Fighting fires is Luke Taylor’s calling. Mastering the seductive, deadly dance of the flames helps him save people and animals. He’s not afraid to put his muscular body and life on the line to do some good in the world. All that’s missing is someone special to share his life with. Freddie Masterson never dreamed that he’d wind up decorating cakes for a living. He was going to be a lawyer, or maybe a physical therapist. But when his daughter came along, unplanned and unexpected, Freddie stepped up to the plate, determined to give her the best life he could. With his marriage in tatters, Freddie moved back to his home town of Prescott to start again. When Freddie’s house burns down, taking all of the supplies he needs for his business with it, he doesn’t have time to panic. He has to hustle. But being asked out by the attractive fireman who saved his cat - if not the building - is too much to resist. The two men find a spark between them strong enough to burn down a thousand houses. But Freddie can’t just pick up and go on with his life after he learns that his house was deliberately targeted by an arsonist. And the culprit? Much closer than anyone would have guessed. Will revealing the culprit quench the heat between them, or will the fire of justice drive the men apart for good? This is a full length MM romance novel, with plenty of heat, heart...and some very wise comments from a cheeky five year old!
This book was a train wreck. The writing was choppy and the characters were dull. I found Reagan Ann to be a pain in the ass that the author trotted out when the Freddie and Luke got despairingly stupid. There were some sub-plots that should have been left out as the went nowhere. Run away from this one quickly.
Yeah that was....pretty sappy. There was a couple of places the author could have made a more thrilling book, but instead decided to go off on a tangent about making YouTube videos. I thought Freddie had dragee on the brain for a while, and Luke was a bit too good to be true - way too understanding. The kid was cute, definitely the most entertaining character by far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was in the mood for a fireman story but this one fell pretty damn short. It could have been a great story but I felt that the entire relationship played out like a contract or a business deal. Both MC’s were stilted and not really memorable. The only cute part was the little girl. It is probably just my mood but this did not work for me.
This is probably the most horrifying book I have read in a long time and I just read a book where some dude yeeted a toddler out of a window. The relationship between Luke and Freddie is completly one sided where Freddie has to have it his way or no way. He blames Luke for not parenting his sister corrently despite that fact that their parents are alive. He blames him for ever bad thing as though he is suppose to be in control at all times and pretty much looks down on him this whole book. Luke, while kind, is an idiot and should have screamed duces while crab walking away from this mad man. As a father Freddie isn't all that great. He isn't abusive or neglectful but he is so full of himself he comes off as robotic even to his own kid. Yet everyone in this story talks about how amazing he is when he isn't. He is probably the most trashiest person in this book and among the list is someone who was setting fires for funsies. I normally like this author but they need an editor bad. This book was riddled with errors one kf which being character names. The author did not have a cheat sheet next to them to help keep track of who is who. Both the MCs had the exact same last name in a very small little town something the just screams incest but no one says anything about it. Of course we know this is an error because Lukes last name is suppose to be something else as said in the synapse. This book was just a no. Luke should have got with Aaran and that should habe just walked away from the nightmare that is Freddie.
It was o. Ok read. Luke and Freddie met after a fire destroyed Freddie's home and business. They met again when Freddie delivered some cakes to a client.. Freddie was trying to keep his head above water and do the best for his daughter. At the same time Luck was trying to be the best son and brother for his family. I actually initially did not really feel a connection with these too. However Luke 's connection to Reagean Ann felt genuine. It was a cautious courtship with Luke's family being crazy. Just a bit forced.
Good, but sort of blocky in style. I never really felt the connection between the two men. The daughter was pretty darn cute though and the story was saved by a couple of funny lines.
I really didn't care for this one. The plot lines were poorly written and piecemeal, and would be abandoned abruptly. Secondary characters would be introduced, then neglected. Important conversations either didn't happen or happened off-page. Homophobia was inconsistent... I thought for a while maybe this was supposed to be in an alternate universe where Georgia didn't have homophobic people, but then a character at the end went all ranty about it, so that wasn't the case either.
Contrary to other's reviews, I thought there was little positive to be said about this. It's badly written on so many levels. Plot development is by fiat, there is no organic development . One of the characters (and I use that term extremely loosely) has a family that is unexplainedly vile in a moustache twirling melodramatic way that would have been corny in the "Perils of Pauline", and are used in a stilted deus ex machina fashion to try to provide a twist. Unsuccessfully . Names are seemingly interchangeable. That could be bad editing, or due to the fact that the characters are cardboard cutouts with no sense of realness.
My recommendation would be don't waste time on this life is short.
I’m fairly new to the genre, and it’s been a wild ride, not all of it good.
So... this one isn’t great. If you’re looking for a bit of gay romance, putting a hot fireman centre stage seems a no-brainer. Add a dash of opposites attract with a cupcake making single dad and it seems on track.
