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Raiden Jones never thought he’d need a bodyguard. His life as a songwriter has been tame to the point of boring compared to his popstar days. But when a malicious hacker starts destroying his career and threatening his life, he finds himself desperately in need of protection.

After leaving the Marines, Levi Patterson takes a place with his uncle’s private security firm. The last thing he expected was a dumb babysitting job for the bratty, privileged Raiden. However, the two men have no choice but to get to know each other as they are forced on tour with one of Raiden’s remaining clients.

Levi has never told anyone of his secret, occasional hook-ups with guys from his unit, and Raiden’s never thought about going with another man before. But it’s obvious the increasing chemistry between them is becoming more than physical, and there’s only so long they can resist.

As the hacker becomes bolder, Levi finds himself in a race against time before Raiden is taken from him forever. He’s no stranger to combat, but with his heart on the line, he finds himself in the fight of both their lives.

Burn is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhanger.

262 pages, ebook

First published January 10, 2018

69 people are currently reading
196 people want to read

About the author

H.J. Welch

41 books290 followers
HJ Welch is a British author of contemporary American MM small town series and books in multi authored shared universes, including the international number one bestselling Homecoming Hearts. She lives just outside of London with her husband and three balls of fluff that occasionally pretend to be cats.

She began writing at an early age, later honing her craft online in the world of fanfiction on sites like Wattpad. Fifteen years and over half a million words later, she sought out original MM novels to read. By the end of 2016 she had written her first book of her own, and in 2017 she achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author.

When she’s not writing she’s usually dancing, singing, filming music videos, taking long walks, working on jigsaw puzzles, drinking prosecco, or talking about Eurovision.

She also writes contemporary British MM fairy tale adaptation as Helen Juliet, including bestsellers Thorn in His Side, A Right Royal Affair, and Three.

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5 stars
168 (39%)
4 stars
161 (38%)
3 stars
76 (18%)
2 stars
12 (2%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 23, 2018
A hacker is messing with Raiden's life. Ex Marine Levi, is hired as his bodyguard. These two get off on the wrong foot. As much as I don't like the push/pull in the development of a relationship, I enjoyed it in this one.

Raiden is an open-minded character, so when he realizes he is attracted to Levi, he doesn't want to fight it or deny it. Levi, on the other hand, is trying to fight it as much as he can. Poor, Levi, though, because Raiden pushes and pushes until he gives in. I love the way Raiden didn't hold back. You can say his behavior was brattish at times. That worked well since their relationship fell into the light bdsm category. Levi loved dominating and Raiden loved submitting and being disciplined.

The mystery of the hacker was pretty predictable in my opinion but still enjoyable. There were a few suspenseful moments.

I can't put my finger on why I'm this series is working so well for me. Should I even care? Nah. I'm just going to keep enjoying it. :-)
Profile Image for Tanja.
575 reviews19 followers
January 11, 2018
I can be short about it. I loved this story. Okay, review done. No, really, it was great. The book grabbed me right from the start with the sneak peek. So hot.
The characters were to die for. Raiden is one of the members of former boy band, Below Zero. After their glory days, he became a successful producer. But sadly, fame comes with a price. Someone is making threats against him. Even though he doesn’t like it, Raiden can’t do anything but accept his newly appointed bodyguard. Ex-Marine, Levi, is not happy with his assignment either, but he needs a new career after his honorable discharge, and his uncle’s security firm is the way to do that. Their first meeting is rocky to say the least. Raiden doesn’t want a bad-ass Marine as bodyguard, and Levi doesn’t want to babysit a spoiled brat.
They are quite a pair. Raiden is such a snarky, sassy, and bratty guy. I was laughing all the time the way he keeps taunting Levi. And Levi doesn’t stand a chance. Being in close quarters all the time, surely means that you get to know one another. Levi is not the hard Marine, who loves bossing Raiden around (well, he can in the bedroom). They slowly learn to tolerate each other, even their different tastes in music, and then fall in love.
The attraction simmering between the two guys is palpable, and the chemistry is sizzling hot. Not only physical but really emotional as well. I felt the love oozing from the pages. Especially, when we learn more about Levi’s life in the Marines. His story and the way Raiden reacts to it had me teary-eyed. A love that was quite surprising for both men as they never would have thought they would fall for another man. They question, acknowledge, and accept their sexuality naturally.
It is not only a lovely romance story, but it is also a suspenseful one. The tension had me sitting on the edge of my seat and biting my nails. The author did a wonderful job building the plot, and I didn’t see the end coming. It comes to a fairly explosive ending when they find out who the blackmailer is and Raiden gets seriously hurt.
This is the third book in the Homecoming Hearts series but can be read as a stand-alone. As there are recurring characters, however, I recommend reading the books in order.
Profile Image for Nerea.
739 reviews33 followers
Read
May 7, 2018
DNF 40%
I try to read this because I really liked this author's xmas novela and "Storm" BUT definitely, this series is a no for me. Maybe it is my problem, because I know that I usually don't enjoy the musician book. I'm not very music fan, so I use to find this plots so boring :/

