stories like this one. I read quite a few of the reviews before I decided to read the book. One said Kate and Declan's relationships wasn't defined enough. Another one said they couldn't stand Ben's condescending character. It's my POV this book was complete for the story it was telling for all the characters. Ben's character was so well developed I ended up caring for him. This couple from the start didn't have anything in common other then great sex, but, most everyone, (like Ben), tries to mold the person they love into what they would like them to be. That's just how it works with us humans. I could write a review just on the poignant scenes between two young people who fall in love for the wrong reason, LUST, but lust never is enough. They try not only once, but twice to figure it out. If I could give my 18 year old granddaughter a romance novel to read about love and relationships, this is a story I would absolutely recommend.

The only thing I don't get is where in the world did the title come from??...LOL... Great Read!

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a gal, turning 35 years old who meets and gets to know two rather amazing men and breaks up with one and works with another and finds out he is from Ireland. They then start to date and associate and it becomes very serious. My one very serious gripe with this book was that there was way too much explicit sex. I so could have done without that. I nearly stopped the book, and probably should have except you had the nice trip to Ireland, which is the best vacation I've ever been on and it was neat to relive some of the things we did while there. Too much explicit sex.

[Marcie Vohnoutka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

Honestly I was a little confused at first but understood a few pages in. The amazing author gives you the backstory of the characters relationship, which in the long run makes sense. I related well to the main character, and loved the book. Hope the author writes more!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story! Even though you saw where it was going, the ride was worth it all!

[Lyvvieann · Rating 4 out of 5]

benchcatcher book

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel fortunate when I buy a book for .99 that I enjoy as much as this one. Loved Declan... Ben, not so much.

[Leigh Ann Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard

I struggled reading this book, even though it is well written with characters that fall into my mind. So much of the book was spent on a mismatch that was painful in its subtle abuse and criticism. Yet that part of the story was needed to stage the awakening that is visible throughout in the background.

Nicely done. The author doesn't waste many words. Always to an end. Her sketch of Dublin is even on point. Good read.