But this isn’t great. Plot wise, it is so outlandish that it’s hard to swallow - without giving it away, boy meets boy when boy with big wet hose puts out fire at other boy’s house, only to find a new fire burning for each other in their hearts. But, and this is the blurb so don’t hate me, can their love survive finding out who started the fire? (That’s the building fire, not the one in their hearts or groins or whatever.)
I won’t spoil it for you because there’s a chance the writing will. The writing is functional, but the dialogue is just super weird: the characters talk to each other as if they’ve just come out of therapy. They only seem capable of speaking in a Cali coast counsellors language, which would have any sensible person running for the door. Fortunately when our heroes get down to it, it’s all very sexy-like, but also weirdly shocking because of the change in tone! One moment, it’s all ‘can we agree that anger is a negative force to bring into our lives?’ and the next it’s all ‘I’m gonna f**k you down and own you’. Frankly, I was clutching my pearls.
I enjoyed the fact that our lovers were vers and I think representing versatility is fun (and obviously opens up more options so it may be strategic rather than ideological). But rather than being fluid, both characters’ versatility seems to boil down to sometimes just wanting to be well and truly dominated. So hetero romance tropes stay firmly entrenched and the versatility presented unfortunately doesn’t really escape the dominance/submission trap we see all too often.
Ultimately, there’s not much going on plot wise. There is one central flash point for our lovers and that’s it. Hunky fireman Luke attends one fire in the entire book, and even then, we only meet him after. Surely that can’t be right? It’s a functional gay romance novel so if you’re making someone a fireman, come on! We need to have some sliding down of poles, surely? For all it matters, Luke could just have easily been a sexy employee at the insurance company. Just saying. And the fact that cupcake daddy does not have a food fight with Luke which ends sexy and does not, to my knowledge, lick a spoon in a sexy manner anywhere in this book is almost unforgivable.
A lot of reviews are going in hard on cupcake kid, Reagan Anne. Just to be clear, that kid’s got enough to deal with being lumbered with the name Reagan Anne, so leave her be, ok? She also brings some of the most believable and natural dialogue to the whole book, so be grateful.
So where does that leave us? For all my criticisms, this book is easy enough to read and if you’re happy to leave your sexual politics at the door, the sex scenes are fun and the romance is sweet. I’m sure there are better examples of the genre out there, I’m just praying I don’t have to start in on one of these werebear meets vampire puma series to find it...
I wanted to like this book more, I really did, but all of the typos absolutely killed it for me. Both of the main characters are introduced (multiple times) as Masterson’s. I had to go back to check the blurb to see who was who. Names were in the wrong places. As for the actual story, it was okay. Luke, a firefighter, is at the scene when Freddie comes home to find his home burning. Luke is immediately attracted to the devastated man holding a little girl. When they meet again, he asks Freddie out. Freddie is trying hard to build a life for him and his daughter, Raegan Ann. After the fire takes pretty much everything, they move in with his brother. Freddie is trying to get a home baking business up and running (and profitable), while also beginning a relationship and raising his five year old daughter. Of course, things can’t go smoothly and a criminal investigation derails their budding romance. I hope in the next book the author decides to at least invest a little more time into editing.
Okay, so this book really has me conflicted. The plot and characters were great. But there were some things that make me feel like the author didn’t pay attention, or like it wasn’t even edited. Was there even an editor? Did the editor read the book? If so and and they didn’t catch this snafu, they should be fired. Both characters had the same last name. A different name was mentioned once, but every other time the characters were referred to with last names, it was Masterson. I don’t actually know which character had that last name for real. Also, the author’s word at the end thanked me for reading a totally different book than Blaze. So I’m conflicted. A great plot and characters. A nice HEA romance. But some sloppy details that makes me feel like no one was paying attention.
The primary story line is pretty good and the characters are well-rounded for the most part. I have two complaints, though: 1) The prologue is more like a sneak-peek or spoiler. It took a couple of chapters to realize the two main characters did not actually have a history together. If the author wants to start with a prologue that actually occurs later in the book, then the first chapter should begin with something like, "six months ago..." So there's no confusion. 2) Both of the main characters, Luke and Freddie, have the same surname. I'm thinking this must be a mistake, even though it's mentioned several times, but it sure is confusing in a few places. On the bright side, the technical writing otherwise is very good, and for once, I didn't find a slew of obvious typos and editing mistakes. That's a nice bonus!
Really enjoyable book, story line and characters. It's well written and easy to read but hard to put down. This is a low angst read that leaves the reader with a good feeling. The characters are well developed including the secondary characters which adds to the readers enjoyment. Luke is a firefighter and he loves his job but something is missing. He's happy but knows he wants more. Freddie has a great life a beautiful daughter and a new business he loves. When a tragic event rocks his world, Freddie has to start again. Freddie meets Luke and everything goes well but the author throws in some plot turns and twists and the story unfolds. Really can't recommend this book strongly enough. If you like beautiful men and funny, sweet and adorable little girls then this is definitely the book for you.