I will wait and see if this author release something more out from this series so I could give a more objetive try.
Profile Image for Jess A Jaye.
520 reviews20 followers
January 12, 2018
I've thoroughly enjoyed the Homecoming Hearts series so far and can honestly say Burn is the best yet. Having a glimpse of MC Raiden in the last book I was looking forward this book and was surprised by just how much of a great character he really was.
This is definitely a story of opposites attract which I love. Raiden is sleek, creative and ex-boyband member. His love interest is the gruff and buff ex-Marine Levi. After getting doxed on the internet and receiving threats Raiden's family sets it up for Levi to be his bodyguard. How sexy is the growly bodyguard/client trope - yum.
Raiden feels an immediate pull to Levi. He's never been with another guy before. But he's intrigued and is totally open to experimenting with that side of his sexuality, especially having seen his friends find their HEAs with other men. Levi is feeling a bit discombobulated after leaving the marines. He fooled around with a friend while serving but it takes him a bit longer to face the truth about how he feels about Raiden. You feel sorry for his struggles and that makes him an endearing character.
I really love these two together. It's fun seeing Raiden winding up Levi when he's being all grumpy bear bodyguard. The nicknames were hilarious. Oh and how Raiden responds to Levi during sexy times, embracing the kinkier side of things is both sweet and hot.
As well as the love story in the book I really enjoyed the suspense element, discovering who was behind the doxing and threats and seeing what happens when they make their final move. It definitely makes for a page turning read.
A really fab read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
Profile Image for ~nikki the recovering book addict.
1,248 reviews2 followers
January 31, 2018
I enjoyed this!

Ahhh.... another awesome addition to the series. I like how distinct the characters and storylines are! After Joey and Gabe though, I think Raiden and Levi fell a little short. They weren’t as complex a character as both Joey and Gabe. But still, I liked them. And it was always lovely to see all the other guys again. And also a first introduction to TJ.
Profile Image for Jenna ✨DNF Queen✨Here, Sometimes....
438 reviews49 followers
February 19, 2018
Potentially unpopular opinion ahead...

Very little about this worked for me and I'm actually quite surprised I managed to finish this. I don't know a thing about the author. I don't know if its their 5th book or their 50th. If this wasn't obviously part of a series I'd think it might even be a first. To be clear, it wasn't completely terrible... and I waffled between 2 and 3 stars. The best way to sum up my impression of this whole story is that it just felt... juvenile. The characters both felt immature and unbalanced, and weren't terribly likable. Or memorable. The plot wasn't particularly different or unpredictable, but managed to be weird at the same time, and therefore felt very contrived from start to finish.

Characters: Raiden annoyed the ever loving tar out of me tbh. The multiple misunderstandings/bratty freakouts/snit fits... geez. I can't stand that kind of nonsense.

Levi: what in the name of *bleep* ... has this author every been around marines? Because nothing about this character read corpsman or former corpsman. Without going into spoilers this character had no situational awareness even on paper and the constant indecisiveness really made me crazy. It just utterly lacked authenticity. When he DID have a little flash of authentic bodyguard-ness, Raiden did his best to be a total brat (not in a cute way!) and utterly undermine his efforts.

The chemistry: Meh. It was ok. There were some hot moments but the contrived-plot nonsense just kept getting in the way, and while I should have loved everything about this -- first times with men, bodyguard trope, a toppy-top just figuring out that being a little dominant really works for him... yeah, it should have all been there. But ... nope. Sadly a big miss.
Profile Image for Dixiecowgirl.
1,437 reviews25 followers
January 11, 2018
Passion, intrigue, action and romance, this book hits the mark and has all the feels! Well written, great characters - the kind of MC's you feel in your heart, and a plot that keeps you reading and guessing on who the bad guy is. i was also page turning because i got caught up in enjoying how Raiden and Levi learn to love each other. These guys have a powerful connection that was beautiful to experience and to be a part of as i became immersed in their journey to partnership.

Accepting that sexuality and attraction can be gender blind is something kinda new for both of these men and i loved their dialogue with themselves and with each other. They both struggled with accepting their attraction a bit and i really appreciated how once they understood the level of their attraction, they tried to acknowledge their feelings. Both me were genuine and even through they were dealing with new feelings, they were honest and caring.

i loved that we got to connect with the friends from the previous books again and how they play an important role in being the solid cornerstone of friendship for Raiden and are very accepting of Levi.

i am loving this series and so look forward to more to come. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Sarita Chapdelaine.
1,252 reviews1 follower
January 15, 2018
I love this series and this is my favorite book so far. It is well-written, hot, entertaining and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Raiden is funny, snarky and sweet and loves to give Levi a hard time. Levi is trying to keep Raiden safe but that is an almost impossible task when they have no idea who is trying to harm him. This is a great story about two guys who thought they were straight, spending a lot of time together and fighting their attraction to each other. They are made for each other but they have a lot to deal with from trying to keep Raiden safe to Levi not wanting to make a mess of his first job for his uncle's company. The secondary characters also add a lot to the story and we get to catch up with Raiden's former band mates from the previous books. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
I was given an ARC to review by the author.
2 reviews
January 13, 2018
Don't miss this story !!
This is the 3rd book of the series and even though I loved the previous two this is the best so far !!
The intimate side of Raiden and Levi's relationship is something else but what follows is a tender love that blossoms ... Give me more more more ! .... and what is wonderful about these two characters and this series of stories is that I'm quite confident that I shall be able to read of their ongoing life together as this author has returning characters in her books.
Loved it warm and spicy with fun and drama !!
4 reviews
January 29, 2018
Cheers HJ

Another enticing romance by HJ Welch - fluff and drama in spades.
Definitely looking forward to the next episode in Below Zero's postbreakup adventures.
Profile Image for TL Travis.
Author 94 books625 followers
March 5, 2018
This one is my favorite

In the series, thus far. I hate that society requires labels when all that would matter is two hearts collide, finding love in one another.
Profile Image for Bess Korey.
178 reviews6 followers
July 14, 2018
If you like generic men with lots of muscles who don't have much of a personality you might like Levi from this book but I thought he was boring and too much of a cliche. I can't even tell you how many books I've read now that have this kind of cookie cutter character. A beefy guy that looks intimidating but underneath he has a heart of gold and he is usually ex-military as is the case with this book or some kind of civil servant. Yawn! I know this is other people's fantasy, since there are so many books with this stereotypical character, but it isn't mine.

Reiden was the other part of the couple, and he was more interesting to me. I liked his edgy androgyny and the fact that he was a songwriter. I did like the music aspect of the book. But Reiden seemed too edgy to have previously been in a manufactured boy band, especially since he could write his own songs and collaborates with a Punk band, so I pictured him as more of a Rock N Roll type. Regardless I liked his character even if he could sometimes act like an immature brat.

Even though Levi bored me, I still enjoyed some of the sex scenes, especially since they were BDSM lite. There were no whips and chains but the power play between Levi and Reiden was pretty hot. I still wasn't heavily invested in the characters as a couple though and I felt as if they fell in love way too fast, which is a pet peeve of mine. I like to see a more natural progression in relationships even if it is a slow burn (pun intended) and that wasn't the case here.

In regards to the mystery subplot, I didn't figure out who the culprit is before the reveal, and I usually do, but I think that is because their motive wasn't planned well (the ends didn't justify the means) and it felt like it came out of nowhere.

I really liked the book after this in the series, which is called Steam, but felt as if this one was a bit of a let down. I am not sure if I will continue with the series, but if I do I will need to take a break from it first since I read Steam and Burn close together. If I read Burn as a standalone I might have liked it a bit more but it did not live up to my expectations after reading Steam first and enjoying it so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nick.
252 reviews9 followers
February 21, 2020
3.5 Stars

This was good, but I think it could have used a longer period of sexual tension. They had sex quite quickly, which resolved some of my UST at least (maybe not their's fully lol), making the story a bit less attention-grabbing.