A fantastic book that I really enjoyed. Love the storyline and it pulled me in right from the beginning and would not let me put it down. Luke, a firefighter, and Freddie, a baker and single dad, are wonderful characters who meet when Freddie's house catches fire. They have incredible chemistry and are great together. I really like how dedicated Freddie is to his daughter Reagan, and Luke is wonderfully sweet and affectionate with her. There are a few twists, some ups and downs, and great sex scenes in this story to keep you captivated! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
This was a sweet story it's well written and the characters are well developed and have great chemistry. Freddie life was turned upside down his house was set on fire and he is just trying to get back on his feet. Luck is having a hard time trying to forget the cute guy he met when he was putting out a fire. Freddie daughter is so sweet and cute. Their relationship is hit hard when the truth comes out. Freddie finally stands up to his family but it may have cost him the love of his life. Will Luck get Freddie back and finally have the love and family he wants. I voluntarily read a arc copy
I did not like it. It is uncomfortably cheesy. The story feels fake, the dialogs unnatural and forced. It is just boring. The author did not take the time to build up the characters attraction to each other. They just showed up in love. The author waste a lot of time describing situations and actions that are not relevant to the story. Why describe someone opening a door?! Reagan Ann is unnaturally smart. I have nieces. A lot of nieces and no! A five-year-old girl does not talk like that. I could list a bunch of other things that I found disapointing but I really don't want waste more of my time. Thank you.
I did enjoy this book.. I just didn’t love it I’m not sure what was missing for me in this book, but it didn’t quite hit the mark like the other books by this author have
I love Luke and Freddie.. the cute cake maker and the sexy fireman
They guys are great together, the story good, I definitely didn’t suspect that’s who the “bad guy” was.. I was shocked
I can’t wait to read book 2 as it is Aaron’s story (Freddie’s brother) who is a really amazing guy, he is awesome with his niece and has a sadness about him... I’m dying for him to get his happy very after
I liked this one more than I actually expected too. The premise was interesting enough to have me giving this a try, not to mention the smoking hot cover photo. While I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't knocked out of my socks either. The mystery was too easy to figure out and the romance between the two main characters was...sweet. not the scorching hot sex and passion I generally go for. But still a nice read if you prefer your romance dialed down a bit.
Well, this had potential, but really fell short. First up, make sure you keep track of your character's names. Luke isn't a Masterson, so why would the fire chief call him by that name? Also, Freddie has to take care of "Freddie, Reagan Ann and himself". Really? There are characters who appear and disappear with little or no explanation, and why is everyone in Luke's family so evil? How has he not noticed this until now? Ugh. Disappointing.
Fun sweet tale about tragedy turning into romance. Freddy and his daughter Regan Ann have suffered the worst tragedy, their home caught fire and they have lost all their possessions. Luke is a fireman and on the scene of the Freddy and Regan Ann’s worst day. As the family rebuilds Freddy and Luke develop a sweet relationship. The characters are fun and the storyline is entertaining.
Luke Taylor is called to a fire at the home of Freddie Masterson, a single father bringing up a four year old daughter who makes cakes for a living. What follows is a mystery of who set the fire and the growing relationship between the two men. Well written, these two men certainly spark off each other.
I really liked this sweet read by new to me author Avery Ford. It was a great story with great characters that kept me entertained throughout the whole time. Let's be honest can't go wrong with a sexy single dad and a hot firefighter! I can't wait to read what comes out next from this author!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Brand new series alert! Steamy romance, a mystery and an adorable little girl and two very sexy men. Freddie is a single father to Reagan Ann and a baker. Luke is a fireman that saves their kitten when their house burns. This was a very warm and cozy love story with a twist that keeps you guessing who did it! Loved it and you will too so buy it!
Cute story full of ups and downs and how not everyone has a happy and healthy safe positive biological family who love unconditionally 🙀😰💔 and now he has the family with unconditional love ❣️🙆🏻🤣😘 A fun sexy hot read w/ a mystery thrown in for good measure ☠️😈👹🧟♀️❣️❣️💃🏻
I have zero patience for mistakes that only take one last read through by the author to correct. But that’s not why I closed the book. Luke is so open and wonderful while Freddie is anything but. I couldn’t listen to one more second of Freddie whining but doing nothing about it.
This story take off hot with baker/Father and have to add in that sexy firefighter. You see the build up with the dynamism that Freddie as a single dad. There some times in the story that you just want to smack that person for being so smug. Recommend this book and cant wait to see what happens in the next one with Aaron
...I'm pretty sure I lost a few IQ points somewhere along the way. This is a fairly standard, run-of-the-mill romance novel of the "Harlequin romance" variety. If you like that sort of thing, this is for you. This one is a quick read, with just enough melodrama and angst to keep the story going. A nice little read for a boring afternoon.
Freddie, a single parent and father of Reagan Ann, returns home to find his home on fire. A fireman, Luke gives him some encouragement and he and Reagan Ann move in with his brother, Aaron. A week later, delivering cup cakes to a party, his path crosses Luke's once again. A story of arson, pyromania, families and love. Enjoyable quick read.