And, honestly, I am not sure I really liked the transition from sex friends? experiment buddies? (whatever they were) to loving partners. It felt really sudden and unnatural. I was shocked, in a bad way, when they were already exchanging 'i love you's. It's like the first 60% of the story was going at snail pace, and then out of nowhere, they ramped the speed up and were blowing by milestones. I'd prefer a smoother, more consistent pace.

As for the mystery, it started off pretty interesting actually. When the hacker really makes his "move", I found myself really sympathising with Raiden. But I gotta say, the conclusion was so lacklustre. The hacker's reasonings were so illogical, it just became downright inane.

The thing that bothered me the most though was they never fully absolved Levi. The hacker finds some fairly....slanderous information against him. Information bad enough to make Raiden question even being with Levi. While he explains himself to Raiden, Raiden still holds some doubt, and I do too.

That said, the sex was hot, and it was a decent enough story that I didn't put it down until I finished it. Given my penchant for just completely abandoning stories midway these days, that's pretty impressive. Also, I loved that Raiden was Asian-American. There's not enough diversity in the gay-romance genre, and that definitely bothers me as a WoC. And sometimes, authors with the best intentions write more of a caricature of a PoC than a realistic character. I'm not of Asian descent myself, so take my views with a grain of salt, but I liked how Raiden was written.
Profile Image for Ann.
516 reviews13 followers
January 14, 2018
This book is awesome!
When Raiden. an ex rock star and songwriter, is troubled by a hacker his father insists he has a bodyguard. Enter Levi an ex-Marine. The two loathe each other on sight and Raiden hates being told what to do, but as things become more dangerous for him and Levi sticks closer than ever, they discover feelings they never thought they would have for another man.
The conclusion is epic.
Really well written, the characters leap out of the page (or e-reader) and the story keeps you glued to the very end.
Profile Image for Sydney.
194 reviews6 followers
June 23, 2018
🎼Raiden and Levi

This is the third book in the Homecoming Hearts series. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone without feeling lost. Raiden, who writes music for other famous singers, is a victim of a malicious data breach. Levi is hired by Raiden’s family to protect him. This is Levi’s first job since leaving the military. Both Raiden and Levi have to come to terms with their sexuality after truly believing they were straight their whole lives. This book has an enemies to lovers feel with lots of steamy scenes and even some action. And of course you get a HEA!
Profile Image for Mel.
175 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2018
I loved this book. In fact, Raiden is my favourite character in the Homecoming Hearts books to date. At the start of the book Raiden and Levi seemed worlds apart and I couldn’t imagine how they would meet in the middle, but it was a joy following their story and finding out how they both grew in order to bridge that gap. Another compelling, steamy and witty read, with the promise of an exciting follow up. I can’t wait for more and to meet Trent properly!
Profile Image for Valerie.
Author 21 books172 followers
February 24, 2018
I enjoyed getting to know Raiden when I first started the book, but Levi was a little bit more difficult for me to like. It wasn't his confusion about his sexuality, but when he met Raiden, he judged him unfairly, thinking he was a spoiled rich kid. Thankfully, the more you get to know Levi and Raiden, the story developed into a story I loved. Especially when Levi realized he had feelings for Raiden and admitting to Raiden how he felt was sweet. A good read!!
6 reviews
January 16, 2018
I love firsts

This was an awesome read and i enjoyed escaping to this story! The characters were great,the story was just the right amount of drama and the love was so sweet. Only reason why I didn’t give 5 is the smexy scenes could have been a little more different from each other but they were still very hot!
335 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2018
This is the best of the Homecoming Hearts Series so far. I was on the fence about Blake's and Elion's story and I enjoyed Gabe's and Joey's but this one grabbed me from the beginning - I enjoyed both the characters, the bi-for-you trope, the relationship developed and the very hot sex. On to the 4th book, can't wait.
Profile Image for Stacy Mitchell.
Author 1 book12 followers
April 5, 2018
Another great addition to a wonderful series

I love gay for you books because they’re truly about the love between these two men. Raiden and Levi got off to a slow start but that made them more solid in the end.
Profile Image for Tanya.
854 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2018
Action in all ways

Book 3 brought us some hot, angry, love and drunk sex. It also shows us how bad 1 hacker can not only disrupt but destroy a life. Can't wait to see what is in store for the last 2 members
9 reviews
March 28, 2018
Smutty fun, the humour and the banter was perfect, the way the characters bounced off each other was excellent.
Profile Image for Katie.
1,438 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2018
This was my favorite for the series so far.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
336 reviews92 followers
March 16, 2019
Wasn't drawn in until the action started at about 27%. The sex was hot tho.
Profile Image for Gabis Laberladen.
1,252 reviews
July 29, 2023
5 Sterne und noch 5 Feuerwerkskörper dazu :-)

Darum geht’s:

Nachdem die Band Below Zero sich aufgelöst hat, arbeitet Raiden als Songschreiber. Zusammen mit anderen Prominenten wird er Opfer eines Hackers – persönliche Daten wie seine Adresse geraten in die Öffentlichkeit und seine Familie besteht darauf, dass er sich von einem Bodyguard schützen lässt. Levis Militärzeit ist gerade zu Ende gegangen und er übernimmt seinen ersten Auftrag in der Sicherheitsfirma seines Onkels – als Raidens Bodyguard. Zwischen den beiden prickelt es sofort, sowohl was Raidens ständige Neckereien angeht als auch die gegenseitige Anziehung, die sich nicht lange im Zaum halten lässt.

Meine Meinung dazu gibt’s hier
Profile Image for Beth.
2,928 reviews27 followers
February 12, 2020
This is the third book in the homecoming hearts series. Each book centers around one member of the now disbanded boy band Below Zero. This book is about Raiden who briefly appeared in book two.

In this book we have Raiden, who is now making his living as a songwriter, and who ends up needing a bodyguard, and Levi, a recently discharged Marine who goes to work for his uncle’s security firm and ends up assigned as that bodyguard.

The story here is a bit thin. Raiden is the victim of a cyber-attack that puts him in a vulnerable position but neither he nor his new bodyguard takes it very seriously. Levi thinks Raiden is a spoiled brat. Both of them are straight…supposedly.

When Raiden and Levi end up together on tour for a band that Raiden is writing songs for things get tense…both because of the cyber-attacks and between the two men.

This story didn’t work quite as well for me. The villain was obvious from the beginning and his uncle can’t have that great a security firm if it never occurs to him. Nor could Levi’s father have been that astute a Marine if he doesn’t figure it out. And Levi might be the worst bodyguard ever. Also there is a bit too much of a D/s feel to the steam here and that’s not my thing.

But we get to see Blake and Elion and Joey and Gabe again and we get to meet 4th band member TJ. The crisis moment is tense, and the ending of the book is sweet. There is a follow-up short story called “One Night in Hawaii.”

*I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my objective review *
Profile Image for FairyG.
401 reviews
February 5, 2019
Its a 3.5

Liked it as part of the homecoming series, but it was riddled with editing errors and I am not a fan of the kink.


So the story is ok, another band member finds his career in jeopardy and then finds threats against him leading him to get a bodyguard, they don't get on but irritate each other. There is action and mystery, an ex-marine, travel, romance and a punk rock girl band.


However there were several editing issues where a word was spelt right but made no sense unless you swapped it with a similar sounding (phonetic) word (eg 'a slice of bed' instead of bread), as if using voice recognition software. If I am really enjoying a book I tend to overlook one or two errors, but these were throughout... it really needed an edit.

Finally, and this is personal preference, the intimate scenes from this book are not my kind of thing.

That's why for me it's a 3/3.5 and not a 4 star
3,772 reviews44 followers
February 13, 2020
Opposites attract and make sweet 🔥 "music" 😉 together: suspense and action too!

4.5🌟stars
This is a great series, partly due to an excellent mix of 🔥 heat, emotion and suspenseful drama. Raiden and Levi, the main characters in Burn, have led very different lifestyles, one in the rock music biz, the other military, but they come from the same small town and their parents were close friends until Levi's father died. They go from aggravating each other to jumping bones pretty quickly and then, 🔥🔥🔥, all while watching their backs as a hacker causes mayhem.

Good steam, romance and action with some angst related to Levi's military service, but I think I slightly preferred Spark, the second book in the series about Jay and his adorably wonderful librarian/firefighter Gabe. (The guys from the earlier books do come back for some cameo moments).

I bought this as part of a boxed set; this is my voluntary and honest review.
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